Noelle Reno

Silicon Valley, London, Tallinn, or Bengaluru—these are the prominent tech hubs that have predictably produced global technology giants over the decades. Leveraging an established startup ecosystem, access to capital, and a deep talent pool, entrepreneurs from these regions have relatively smoother pathways to tech dominance. Bangladesh, on the other hand, lacks those traditional advantages. A nascent tech ecosystem, perceived risks around an emerging market, and limited exposure have made it an unlikely launchpad for building a globally successful tech enterprise. Overcoming these challenges to put Bangladesh on the world's tech map has been an uphill battle. Yet a new force is rising from this South Asian nation—a small but growing batch of tech companies looking to make a mark on the global stage. One of these rising companies is the fast-growing tech conglomerate Startise which is scripting an inspirational story. Started as a small WordPress plugin team, Startise Group has rapidly transformed into a global giant, serving over 6 million customers across 5 distinct technology companies. The remarkable journey from humble beginnings in Dhaka has defied conventional wisdom. Along the way, Startise has overcome misperceptions and developed a radical new approach to product development and organizational culture. Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gkYGfhFv

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Coming soon on Aug 1: "Transformation to a Fresh Tomorrow." This is theme of our 3rd Annual Web3 Investor Day, as we welcome the innovators and investors convening in Chicago for these discussions around the next generation Internet. Our theme reflects the optimism, determination and commitment investors and innovators have solidified off the depths of the bear markets to drive success in the bull markets. Broader investor optimism suggests that fresh institutional funds into Web3 across both tokens and equity may endure.  Across adoption metrics, customer interest and developer activity, Web3 seems to have normalized. It’s refreshing to see the transformation and next evolution of Web3 and it’s refreshing to meet many of you on August 1.  And yet, even with the improved optimism from last year, there still remain open questions in the development and adoption of our next generation Internet:  1. the balance of speculative versus productive investor capital in this current cycle 2. the productive role of liquid trading capital in fostering Web3 innovation 3. the attractiveness of venture investments in follow on financings 4. the role of policy and regulation that may enhance innovation 5. the continued developer activity to improve the underlying infrastructure 6. other Web3 recovery characteristics in target customer use cases. We remain committed to navigating regulatory shifts, fostering investor optimism, and building the customer use cases for Web3.  Physical spaces enhance our innovation conversations.  In person relationships foster our collaboration.  Relationships drive breakthrough innovations.  Reach out to Rizza Torres at Decasonic if you would like to join us! #web3investorday #web3 #venturecapital

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What do you do when a radical new technology puts your main product right in the crosshairs of disruption? Listen to David Okuniev — co-founder of Typeform | Ask awesomely — discuss the challenges of innovation within existing structures. David shared a game-changing insight: Radical innovation is really, really difficult to do inside your own product. He emphasized the need to break free from the constraints of familiarity and embrace change from outside the box. Henrik Werdelin and I have both seen our fair share of this in our respective careers. What struck us most was how David leveraged structure to overcome the innovator’s dilemma. By creating a culture of experimentation and providing space for bold ideas, he propelled Typeform beyond incremental improvements. What other hacks have you seen or employed to help your organization overcome the innovator’s dilemma? Share your stories below! 👇 And if you want to dive deeper into our conversation, click the link in the comments to catch the full podcast episode!

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How do you find Limited Partners and get them over the line? Find out in this webinar next week!

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Fascinating read - Investor Tassos Stassopoulos of #Trinetra has been using #ethnographies to inform his investment strategy. These global in-home exploratories have been a part of Consumer Eyes innovation work since our founding over 30 years ago and we still find them supremely insightful. For a number of days, I rose before the sun in #Jakarta Indonesia to participate in breakfast preparation and eating which took place after morning prayers. This was coupled with similar research outings in #KualaLumpur, #MexicoCDMX and #NYC. The consumer understanding we gained had a significant impact on creating a global breakfast strategy and offerings. Glad to see at least one investor understands the value of real-world, in-situation #humaninsight mining. #innovation #consumerinsights #qualitativeresearch

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An insightful Podcast Interview with Sam Altman on the Future of AI In an in-depth conversation on a recent tech podcast, Sam Altman, the visionary leader of OpenAI, provided detailed insights into the development and impact of artificial intelligence, particularly with the upcoming release of GPT-5. Innovative Release Strategies. Altman revealed that the launch of GPT-5 might differ from previous models, with a phased rollout to manage the integration of new features more smoothly and ensure robust security measures are in place. Broadening Accessibility: He emphasized OpenAI's commitment to expanding access to AI technologies. Altman discussed plans to bridge the gap between paid and free users, ensuring that advancements in AI are not just exclusive but benefit a wider audience. Impact of Open Source on AI: Altman praised the open-source community for its critical role in accelerating AI technology and making it more accessible. He underscored the potential of open-source efforts to lead to significant breakthroughs in AI functionality. Economic and Ethical Considerations: The conversation also touched on the potential economic disruptions due to AI advancements. Sam stressed the importance of preparing for changes in the job market and discussed the ethical considerations necessary to guide responsible AI development. This podcast is a must-listen for anyone in the tech industry, from developers to executives, offering a deeper understanding of the strategic decisions behind AI developments and their broader implications. https://lnkd.in/def6F-Mb

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With thanks to Private Equity International for this month’s deep dive on how #GPStakes helps to finance and drive best in class development in our industry

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We partnered with Walter Thompson, former TechCrunch editor to create Fund/Build/Scale as a podcast to provide actionable advice to ideation stage AI founders. The final episode of our 10 part series features Manish Chandra and Dheeraj Pandey, two Mayfield serial entrepreneurs who have built iconic consumer and enterprise companies - Poshmark and Nutanix. Their evergreen learnings should be a great guide to founders who are starting their journey: 1. Prioritize reducing friction from every process. 2. Embrace a design-first mentality from Day Zero. 3.It’s tricky, but you need to find the right balance between confidence and humility. 4. You are the face of the company, so “keep it 💯.” 5. Idea-stage founders have more freedom than CEOs of public companies.  6. Building a strong personal network is part of your job. Listen to podcast here: https://lnkd.in/esgqH7y3

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Silicon Valley, London, Tallinn, or Bengaluru—these are the prominent tech hubs that have predictably produced global technology giants over the decades. Leveraging an established startup ecosystem, access to capital, and a deep talent pool, entrepreneurs from these regions have relatively smoother pathways to tech dominance. Bangladesh, on the other hand, lacks those traditional advantages. A nascent tech ecosystem, perceived risks around an emerging market, and limited exposure have made it an unlikely launchpad for building a globally successful tech enterprise. Overcoming these challenges to put Bangladesh on the world's tech map has been an uphill battle. Yet a new force is rising from this South Asian nation—a small but growing batch of tech companies looking to make a mark on the global stage. One of these rising companies is the fast-growing tech conglomerate Startise which is scripting an inspirational story. Started as a small WordPress plugin team, Startise Group has rapidly transformed into a global giant, serving over 6 million customers across 5 distinct technology companies. The remarkable journey from humble beginnings in Dhaka has defied conventional wisdom. Along the way, Startise has overcome misperceptions and developed a radical new approach to product development and organizational culture.

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Did you catch last week’s episode? Join us as we explore the latest developments in Artificial intelligence, Blockchain, Computing infrastructure, and Data. In this episode, we discuss Amazon's $230 million investment in generative AI startups and Apple's strategic partnership with OpenAI, bringing ChatGPT capabilities to its millions of iOS users. We also cover topics including SEC Chair Gary Gensler's recent comments about ether ETFs, Fidelity International's tokenization of money market fund shares using JPMorgan's blockchain, and Coinbase reporting a 39% year over year growth of Fortune 100 cryptocurrency and blockchain projects in Q1 of 2024. Rember to Stay Current! https://lnkd.in/eEhMracE

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Today’s must read: Forbes compiled a list of relevant trends and current topics concerning #AI technology that are foundational for any fellow #VC investor to understand. Part of my job is anticipating where the market will be headed, and without a comprehensive understanding of current knowledge there is no foresight. There’s a lot to dig in here, but I’ll briefly point out some trends that are more relevant to my brand. For one, AI is not going to get any less complex from here — so I value the ongoing effort to develop “explainable AI,” which has the explicit goal of providing insight and boosting decision making in topics such as #healthcare and #finances based on datasets. Simplifying difficult material helps not only businesses, but also consumers. According to Forbes, it is no longer financially viable for VCs to continue on without utilizing AI technology, which means we have to set a healthy precedent with this technology for future generations of our companies. That’s why another trend I value is the development of #responsible AI technologies, which amounts to creating moral and ethical standards and frameworks and making sure that AI is incorporated into the environment of company without being exclusionary or biased. If you’ve read this article, what current AI trend are you interested in? As AI becomes more normalized in your workplace, do you have any similar concerns? Are there any trends here that stand out to you? Hamza Farooq

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Controversial opinion - but in any case, we have to note "THE IMPORTANCE OF INFORMATION SUPERIORITY", as John Cowan writes. Startup Studios, Venture Studios, Asset Studios, but also VCs that want to stay competitive in the future have to take data-driven decisions, based on actual, life data from what humans do in their projects and startups. AI can help, but in the end it's human decisions (still) that make the difference for success or failure. I have been monitoring Max Pog and his grand research, cited in the article, for a while. He already promotes and lives the principles of collaborative startup ecosystem in his online community. We on the other hand are happy to build a platform that facilitates these interactions and the value creation as an operating system for studios and VCs. https://lnkd.in/eQ2uK2U6

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Find out why ActiveCampaign emphasizes the pivotal importance of delivering tangible value to customers through AI capabilities, challenging the notion of superficial AI features that fail to address real-world problems. In my recent Forbes article, I had the opportunity to dig into the world of AI innovation with Jason VandeBoom, the founder and CEO of ActiveCampaign. This groundbreaking Chicago-based company is disrupting the marketing automation landscape with its cutting-edge AI strategies. From delivering highly personalized customer experiences to revolutionizing content generation with AI, ActiveCampaign is leading the charge in leveraging AI for business growth. #AI #MarketingAutomation Omaxn HPA Meg (Dedyne) Murphy Abin Kuriakose Luke Tanen Franco Patano Mike Edmonds Fred Hoch Betsy Ziegler Michael J. Franklin Jing Liu, PhD Jed Taylor Rashid Bashir Brad Henderson Lee Davidson, CFA Michael Claussen Tony Toulouse Michelle Gansle Madison Gooch Ganesh Jayaram Megan Merrill Terry Howerton Mani Gopalakrishnan https://lnkd.in/gRqq4jqy

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Great to speak at Alma College: Lessons on Due Diligence today alongside the fantastic Rupa Ganatra Popat of Arāya Ventures. This is one of a series of events run by Alma Angels to help angel investors who want to learn more about investing. If you are an angel investor interested in supporting female founders, please check out Alma. Link in comments shortly. #founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic More at unbundled dot vc.

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I love this! Thank you to Rachel Brown from Beauty Independent to kick-off this exchange with Andrew Ross' provocative thesis and have us all react to it. I truly enjoyed reading everyone's thoughts on the topic of the shortening lifecycle of beauty brands. Here is a snippet of mine: "Because beauty brand lifespans are shortening, it is important that we are able to differentiate brands with staying power from brands that will end up being a flash in the pan. There are much more of the latter than the former in the market right now, and if a brand is not well-positioned, it will be challenging for that brand to survive over the long-term. That’s why we focus on understanding each brand’s differentiators and long-term relevance." See more here: https://lnkd.in/esVbwnu2 and you will discover what Kevin Murphy, Odile Roujol, Rich Gersten, Tina Henry Bou-Saba, Oliver Nordlinger, Claire Chang, Manica Blain, Sonya Brown, George Birman had to say. #beautyindustry #beautyinvesting Stride Consumer Partners

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It's about time! We’re seeing more and more how investors are returning to the pre-pandemic long-run trend. What should we take from this? It’s time to build businesses that are sustainable, adaptable, and #resilient. #Business #Unicorns

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I love this perspective from my partner Evan Allen - he talks about the #CorporateDevelopment impact that #VentureStudios can create for #startups. I think about sales, ecosystem-building and business development a lot. All of these activities are inputs which target revenue growth and require trust-building with new relationships. Startups go at this from a cold start; venture studios bring existing relationships and established trust. This gives a young business leverage to move a heavy thing (revenue) more easily and quickly. Our #VirtualStudio program addresses this in a few distinct ways - enabling founder-led sales from a coaching and development perspective and helping founders understand the leverage available to them through extended networks.

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