Sharon Winter

Great time on the Embracing Erosion podcast w/Devon O'Rourke! We talked about: 🚀 How to scale a company from concept to 9-figure exit 🔄 How to break away from the traditional consulting model and apply product approaches ⏩ Why it’s important to iterate quickly and often with messaging 💸📈What signals are important to pay attention to when investing in startups and much more!

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For those a bit interested in Startups, and more specifically building ones that will succeed, @madelynblair and I hope you will tune it. Detail on the pic. #startups #arrangr https://lnkd.in/eHMbgHV7

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#hiring If anyone knows an awesome engineer that would be interested in joining an emerging #AI company doing important work in #healthcare, please drop me a line! Andy AI is backed by General Catalyst, YCombinator, Greater Ventures, and others, and they’re looking to hire a full stack engineer (US based) who's excited about using AI to improve healthcare and reduce nurse burnout. Andy is AI software that automates clinical documentation for nurses who do home visits. A nurse makes an audio recording of the visit and Andy automatically generates a form that usually takes nurses 90 minutes to complete. Nurses love the product because it potentially saves them 15 hours of charting a week! The founders previously built healthcare AI at Google Health and Apple, and are now building their vision to transform home health. More about Andy AI: https://with-andy.com/ Nurses love it: https://lnkd.in/g9XqZrUq #GenAI #digitalhealth #hiring #engineers #healthtech

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Prime Coalition has long taken a different tack to climate finance compared to its for-profit brethren. It makes the usual venture-style investments in startups through Azolla Ventures and also helps philanthropists direct their money to climate-related projects that it deems high impact. Trellis Climate follows the latter model with a focus on middle stages, where capital has grown scarce. #climatetech #climateVC #climatefinance

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This week Mikal Ventures brings you a 4-week breakdown of the US capital market with an emphasis on the Mikal verticals. Over the 4-week period ending June 10, just over 590 new companies were added, resulting in 95,661 companies included in the US Health Tech, Med Tech, Fin Tech, AI Tech, and Ed Tech verticals. AI Tech maintained its most active status, seeing the greatest percentage of growth in both new companies and transactions. The US Fin Tech vertical led the way in SEC Filings and news articles. Mikal Ventures publishes these stats to provide a perspective on how the verticals and new startups move through time. We hope you find them informative and thought-provoking. VC Investors are always adjusting their "Play Book" with a variety of options for investing. Mikal Ventures is one of those alternatives, offering curated solutions to real world problems. Reach out if you have questions on how we can be of assistance and bookmark https://mikalventures.com/ for additional insights and information.

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The VC defensibility argument for rejection is an empty reason to reject a company, because it ultimately comes down to execution. I understand the argument if a company sells iPhone cases, and that business really is completely indefensible given that others can very easily copy it (for almost nothing) sell fakes, have scale, and IP law can't really do anything here, etc. But is then SpaceX indefensible because Lockheed and Boeing and Blue Origin (who all have billions), can do the same. So why don't they? Why haven't they? It's because it's really hard to do. Defensible businesses are businesses that are really hard to build. The same can be said in banking. Does Revolut also have a defensibility issue? I'm sure they got rejected by investors for this reason many times. There were dozens of digital banks, but there is now 1 leading digital bank. Their defensibility is scale. And that's really hard to do. Defensibility is an ignorant argument, and it's often coming from those that have never actually built a business.

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In this exciting episode of the Duran Inci Podcast—where innovation meets deep insight—I am thrilled to host Alex Berg, a pioneering entrepreneur who is revolutionizing industries with his innovative approach at Cratos Equipment, often dubbed "The Tesla of Construction." Visionary Insights: Dive into the motivations that drive top entrepreneurs beyond mere profit. Learn about Alex's passion for transforming the status quo and how it leads to groundbreaking results. The Power of 'WHY': Discover how aligning business operations with core values can shape the future of an industry and forge unstoppable teams. Challenging the Norms: Unpack why tackling complex challenges is essential for creating a fulfilling and impactful future. This episode is a must-listen for aspiring entrepreneurs and anyone eager to explore the limits of what's possible in business innovation. Tune in and be inspired to think differently and act boldly. #EntrepreneurialSpirit #InnovativeLeadership #VisionaryThinking #BusinessTransformation #CratosEquipment #DisruptTheStatusQuo #FutureOfBusiness #PodcastForChange #DuranInciPodcast #ChallengeConvention

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Many VCs shy away from hardware. But I see hardware as a brilliant VC opportunity, especially when combined with software and done right. Here’s why and how I see that hardware can offer the required outlier VC returns and fit into our model: 🔒 Unique MOAT: Hardware, paired with software, creates a robust barrier to entry, enabling solutions that pure software can't achieve. 🤝 Enhanced Stickiness: Installing a physical device creates a deeper commitment than a software subscription, leading to lower churn rates. The tailored experiences and direct value from these devices are hard to replace. 📊 Data Advantage: Hardware devices can enhance software capabilities by collecting valuable data, building a powerful data MOAT. What type of hardware investments are attractive to me as a boutique VC? Scalability: Hardware that is almost as scalable as software, meaning easy to ship and install. Service-Oriented Sales: Sold as a service with high blended software-like margins. Capital Efficiency: Low capex to enable capital-efficient scaling. 💡 For the skeptics, here are a few formerly VC-backed examples showcasing the potential for VC-returns in hardware/software businesses (not even mentioning Nvidia, Apple and the likes..): 🪹 Nest Labs: Smart home devices (thermostats, smoke detectors etc.). Acquired by Google for $3.2 billion in 2014. 🏃 Fitbit: Wearable fitness trackers and smartwatches. Acquired by Google for $2.1 billion in 2021. 🛎️ Ring: Smart doorbells and security cameras. Acquired by Amazon for over $1 billion in 2018. I'm proud that we at Zenith Venture Capital are backing the next generation of hardware-enabled companies, like Minut led by Nils Erik Mattisson and Valpas with Martim Gois at the helm, which are on track to be the next Nest Labs and Ring. What are your thoughts on the future of hardware investments in VC? #VentureCapital #Hardware #Investment #TechInnovation #StartupSuccess

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In the latest episode of the New Light Ventures podcast, I had an insightful conversation with Matias Serebrinsky, General Partner at PsyMed Ventures, a VC fund investing in groundbreaking brain and mental health technologies. With his diverse background as a founder, AI accelerator lead at NVIDIA, and now investor, Matias shares unique perspectives on the future of mental health innovation. 🌟 3 Key Takeaways: 1. Investing at the Intersection of Psychedelics and AI - PsyMed Ventures is at the forefront of funding companies leveraging psychedelics and artificial intelligence to revolutionize mental health treatment. 2. Founder Empathy from Entrepreneurial Experience - Having co-founded the venture-backed food tech startup CookUnity, Matias deeply understands the founder journey and uses this to support PsyMed's portfolio. 3. Conviction in Contrarian Investments - Matias emphasizes the importance of having strong conviction when investing in emerging areas like psychedelics, even if it means fundraising and sourcing deals is harder initially. "Find your Ikigai. Find the place where your mission and purpose and skills overlap. Because this thing is too hard to do only for clout or money." For anyone interested in the cutting-edge of mental health tech and venture capital, this episode is a must-listen. Matias' insights on the potential of psychedelics, AI, and supporting founders are invaluable for entrepreneurs and investors alike. 🎧 Check out the full episode in the comments and let me know your thoughts!

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Our revamped newsletter, The Angle by Angular Ventures, officially launched today! We hope this new format will make it easier to read, share, and subscribe. Back to it, in this week's column, Gil Dibner covered the spirit of risk-taking that inspired Angular to venture into unusual spaces. While, of course, we invest in AI and SaaS, as of late, we have been investing in more and more contrarian spaces - from quantum, to spacetech, to energy, etc. in search of the supposedly impossible - the truly contrarian. Read the full column via the link.

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Couple of weeks ago had the pleasure of sharing my story to Alexander Benkendorf about starting CastPrint and later moving on to join Verge HealthTech Fund and the learning along the way. Some topics we discussed: 💡What does it take to bring innvation in healthcare 💡How did my startup background help me better prepare for VC work 💡How founders can better engage with VCs and what are the tips and tricks from the "other side" Thanks Alexander for having me!

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We believe in extreme vetting of our founders. You can't build a unicorn if you spend time on silly stuff, like seeing family and friends. Grow up, and focus on investor returns. #vc #startups #investment

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💸1Sharpe Ventures closes their inaugural fund, with $90m to invest in early stage PropTech start-ups. The new firm will invest in 30 to 40 early-stage companies, with check sizes ranging from $500,000 to $2 million. "We can help these companies who have really bright technologists that don’t understand capital markets and vice versa.” - Gregor Watson, Co-Founder and Chairman at Roofstock and 1Sharpe Capital Oakland, California-based 1Sharpe Ventures was born out of another of the pair’s endeavors, 1Sharpe Capital, an institutional asset manager with equity real estate investments and a credit fund, by co-founder and chairman Gregor Watson and real estate investor Rob Bloemker. Read more about the new PropTech fund, and how they plan to leverage their team's extensive industry experience to propel PropTech start-ups forward, via the article linked below. 👇 https://lnkd.in/d-xiDCrR #VC #fund #startups ---- 💡 Follow PropTech Connect for daily #RealEstate and #PropTech news and insights.

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For Full episode w/Justis Mendez from OneSixOne Ventures - https://lnkd.in/eYixPjf5 Founder market fit is key when evaluating startups. It's not just about the idea, but also the distance traveled and the grit shown by the founder. Starting a business is tough, and it takes a special kind of determination. Interestingly, our accelerator experience taught us that wealth doesn't always equate to success. The best fights come from those who truly believe in their vision. #FounderMarketFit #Grit #StartupJourney

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“To go far, burn less”. At OSS Ventures, we believe in the power of frugality and efficient resource allocation for startup success. Here's our take on Eric Schmidt's insights: At OSS, we've seen firsthand that: 🔹Great founders prioritize growth over comfort 🔹Resources are tools for scaling, not perks 🔹Success often starts with sacrifice Our most promising ventures begin lean, focusing on: ⭐️Rapid product-market fit ⭐️Efficient go-to-market strategies ⭐️Building strong, coachable teams Remember, fancy offices don't build category winners – relentless execution does. Are you ready to be frugal for your dream? Let's build something extraordinary together, starting with the essentials.

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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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Economies thrive with automation, and Formic is accelerating state-of-the-art robotics & AI across our factories and warehouses:

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Many seed stage companies funded in 2020/2021 most likely won't make it to Series A these days. Over the last few months I watched two seed stage founders I invested in find buyers for their companies and successfully return cash to investors. In both cases the situations were dire and in both cases their existing lead investors were totally MIA. The reality for most VCs is that their best performing companies typically need their help the *the least* and the struggling ones are where it's essential to step up. For VC's, word travels fast when you aren't there to help. And for founders, working with investors who will be there when the chips are down is more important than ever.

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💸 SAFE NOTES EXPLAINED CLEARLY W/ ADDITIONAL COMMENTS BELOW💸 SOURCE: Kevin Jurovich 💸Key terms in a #SAFE note include: Valuation Cap: Maximum company valuation for converting the SAFE. Discount Rate: Percentage reduction on share price during conversion. MFN Clause: Ensures equal or better terms if new SAFEs are issued. Conversion Trigger: Event that converts the SAFE into equity. SAFE notes benefit #investors by offering a simplified, standardized investment process with potential for high returns. They convert to equity at a discount or valuation cap, providing early investors with favorable terms. Additionally, the MFN clause ensures they receive the best terms available in subsequent rounds. 💸A valuation cap benefits founders by potentially reducing equity dilution. If the company's valuation exceeds the cap during conversion, the SAFE converts at the capped valuation, resulting in fewer shares issued to investors. This preserves more equity for founders, especially if they are confident in achieving higher valuations in future rounds. 💸A discount rate in a SAFE note provides a percentage reduction on the share price during conversion. This means that when the SAFE converts to equity, the investor gets shares at a discounted price compared to the current valuation, offering an incentive for early investment. 💸An MFN (Most Favored Nation) clause in a SAFE note ensures that if a new SAFE is issued with better terms, the investor with the MFN clause can opt to receive those same favorable terms. This protects early investors from being disadvantaged by subsequent funding rounds. 💸A conversion trigger in a SAFE note is an event that converts the SAFE into equity. Common triggers include a priced equity round or a liquidity event. 💸Examples of SAFE notes include: Fixed Conversion at a future date, Valuation Cap with no discount, Discount with no valuation cap, Valuation Cap & Discount, and MFN (Most Favored Nation) clause. These variations offer different terms for investors and founders. #SAFENOTES #CAPITALRAISE #INVESTOR #INVESTING #EARLYSTAGE #FOUNDERS

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