Pritesh Ruparel’s Post

Founders face a myriad of challenges raising funds, hiring skilled workers and deciding which products to unveil next. Relocating to another country might seem like adding a huge hurdle to the mix. But the UK’s free Global Entrepreneur Programme (GEP), a flagship initiative of the Department for Business and Trade, is bringing more innovation to one of the most active funding ecosystems in Europe—and helping internationally mobile entrepreneurs scale and prosper here. https://lnkd.in/ef4hACfP

I spoke to an investor recently who is extremely bullish on the UK. Here is his refreshing view on the future of the UK startup scene: 1) He thinks we’re primed and that the challenges of the last 5-6 years are in the past 2) A lot of Europe is still to fully recover from these issues and the UK is now a really good place to invest 3) He compared now to the period between 2010-2015 when a lot of great companies were built and thinks the next 5 years will be very similar. We’re often so negative in the country and think the grass is greener elsewhere (it rarely is). Hearing this is extremely exciting for us and affirms everything we think at Founder and Lightning. Compared to the doom and gloom, this is the attitude we need ! Investors/Founders, what do you think? Do you agree/disagree? ----- If you liked this post, I also have a newsletter where I speak about topics like this in more depth. You can subscribe in the comments below. Thanks ! #investment #ukstartups #ukbusiness

In the dynamic landscape of business, having the right partner can make all the difference. For many entrepreneurs in Kenya, that partner is Pitch-Investor. With a track record of empowering startups and businesses, Pitch-Investor stands as a beacon of support and opportunity. Pitch-Investors has been instrumental in the success stories of numerous ventures.Beyond mere funding, Pitch-Investor offers invaluable advice and resources to budding entrepreneurs. New users rave about the platform's user-friendly interface and independent guidance on investment strategies. It's not just about securing funds; it's about fostering growth and sustainability. Pitch-Investor's commitment to its users is unwavering. Whether it's monitoring performance, switching funds, or adding investments, the platform ensures minimal hassle, allowing entrepreneurs to focus on what truly matters: building their dreams.

Well, that cat is finally out the bag. You've heard me talking about how Seattle is a great place to build a business, but not the great place to found one that it should be. Well, I'm leading a group of well-known local founders and investors committed to making it better in a community-centric way. We're calling it Foundations. High-performing startup ecosystems need a fabric that established leaders, up-and-comers and new entrants can all use to make connections, deepen relationships and share lessons learned. In its first decade, Techstars Seattle performed that function, but as that organization decayed it left a vacuum that has reduced our effectiveness as a community, even as the quality and depth of our talent pool has only accelerated. And now, with the death of the non-compete, which has historically kept talent locked inside some of the most innovative teams at Microsoft and Amazon, we expect the need for Foundations to only grow. Building something from nothing is hard work, and a founder’s time isn’t well-spent going to random meetups and vendor happy hours. Our vision for Foundations is to provide the scaffolding needed to support the most capable and ambitious local founders without getting in the way of their most precious resource, time. Our community members have founded unicorns and returned entire venture funds, but more importantly, have made and managed through every possible founder mistake along the way. We believe that the best way to build something great is to minimize mistakes and maximize luck by openly sharing key learnings within a trusted community of high-performing peers. Members of Foundations have access to our 5,000 sf space on Capitol Hill, founder circles that foster confidential but transparent conversations among carefully curated peers, private events, rotating social experiences, and a founder incubation program where both first-time and early-stage members can access free desk space and mentorship throughout a 6-month process that progresses to full membership. Foundations is organized as a benefit corporation with the goal of becoming financially self-sustaining, fully owned by the community it serves, and with a long-term mandate to only evaluate additional mission-aligned revenue opportunities. We'll be opening up the membership process to early-stage founders in the next couple of months, but are already actively building out our community. You can reach me at aviel@seattlefoundations.org.

Awesome new initiative Aviel Ginzburg!! When Sean Sternbach and I launched Venture Out, Aviel and Pablo Brown-Rodriguez were silent cofounders. Aviel freely shared his words of wisdom from years of building community in Seattle. He and Chris DeVore were the first money into our community, followed quickly by Flying Fish Partners, Liquid 2 Ventures, M12, Microsoft's Venture Fund, and a huge list of Seattle angels. After growing to 1200+ members in <3 years, running multiple pre-preseed accelerators, a few learnings about building great community and the Seattle Founder Ecosystem: In the early days, no one knows what they are doing. Seek outside advice and guidance from people just ahead of you. Unicorn founders and tech moguls have great stories, but the woman who left amazon six months ago, launched an MVP, and crashed through her first 2 dozen investor discussions will have golden advice. Be open, honest, and vulnerable. Our best events and discussions happened when people let their guard down. No one will spend their life (which a startup requires) to build your idea. They might build something similar and tackle the same problem, but only your life experience and decision-making will make the difference. Share ideas often. Give first. As a ~10 year Techstars mentor, I saw this as the best part of the community. In my opinion, they have lost this completely. Don't come into a community and take. Give all you can, even when it feels counterproductive. Something might eventually come back that changes your life and direction. Even if it never does, you will 1000% feel great about the decision. Play long-term games with long-term people. Naval Ravikant was the first person I heard say this. Surround yourself with committed doers, makers, and visionaries. There are a lot of want-entrepreneurs in the world (which is a good thing; we need more people to take risks), but spend the most time with people in the ring, putting their time behind what they are doing. Learn how to give advice and direction without being evangelical, condescending, or a jerk. Learn to be direct but helpful. It's what you want on your journey, so invest in being a great thought partner for others. A final few notes: 1) No, you likely will never get paid the same amount or make as much money as a founder as you would as an L7/L8 at Amazon. If that is why you are starting a company, you're already in trouble. But knowing Aviel, he is already filtering for this 😂 2) You will likely learn in 6-18 months in the ring as a founder, than the rest of your life combined. Start to write, share your experience, find a therapist, and get ready to unpack a LOT as you go. The only way to make space for new information is to process it, store it, and then let it go. 3) The relationships are the most important part of the journey. I will always remember meetings with Matt Ehrlichman, Asha Sharma, Kyle Sandburg, and Matthew Neagle and the rest of the Porch Group team. Go Aviel!!!

🚀Investor-Entrepreneur Matchmaking Initiative 🚀 Through organising awards like The UK StartUp Awards Up Awards and The Great British Entrepreneur Awards & Community and the UK Fast Growth 50 Index has brought us thousands of applications annually from some of the most ambitious businesses in the UK. With our unique vantage point, we know who's looking to raise funds and whether they seek support or introductions. Our goal? To bridge these gaps effectively. Thanks to our partnership with Daniel Priestley and ScoreApp, we've unlocked insights into our applications like never before. This collaboration allows us to delve deeper into the aspirations and needs of these thriving businesses. Our mission? To make it easier for investors to connect with thousands of these driven entrepreneurs, over 50% of whom are looking to raise investment. What's in Store? Personalised Matchmaking: We'll soon be rolling out a specially crafted quiz that will help us align investors with the right business opportunities. If you're an investor, or if you know someone who is, please tag them here or share this post and we'll let you/them know as soon as we're live.

Ever wondered where the perfect balance between tranquility and innovation lies? For me, it’s Seattle. Unlike the Bay, Seattle has a more serene environment that’s perfect for focusing on building products and businesses. The city’s vibe encourages deep work and creative thinking, free from the overwhelming hustle. But let’s be honest, Seattle’s founder and investor communities aren’t as vibrant as those in SF. Yet, this city holds a special place in my heart – a blend of my love for startups and the charm of Seattle. I believe in Seattle’s potential and I’m on a mission to help ignite its startup community. From connecting with fellow founders to engaging investors, let’s come together to build something extraordinary here. Seattle has all the ingredients to be a startup hub – talent, innovation, and a supportive ecosystem. What it needs is a spark. Let’s be that spark.

Effective March 10, 2018, the federal government has closed the doors for new applications under the farm management stream. Stay informed and plan your self-employed journey accordingly! Whether you're exploring cultural activities, athletics, or other ventures, make sure your path aligns with the latest updates Call Now: +1 647-224-1262 OR Visit Our Website: shapecanadaimmigration.ca . . . #OntarioEntrepreneurStream #OESRequirements #EntrepreneurshipInCanada #StartUpVisaProgram #CanadianBusinessOpportunities #DesignatedOrganizations #AngelInvestors #VentureCapitalFunds #BusinessIncubators #ImmigrationGuidance #CanadianStartups #QuebecImmigrantInvestorProgram #CanadianEntrepreneurship #SelfEmployedPrograms #StartUpVisas #ProvincialNominationProgram #TemporaryBusinessVentures #FastTrackImmigration #StartUpVisaQualifications #BusinessInvestmentImmigration #IncorporatedBusiness #OwnershipStake #SoleOwnership #CanadianEntrepreneurialJourney

Lessons in Entrepreneurial Adaptability and Vision In 1999, my business partners and I faced an unusual challenge 🌊. We had just launched a startup with an ambitious goal – to boil the ocean 🌡️🏝. However, faced with the need to earn money quickly 💰, we took on a project that seemed trivial to us: working for an Irish bank 🏦. We completed the task quickly and with minimal costs, which allowed us to earn a good amount of money 💸. After this success, I began to persuade my partners that we should continue moving in this direction ➡️. But they insisted that creating a company and receiving three million dollars in funding was not for such trivial pursuits 🚀💡. At that moment, I gave up 😔. We never managed to boil the ocean, only maybe a small pond, but it left us with fond memories 🤔💭. Now, I take the opposite stance and insist that we should not engage in trivialities, as the ocean remains unboiled 🚫🌊. I believe I was right then and I am now 🤐. However, I fear I will again fail to convince anyone 🙁. #Startup #BusinessPartners #BoilTheOcean #Entrepreneurship #Ambition #Success #Reflections #Adaptation #Ideals

Grace Berlin Accelerator - Kickoff Day 3 🚀 🧡 The last day of the kickoff was all about co-creation and the founders were all in for it !🎉 The day was composed of two co-creation sessions where the major question was: ‘’How might I/ we …?’’ 🤔 Depending on each founder or team’s current challenge, they will present it within a group, where they brainstorm together about the challenge and get inputs from their fellow entrepreneurs. The sessions were very interactive and ended with many outcomes and insights for the founders to get ready to tackle in their entrepreneurial journey within Grace and beyond. The co-creation experience was wrapped up with providing a framework to analyze the results and take clear actions on them. The three day Kickoff ended successfully, want to know what happens next in the Grace Berlin Accelerator? Keep on following us, more exciting program elements are planned ! Do you have a question for us about the program? Don't hesitate to contact us directly here. #Entrepreneurs  #StartupAccelerator #BusinessSupport #Empowerment #EntrepreneurLife  #GraceAccelerator2023 #EntrepreneurshipProgram #Empowerment __  The project is funded by the European Social Fund Plus with funds from the European Union and the State of Berlin.