Tomás Pueyo

Last month, we at World Fund announced our investment in Faircado. I’ve written a ‘why we invested in’ blogpost, looking at why we led the deal - and what excites me about this startup. Founded by the brilliant Evoléna de Wilde d'Estmael 🌱and Ali Nezamolmaleki, Faircado is an AI-powered browser extension that makes sustainable choices more accessible and mainstream for millions of consumers online. Our collective closets overflow with items we no longer need but that others could use. We need to embrace a circular economy, and Faircado can help us break this ineffective cycle - perpetuated by awful brands like SHEIN - by helping us make better buying decisions online. You can read the full piece here: https://bit.ly/4coXxYy

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📣 Calling All European Deeptech Founders: The Deeptech Demo Day 2024 has launched! 🚀 Last month we've been recruiting deeptech VCs from all over the world and we have already over 60 signed up to support!! 💸 That's already beating the first edition from last year with 52. So yes, we, Frontier Deep Tech, and Silicon Roundabout Ventures (Francesco Perticarari) have been busy preparing a bolder, stronger, geekier, and useful 2nd edition. 💪🏼 Back in 2023 we made over 100 investor-founder intros from across the applicants, not just the finalists. 🤝 And that's not counting the improptu connections from angels, family offices, and even more VCs watching the Deeptech Demo Day finals (in total we had over 300 attendees at our virtual demo day finals) 📺 The 1st edition finals were judged by no less than a unicorn deeptech exited founder and angel, Phil O'Donovan, and 2 leading VC partners in the deeptech scene: Lise Rechsteiner, PhD from Vsquared Ventures and Jon Dishotsky from Giant Ventures (and both funds reconfirmed support for 2024!) 🦄 Startup applications are now OPEN for 1 month, before the VC-led scoring period, and the finals live on November 7th 🏁🏆 Founders GO HERE: https://lnkd.in/ezNMegqK We will be dripping out this year's new supporting VCs starting next week! As well as the new judges for this edition 🤩 Together, we aim to shine the spotlight onto the European deeptech scene. From the UK and the Nordics, to Central and Eastern Europe, and from the West to the South of a continent that is already home to superstar successes such as Northvolt, D-Orbit, and Quantum Systems to just name a few l🧑‍🔬👩🏽‍🔬🧑‍💻 Who are going to be the next multi-billion potential winners? Join us to find out! ❤️ A massive thank you to our sponsors Mishcon de Reya LLP and OVHcloud for making this possible! (drop me a DM if you would also like to support us) Ps: we are still accepting institutional investor applications to help with the scoring, so do check out the page if you are an VC investor in deeptech covering European countries.

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I am coming to Boston! I don't remember the last time I visited Boston, but I can't wait =) 🔉 Calling all founders. Join me next Wednesday (April 24) at this workshop "How to Pitch Your Startup 101". I will be judging at Techcrunch Early Stage 2024 the next day 👉 https://lnkd.in/gYyzvMBU ​There is "no love at first sight" in startup pitching. An investor will not, cannot, and would never invest in you the first time they meet you. ​At this talk, I will cover: - ​What do investors want? - ​What do founders want from your 1st pitch meeting? ​- What should a founder say and do in the first pitch? ​- What should a founder NOT to say or do in the first pitch? ​- What should a founder ask a potential investor? ​- What should a founder do to follow up? Sign up here: https://lnkd.in/gK9Yvmya #venturecapital #funding #pitching #founders #startups #investors #pitchmeeting #fundraising #harvard #MIT #techcrunch #VC #pitch #pitch101 #investing #TC cc Calvin Chin, Pracheer Gupta, Aidan Ryan, Jonathan Kay, Eliran Sapir, Race Capital, Dave Schappell, Brian Skerry, Adam Honig, Luke Stephan

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A must read for every founder (and investor) in B2B marketplaces. ⤵️ All credits to Fabrice Grinda + FJ Labs 👏🏽 https://lnkd.in/eB7uGzyH #firstdegree #founders #investors #whyrelationshipsmatter
#alwaysbelearning #sharingknowledge

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“Under-promise and over-deliver.” A classic mantra, often ignored by big startups in hype cycles, as the cash injections of venture capital come with pressure to utilize funds, sometimes leading to overhyped claims. This month’s trends showed a discrepancy of the state of the research (effective personalized nutrition outcomes) and a reckoning of certain companies forging ahead of the state of research. While we can’t necessarily fault companies for pushing forward what they believe to be genuinely beneficial products, there is a distinct line between evangelizing your mission and misleading consumers (see Theranos for a clear example of crossing the line). This tension is also evident in the ongoing debate around GLP-1s like Ozempic, Wegovy, etc.: while they clearly work, the question lingers around long-term effects and sustainability. Every day this is a new twitter spat between GLP-1 proponents and detractors (typically coming from the holistic foods camps). We find ourselves somewhere in between - while the whole foods approach is the winner when achievable, certain people who have long struggled with their relationship with food reach a frankly miraculous resolution of symptoms once on the medication, which deserves serious praise (and further evaluation). There is also a certain anti-establishment tone to the keep-your-filthy-tech-off-my-food reactionaries (“Florida is fighting back against the global elite’s plan to force the world to eat meat grown in a petri dish or bugs to achieve their authoritarian goals”). We think it’s fair to say that genetically modifying mustard plant flavor and using AI to evaluate pig coughs does feel like a bit of a debasing of the circular farmstead utopia. The fact of the matter is that there are a lot of humans, we eat a lot of food, and finding a way to make it happen healthily at scale is an unsolved set of challenges. The food tech industry is at a crossroads where innovation meets practicality. There is a delicate balance in understanding human psychology and physiology while pushing the boundaries on how we feed the world. Taking it back full circle, overpromising runs the risk of alienating everyday people from accepting a changing world of food, so it’s important to be thoughtful about when to push the limits, and when to meet people where they are. -- EVEN MORE DETAIL in the full newsletter, plus foodie picks from Adam Shilling Melvin Skochdopole Hannah Kittrell, best Parkday rated restaurants of the month, and summer produce tips! https://lnkd.in/eC_aKfrj

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Startups often dilute their messaging by talking to too many audiences at once. At Plug and Play Tech Center's Silicon Valley Summit, Jacques Benkoski compared this to turning on all the lights at the start of a show—no one knows where to look. Instead, use a single spotlight to direct attention. That was such a powerful analogy and so completely true. At RevUp, we specialize in founder-led #content strategies that spotlight your unique expertise and position the value of your technology to your MOST valuable customer. With clear, focused messaging, your #startup becomes the main event in your niche. No greater words to grow your business..."When you speak to everyone, you speak to no one," ~Seth Godin

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🤨 What do I look for in co-founders ? 🤨 This is the question I get asked the most often, and I (finally) have a good answer! At Hexa, I partner with entrepreneurs ~3x/year, a CEO and CTO for each project— essentially “marrying” 6x/year to build the best partnerships. I look for 4 key traits in my co-founders ⤵️ ⚡️ Energy booster Building and growing a company is about convincing people to follow you—investors, clients, team members—and the person’s natural energy is a key factor in achieving this. I call these people exothermic: they move things around them simply by the energy they exude. How do I test this? I need to feel more energized at the end of a meeting with them than I did at the start. ⏰ Sense of urgency The higher the velocity in a startup, the faster it will grow. Having a deep need to act and get things done sets the fast-paced tempo I’m looking for. 🧑‍🏫 Thirst for self-improvement Founders who are constantly looking to improve by proactively seeking feedback and showing vulnerability have an endless strength to overcome the (inevitable) challenges of entrepreneurship. 🏋️‍♀️ Commitment Being a founder means making your company part of your top priorities, it’s a journey that’s all-consuming. If you believe you embody these traits and are ready to build a transformative company, let’s connect!

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Kudos to the Swiss government! 🇨🇭 At Sweep we can see first hand how regulations drive climate action and business transformation. But we also see how increasing reporting requirements add complexity and require resources from already stretched teams. International alignment is key. So is leveraging tooling to reduce the time it takes to report. So there is bandwidth left to actually create change. https://lnkd.in/eQT9_azg #forevercompanies

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How to stop making assumptions at work? Today, Fabrice asks: — "I often catch myself assuming what others think about me. How can I change that? — Welcome to Episode 207 of AskMatty! Here’s my answer, Fabrice: — Let’s try this practical tool: →    The THINK Method It’s often used in therapy to reduce conflict. But we can also use it when we catch ourselves making assumptions. Let’s see how to use it. 1.    First, take a moment to breathe and notice your thoughts. For example, you might think: →    “I feel like my boss thinks I’m not doing a good job” Now, let’s dive into the THINK method. We’ll reflect on 5 questions — one for each letter of THINK. 1.    T — Think Ask yourself: →    Is this assumption true? →    What facts do I have to support it? For example, you might say: "Last week, my boss didn’t give me positive feedback on my project. But I also remember she said she appreciated my effort on the last one." 2.    H — Have Empathy Ask yourself: →    How might the other person be feeling? →    What could they be going through? Sometimes, we just need to put ourselves in others’ shoes. Maybe your boss is under a lot of stress with deadlines. Maybe she didn’t have time to give everyone feedback. 3.    I — Interpretations Ask yourself: →    Am I considering other possible interpretations of their behavior or words? Maybe your boss isn’t upset with your work. Maybe she’s just busy and hasn’t had a chance to acknowledge it yet. You know what I mean? 4.    N — Notice Ask yourself: →    What do I notice about my feelings right now? →    Am I feeling anxious, insecure, or something else? You might feel anxious about your boss being unhappy with you. But it’s not always about you, right? :) 5.    K — Kindness Ask yourself: →    How can I respond kindly to myself and the other person? For example, you might remind yourself that everyone has off days. You could also check in with your boss about your progress. And maybe ask for feedback. Got it? That’s it. Try this exercise whenever you notice yourself making assumptions. As we know, the more we practice, the easier it gets :) — Alright! Thanks for your question, Fabrice. Question of the day: →    Do you ever catch yourself making assumptions? Let me know in the comments :) “Let’s build a world where everyone belongs through the power of wellbeing!” – Matty

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A Prime Number is a concept that is simple to explain and yet becomes deceptively difficult (or rather, impossible ?!) to list as a progression. But what might Prime Numbers have in common with Startups and Founders that succeed at scale ? It turns out that there are surprising parallels between Prime Numbers and Execution Moats (Yes, there is such a thing as an Execution Moat. In fact, it might be the deepest/widest of moats out there). Watch/Listen to our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast as Patric and I take a more philosophical route to discuss why Execution Moats are such a superpower.

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People are rather adopting pets than having babies. I'm passionate about this demographic shift and its consequences. (Just like Marc FIORENTINO) And one I’m surprised that #VC or #PE funds invest more in :  Pet Tech. People are having less and less kids.  Especially in developed countries. France's birth rates is 1.87.  Low, but still the highest in Europe where the average is 1.53. And at the same time we’re observing that people are adopting more and more pets. And the cultural shift, probably due to a global rise in the cost of living, seems to be here to stay. People are now spending almost as much on their dog than they would have spend on a child in the past. And I’m very intrigued why PE and VC don’t invest massively on this trend. The market is huge (and getting bigger). People are spending a lot. Am I the only one to see a huge missed opportunity?

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If you're hoping to come to #GigatonSalon tomorrow (you should be) then we are waitlisting folks for the first three of the day's four events, but y'know, other people are sometimes flakier than a mille feuille, so the odds are in your favor. Hop on that waitlist and we will do our best to accommodate you: https://lu.ma/harvest See you all there! #sfcw #sfclimateweek #climateweek #climatejobs #climatefounders #greentech #greenjobs #cleantech #vc #climatesolutions #climatechange

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After working with over 200 employees, 10 joint-ventures and 5 exits, here’s my simple framework to set-up any collaboration for success: 1. Why: Clarify the reason why we’re working together. What is the project? And why are we doing it? 2. Value: What is each party contributing to the project? What are each party’s responsibilities? 3. Success: Clarify how success looks like in 3, 6, 12, 24, 48 months from now for the overall project and how we measure success of each party involved. I like the traffic light system (green for great, yellow for ok, and red for bad outcomes) 4. Compensation: How is each party winning based on the project and our contribution? 5. Termination: Agree ahead of time how lack of success looks like in each scenario (green we’re all happy, yellow we explore / analyse how to get to green, red we stop) and how it works when we stop working together. These are not exchaustive but just a list with the essentials in my opinion. This works in a lot of different types of relationships, could be an employee, a contractor, or even other partnerships and even M&A contexts. Wondering about the key elements you’ve seen are important to set-up any collaboration for success?

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🌎 3 years ago, on this day, Dobby started the first climate program in the home services industry. 3 years later, Dobby is still the ONLY home services company with a dedicated climate program. For every job you complete, we plant a tree and donate a portion of the revenue we make for the carbon-offset programs. Why does it matter? With more than a million service pros driving around every day to serve more than 80 million American homeowners, there's a lot of mileage and a lot of carbon emission in the $500B home services industry! But it's an insanely fragmented marketplace run by mostly mom-and-pop service pros who don't have much access or awareness to run net zero operations. Why us? As we own the end-to-end marketplace experience for our homeowners and service pros, we find ourselves responsible for facilitating net zero operations. Today, we bear the cost of our climate program. As we rapidly expand our operations, we plan to educate and include both sides of the marketplace on this pioneering journey of "net zero home service." 🌳 Happy Earth Day, Everyone! Read about our climate program here: https://lnkd.in/eJXcbS-J Check out Dobby App: https://dobbyhome.com/app

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Aligned founding teams are the cornerstone of any successful venture. Did you know that most co-founder disputes arise within 6 to 9 months of working together? Here is a clear plan how to avoid these... The critical period often marks the shift from the initial excitement of building something new to the reality of making tough decisions, dividing responsibilities, and navigating pressure as it increases. Research shows that disagreements around vision, equity splits, roles, and decision-making authority are some of the most common friction points. These conflicts can lead to inefficiencies, stagnation, and in the worst case, to the breakup of a promising startup - unfortunately a common event in early-stage startup investments. But it doesn't have to be this way. Here are some strategies that successful co-founding teams adopt: 💡 Set clear expectations from Day 1: Align on vision, values, and long-term goals early on. 💡 Define roles & responsibilities: Ambiguity breeds conflict. Ensure every co-founder knows their clear role but also leave room for collaboration. 💡 Foster open communication: Regular, honest check-ins and quick feedback can eliminate tension before it escalates. Don't wait for the pressure to boil over—proactively address challenges. Building a company is hard. The strength of your founding team can make or break your journey. Choose wisely and take the time to check if it fits from the very start. If you are currently just starting out, use the 50 Founder Questions Guide - you will find the link in the comments below. 👇🏼 #startups #entrepreneurship #vc #venturecapital #investments

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One of the biggest challenges for improving performance on Meta is teams beeing held accountable for daily (and sometimes hourly) results. This isn't enough time to try new strategies or products. So by optimizing towards a daily ROAS goal in the short term, might hurt performance in the long run as you could be missing out on new solutions.

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I recently sat down with a group of Forum Ventures founders about to go out to fundraise and the topic of SAFE rounds came up. The context focused on the pros/cons of raising a priced vs a SAFE round and the conversation notably shifted toward the dilution implications of a SAFE round. Founders are keenly aware of the top line dilution of any funding round - ie selling 20% of their startup for $3M at a $15M cap - but very few fully grasp the implications of doing a SAFE round vs a priced round. The universal standard for institutional VC investors is a post money SAFE. This document essentially outlines ownership that an investor will have in a startup just prior to the execution of a priced round. Most importantly though, it is structured so that an investor in that SAFE will not be diluted by subsequent SAFE's that are issued. This is where founder education around the implications of this structure are not fully appreciated. In a situation where a founder continues to stack subsequent SAFEs, they don't actually convert until the first priced round and the net dilution they are taking is actually more than they realize. Here is a practical example - take a situation where a founder has already sold 15% of their business on a post money SAFE in a pre-seed round, and is now choosing to sell another 20% in a seed round. If the founder opts to raise this money on SAFEs, the dilution of that additional 20% will come entirely from common equity holders- meaning they will now own 65%. If SAFE holders were also diluted by that round, as they would be in a priced round, the founder would own 68%. This dynamic becomes more dramatic the more capital a founder raises on SAFEs. Note - this is a high level example and does not include an option pool carve out or other round nuances. Almost universally, when a founder raises their first priced round, there is some degree of sticker shock at the outright dilution on their cap table, particularly when options pools are factored in. This pain is even more acute when a founder has raised a fair amount of capital on SAFEs along the way. There are certainly benefits to raising SAFE round, mainly cash in hand 6-8 weeks faster and not having to decide on board seats too early, but I encourage all of our founders to run through cap table modeling and correctly account for the implications of SAFE rounds before they make fundraising decisions.

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⌛ The Limits of Storytelling: when Vision alone is not enough Storytelling is the spark that draws people in or leaves them uninterested. A compelling and clear story can drive impact in remarkable ways: ↳ Internally, it energizes your team and fosters a shared sense of mission. ↳ Externally, it excites investors, customers, and media, creating buzz about your brand. When storytelling is paired with a solid product and strong KPIs, it can fuel meteoric growth. But what happens when the story alone is doing all the heavy lifting? ❗ A common pitfall is relying on a great narrative to mask weaknesses in the product or financials. Early on, belief matters—it buys you time to prove your model. But as your start-up matures, storytelling alone reaches its limit. ❓ Why isn’t your inspiring story reflected in strong revenues? Why are operational KPIs growing but not your bottom line? The truth is, a vision of the future is only as powerful as the pathway to get there. Without tangible results or a clear strategy for delivering value, even the most captivating story will falter. 🧗 We saw this in 2020-2021, the peak era investment FOMO and unsupported storytelling. Some companies made great promises, and large investors rushed in. However, many were simply unscalable and their weak financials quickly exposed the cracks and negative consequences were felt by staff, customers, partners and the very same investors. 💡 Great stories create belief, but substance sustains it. Do you agree? Let me know in the comments... #storytelling #startups #growth #investment

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