Ralph Quintero

If you are curious to learn about angel funds, their difference to other angel investing models and how it reduces the risk of investing in startups, come listen to this episode of VC10X podcast. Here, Prashant Choubey and I talk about this and much more. Thank you Prashant for this conversation! #angelinvesting #startups #innovation #angels #angelfunds #coreangels

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CoCreator accepted by Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub Miami FL – June 7, 2024 – CoCreator, a pioneering AI-powered business mentorship platform launched in early 2024, announced today it has joined the prestigious Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub. This program empowers startups revolutionizing industries with cutting-edge technologies. Empowering Entrepreneurs with AI. CoCreator empowers entrepreneurs with the guidance and support of a 24/7 AI business co-pilot. Through AI financial analysis, personalized business advice, and a library of educational content, CoCreator bridges the mentorship gap for entrepreneurs. Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub: A Boost for CoCreator's Mission "At CoCreator, we're passionate about pushing the boundaries of what's possible. This acceptance by Microsoft represents a significant leap forward in our journey, and I'm thrilled to see the impact it will have for our users." - Heradio Luces, CEO. "With Microsoft's support, we can empower even more entrepreneurs on their journeys to success." Unlocking the Potential of AI for Business Growth "We're constantly exploring new ways to leverage technology at CoCreator. This announcement is just the beginning of what's to come for CoCreator, and I'm excited for the future." - Ramya Jayaraman CTO, CoCreator. By joining the Microsoft for Startups Founders Hub, CoCreator gains access to a comprehensive suite of tools and resources designed to accelerate its growth and development, including: Essential Tools and Technology Development and Collaboration: GitHub Actions, Microsoft Teams Security: Microsoft Sentinel Business Intelligence: Power BI Scalable Cloud Infrastructure: Azure App Service, Azure Functions, Azure Container Instances (ACI) AI Services: Azure Cognitive Services, Azure Machine Learning Expanded Ecosystem Financial Management: Stripe for secure payment processing Project Management: Mercury for streamlined financial management and Miro for visual collaboration Talent Acquisition: Toptal for connecting with top freelance talent Networking and Recruiting: LinkedIn for professional networking and recruitment Deal Management: Ansarada for secure and efficient deal execution Financial Planning and Forecasting: Forecastr for financial modeling and forecasting Business Consulting: EB Howard Consulting for strategic business consulting services Unparalleled AI Expertise Access to industry-leading technology, including the latest GPUs for efficient AI processing Technical guidance from Microsoft's AI specialists Opportunities to Collaborate Connections with industry leaders, allowing CoCreator to collaborate with other AI-focused companies and experts to accelerate development and broaden its reach. Ramya Jayaraman

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Listen to Ricardo Regalado, tell us his story of startup success. He decided to follow his passion for technology even though he initially started in a different industry. It all started when he took a leap of faith in himself and won a pitch competition. "I did it, and we are here today". His motto is "Just do it, man. What do you have to lose?". 👉The full episode https://bit.ly/4aKLRPl

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A lot of investors have been asking me what the major industries are in the Venture Miami Built in Miami Startup Program. Here's the industry breakdown across 214 new South Florida startups. TLDR: The South Florida startups are pretty diverse across industries. Here's the largest categories in order: - 16.2% AI & Machine Learning - 14.2% EdTech - 12.2% Healthcare - 8.5% Marketing & Sales Tech - 8.1% FinTech - 7.4% Sustainability - 6.1% Travel & Hospitality - 6.1% E-Commerce The smallest category: Cybersecurity at 1.2% There's an additional 50 startups that didn't complete the survey in time but we'll get that info updated by Demo Day June 20th. #BuiltinMiami

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On May 2, 2024 REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund convened people from around the world for Supply Chain & Industrial Transformation: The Next Generation (Silicon Valley 2024) at the JP Morgan Chase Palo Alto Technology Center in Palo Alto, CA. Lisa Morales-Hellebo and I want to extend our deep gratitude and appreciation to Melanie Hilton, Michelle Covey, Jess Urriola, Amy Reiter, and Vivian Tai from GS1 US for sponsoring that event, and our other event on May 3 in San Francisco. In this clip from Thursday, May 2, Melanie, Senior Vice President, Community Engagement at GS1 US tells our guests about GS1 US and welcomes them to the gathering. Our Investment Thesis: REFASHIOND Ventures: The Industrial Transformation Fund invests in early stage startups refashioning legacy industries through Data & AI, Advanced Materials, Advanced Manufacturing, & Next Generation Supply Chains; Defensible through economic moats. About GS1 US; GS1 US® helps companies power their supply chains to deliver safe, consistent, authentic, and trusted experiences. Best known as the recognized source for UPC barcodes, GS1 is a not-for-profit, global data standards organization that creates the common language that helps companies and their trading partners identify, capture, and share trusted data that links their physical and digital supply chains. Millions of businesses around the world power commerce with GS1 Standards. More than 300,000 members across 25 industries turn to GS1 US® for help with improving operations, addressing today’s industry challenges and changing market conditions, and positioning their businesses for tomorrow by leveraging GS1 Standards. #SCITSV2024

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Revolutionizing Latin America and Carribean Supply Chains: A Silicon Valley Mission 🌎 The future of supply chain and logistics: 🧚‍♀️ Silicon Valley's innovation is poised to revolutionize your operations, boosting efficiency and empowering you to navigate the evolving global landscape. Let's delve into key trends that can propel your business to the forefront: 📲 Nearshoring & the Chips Act: A strategic opportunity awaits. The US Chips Act's $52 billion investment incentivizes domestic chip manufacturing, leading to a predicted 15-20% shift in manufacturing from Asia to the Americas by 2030 (Kearney study, 2023). Latin American countries can capitalize by focusing on infrastructure development, skilled workforce training, and creating an attractive business environment. 💹 Automation on the Rise: Robots are transforming warehouses! Data from a 2023 McKinsey report estimates automation can reduce warehousing costs by up to 50%. Embrace automation for repetitive tasks like picking, packing, and sorting, while autonomous vehicles streamline deliveries for faster and more cost-effective last-mile and long-distance transportation. 💫 Trust Through Technology: Transparency is key. Leverage the Internet of Things (IoT) for real-time tracking of goods throughout your supply chain, gaining valuable insights into location and inventory levels. Additionally, blockchain technology offers a secure and tamper-proof way to record transactions, reducing fraud and enhancing trust with your stakeholders (73% of CEOs believe blockchain will revolutionize supply chain transparency, PwC study, 2023). 🧠 Data-Driven Efficiency: The World Trade Organization (WTO) highlights trends in FTZs worldwide. A 2023 study reveals: * 65% of FTZs are implementing or piloting AI for logistics and trade facilitation. * 58% are exploring blockchain for secure trade transactions. * 72% are utilizing data analytics for optimized FTZ operations. This data confirms FTZs are embracing innovation for efficiency, transparency, and better decision-making. ⚡ Empowerment Through Big Data: Unlock the power of data! A study by Accenture found that companies using advanced analytics can achieve a 10% reduction in supply chain costs. Leverage Big Data and AI-powered analytics to gain valuable insights into market trends, predict demand fluctuations, and anticipate potential disruptions. This proactive approach allows you to make informed decisions, mitigate risks, and ensure the continuity of your operations. 🗣 This is just a glimpse into the future! Stay tuned for further insights on building sustainable and socially responsible supply chains, and the evolving Future of Work in logistics. Want to learn more? I'll be sharing a follow-up post with actionable strategies to leverage Silicon Valley! #supplychain #logistics #nearshoring #siliconvalley #Tholons #IDB Fabrizio Opertti #AZFA Claudia Pellerano Pilar V. Ceron Juan Opertti

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Our latest podcast episode just dropped! Our guest, Ignacio Carcavallo, Ventures Coach, Advisor, and Mentor, shared his coaching journey with us on this week's Founder's Journey Podcast's episode! Take a quick look at what Ignacio shares with us; -> You need a mentor. He explains that, in the beginning, as a startup founder, it's essential to have someone to talk to. Keep in mind that no matter how intelligent or skilled at executing you are, many of your decisions lack experience. -> Of course, you can't do it all yourself Ignacio describes how if you want to create a sustainable company that thrives over time, you need to cooperate. Why face everything solo? Build a team. -> You go to the doctor! You break a bone in half; you have a fracture. Would you say, "Today I'm going to walk slowly, and then I'm going to put on a bandage"? No! You go to the doctor! Ignacio used this example to discuss how he resolved his online branding crisis. How? Easy. He found a professional mentor, the best in personal branding, and started learning from him. -> Mitigating anxiety As a founder, talking to someone who has had this experience before, coaches, or consultants, will reduce your stress and anxiety. It is important to feel supported and to feel like you have a safety net. -> Back in time Ignacio also reminded us about his journey's challenges to success. "If I could only coach myself 10 or 15 years ago, my life would have been so much different!" - he reminisces. Keep listening to Ignacio's points in this week's editions of the Founder's Journey Podcast's 👋 Listen to the full episode today and Subscribe to never miss an episode. ♻️ Repost this to inspire your network 👉 Join the Founder's Collective Newsletter https://bit.ly/49NZKei

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Tonight is the Miami Tech + Startups Community Social. Our speaker is Amir Emacha, Co-Founder & CEO of Microhub. RSVP info in the Comments ⬇️   In Miami, we've had many VCs speak to the Community. It's helpful to hear things from an investor's point of view, but nothing beats learning from a Founder with traction. Amir will discuss the groundbreaking work they're doing at Microhub to make cities more livable, how to raise a round of investment, and going to market—key topics for any Tech Startup.  Expect a room full of Startup Founders, Tech Professionals, and Investors. See you at AlmaRosa Brickell. #miamitech #techstartups #founders

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I had a conversation at #StartupSounds (by Draper House Americas & Draper Startup House) with Alvaro Rodriguez Arregui, co-founder and managing partner of IGNIA Partners. A VC investor for more than 15 years, he's seen quite a lot.. Sharing a couple of highlights below, and the links to listen and know more! 🎧 📺 Youtube https://lnkd.in/dn8u6bDT 🎵 Spotify https://lnkd.in/dFkgaedg HIS EXPERIENCE IN THE CLASSROOM 🏫 Alvaro has become a much better professional thanks to giving classes at Harvard Business School: "you need to listen well" is a cliché but it is true anyways. Being an active listener requires you to be curious, and avoiding to be judgmental. EVERY SINGLE PITCH IS A CLASS 📚 Every time you listen to an entrepreneur, you're being taught something. Sometimes you listen to an entrepreneur it feels like something doesn't make sense...but if you go 1 or 2 steps further you can fully grasp what they mean. STUMBLING INTO VENTURE CAPITAL 💼 As most important things in life, he started in VC as a coincidental accident. Being involved in microcredits at Compartamos, he saw early on that extraordinary returns could be paired up with enormous social impact, an eye-opener that led him the way to launching his career as an investor. WALKING IN THE DESERT 🏜️ Back when Ignia started, dealflow was not there yet, so it took a while to find enough companies to invest in. At the same time, there was a lack of co-investors, something critical for developing a portfolio and specific companies. As he said: "it's almost impossible not to do better than our first fund". REFLECTIONS ON TRANSPARENCY 🔍 So many investors get scared very easily, so founders are dubious of being transparent with them. A lot of things go wrong in this business, it is the business of risk. If you want a communication with founders, you need to be understanding and focused on learnings, rather than on mistakes. Once transparency is achieved, magic starts happening. ✨ A LOT OF THINGS ARE GOING TO CHANGE 🌟 The business plans in which you invest have usually nothing to do with the ones that make it in the end. The only constant is the founding team, and that's why he bets on the entrepreneurs. If you get the entrepreneur right, it may work out. If you don't, it won't. WINE TASTING AND INVESTING 🍷 You can read a lot of books about wine tasting, but you won't become a good taster. You need to taste a lot of wines: a lot of good ones, and some that aren't. That way you'll be able to see value in wines! Santiago Caniggia Bengolea Ignacio Campo irene pasolini Julian De Muria Matheus Rodrigues Vikram Bharati Joaquin Stein

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Wing Venture Capital's Founder Docs project is a unique collection of startup wisdom, by founders, for founders. The authors of the docs are talented founders themselves, sharing their experience on the topics they are most passionate about. I'd like to highlight the contributions of Edo Liberty, founder / CEO of Pinecone. Edo writes about the special opportunities for the scientist / founder (and he is one of the best of this breed!), as well as some of the risks and challenges they face. I got a lot out of reading Edo's stuff and I suspect you will too! https://lnkd.in/g_wyRMiE

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Wing Venture Capital is excited to unveil today the "Angels' Share 100", an exclusive list of the most active angel investors in the most promising startups in B2B technology. This project's mission is to serve as an information and relationship platform for the founder and angel community. Building a successful B2B technology company is hard work, and as early-stage investors and long-term company builders ourselves, we know we need all the help we can get! An important source of help has been the individual investors we work with. Individuals investing alongside us have consistently made powerful contributions to ultimate success. So we set out to study these “angels” in our midst. Who are they? Where did they come from? What allows them to make a difference? https://lnkd.in/gfFs4-bu

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HardTech is hard. Come hang out with Mike Folster and me as we help demystify what it takes to get your product ready to manufacture and bring to market! #innovation #productdevelopment #startup #hardtech

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Proud to be partnering with Sara Beykpour, Marcel Molina, and the Particle team as we announce today that Lightspeed is leading the $10.9M Series A financing! Particle's founding team helped build some of the internet's most innovative consumer products, including Twitter, Vine, Periscope, and Secret. At Twitter, they discovered the power of LLMs and became determined to reinvent news and media using these new AI superpowers 🦸 AI is reorganizing the way media is both created and consumed on the internet. Particle’s initial content focus is news – a category that is increasingly broken due to misaligned incentives between publishers and readers. But we believe AI can help to maximize value for both… 🗞️ The vision for Particle is to become the go-to destination people visit to be quickly yet deeply educated about any topic or story – with a highly personalized, efficient, and interactive experience, powered by amazing journalists ✍️ Michael Mignano & I are excited to be on this journey with the Particle team –and we can't wait to have you onboard as well! Head over and join the waitlist now ahead of our official launch ⬇️ particle.news

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How can you ensure a smooth transition when relocating manufacturing plants between the USA and Mexico? 🤔 Here are crucial strategies: 🔹 Conduct Comprehensive Feasibility Studies: Evaluate regulatory, labor, and logistics impacts to mitigate risks effectively. 🔹 Enhance Cross-Border Collaboration: Foster strong relationships between American & Mexican teams to address cultural differences and operational expectations. 🔹 Optimize Supply Chain Networks: Reassess and adapt supply chains for maximum efficiency and cost-effectiveness during the transition. 🔹 Ensure Robust Training Programs: Equip new staff with skills to maintain productivity and quality standards from day one. Let's discuss your experiences and insights on plant relocations in the comments below! 👇 #Relocation #BusinessTips #ProfessionalDevelopment #InterimManagement #BusinessGrowth

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🚀 The latest cheat sheet for hacking your Techstars Miami application for fall 2024 just dropped! In the comments, I put the link to Google Docs that you can duplicate and share with your co-founders and mentors before you submit it on May 22! #techstars #givefirst #miamitechmonth #miamitech

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"Venture capital (VC) firms are forecast to raise less than $200 billion in 2024, a 48% decline from 2021 levels according to Pitchbook. Fundraising is only expected to grow 2.9% annually through 2028, less than half the rate of other private capital strategies. Grimmer still, the Venture Capital Journal's annual survey of Limited Partners (LPs) revealed the proportion of LPs looking to add VC managers to their investment portfolio plummeted to just 30%, down a heart-stopping 36 points from just two years ago. Perilously stuck in neutral, seemingly unable to go back to the well with the same old pitch to LPs for more and bigger funds that rake more fees regardless of performance, the VC industry may very well be on the brink of extinction. Behind the data scenes, the meteoric arrival and maturity of the Venture Studio model is accelerating this extinction. As this trend intensifies, venture studios could become the new industry standard in the years ahead, replacing the contemporary VC at the top of the innovation food chain....." Click the link to read my latest analysis and learn why and how the Venture Studio business model is taking over the startup landscape. #venturecapital #venturestudio Atomic Human Ventures Max Pog #startups Science betaworks Joe Milam https://lnkd.in/eGWq6Jiy

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At the recent Founders N' Funders event, I got to see our founder Eduardo Henriques give a quick 30-second pitch for Ponder.ly - a really exciting glimpse into what we're building. For those interested in seeing the full pitch and learning more about our AI-powered consumer intelligence platform, Eduardo Henriques will be presenting at the upcoming Pitch Deck Review Session on May 20th. This is a great opportunity to observe his pitch to a panel of startup experts who will provide valuable feedback. As a co-founder, I'm really passionate about the problem we're solving - enabling brands to ethically collect customer data and generate deep insights, while empowering consumers to control and benefit from sharing their information. Our approach using interactive branded data communities, gamification, and AI is truly innovative. I'd encourage anyone interested in disruptive marketing/research technologies to sign up and check out Eduardo's pitch. It will give you a window into how Ponder.ly is pioneering the future of transparent data exchange between brands and customers. Looking forward to getting more exposure and feedback as we continue growing Ponder.ly into a game-changing platform! Thanks to Jeff Erickson with Founders N' Funders because without his support and unconditional belief in startups like ours, we wouldn't have opportunities like this. Supportive ecosystems play a vital role in nurturing entrepreneurship and innovation. Registration link: https://lnkd.in/guFgMib4 Tanner S. Zyanya Bejarano David Reyes Jose Octavio Carrillo

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I really enjoyed recording this episode of The Digital Industrial Podcast with Ty Findley. We talked about common misconceptions for deep tech, the "Why Now" for the category, and differences between investor diligence for deep tech and traditional tech. https://lnkd.in/eKtwjauu

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