David Cutler

🚀 AlleyCorp Closes $250M Fund to Fuel Tech Innovation in NYC and Beyond🗽 🌟 Founded by NYC internet entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, AlleyCorp incubates and invests in transformative companies across diverse verticals including Diversified Technology, Healthcare, Robotics, and Impact. 💡💰 🤝 The fund, backed by a select group of LPs, supports AlleyCorp's mission to originate ideas, hire teams, provide initial funding, and maintain integral leadership throughout the company’s lifecycle. 🌱🔍 💼 With about 20–30 new investments and 5–8 incubations per year, AlleyCorp has a track record of nurturing early-stage tech pioneers. 📈🌐 🦄 Notable investments include MongoDB (NASDAQ: MDB), Business Insider, Gilt Groupe, Zola, and Nomad Health, shaping the landscape of tech innovation in NYC. 🌆🌟 🔬 AlleyCorp also announces the incubation of Radical AI, pioneering AI-driven materials design, and Conduce Health, revolutionizing access to personalized healthcare specialists. 💻🏥 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VentureCapital #TechInnovation #NYCTech #StartupInvestment #Incubation #AlleyCorp #ImpactInvesting #HealthTech #AI #Robotics #DiversifiedTechnology #InvestmentStrategy

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7 RECOMMENDATIONS FOR HARDWARE STARTUPS It’s hard to understate the difficulty of the v1 launch of a consumer hardware company. I see a ton of new HW startups coming out. Here are some counterintuitive recommendations… 1) Target a small market for v1, not a large market. You need a small number of people to love your product and this will earn you the right to build a v2. You have to understand your v1 will not make you a successful company. Your v1 needs to prove that you deserve to exist in the first place. In the case of WHOOP, we started with pro athletes who were willing to put up with our v1’s short battery life and flaky Bluetooth connections because they so desperately needed Sleep and Recovery data. A broad consumer base would have rejected it. 2) Be great at no more than 1-3 things. If you try to be great at more than that, you will build a hardware that is mediocre at a wide range of things. You won’t think it’s going to be mediocre, but it will be. 3) You want a small launch. Not because you want small sales but because you want to have a steady ramp. It’s much better to do 100k of sales steadily over 12 months than in 2 months with a huge drop off. Keep in mind you need to manage your manufacturing partner and that there’s nothing better or more efficient than steady and predictable. 4) CAC is your enemy. Referrals are gold. The magic of referrals is that they signal high NPS and they help you grow steadily. Again everything that helps you have a steady HW manufacturing plan is good. Building a referral program for v1 launch is a good use of your time. 5) Be excellent at Software. Turns out being good at both Hardware and Software is a hard thing and something that your BIG COMPANY competitor is actually not great at (excluding Apple here). For some reason, there’s such a magnifying glass on the Hardware development, that Software is then overlooked by consumer startups. Don’t make that mistake. You can be great at both. 6) You should spend an unreasonable amount of time and money on ONE aspect of your Hardware. Could be the design or a technical breakthrough. But something needs to be SPECIAL. In our case, we designed a modular battery pack that allowed Whoop to be charged without taking it off your body. This made our development timeline much longer, but it allowed us to achieve something that no other wearable has achieved since: 24/7 health data. 7) Finally, have an unrealistic belief in yourself and your team. You are not supposed to succeed and the odds are stacked against you. Building hardware takes confidence and you’re up against big players who will rip you off. We went so far as to leave a message for our competitors on our circuit board (pictured below). In the case of Amazon and others, the prophecy came true. If you’re building consumer hardware, I wish you nothing but success. It will be super hard, but super rewarding. Good luck 👊🏼 #consumer #hardware #wearable #startup #whoop

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Brilliant insights gleaned from the recent Massachusetts Institute of Technology #AI Conference. It included a neat demo by Reid Hoffman, founder of LinkedIn, as he sat alongside his AI counterpart. The AI version of Reid composed limericks, pondered its own "empathic bandwidth," and speculated on the future of company creation in the age of AI. The real Reid remained decidedly unimpressed. Thoughts on the following takeaways welcome. 1. User-Driven AI Adoption Outperforms Top-Down Mandates Many AI pilot programs, even in large companies, fail to advance past initial stages, with less than 5% transitioning to full-scale implementations. Takeaway: AI tools are more successful when they are introduced from the ground up, driven by practical, user-led adoption, rather than being forced through executive mandates or complex procurement processes. AI needs to demonstrate immediate value for users before gaining widespread buy-in. 2. Voice Interfaces Are the Next Evolution in AI Interaction Voice interactions, powered by large language models (LLMs), are set to replace traditional interfaces like keyboards, offering more intuitive and natural ways to interact with AI. Takeaway: As AI becomes more responsive and seamless, voice will be the primary way users interact with systems, making typing obsolete in many contexts. 3. Talent Shortages and Infrastructure Bottlenecks Hinder AI Scaling AI infrastructure relies on three key components: compute, training data, and human talent. Of these, the biggest hurdle is the scarcity of experienced AI professionals, which is driving up costs. Takeaway: Enterprises will struggle to scale AI due to competition for skilled talent and rising salaries. While compute costs may decrease over time, demand for resources will likely outpace supply. Quality training data will be an important differentiator. 4. AI Tools Empower Non-Technical Founders to Rapidly Innovate AI tools, particularly LLMs, are making it easier for non-technical entrepreneurs to build and launch products quickly. However, technically savvy founders benefit the most, using AI to rapidly iterate and refine ideas. Takeaway: AI is enabling fast-paced product development, helping founders with technical expertise bring ideas to life in days, rather than weeks, and making it easier to innovate in traditionally complex fields. 5. "Dogfooding" and "Shadow AI" Accelerate Innovation Amid New Risks Large companies and startups alike are using their own AI products internally (dogfooding) to refine them before public release. At the same time, "Shadow AI" — unofficial, employee-driven AI adoption — is gaining traction. Takeaway: Companies are learning to balance the benefits of rapid innovation through shadow AI with the need for governance and security. Dogfooding helps identify limitations, while shadow AI can foster experimentation, but also risks data security concerns.

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Good to see an #IPO in the DX space with Tempus AI. With 11M shares at $37 per share at #top 🚀 end of the expected range, raising $410M at a valuation of $6B Founded in 2015, Tempus is creating an intelligent diagnostics platform for precision medicine ⚕. #Positive #news Looking forward what's come. #AI #healthcare #data #digitalization #DX https://lnkd.in/dJiKrrPC

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🚀 Ready to launch your VC fund? VC Lab Cohort 17 has a new AI-powered mission control, LP mixers, new tracks, and more. Learn how we can help... 🛠️ AI-Powered Launch Suite + Decile Base: Your AI co-pilot + Smart LP targeting & network analysis + AI-powered thesis builder + Personalized outreach tools 🤝 Enhanced Support + Regional Demo Days + Global GP-LP mixers + Premium mentoring + Institutional-grade resources 🌌 Specialized Tracks + Space Technology + Later-Stage (Series A/B) + Family Office Funds + Enhanced Emerging Manager Program 👉 Perfect Timing + Exceptional deals at reasonable valuations + Billions in LP capital seeking emerging managers + Unique window as established firms face challenges The Early Admissions Deadline for Cohort 17 is Monday, November 18th. Join the 50+% of new VC firms we've launched in the last two years. 🚀

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💰Contour Venture Partners Raises $42M for Fifth Fund 💼 Introduction: Contour Venture Partners, a New York-based seed investor known for early investments in companies like Datadog and Movable Ink, has raised $42 million for its fifth fund. The firm is targeting $90 million for this flagship fund and has been actively fundraising since May 2023. 💡Key Points: - **Fundraising Progress**: The firm closed on $42 million from 64 backers, aiming for a total of $90 million. It had previously raised $20 million as part of a parallel fund. - **Market Context**: Fundraising has been challenging for venture funds recently, with overall venture fundraising down more than 50% last year compared to 2022’s record-breaking numbers. 📝Investment Strategy: - **Check Sizes and Focus**: Contour writes checks between $500,000 and $1.5 million, primarily leading rounds in seed and early-stage companies. It focuses on sectors like SaaS, digital media, and financial services, with a preference for companies based in New York or the Northeast. - **Track Record**: Despite not having a massive war chest, Contour has a strong investment track record. Notable successes include:  - Datadog: Early investment in 2011, which IPO'd in 2019 with a $7.8 billion valuation.  - OnDeck: Invested in 2006, went public in 2014 with a $1.3 billion valuation.  -Pendo: Active portfolio company, raised over $460 million, valued at $2.6 billion.  - Movable Ink: Content personalization startup, raised nearly $100 million, valued at $1.3 billion. 👩‍👩‍👧‍👦Firm Background: - **Founders and Leadership**: Contour was founded in 2005 by Matt G. and Bob Greene, who continue to lead the firm. - **Capital Raised**: Over its nearly 20-year history, the firm has raised more than $370 million across four flagship funds and three opportunity funds. 🕯Conclusion: Contour Venture Partners continues to make significant strides with its fifth fund, demonstrating resilience and strategic prowess in a challenging fundraising environment reported TechCrunch. ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #VCfund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments (Series A/Series B)?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VentureCapital #ContourVenturePartners #StartupFunding #Datadog #MovableInk #InvestmentStrategy #SeedFunding #TechInvesting

🚀 Alt Capital Launches Generate: An Accelerator for Enterprise AI Startups 🤖 💡 Alt Capital, led by Jack Altman, is stepping into the accelerator arena with Generate, a program tailored for business software startups specializing in artificial intelligence. Backed by a team of industry experts, including Jack's brother, Sam Altman of OpenAI, and investor Elad Gil, Generate aims to support 10 to 15 startups at a time in San Francisco. 🔎 The accelerator will focus on founders developing software applications with generative AI features, fostering a peer network of startups navigating the AI landscape together. One standout benefit for participants is access to Microsoft's AI computing infrastructure, including GPU clusters and $350,000 in Azure credits, facilitating advanced AI model training and deployment. 🤝 Generate's partnership with Microsoft aligns with the tech giant's initiative to empower startups with GPU access, reflecting a growing trend of collaboration between venture firms and industry leaders to fuel innovation. Annie Pearl, Corporate Vice President of Growth and Ecosystems at Microsoft, underscores the high demand for GPU resources among startups, highlighting the program's success since its launch. 💰 In addition to technical resources, Generate offers $250,000 investments in each startup, positioning Alt Capital as a strategic partner for companies in their early growth stages. Unlike traditional accelerators, Generate targets slightly more mature startups that have already secured up to $10 million in funding through seed and Series A rounds, complementing existing programs like Y Combinator. 📝Generate's two-month program will provide startups with invaluable support in customer acquisition, talent recruitment, fundraising, and mentorship from seasoned advisors. With its inaugural batch set to kick off in late May, Generate aims to catalyze the growth of enterprise AI startups, leveraging Alt Capital's expertise and network in the industry. 🎌 Launching accelerators has become a prevalent strategy among venture firms, offering a pathway to deepen connections with founders and identify promising investment opportunities. 🕯 As Alt Capital expands its footprint in the startup ecosystem, Generate emerges as a beacon of support for founders driving innovation at the intersection of AI and enterprise software. With a mission to nurture and empower the next generation of AI startups, Generate is poised to make a significant impact on the trajectory of enterprise AI innovation. 🌟👨‍💼 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #AI #StartupAcceleration #VentureCapital #InnovationHub 🚀🔗

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🚨 MAJOR ANNOUNCEMENT & SNEAK PEEK AT WHAT'S COMING: First Movers R&D AI Labs – full reveal + free early lesson in the video. 💡 These AI Labs are unlike anything I've ever built. (And yes, that includes my 100-person, $5M writing agency I sold in 2021 🤯) Here's why this is a game-changer. ⤵ While others are teaching theoretical "101 ways to use ChatGPT," my team at First Movers is ACTUALLY *in* the trenches: Testing Breaking Rebuilding Implementing Scaling ...AI. With real processes, and real results. 🤯 Example? We just cut our content production time across our brands by 90% while INCREASING performance: 70+ pieces of monthly content: 50+ SEO blogs/month in just 2 hrs/week 25K+ views on ONE recent video ----(headline/description by AI doing better than anything I humanly wrote) 8.5K impressions on a single bot-written tweet ...... Overall, 2-3x better performance than human-written content You can see me break this down in the video. INSANE STUFF. But that's just the tip of the iceberg. The best part? Monthly membership will cost less than dinner out with friends in Scottsdale. 😉 🔥 What you'll get: 90+ proven automation bots (growing daily) Full certification course (worth $1000+) Live calls & classes Expert community Curated feed of AI innovations Real-world implementation guides Mentors that include the TOP AI YouTubers 🤯 Why am I doing this? Because I believe the next 6 months will determine the rest of your career in AI. I've seen what's possible. I've tested what works. Now I want to help YOU get ahead of what's coming. 🎯 Waitlist opens before Thanksgiving. 🥽 Labs launch in December. Drop a "🔬" below if you want me to personally notify you when the waitlist opens. #AI #nextlevel #jobs

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If you live inside someone else's semantic landscape, you will undoubtedly lose. Thank you to Carl Franzen @ VentureBeat for letting me discuss how New Industry VC's Narrative Command thesis is applicable to elections. What is Narrative Command? Narrative Command is the concept that in every new market there is a startup that defines a vision of the future…which becomes the default future for that vertical. They define the language of the vertical, forcing everyone else to use that language. They define the seminal experience, and then give audiences or customers a taste of that experience. They boundary the discourse, forcing everyone into it. Once a company seizes Narrative Command in a new vertical, competitors — whether pre-existing or new — must live inside that narrative. Taken to its logical conclusion, Narrative Command becomes self-sustaining, where stakeholders, fans, customers, allies, investors — AND EVEN COMPETITORS — perpetuate the narrative. The best example of this is, of course, Tesla, which possesses Narrative Command of both electric and autonomous vehicles. NIVC invests in seed-stage Deep Tech startups with Narrative Command potential: www.nivc.us And if a startup just wants help with NC, my advisory firm is ready to help: www.johnson-roy.com

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🚀 The 2024 CNBC Disruptor 50 list is out, and it's clear: AI isn't just part of the conversation; it's leading it. This year, two-thirds of the companies listed cite AI as critical to their operations, with a notable repeat champion at No. 1—OpenAI. From cybersecurity to agriculture, AI is deemed mission-critical across various industries. This shift signals a departure from the traditional Silicon Valley innovation model, ushering in a new era dominated by massive capital investments and strategic partnerships with established industry giants. The numbers speak volumes: These disruptors have collectively raised over $70 billion, reaching a staggering total valuation of $436 billion. Dive into the full list (link in the comments) and explore how these trailblazers are reshaping industries with AI at their core. #CNBCDisruptor50 #AI #Innovation #FutureIsNow

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Struggling to craft the perfect prompt? 😩 Wishing your AI assistant could practically write them for you? 🤔 --- Enter Automatic Prompt Engineering (APE) and Google Gemini! 🚀 This dynamic duo can transform you into a prompt-writing pro in no time. ➤ Why Gemini is Your Prompting Powerhouse: ✅ Effortless Efficiency: Say goodbye to blank page anxiety. Gemini refines your ideas into powerful prompts! ✨ ✅ Spark of Inspiration: Prepare to be surprised! Gemini suggests fresh angles and unexpected twists, igniting your creative spark. 💡 ✅ Quality Control: Gemini ensures your prompts are polished and precise, leading to top-notch results. 🎯 ✅ Creative Boost: Need a catchy phrase or a vivid image? Gemini's your word whiz, ready to add that extra "oomph" to your prompts. 💥 ✅ Error-Free and Clear: Typos and wonky grammar? Not anymore! Gemini keeps your prompts crystal clear for optimal understanding. 👌 ➤ Unleash Your Prompting Power with Gemini. Here are some ways to leverage Gemini's APE capabilities: 🟣 Prompt Generation: Stuck for ideas? Ask Gemini to generate prompts directly. (e.g., "Generate five prompts for a blog post about the future of AI in education.") 🟣 Direct Request with Templates: Need a detailed itinerary? Use a template like, "As a travel expert, how would you plan a culturally immersive week in Japan for a first-time visitor?" 🟣 Refine Your Prompts: Transform lackluster prompts. Ask Gemini to make them more engaging and specific. (e.g., "Can you improve this prompt: 'Write about the history of bicycles'?") 🟣 Style Swap: Change the tone or style of your prompts to match your desired output. Start with, “Describe a sunset,” and ask Gemini, “Can you rewrite this prompt to emphasize the emotional impact of watching a sunset alone?” 🟣 The ‘What If?’ Wonderland: Start with a quirky idea like, “A picture of a cat wearing a detective hat,” and challenge Gemini, “Generate several creative prompts for a children’s story based on this image.” ➤ Become a Prompting Pro: ⚫️ Experiment: Don't settle for the first suggestion. Play around with Gemini's options to find your perfect fit. ⚫️ Personalize: Make Gemini's suggestions your own! Add your unique touch for an extra spark. ⚫️ Break it Down: Feeling overwhelmed by complex tasks? Use "prompt chaining" to create smaller, manageable steps. ➤ Avoid Common Pitfalls: ⚪️ Clarity is Key: Keep it simple! Overly complex prompts can confuse Gemini and lead to muddled results. ⚪️ Feedback Loop Matters: Analyze Gemini's responses. They hold valuable insights for crafting even better prompts in the future. Think of APE as your key to unlocking fresh ideas and powerful content. With Gemini by your side, you'll be crafting prompts that lead straight to exceptional results. 🚀 --- 🎁 Free Guide " The Power of AI in Video ", get the PDF here: https://lnkd.in/gRnucc9v --- ♻️ Repost & Share! 👉 Follow me for more AI Insights & Guides! #promptengineering #GoogleGemini

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In this video I discuss 5 Ways to Find Investors for Your SMB Acquisition in 2024 https://lnkd.in/equZPg5t

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Raising an early round? 💵 Here's the clearest, most concentrated advice on how to build a #pitchdeck for an early-stage startup, according to Y Combinator.

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Advice to founders: Your AI strategy needs to evolve beyond workflow automation. Here's why. The enterprise AI market is evolving from path 1 to path 2: Path 1: Automated workflows aka traditional automation → Rule-based processes → Manual data inputs → Human oversight at every step → Limited to structured data Path 2: Systems of Agents (the future) → Networks of specialized AI workers → Real-time data capture and analysis → Continuous learning from each interaction → End-to-end business capabilities Repetitive, rule-based tasks were the low-hanging fruit 🍎 Meaningful breakthroughs happen when we build systems that enhance human teams' capabilities. This human < > AI collaboration opens up completely new categories of work—things we couldn't even attempt before. Agree? LMK in comments.

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🚀 The Future of #AI is Here – and it’s Transforming Everything! See how Business Guru Reid Hoffman unveils his AI Avatar ReidAI 🤖 At ID Privacy, we’re exploring the limitless potential of AI technologies and what custom LLM AI can do for human intelligence and scale, today you see how an AI digital twin, can be a host or respond to social media posts! At ID Privacy our AI team is taking cues from innovations like Reid Hoffman’s #ReidAI. Here’s my thoughts but Imagine this: 👤 Digital avatars handling video ads or virtual events. - How about helping you create content on social media podcasts while you attend more important matters. 📜 An idea of a future AI time capsule vault where future generations interact with their great-great-grandparents or icons like Albert Einstein! 🏛️ Or Even a digital replica of Pharaoh King Tut preserving history for thousands of years to come. 💡 This isn’t just futuristic talk—it’s happening now. At ID Privacy Today our AI mesh technology has already taught dealerships how to maximize SEO down to the perfect meta title and keywords, or coders to save thousands of hours on complex data tasks and automation.🎉✍️🧑‍💻 The potential of AI to transform industries and legacies is here. Are you Ready to explore how AI can reshape your business or preserve your legacy? What’s your thoughts on AI avatars, and once you get past the “cringe effect?” - can you see purpose and value? 👯⭐️⭐️ 🔗 #AI #Innovation #DigitalTwins #AIAugmentation #FutureTech #Data #ArtificialIntelligence #RAG #MLOps

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