Ziv Rozenblum

Ordinarily I like to write my own posts about our Tangent 💚 Proptech podcast. But Edward Cohen's (below) really says it all. I'll just add that I enjoyed this conversation with Alon Gorbonos....though I did miss having my brother from another mother, Zach Aarons, by my virtual side. Link in comments. #proptech #podcast #angelinvesting #ventureinvesting #venturecapital

16

2 Comments

In our latest episode on Practical Nerds, Patric and I talk about what "Service-as-a-Product" means for AEC tech, and why it might prove to be one of the most valuable and timely opportunities for founders to address.

31

Congratulations to the entire SewerAI team—Matthew Rosenthal & Billy Gilmartin—on securing their $15 million Series B funding to transform sewer inspections using advanced AI and cloud technology. We are thrilled to continue our support at Builders VC, having led the seed round in 2020. Big thanks to Innovius Capital, supported by Emerald Technology Ventures, Suffolk Technologies Bentley Systems and Zachary Bookman for leading this round and helping to continue to push the vision to drive innovation and efficiency in critical infrastructure management. Why This Matters 👇 🚰 Aging Infrastructure: The U.S. alone faces over $1 trillion in necessary repairs, with nearly $700 billion needed over the next 20 years to maintain existing pipelines. 🌍 Climate Impact: Climate change increases the risk of sewage failures due to more frequent and severe floods. 🛠 Efficiency Gains: Legacy systems are slow and error-prone, keeping crews idle 66% of the time. SewerAI’s platform doubles inspection efficiency, enhances data quality, and reduces turnaround times. SewerAI has footage of inspections covering 135 million feet of pipes from municipalities and independent contractors. While this is only a fraction of the 6.8 billion feet of sewer pipes in the U.S., it provides a substantial dataset to train a highly competitive defect-detecting AI. The platform streamlines inspection data management by uploading to the cloud, tagging issues for proactive maintenance, and creating 3D models from videos, significantly enhancing collaboration and workflow efficiency. Additionally, customizable analytics tools assess infrastructure risks with precise metrics, aiding in comprehensive risk assessment and maintenance planning. This investment is particularly significant to me due to City of Calgary's water shortage and state of emergency, underscoring the global need for innovative infrastructure solutions. The outdated nature of these systems means the U.S. requires significant investments over the next 20 years to maintain wastewater, stormwater, and clean water pipelines, as many post-WWII systems are now failing and driving up costs. https://lnkd.in/gH4cJrpw

113

5 Comments

Learn more about why I joined COS, the impact of OSF, and what I am most excited for in advancing open science!

15

⚡ Kicking off 🌎 Earth Day with exciting news as we unveil 8090 Industries' latest investment in Exowatt led by Hannan P. along with Sam Altman Andreessen Horowitz, Atomic, Overmatch Ventures, Protagonist, and many more. As the boom in AI heightens the energy demand for data centers, Exowatt is pioneering a fundamental breakthrough in baseload renewable energy that helps makes $0.01 per kilowatt-hour, 24 hours a day a reality for commercial and industrial use cases. 🏗 How does it work? The Exowatt P3, represents a breakthrough 3-in-1 modular system, a heat collector, a heat battery, and a heat engine capable of providing dispatchable power and heat 24 hours a day. Unlike traditional solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity directly, Exowatt uses a unique approach by storing solar energy in a thermal battery, which can retain this energy for up to 24 hours per day. The Exowatt P3 modules are designed to fit the space of a standard 40-foot shipping container. They can be deployed on small and large commercial and industrial projects, linearly scaling with workload size and infrastructure requirements. Best captured by Founder and CEO Hannan P. himself, an industrialist you're going to want to pay close attention to: “You don’t have to go back to fossil fuels to solve the data-center energy problem…That’s counterproductive and unlike traditional renewable solutions that require significant upfront costs and extended setup times, Exowatt's modular system can be deployed rapidly and cost-effectively – and it's available THIS YEAR. Exowatt is built to respond quickly to the escalating energy demands of the modern world, especially those spurred by the rapid growth of AI." 👀 Who Cares? Exowatt has a backlog of demand for OVER 500 megawatts for data centers across the U.S. and plans to begin deployments later this year. With this $20 million seed funding, Exowatt intends to expand its team and deploy the Exowatt P3 with its first set of data center customers. Stay tuned! Lots to come! cc Kerem Ozmen Wes Mendenhall Filip Vurdelja Haluk Sabanci Dincer Grant Brown Ishan Meswani Garuth A. Andrew Irwin Charles Oppenheimer Fatimah Bello #energyabundance #decarbonization #climatetech

80

2 Comments

The joining of Google Next Renew and OhmConnect signals some validation of an effort started some eight years ago. Championed by Dave Wechsler, Curtis Snyder and Jon Kaplowitz, we worked to develop a virtual power-plant by giving away XFINITY HOME connected thermostats in exchange for demand response agreements. With enough concentration this would prove to reduce consumption on demand. Unfortunately, initial success gave way to larger competing priorities. We must continue to invest in the nation's infrastructure in a way that benefits and rewards customers, improves reliability and reduces human impact on the environment. I'm eager to see how this partnership will deliver a substantial impact in energy efficiency, demand response, grid optimization, and customer engagement. It's a promising step. How do you think the merger of Google Nest Renew and OHMConnect will impact residential energy management? https://lnkd.in/ev_z2Wbz

23

7 Comments

♾️ 🔴⚫ A new firm & a new fund! Apeiron Venture Capital. For the past 15 years, we have been deeply rooted in the foundations of the 🇬🇷 startup ecosystem. We were fortunate enough to partner with remarkable people along the way and build teams, ventures, and initiatives from start to exit. Today, we are pleased to embark on a new quest for the coming years and can't wait to start working with new and aspiring founders. Excited to be joined by Nik Antoniou & Constantinos Nikolaidis in this new chapter. Deeply grateful for our (returning & new) investors' trust and support. TL;DR on Apeiron's thesis ====== Ideal entry point: ±Seed (or your first institutional round) First checks between 300k-1 million EUR Geo focus: Primarily Greece 🇬🇷+ Europe 🇪🇺 (opportunistic globally) Fund focus: GenZ Economy + B2B Enterprise Tech Things we like to see: Founder-Market-Timing Alignment (Throughline) + Product Uniqueness & Defensibility + Founder’s Character Bring it! ;)

793

116 Comments

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

6

I couldn't agree less with this article. In my view, AI will change the world as much as, if not more than the internet did...which is a lot. '60s computer scientist Roy Amara said it best: “we overestimate the impact of technology in the short-term and underestimate the effect in the long run.” Both Altman and the author are falling victim to this blind spot, but to me, it seems far more dangerous to underestimate the impact and get blindsided by the change than it is to be slightly overzealous on estimating the rate of change. #AI #ArtificialIntelligence #Technology #Innovation #cdntech [Read more](https://lnkd.in/gJWwyFZR)

8

To all #climatetech #founders and #funders in NYC and beyond, please join us on June 5th for an evening of #breakthrough #decarbonization #innovation at the ReGen Accelerator #DemoDay! 🎉 Get ready to be inspired by our cohort of #earlystage startups: ​ ▶ aich2 is engineering a novel #hydrogen ecosystem, built around Solid Hydrogen carriers. ​​ ▶ carbogenics produces sustainable #carbon adsorbents from difficult-to-recycle organic waste, including coffee cups and wastewater screenings ​​ ▶ TeamStack.ai is driving better performance by harnessing #AI, data, & the collective intelligence of teams. ​ ▶ Tesleon LLC uses compelling characters and #storytelling to instill compassion for communities and our planet in the next generation. ​ ▶ Tolam Earth is a trusted #marketplace for high-quality, high-impact carbon offsets. Don't miss out! Secure your spot below. Big thank you to Brown Rudnick LLP for hosting this event, our partners at ClimateHaven for their hard work and dedication during the entire program, and to our incredible network of #mentors and #facilitators, each of whom have dedicated time to working with these incredible founders this spring, including Jason Ambrose, Marina Rakhlin, Lauren Zujkowski, Stuart DeCew, Matt Puccini Andy Rooks, Nina Raab, and Bill Stephney. And of course Shai Tamary, Lars Korby and Sarah Cleveland, without whom we would not be able run such a #program. #innovation #sustainability #climateaction #accelerator

45

1 Comment

“You can have a great product, but a compelling story puts the company in motion” - Ben Horowitz Understanding your company’s narrative is crucial when looking for investment. 🚀🚀🚀 Particularly in DeepTech where a good narrative makes complex ideas easy to grasp and compelling to hear. It involves more than throwing together some facts and figures; it’s about finding a message that resonates with your audience on a deeper level. It should never be a one-off effort. It should always be a continuous process of refinement through iteration, collaboration, and honest feedback. 🔁 What problem are you trying to solve? Have you asked your customers? Have you solicited honest feedback? In the end, it's about answering the all-important question… Why should they care? 🤘 #narrative #venturebuilder #deeptech Cambridge Future Tech

73

6 Comments

The recent launch of Apple Intelligence and GPT-4o marks a significant leap in AI capabilities, promising to reshape industries across the board. In Proptech, these advancements are not just technological upgrades—they're game-changers. Imagine your property management system not just responding to commands but anticipating needs. With Apple Intelligence's enhanced media searches and Siri’s advanced automation, managing properties can become more intuitive and efficient. Think automated tenant interactions, predictive maintenance alerts, and seamless administrative support. GPT-4o, on the other hand, brings powerful natural language processing to the forefront, offering unprecedented insights into real estate analytics. Beyond simple data analysis, GPT-4o can predict market trends, optimize investment strategies, and enhance customer engagement through more sophisticated chatbots. This means more informed decisions, streamlined operations, and a significant boost in productivity for Proptech professionals. As we integrate these cutting-edge technologies, we’re not just upgrading our tools but transforming our approach to real estate. These innovations align perfectly with the Proptech sector’s goals of sustainability, efficiency, and enhanced user experience. Let’s embrace this future and unlock new potential in our industry. #AI #AppleIntelligence #GPT4 #GPT4o #Proptech #Contech #ConstructionTech #TechInnovation #FutureOfWork

10

2 Comments

Have you ever thought about how compliance laws are a lot like design systems? I recently spoke with Joe Toscano, founder of DataGrade, and he made a fascinating comparison. Joe explained how Brad Frost's atomic design methodology took an engineering approach to design: → Creating standardized elements → Templatizing them → Scaling them across a system This led to the rise of human interface guidelines (HIGs) from tech giants like Google, Apple, and IBM. But here's where it gets really interesting: Joe argued that privacy laws and regulations are like the ultimate HIG for product design. Just like how HIGs provide rules and constraints for design systems... Compliance laws set guardrails for what we can and can't do with user data. If we design something that isn't compliant, it doesn't matter how sleek the UI is. Legal requirements become the top-level framework we have to design within. That's what got Joe into studying laws - to understand this new "design system" for building products. So next time you're cursing a lengthy legal doc or trying to make sense of GDPR... Remember, it's all just part of the atomic design of compliance. — Do you agree with the analogy of compliance laws as the ultimate design system? Why or why not? Hear more of Joe's unique perspectives on the intersection of product, privacy, and law on the latest episode of The Minimum Viable Podcast.

4

Knowledge is Power! More great education and insights from GreenT Climate Software around the GHG, and what this whole Scope 3 is all about!

9

After 3.5 days navigating the exhibition floors, dozens of happy hours, and fighting for meeting space at hotel lobbies, cafes, etc, I wanted to share some of my learnings from the 2024 RSA Conference. Complexity = Vulnerability: The industry is congealing around the notion that complexity is leading to vulnerability, meaning that the nature of managing dozens, if not hundreds, of solutions in a security tech stack is in itself making organizations vulnerable. The buzz continued about Palo Alto Networks' “platformization” as a response to this, and other major cyber vendors are following. Threats Growing, Budgets Tight: Despite the billions in venture capital dumped into cybersecurity, the threats and breaches continue to grow. The exponential increase in connected devices and cloud services are major components of the problem. In spite of this, there remains pressure to get a handle on corporate security spending. AI and more AI: AI — not surprising at all — was everywhere, at least in terms of marketing. The hype is still feels very much ahead of actual innovation, but areas showing the most promise are SOC manpower reduction and GenAI Pen testing. Deepfake Defense: Dedicate platforms are emerging for fighting deepfakes. The winner of the Innovation Sandbox, the competition for the most innovative early-stage startup, was Reality Defender, a deepfake detection platform. More solutions are emerging from automated detection to security awareness training. Big government presence: There was a strong emphasis on the geopolitical dimension of cyber - see, Blinken Keynote - and cyber as a national security issue. Funding slowdown alongside interest surge in AI: A sentiment of caution remains among investors. While optimism exists around new opportunities emerging in AI, investors are struggling to find differentiators, especially among the dozen or so AI SOC companies that have emerged in the past year or so. What’s more, security professional seem skeptical about adopting such tools, making investors nervous about investing at this stage in the AI hypecycle. But, early-stage AI security deals are happening and with large sized rounds and valuations. Early-stage vs Growth Investors: Early-stage investors seem to be more optimistic about investment opportunities, especially around AI security or security for AI companies. For growth-stage investors, new and attractive opportunities are still frustrating low and very competitive. The growth deals that are getting done are extremely competitive, often pre-empted, and valued-high. A lot of cyber unicorns in queue: Of the 77 security unicorns crowned since 2019, just 6 have exited above $1B via IPO or sale. Lastly, the top enterprise segments remain cloud security and identity, with growing interest in any tech related to AI (security for AI, data security, etc), but these segments are crowded and competitive. (For fun, I asked ChatGPT to create an image of the conference. Not bad...)

96

5 Comments

At Two Bear Capital our definition of value-add, lead, early-stage investing is to form a true partnership with the founders we back. We believe that only a small fraction of our return potential comes from us “picking right” when we make our first investment into a company – the vast majority comes from how effectively we can actively help our brilliant founders over the ensuing 3-7 years in achieving the passionate, ambitious, and positive-impact goals that drive them.

20

1 Comment

Can poop save the planet? 🤔 Well, in Silicon Valley, it's not just a punchline—it's a multimillion-dollar climate solution. Big players are teaming up with startup Vaulted Deep, paying $58.3 million, to pump organic waste underground. The deal was brokered by Frontier Climate, a coalition launched in 2022 by Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, Shopify, and McKinsey Sustainability. But why are tech giants getting their hands dirty with sewage and manure? Vaulted Deep's technology, rooted in decades-old methods used for oil and gas fracking cleanup, gives them an edge. But instead of sludge, they're tackling carbon-rich waste, aiming to sequester CO2 underground. They plan to sequester 152,480 tons of carbon dioxide by 2027 as part of the deal (That equates to 36,000 gas cars off the road for a year). Is this greenwashing, or a silver bullet? Critics warn of cost, the need for rigorous carbon accounting, and potential environmental trade-offs - i.e. emission prevention versus carbon removal. #decarbonization

13

1 Comment

For NY Tech Week we'll be demo-ing Substrate at the South Park Commons Science Faire on Thursday: https://lnkd.in/e5JwDKKX There are so many incubator-shaped things out there these days, but there's nothing quite like SPC. It's like a chill, small-batch, locally-sourced alternative to YC, where you can either hang out as a member forever - or choose the VC-funded adventure. The -1 to 0 phase [0] they talk about at SPC is real, and it made a real difference for us to have a home at SPC. It takes a lot to quit your job and do something new, especially when it isn't entirely clear what you're doing. (1) Do it – take the leap! and (2) consider joining SPC. Though the core vision has remained the same, many of the important turns in our squiggle at Substrate (including the graph framework) came from those early days at SPC. If you're here for tech week and can't catch us at SPC on Thursday, DM me if you want to meet up! [0] https://lnkd.in/e6KEMr9V

33

1 Comment