Rishi Mandal

An interesting article below, that demonstrates out how San Diego is punching above its weight.  And how Connect's strategy and execution over time, contintues to be central to that success. The article describes the current state of the market in Seattle.  (And i love Seattle.) It's a market that we tend to track with relative to venture fundings.  They used to kick our butts, we outraised them each of the last three years.  This despite the fact they have 3x as many funds there, and 9x the amount of resident capital there. (per pitchbook) Some key takeaways:  * They continue to compare themselves to SIlicon Valley. Instead, we leverage our proximity. *They whine there's not enough local investors (see note above - they have more than us). We bring over 200 VCs to SD annually! * They say founders are not connected with one another. We bring CEOs together regularly, in a variety of ways - private dinners and through our Springboard program. * They say they need to elevate their image on a national & international stage. Why we created and continue to build Five.Ten.Thirty (aka Inno Day).  * And the last paragraph - they need to concentrate on making their region a great place to live. Our mantra: "It's about Better, not Bigger." (See XEO, TL Fund). THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT. WE ARE ON A MISSION TOGETHER!!!  (Comments, whining, suggestions on SD always welcome.) https://lnkd.in/g6Rq_f2Y

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Wei D. (Founder and CEO of unicorn Clipboard Health) dropped some major 💎 gems of wisdom during her fireside chat with PearX founders at Pear VC SF Studio yesterday. These really resonated: 💎 PMF isn't something you achieve once - staying relevant to your market is an ongoing pursuit 💯 (Wei shared that to date she still LOVES talking with customers and - even at 1000+ employees and with all the success already achieved - she continues to chase unlocks for the business and recently obtained her nursing assistant certification in order to stay close to users and unlock new insights with them 🥇) 💎 If you're scared of sales, don't think of it as sales -- you're just talking to someone who you're trying to help. Approach your customers with care and listen to them as you would a friend. The moment it's an actual conversation with a friend, that's probably where you're going to get your first sale. If it feels "salesy" you're probably not doing it the right way. 🤝 💎 Do whatever it takes to get in front of your customers! (For Wei this meant driving around at 8 months pregnant and walking up to DMs at nursing homes!) 🚗 💎 The users you speak with in your market will give you the key jargon you need to use to speak back to your market. Listen intently and adopt their language! 🗣 💎 There is little you decide that can't be undone. Be smart, make calculated decisions, but don't overthink things --- err on the side of action and quick decision making. 🏃‍♀️ 💎 Iterate until your users feel passionately about what you're doing (ie. they get angry when the product is down or doesn't work). You want your users to care A LOT about the problem you're solving. 😡 Wei's resilience, grit and work ethic are off the charts. What an inspiration! 👏 #femalefounders #inspiration #techfounder #unicornfounder #hero

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No one wants spoiled fish, melted ice cream sandwiches, or insulin gone bad. Cold chain innovator Artyc is busy making sure goods that need to be cold, stay cold during shipping. Without spending too much energy to do it. (Right now we spend ~5% of our global energy generation on temperature controlled logistics.)  The Artyc team has created a reliable, eco-friendly shipping solution that ensures your goods remain at the perfect temperature while also providing real time data and tracking to help verify the quality of the shipment. It's an industry ripe for innovation of the best kind: new technology like Artyc’s will not only improve profitability for all parties involved by reducing spoilage losses, but also help decarbonize the journey it takes for some of our most vital goods to reach us. Solving how we move stuff from point A to point B in a fast, reliable, and sustainable manner has one of the largest potentials to improve human life. And there is a exciting opportunity to build a massive, profitable business.  These are the kinds of companies that we love at Lowercarbon and it's been a privilege to work with the Artyc team as they build the future of cold shipping.

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I recently sat down with Michael Batko, CEO at Startmate and Founder of Puddle Pod for Episode 11 of Insane Ambition. Startmate has invested in 230+ startups, much of it under Michael's leadership, and now has $3.5b in value across its portfolio companies. In this episode, we discussed: - Michael's journey from consulting, then living in the Amazon rainforest, to leading Australia's biggest startup accelerator - The future of Australia's startup ecosystem - The labour government's very stupid plan to make it harder for people to qualify as sophisticated investors (now thankfully shelved) - Startmate City! Startmate's plan to build Australia's first startup city. Probably the most ambitious idea I've ever heard from a startup accelerator. - The balance between visionary thinking and traditional startup advice (think Elon Musk's plan to colonise Mars, vs Y Combinator's problem/customer obsession) - "The Courage to Be Disliked", and its influence on Michael's approach to life and business. Links in the description below 👇

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Great article Hannah Sieber & Artyc team! Very exciting to see the breadth of applications here, your progress, and the huge potential for impact! #climatetech #hardtech #supplychainsustainability

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Summary: Lacey Hunter, founder of TechAid, went through the Newchip accelerator in 2022 and was blindsided when the organization filed for bankruptcy in May 2023. The bankruptcy court is auctioning off the warrants held by Newchip in over 1,000 startups, causing outrage and forcing some companies to shut down. Newchip had a tumultuous history, facing criticism for its CEO's leadership style and ultimately filing for Chapter 11 and 7. Key takeaways: Many startups paid thousands of dollars to go through the Newchip accelerator, giving the organization the right to buy shares in their company at a future date. Now, the bankruptcy court is auctioning off these warrants, causing distress and in some cases, leading to the closure of startups. Newchip's founder and CEO, Andrew Ryan, faced criticism for his leadership style and reportedly fired a manager in front of the entire company as a "test" of loyalty. The bankruptcy revealed that Newchip had missed keeping track of some companies that had exited or raised money, potentially causing the organization to miss out on millions of dollars in potential upside. Counter arguments: Newchip may argue that their bankruptcy was due to unforeseen circumstances and was not a #vc #startups #accelerators

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My first ever Waymo, courtesy of a fund I met. I rarely make such a bad impression that they'll pay to get rid of me. Full marks for creativity! I love tech so much - this is one of the highlights of my San Francisco trip. #founders #startups #venturecapital #buildinginpublic #investinginpublic More at unbundled dot vc.

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San Diego investor event: Aquillius Medical Devices & Diagnostics Symposium, taking place on Wednesday, May 15th, from 12:30 PM to 7:00 PM. This exclusive event brings together leading industry experts, groundbreaking startups, and prominent investors like yourself. Here's what you can expect: Expert Insights: Gain valuable knowledge from renowned speakers on topics critical to medtech success, including design for manufacturing, intellectual property protection, regulatory navigation, and fostering successful startups. Early Access to Innovation: Witness the future of healthcare firsthand as promising Aquillius incubees showcase their innovative medical device and diagnostic solutions during a dedicated startup showcase. Networking Opportunities: Connect and build relationships with other investors, entrepreneurs, and industry leaders shaping the medical technology landscape. This is a unique opportunity to: Identify promising investment opportunities in the medtech sector. Gain valuable insights from leading experts. Network with a community of like-minded investors and industry professionals. Space is limited, so RSVP today! Medical Devices Symposium (Investor Registration) Tickets, Wed, May 15, 2024 at 12:30 PM | https://lnkd.in/gjWDU9pz

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Congratulations to Roland Reynolds and the team at Industry Ventures on the raise of its latest $900M hybrid fund (split three ways, 40% backing VC funds, 40% directly investing in promising Series B startups from their existing partnerships, and 20% acquiring stakes in emerging investment firms from other LPs looking to exit). Read more from Marina Temkin, CFA at TechCrunch below. #VC #venturecapital #fundraising #startups #investing #news #technews #startupnews

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It was a real honor to interview Brad Burnham co-founder of Union Square Ventures and partner Placeholder on the history of hype cycles in technology and the value they bring to capital and market formation. Brad has had tremendous success across decades investing at the frontier - when it was the frontier/ before it was obvious. Crypto is still the underdog and his views on the opportunity and its nuances are prescient. Specifically it is both a technical and financial innovation which can lead to excess volatility and a unique muscle as it relates to being a venture manager. But the returns are real. And the innovation is real despite some of the the common narratives. No one debates the breakthrough applications in AI at M13 we have been very active. It is also very clear that incumbents have massive data and distribution advantages which can make it challenging to find the right pockets to invest. AI is on its own hype cycle and as always the best teams (typically with contrarian takes) win. Very exciting times to be a venture investor.

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Today, Two Chairs announces $72M of new funding to continue building a world where everyone has access to exceptional mental health care. Since late 2017, when Maveron led the Two Chairs Series A, the need for mental health services has grown considerably as our society has become lonelier and more isolated than ever. At the same time, our culture’s willingness to openly acknowledge these challenges is greater than ever. Sadly, the rapid growth of Two Chairs affirms the fact that our society is in desperate need of better mental health support. Two Chairs has built a business that believes clinical quality is the defining characteristic of success. Alex Katz has always emphasized the paramountcy of measurement-based clinical outcomes, which the team works tirelessly to achieve. In the process, Two Chairs has illustrated that embracing the ‘move fast and break things’ mentality doesn’t always work. Instead, Two Chairs opted for a different approach: they went slow to go fast. They built a proprietary algorithm that matches patients with the perfect therapist at the onset and hired a team of W2 clinicians oriented toward providing the highest quality care available. Even as the Two Chairs team has grown, their culture has remained small. This has enabled more intimate relationships within the team and between clients and clinicians. Reflecting on this milestone brings me back to the founding of Maveron and the values we hold dear. In 1998, my friend Howard Schultz and I founded Maveron to help entrepreneurs build companies that improve the lives of everyday people—their employees and their customers. There is perhaps no better example of this than Two Chairs. *** Thank you to TechCrunch's Marina Temkin, CFA for the great write-up. https://tcrn.ch/4aMt7yG

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One of my proudest moments as an investor occurred today as Alaffia Health announced its series A because it shows how the Aperture® Venture Capital vision of multi-level, multi-generational #impactinvesting is succeeding in the marketplace. Here’s the model in its most basic form : ✅As diverse fund managers with meaningful capital to allocate, we are changing the VC landscape every day just by doing our day jobs. ✅As Black/Brown investors with ~40 years experience collectively, Aperture GPs have access to talent /excellence that others do not, so our portfolio *organically* is more inclusive by race, gender and geography even while optimizing for financial outcomes (all about the alpha). ✅Our most successful portco’s are using financial #innovation to solve market problems that impact underrepresented demographics and underserved communities. Alaffia Health is a shining example of the impact portion of our overall fund thesis, and we couldn’t be prouder of TJ Ademiluyi and Adun Akanni, MPH, PMP - the dynamic brother-sister founder duo whose vision we have steadfastly supported on their journey. Congratulations to TJ and Adun from William Crowder and myself, as well as the whole Aperture team- Marjorie King Philip McKenzie Yves Louis-Jacques Tanvi Lal Michelle Dhansinghani Lisha Bell Katie Kelly Amy Chung Cindy Chong, CFA Brian Fernandes-Halloran Monroe France Jayden Pantel Darren Herman Evan Wladis Neal Triplett Thomas Scriven Peter Ammon Irina Bit-Babik Tim Milanich Rob Rahbari

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VC funding in healthcare has been more resilient than in other industries. Here are some key takeaways from recent Carta data: 👉 At the priced seed, Series A, and Series B stages, dilution for health startups has noticeably decreased, while dilution for SaaS startups has stayed flat or increased slightly. 👉 In priced seed rounds, median dilution for healthcare companies dipped to 14.2%, compared to 20% for SaaS.  👉 The frequency of bridge rounds surged in the health sector in Q1, jumping to 44.3% from 36.9% in Q4 2023. This is the first significant increase in bridge rounds in healthcare over SaaS since early 2022. 👉 More founder-friendly terms for health startups may result from enduring VC interest since COVID. Healthcare has remained strong through economic turmoil, enabling higher valuations with smaller round sizes. What are the implications? The healthcare sector might see a rise in new ventures due to favorable investment conditions and lower dilution rates. The surge in bridge rounds suggests that certain sectors within healthcare face unique challenges that require interim financing solutions. Founders and investors in the healthcare space- what are your thoughts on this? I’d love to hear from you. If you know a founder innovating in healthcare, tag them in the comments! The Artemis Fund is especially interested in groundbreaking care tech companies. You can check out Carta’s full blog linked in the comments. If you haven’t read our latest blog on care tech, you’ll find that there too. #healthcare #caretech #fundraising

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For all aspiring and current angel investors – take a look at this! #angelinvesting

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Some exciting news to share... I have joined sequel as Partner & Head of Investments.   Sequel is a platform of the world's most accomplished athletes investing in the world's best startups, making a positive difference. Sequel has so far attracted 130+ athletes including Super Bowl winners, Grand Slam holders, Champions League winners and World Boxing Champions. 🏈 🏆 🎾 Sequel encompasses many things I care deeply about: the power of athlete investors, VC investing on both sides of the pond, supporting the world's most passionate founders in sectors positively shaping society, and working alongside truly inspiring teammates, including the rockstar co-founders Alex Macdonald & Philipp Omenitsch. 🇬🇧 ⛹‍♀️ 🇺🇸   I am thrilled to be leading Sequel's investments, scaling their cutting-edge technology and growing their US presence.  👩‍🚀 ⚡   If you're a founder, an investor or within the sports ecosystem, please reach out, I'd love to connect! More info on sequel in the comments below. Let's Go! 🚀

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🤝 Hydrow, Inc. acquires a majority stake in SPEEDE Fitness In the summer of 2021, we wanted to get integrated with a connected strength brand. After researching several technologies and meeting with founders, Dan Mooney and I struck up a great conversation on a summer afternoon while I was in New York. One of the most valuable qualities in a founder is their “why.” Dan’s why was because he believed that he had the most effective (and capable) form of resistance training to date and wanted to get it out to the masses. A few weeks later, I met his co-founder, Greg Tepas - who is exactly the type of leader you want by your side for a company ready to scale. We started getting to work with the incredible team at Hatch Product Development & Contract Manufacturing - we knew we were onto something special. Along the way, I had the privilege of building a close relationship with Bruce Smith and Hydrow. I didn’t fully appreciate Bruce’s vision for holistic wellness until early 2023. He would constantly talk about having the best cardio solution with Hydrow that needed to be paired with an incredible strength concept - addressing the two key pillars for longevity - VO2 max and Strength. In the summer of 2023 we started talking about how we can bring his vision to life. I talked about how impressed I was with the technology (and team) behind Speede and truly felt that this combination would be transformative for Hydrow and the industry. It has been a journey and I couldn’t be happier for both organizations and teams. 🙌 Also, big shout out to Hatch and SweatWorks for taking it here. We cannot wait to share what comes next! 🎙️ P.S. Bruce Smith talks all things next at Hydrow in the upcoming LIFTS episode. #merger #hydrow #rowing #strength #connected #fitness #wellness #digital #innovation #transformation #strategy

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Breaking down our latest newsletter section by section, starting with our expanded focus in Deep Tech: --- We have built expertise in the robotics sector, and will continue to double (and triple) down on investing in this category, but we have been increasingly finding that robotics is naturally steering us into two exploding adjacent areas: Aerospace, and Advanced Manufacturing (which we define as industrials, semiconductors, materials science, and energy production). Stepping back, this expansion makes perfect sense. Robotics is an inherently horizontal platform - meaning it can be applied productively across multiple industries. This quality, paired with the fact that robotics has long shown the highest TRLs of any deep tech technology, makes it a kind of “gateway” to other sectors in the hard sciences. Now with the recent breakthroughs in AI for robotics, growing semiconductor demand, and the resurgence of aerospace and defense tech, we are seeing a dramatic uptake of robotics and relevant technologies in both advanced manufacturing and aerospace. As an added bonus of the expansion, many of the founder (and funder) networks across these landscapes have natural overlaps and linkages. For AlleyCorp Deep Tech this means that we can be extremely helpful, knowledgeable, and engaged across all three sectors right away, and continue to be the best-in-class investing team across these categories.  --- More in our newsletter: https://lnkd.in/ewiTuYq6

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There were two main triggers behind my decision to invest in Graze Robotics, the unique lane they are focusing on for growth within the maintenance industry, AND, the culture I observed while researching the potential investment. If you are looking for a change, Graze Robotics is a great opportunity.

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I got the opportunity to lead a discussion for the WWDC developer communities at Apple Park in Cupertino We focused our energies on discussing the BIG announcement of Apple Intelligence (which led to Apple shares surging to over $200 for the 1st time in history) Will there be more use cases for Siri and will it finally come out of its shell after 13years? Will there be an inflection point in Voice Usage? And then how do we build user experiences mirroring these changes? Personally I believe that the App Intent frameworks become the foundation of next generation user experience! The opportunity lies in thinking about infinite entry points to your app as interoperability becomes easier through Siri and Shortcuts powered by Apple Intelligence (AI). Are you thinking AI?

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