Bar Hevrony’s Post

It's been a long road, I'll admit. $3.7m raised. 100 uses cases + delivered. Sleepless nights. I can't say that I imagined as many when I started this business, having built another successful one beforehand. When AFWERX and Air Force Installation and Mission Support Center, first awarded us a SBIR Phase II with General Cameron Holt as a sponsor, we knew we had to live up to the trust they had placed in us. Thank you General Holt, Wendy Masiello, Pete Herrmann, Roger Westermeyer for understanding our vision and trusting us. We hit some road bumps along the way, some big ones. Made some strategic mistakes hurt us in a big way. But we regrouped and refocused based on what our customers were telling us. Since then, we have worked day and night to steadily make progresss and I'm proud to say we have hit our stride: - Raised $3.7m through seasoned private investors - Supported over 100 use cases on deep market intel in emerging tech for private equity, government, market scouting, and consortia innovation teams. The quotes you see below wouldn't be possible without having refined our process over time. - Won a SBIR Phase III with 10 sponsoring defense agencies including NSIN - National Security Innovation Network - Built comprehensive datasets, AI and analytical models to analyze complex tech markets and supply chains and execute rapid sprints in less than a week - Business model - After a LOT of trial and error, we rolled out a "Emerging Tech Research Subscription" that has taken on huge momentum. Finally, I can sleep at night (although now the adrenaline and excitement is keeping me up)! THANK YOU to all those who have trusted us along the way and provided valuable guidance including Jason Busch Sam Kinney Ulf Zetterberg Shelly Kapoor Collins Wendy Masiello John Dickerson Ash Bedi Jack Kinney Nidhi Smith Alan B. Thomas Jr. Mark Kendall Daniel J. Finkenstadt Rob Handfield Trish Martinelli Anne Rung Polly Hall William Randolph Guy Timberlake Peter Guinto Manpreet S. Mattu Dave Weinstein Jason C.. I know I have missed a few people. Nothing would be possible without you. #emergingtech #marketintelligence #supplychainintelligence #startups #founderjourney

The valley of death. In Defense there are two valleys of death. 1. Getting your prototype funded and developing it further. 2. Actually getting your product transitioned to a Program of Record ( POR). I believe that to get over the first valley you need a good product and ability to garner support. The second one I believe is more about federal budget driven. To get over this valley you have to have timing, support, and a bit of luck. There are great products that cross the first but fail to get over the second one. Do you think there is 1 or 2 valleys of death?

How long does it take for a startup to hit the jackpot? Is it a quick two years, a moderate three years, or a patient five years? Well, let me tell you, I've been tirelessly working on my brainchild, Orbiting, for more than six years now! During this rollercoaster ride, I've witnessed numerous founders conquer the startup world time and time again. And then there's me, embarking on the arduous mission of rebuilding Orbiting after multiple failures. Talk about determination! Now, let me share with you my biggest blunder, the mother of all facepalm moments. I used to firmly believe that money was the ultimate solution to every problem. I mean, I thought the world revolved around the power of cash. I relied on its magical influence to get things done everywhere I went. Picture this: my family's mindset back then was all like, "Why bother going to school when you're destined to be a master of your own shop?" They couldn't understand the importance of education in my entrepreneurial journey. Instead of valuing the process, I solely focused on the end result. Boy, was I wrong! It should have been the other way around. I failed to realize that in most cases, money alone couldn't save the day, even though I stubbornly paid my way through hurdles. I entrusted my first co-founder with cold hard cash to help me build a product. But guess what? He vanished into thin air, leaving me high and dry without delivering the goods. Then, in a desperate attempt, I hired an agency and paid them well. Sadly, they gave me a pile of garbage that couldn't even be used. But let me tell you, after all these painful experiences, a light bulb moment finally struck me. I realised that money isn’t what drives people. It's the vision and the passion. However, it's ultimately up to you how you wield it. This realisation completely transformed my perspective, and that's when the magic began to happen. I witnessed remarkable growth and progress. How has your understanding of money shaped your own journey? Share your story or even epic failures, for they all contribute to the saga of entrepreneurship!

Riding the Entrepreneurial Rollercoaster 🎢 Building Moonju Tech has been a wild ride—like a rollercoaster of tech challenges, victories, and loads of 'Aha!' moments. 🌐💼 Ever tried mastering the latest tech frameworks while juggling like a circus pro? 🤹♂️ Or danced through the minefield of initial funding with moves even Fred Astaire would envy? 💃💰 Picture this: A tech landscape full of surprises, like a tech safari where we discovered AI beasts and cloud creatures, 🦄🔍 Then there was that time we launched a product and learned the hard way that even tech wizards need a bit of market magic. 🎩🚀 But hey, who said building a tech empire wouldn't be an adventure? 😄 If you're on your own rollercoaster or just curious about the ride, let's connect! We can swap stories, laughs, and maybe even some pro tips. 🌟🤝 #techtales #startuphumor #businessadventures #letsconnect #letscollaborate

Labrys is excited to announce a $5.5 million seed round led by Project A Ventures. Labrys is thankful to have a great array of early investors, MD One Ventures – who were our first external investors, alongside early supporters Expeditions Fund, Offset Ventures and Marque Ventures. These investments will further our mission of enabling organisations to manage globally dispersed teams - safely, securely, and efficiently - across the world’s most challenging environments. Link to TechCrunch article covering Labrys' raise in comments below. 'Labrys is perhaps best described as Slack-meets-location-meets-payments for both military and humanitarian scenarios....The environment Labrys is operating in is a rarified one, with numerous civilian and military solutions overlapping....This latest funding is amongst the biggest Seed round for a defence tech startup in Europe to date, and is emblematic of how Defense is no longer off limits for investors, as we saw this year during TechCrunch Disrupt.....' Mike Butcher ✍️, TechCrunch  #saas #fundingalert #defencetech

Mathias, a west German teenager, got hundreds of Soviet generals fired and changed the course of the cold war. ⚔ How? By calculated recklessness. 😅 Sound familiar? (the first years of a #startup can feel like that) Here was Mathias' risk environment: 😲 he had less than 50 hrs flying experience ✈ he flew a small propeller plane through Soviet air defenses 🚫 he landed it, not an airstrip, but on a bridge by the red square Made the Soviet air defense system look out-of-date. Heads rolled. 🗣 Mathias Rust just wanted to "make a statement," he said. But his flight impacted international politics beyond his wildest dreams. Talk about a #movefast and break things attitude: SO MUCH could have gone wrong! 🤯 But he just went and did it. That's how a lot of #founders start: with little or no risk-aversion. (not always good) And it's the space where #accelerators try to help out, by creating better, safer environments for risk-takers. Environments for 🎉 creating massive change ⚡ by taking calculated risks 🤺 that challenge incumbents. (granted, not with a focus on Soviet generals 😂) And for the last 2 years, I'm proud to say I've been part of many #founderjourneys (none of them as crazy as Mathias's flight ... yet 😬). Supporting them with their negotiations, to mitigate risks and improve chances of success with #fundraising, investor relationships, client deals, and co-founder collaboration. Alongside Elizabeth Kleinveld , Wilson R. of Startupbootcamp , with Jules Courtois , Gabriel Barta , and many more, and building bridges to investors with my podcast "Talking to Investors" featuring Philip Haverkamp , Alina Klarner , Geet Kalra amongst others. I'm so proud of all the daring flights 🚀 we've set off into the sky, breaking through iron curtains of inertia, celebrating innovation. And I'm thankful that these flights had safety nets (unlike Mathias's), and that the #impact startup ecosystem in Europe is growing and being nurtured by so many wonderful people! 🙏

One of my favorite quotes from the movie "The Martian" resonates deeply with me: "This is Space... It does not cooperate. At some point, everything’s gonna go south on you. You're gonna say, 'This is it. This is how I end.' Now you can either accept that, or you can get to work. That's all it is. You just begin. You do the math. You solve one problem... then you solve the next one... and then the next. And if you solve enough problems, you get to come home." This message of resilience and problem-solving is a true reflection of the entrepreneurial journey. The movie is about how an astronaut, Mark Watney, stranded on Mars, survives after being left behind by his crew. Much like Mark Watney's experience surviving on Mars, starting a startup presents a series of daunting challenges. It's a journey that demands persistence, adaptability, and a relentless spirit of problem-solving. In the face of adversity, the choice is clear: give up or tackle each obstacle head-on. Reflecting on the past two years, our startup has navigated pivots and challenges with agility and determination. Today, I am proud to share that we have achieved self-sustainability, profitability, and grown into a team of 150+. It's a testament to the power of fast iteration and swift execution. As we look towards the future, uncertainty looms, but I consider myself fortunate to pursue my passion with a dedicated team. #Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney #Resilience #ProblemSolving

𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐃𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐚𝐭 Fuselage Innovations !🚀 From a young boy captivated by flying objects to a grown-up leading a startup that delivers innovative flying solutions, my journey has always been about soaring to new heights. At Fuselage Innovations, we started with a mission to tackle challenges in the ecosystem. Scaling success isn’t easy, but it becomes achievable when every obstacle is seen as an opportunity. Transforming challenges into benefits for those around us is at the core of what we do. Mental strength is crucial, especially in today’s fast-paced world. Surrounded by good people—friends, family, colleagues, mentors, and business connections—keeping a smile through it all and a motive to move forward. I’m ready to face each challenge head-on, driven by a passion for pushing boundaries and achieving greatness. Let’s rewrite the playbook, redefine success, and inspire others to dream bigger. The journey of learning and growth is happening now, and it's an exciting adventure! #LeadershipJourney #Innovation #StartupLife #Aviation #DreamBig #Inspiration #GrowthMindset #FuselageInnovations

An extraordinary journey that started with four life-long friends that has helped pioneer the privatisation of the Indian Space Programme! That's right, Dhruva Space is now soaring as a full-stack space champ! 🛰️ Our recent tête-à-tête with Abhay Egoor, the illustrious Co-founder and Chief Technology Officer at Dhruva Space, was nothing short of an exciting adventure! We embarked on a discussion from the inception of Dhruva Space in 2012, to its meteoric rise in the past few years. We plunged into the trials and tribulations of the early days, those heart-pounding moments during the first three missions that could rival any Hollywood blockbuster, and how these experiences collectively etched a resolute vision for the future of Dhruva Space. It was a rollercoaster ride of earthly proportions! 🎢🌠 But that's not all: Abhay divulged some fascinating insights into the evolving Space-tech landscape. We also delved into the details of the Thybolt Mission launched on 26 November 2022 and the more recent LEAP-TD mission launched on 01 January 2024. Plus, did you know that the Space Tech Sector is not a fierce battleground but rather a collaborative pie, where players are more like collaborators than competitors? 🥧🌌 The importance of international collaborations and the nurturing ecosystem in Hyderabad played pivotal roles in shaping this inspiring growth. 🌏🚀 And let's not forget to extend our heartfelt gratitude to Abhay for graciously sharing his insights, and a special shoutout to Divya-Kala Bhavani for arranging this Interaction! 🙌🪐 So, keep a lookout next week for when this episode drops, and you get to hear all the Cosmic Journey of Dhruva Space! 🚀✨ #spacetech #hyderabad #dhruvaspace #isro #startup #entrepreneurship #venturecapital

Game of Thrones was the most epic drama series in the modern era. Well, at least season 1 to 6 was. Anyway, being a GoT fan, I rewatched the first 6 seasons which had me reflecting on the underlying messages. Some of these are useful for a startup (actually, any business) to apply in strategies or tactics. In no particular order, here are a few notable ones: 🛠Season 1, Ned Stark’s Alliance with Robert Baratheon: Ned Stark and Robert Baratheon were much like brothers though tempered by political realities. Their shared vision and values enabled an alliance between the houses. It reflects how strategic alliances are important in building a business. Alliances can provide access to new markets, technologies, and expertise. 🛠Season 3, Daenerys Targaryen in Astapor: Daenerys' acquisition of the Unsullied army reflects the importance of adaptability and resilience. Just as she turned a situation of apparent weakness into strength, startups need to pivot and adapt to market changes to maintain a competitive edge. 🛠Season 6, Battle of the Bastards: Jon Snow's victory in the Battle of the Bastards is a testament to strategic planning and understanding the enemy. In business, understanding your competition, market trends, and customer needs is vital for developing strategies that ensure long-term success. 🛠Season 2, Tyrion Lannister as Hand of the King: Tyrion Lannister's tenure as Hand of the King highlights the importance of resource management. Allocating funds and human resources efficiently is key to a startup's survival and growth, much like Tyrion's efforts to effectively manage King's Landing’s resources. 🛠Season 1, Daenerys Targaryen’s Vision for the Iron Throne: Daenerys' unwavering vision for the Iron Throne parallels the clear vision and ambition necessary for startup founders. It's about having a definitive goal and relentlessly pursuing it, despite obstacles and challenges. Navigating your business demands strategic thinking, adaptability, and a clear vision, much like the characters in GoT. By learning from their trials and triumphs, founders can steer their startups through the ever-changing landscape of the tech world. +++++ P.S. Follow me for daily insights on finance, entrepreneurship, SaaS, leadership, and random thoughts #SaaS #StartupStrategy #GameOfThrones #BusinessLeadership #EntrepreneurMindset #CFO