Fareena .

Don’t miss our spring CTA Match! Based on the popularity of the Consumer Technology Association’s CTA Match program, which connects startups with VCs and corporate investors, we’re launching a NEW program! We’ve opened a call for companies in the #digitalhealth and #accessibility spaces, running through May 31. This program will run alongside a broader CTA Match, open to startups from all sectors. Unlike prior years, the two programs this spring are ONLY open to CTA members – making this a great reason to join. https://lnkd.in/gXTKHFe6   Wonder if CTA Match can make a difference for your business? From 2023 to 2024, we more than doubled the number of participating investors, and brokered over 140 connections between startups and investors. But don’t just take it from me – take it from investors like AgeTech Capital’s Lyne Landry, ICD.D, who added two new companies to their investment pipeline through the program.

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New Episode Alert! 🦞 I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Ashish Bajaj, co-founder of DIME (YC W24), a Y Combinator-backed startup transforming the manufacturing industry. Ashish's unique journey from investment banking to entrepreneurship is the perfect example of passionate founders with a knack for solving complex problems. In our latest episode of Lobster Talks, we dive deep into: -The manufacturing renaissance in the US: A look at the data that proves it's a booming sector ripe with opportunity. -Dime's factory-floor focus: Why their hands-on approach is a game-changer in a crowded market. -The China challenge: How the US can compete and win in the global manufacturing landscape. -The Y Combinator advantage: The entrepreneurial mindset and the culture of relentless execution that sets YC founders apart. Ashish shares invaluable insights on the future of manufacturing, the importance of getting your hands dirty, and the resilience it takes to build a successful startup. This episode is a must-listen for anyone interested in entrepreneurship, manufacturing, or the power of a great idea. Tune in to Lobster Talks and discover why Dime is poised to make a significant impact in the world of manufacturing. Watch the full episode here → https://lnkd.in/gScqXQdY #lobstertalks #manufacturing #startups #YCombinator #entrepreneurship

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If you're questioning whether your work is fulfilling, watch this video and consider working with Dobri and the world class team at Neuralink to make science fiction a reality and change lives for the better

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Thanks Cora Yang for sharing your thoughts and helping educators build confidence to integrate new technologies into their curriculum!

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On the latest Vital Signs, Nikhil Krishnan and I had a ton of fun chatting with Dr. Atul Butte. Dr. Butte is a professor at UCSF, Chief Data Scientist of the UC Health System, and a co-founder of numerous healthcare startups. In our conversation, Dr. Butte shared his takes on healthcare AI opportunities, challenges, hype, and more. A few highlights: ⚡LLM use cases, data, and growth LLMs are already helping to solve the “drudgery” aspects of medicine, such as automatically drafting SOAP notes and patient messages. Dr. Butte is excited about future applications of LLMs that can help with the “cognitive” aspects: with difficult medical problems an LLM might be able to stitch together disparate pieces of information to generate a potentially novel solution. He also highlights that prompt engineering will become the next “coding language” as so much of leveraging LLMs is knowing how to ask them the right questions. Additionally, Dr. Butte discusses how since 2016, UCSF has been working to deidentify its patient notes so that it can query them to answer clinical questions and ultimately enhance patient care. ⚡The need for patient-facing AI As patients are increasingly able to access their own personal health data in nicely structured formats (e.g., EHRs, wearables), they desperately need more tools to help them interpret and make decisions using that data. Dr. Butte understands that these patient-facing solutions are challenging to get funded but he emphasizes that patients need to receive the benefits of AI sooner. ⚡Evaluating healthcare AI solutions In order to evaluate AI solutions, we often put human specialists – such as medical professionals – on the same tasks. Understanding that specialists often disagree with each other, a significant challenge arises in figuring out how we can evaluate AI considering we can’t just “average” all the specialist opinions. Dr. Butte points out that there still remains a massive gap in AI evaluation tools. Additionally, there are so many organizations that want to have a say in how healthcare AI is regulated that the landscape is uncertain. An awesome conversation with an expert on all things AI meets healthcare. Listen to the full episode below: Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3Wr3643 Apple: https://apple.co/4acwgan

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To all the new or #expecting #parents, Ubenwa Health has developed a unique #AI-powered app designed for those who are still learning how to intuit their infant’s emotions. Through listening/studying to various different baby cries, #NanniAI is here to help you distinguish between their wants and needs, and which decisions is the most likely to soothing them in the meantime. Yes, it is named "Nanni," and yes it is AI powered — however it’s not intended to replace parents, it’s more of a #supplement to help support and encourage good #parenting skills. Nanni AI is the culmination of years of research and data collection in Nigeria, Montreal, Canada and Brazil, which was used to train an algorithm that sorts "thousands and thousands" of cries and tries to categorize your baby's needs accurately. The developer mentioned earlier, Ubenwa Health raised a $2.5 million pre seed financing round led by AI-focused funds. What do you think of this app? If you are a parent, would you consider using Nanni AI?

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This is sub-optimal. https://lnkd.in/gu_WVfct

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Wonderful article about Emily Knight and the whole The Engine Accelerator team on the amazing work their doing changing the world with #ToughTech!

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𝐈𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐬𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠. On September 24, 2024, Silicon Valley startup REMspace Inc. achieved just that—facilitating the first-ever exchange of a word between two people in lucid dreams, tracked remotely using brain wave sensors and REMspace’s dream language, Remmyo. This historic milestone marks a breakthrough after five years of research, with specialized equipment making real-time dream communication possible in the future. While the technology is still under review, the potential is vast—from mental health treatments to skills training. As REMspace’s CEO Michael Raduga stated, 'Yesterday, communicating in dreams seemed like science fiction. Tomorrow, it will be so common we won’t be able to imagine our lives without this technology.' At BehaveNeu, we’re excited by the possibilities this opens for brain-computer interface (BCI) advancements, complementing our work in neurofeedback and cognitive enhancement. The future of communication, both conscious and subconscious, is evolving fast!

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Founders – consider stepping out of stealth mode. I've talked with many entrepreneurs who hold back on sharing their ideas. They are worried they’ll lose ownership. However, here are 3 lessons that taught me that staying in stealth mode can actually lead to bigger challenges than discussing a new idea openly: 1. Other people are blinded by their own ideas. When we have a great idea, we worry that others will want to steal it. In reality, most people already have their own ideas and opinions, and they are unlikely to quickly adopt a new viewpoint. If it were this easy to persuade people, pitching to a new investor or customer would be easy! 2. You won’t learn what customers really need until you test your idea. Will customers pay for it? Will they use it? How will they engage with it? You won’t learn this until you put your idea out there. 3. You want to be the last mover, not the first mover. Ideas take time to develop. Social media might have started with Myspace, but what people still use today is Meta. Getting feedback on your idea can be a powerful way to refine it and align with where customers’ pain points are headed (vs. where they’ve been). I’ve learned that what matters most in building a long-term solution is not how stealthy you are, but how passionate you are. Passion will drive customer obsession and solid execution. Even if you’re not the first to launch an idea, you can be the last to solve a customer problem in the long run. Talking about your idea can be one of the most effective ways to make it viable and ready for the real world. At Amazon, we call this being “right a lot.” It reminds us of the value of testing ideas and listening to others – something that can’t fully happen within the echo chamber of our own heads or teams. Startup founders – would love to hear your thoughts. Do you see any real advantages in staying in stealth mode?

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In the latest article, "Bridging Boardroom Divides: Conflict to Consensus," the intricacies of boardroom conflict resolution processes and their significant impact on corporate governance are explored. This piece provides insights into effective boardroom management and how strategic conflict resolution can enhance decision-making and governance. It discusses how transforming inevitable conflicts into constructive dialogue can strengthen board dynamics. Discover more about navigating boardroom challenges and fostering a conducive environment for organizational growth. #CorporateGovernance #BoardroomDynamics #BoardConflict #ConflictResolution

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Last week, I had the privilege of speaking at the MIT Jameel World Education Lab’s (J-WEL) ongoing series on AI and education. The event, titled "How EdTech Startups Are Leveraging AI for Education," explored the transformative ways AI is reshaping the educational landscape. I was joined by Jean Hammond (Partner and Co-founder of LearnLaunch), Joy Dasgupta (CEO of Gyan AI), William B. Bonvillian, and Megan Mitchell (Moderator).   Here are my 5 key takeaways from the event:   Building Trust is Crucial For AI to gain widespread acceptance among students, parents, and educators, trust is paramount. EdTech companies must build that trust by delivering proven, measurable results. Establishing credibility through rigorous benchmarks, controlled trials, and demonstrated efficacy will be essential in ensuring confidence in AI-driven tools. With the proliferation of AI, the demand for precise, comprehensive impact measurement becomes even more critical.    AI Goes Beyond LLMs While Large Language Models (LLMs) have dominated the conversation around AI, they represent just one piece of the puzzle. For instance, at EnglishHelper, our AI model operates without data-driven training, is fully explainable, and free from bias. Additionally, it operates efficiently without demanding significant computational power, reducing the need for excessive electricity consumption from data centers.    AI Will Make Education More Accessible  AI has the potential to break down barriers to education by making learning more accessible to people worldwide. From AI-powered tutoring that provides one-on-one support to translation tools that bridge language gaps, AI can democratize education, reaching underserved communities and students with diverse learning needs. This will create opportunities for lifelong learning and skill development, regardless of geographical or economic constraints.   AI Can Personalize Learning at Scale One of AI's most powerful applications in education is its ability to tailor learning experiences to individual needs. By analyzing student performance and preferences, AI can adapt content, pace, and difficulty, offering personalized learning pathways that would be impossible to achieve with traditional methods.   The Future Lies in Human-AI Collaboration There’s a lot of talk about robots replacing humans, but in education, the future is a partnership. AI can handle the time-consuming administrative tasks, while teachers focus on the human side—mentorship, support, and fostering creativity. Together, humans and AI can deliver better learning outcomes than either could alone.   I would be excited to hear your thoughts on how you feel AI can transform the education space. Please share your comments below. Venkat Srinivasan Vijay Kumar Cathy Casserly EnglishHelper 

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🌟 Boston’s Trailblazing Health Tech Startups! 🌟 I thought it would be nice to give a little shout out to some of the health tech startups in Boston putting in work. PathAI – Leveraging artificial intelligence to enhance the accuracy of pathology diagnoses, PathAI is paving the way for more precise and efficient disease detection. Akili Interactive – Bridging healthcare and digital therapeutics, Akili is developing video game-based treatments for cognitive disorders, bringing a unique approach to mental health and wellness. Biofourmis – This predictive health analytics leader offers remote patient monitoring solutions, allowing healthcare providers to offer personalized care and anticipate patient needs. Ginkgo Bioworks, Inc. – Specializing in synthetic biology, Ginkgo Bioworks is transforming drug development and diagnostics by creating custom organisms, fueling innovations in biotechnology Omada Health – A pioneer in virtual care, Omada Health provides digital health solutions to manage chronic conditions like diabetes, hypertension, and mental health, bringing healthcare directly to patients. Buoy Health – Powered by AI, Buoy Health offers personalized health guidance and telehealth support, helping users make informed decisions about their health from home. Eqrx R – Focused on affordable drug development, EQRx is working to make essential medicines accessible, addressing one of healthcare’s biggest challenges—affordability. #BostonHealthTech #InnovationEcosystem #DigitalHealth #HealthcareInnovation #Startups

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The best ideas are often timeless. Insights from AI pioneers, like Allen Newell and Herbert Simon, have made a lasting impact and remain relevant even today. Joon Sung Park spoke about how important it is to balance the novel capabilities of cutting-edge technology with the time-tested principles of effective product development. Here's our full conversation: https://lnkd.in/gs4vAD2p

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Excited to be a panel speaker at this upcoming TBDC event! 🎤 It’s always inspiring to connect with fellow entrepreneurs and share insights on growing businesses. 🚀 If you're looking to learn, network, or explore new ideas, this is a great opportunity. 🔗 Hope to see you there! 👋 #Entrepreneurship #StartupCommunity #BusinessGrowth #Innovation #NetworkingEvent #SmallBusiness #TorontoStartups #TBDC #PanelDiscussion #EntrepreneurLife #StartupAdvice

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Adam Keating discussing how AI is going to change manufacturing and how CoLab Software is helping them make that transition with ReviewAI

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Massachusetts' tech ecosystem thrives through a unique "DNA" of innovation—educational institutions, established companies, venture capitalists, and a deeply collaborative environment. With over 100 colleges and universities, including global leaders like MIT and Harvard, the region consistently ranks as one of the top innovation hubs in the world. An example of the strength of this DNA is in the biopharma industry. The 2023 Biopharma Funding & Pipeline Report stated that Massachusetts-based biopharma companies received $7.67 billion in venture capital funding, accounting for 31% of all national VC investments, second only to California. What can other states learn from what Massachusetts has created?

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Many organizations are still grappling with #GenerativeAI when it comes to integration and utilization. This is because adding this powerful tool does not happen overnight. It requires research, experimentation, oversight, and ethical frameworks. Many businesses learned this the hard way, others never stepped up to the challenge at all. Don't miss out on the benefits of GenAI, get informed about integration. #TransformationalLeadership #AIEthics

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I participated in a “SMART MANUFACTURING” panel with Gayathri Radhakrishnan, Rohini Chakravarthy and Abhijit Supekar (moderator) last week at TIECon 2024. The coolest part of the panel was 3 Women VCs talking about a topic that has not traditionally been discussed by women. I never imagined I’d see this in my lifetime. Things have indeed changed! We had a very lively discussion of whether we can expect lights out factory in 5-10 years. Automation is happening in all stages but full automation manufacturing is tough because it requires human like adaptability. It is not converting text into instruction or code - it is about precision. Robotics + AI is making this happen and we will get there. AI is going to bring the cost down for complete solution for example: there are robotic arms that can do more tasks and learn like a human and not just some specific tasks. Also check out our portfolio companies Micropsi Industries and RGo Robotics that are making it happen in this space. Thanks to Anshu Bahadur Hrishikesh Sathawane Nilesh Dixit for organizing the panel and Anita Manwani and Surbhi Kaul for making this happen! #TiECon2024 #AIUbiquity

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