Matviy K.

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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With Altrove, Emblem is backing a clear "moonshot", a startup offering a pretty unique risk/reward profile, and... its first French/Nordic founding team! 😊 Thibaud Martin (former founder and CEO of Jubiwee, a startup acquired by Haiilo in 2022) and Joonatan Laulainen, PhD (Materials Science PhD from University of Cambridge) are on a mission to enable more efficient and faster inorganic materials discovery, using AI and lab automation. Altrove aims to help its customers address the key challenges of achieving climate goals and de-risking their supply chain (geopolitical concerns, price volatility, tariffs, etc.) by collaborating with them on designing, synthesizing, and manufacturing alternatives to their critical materials, starting with those containing rare earth elements. We are embarking on this purposeful journey next to fantastic co-investors such as Contrarian Ventures, our friends Mikkel Hesselgren and Nicklas Jensen from Deichmann Media (who are building one of the most forward-thinking European family offices), Entrepreneur First, and business angels like Thomas Clozel (CEO of Owkin) and Julien Chaumond (CTO at Hugging Face). Should you want to learn more about altrove’s specific approach in this dynamic field, you will find a link to the great article written by Romain Dillet from TechCrunch in the comments below. Cc: Bénédicte de Raphélis Soissan, Rokas Peciulaitis, Robina v. Stein, Nikolaj Deichmann, Coralie Chaufour

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Time to step up Germany 🇩🇪 🇫🇷 Corporations have pledged to invest €15bn in France at the “Choose France” summit — an annual event held since 2018 to facilitate foreign investments in the country. A large chunk of the money will be dedicated to AI. Microsoft stole the show after announcing its largest investment in France to date, a €4bn cash envelope to build more data centres — and expand existing ones — across the country by the end of 2025. The focus is on increasing the capacity of GPUs, which are needed to run large AI models. Amazon also announced that it’ll invest €1.2bn to further develop its French cloud and AI infrastructure. Quantum computing was also on the agenda. IBM pledged to invest €45m to expand the company’s research efforts in France. Up to 50 quantum researchers and engineers will be recruited in the country in the next year.

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🌟Innovative VC Firm Overcomes Exits Drought with Secondary Sales🌟 ⛵Navigating a challenging landscape where exits are scarce, Santa Barbara Venture Partners (SBVP) has pioneered a novel approach to sustain its growth and attract investors for its second fund: secondary sales. Instead of waiting for traditional exits like IPOs or acquisitions, SBVP opted to sell shares of its portfolio companies, demonstrating its ability to generate returns for investors and stand out in a competitive market. 🎤According to Dan Engel, founder and managing partner of SBVP, these secondary transactions have been a game-changer, sparking investor interest and bolstering the firm's credibility. By leveraging its recent successes, including a lucrative stake in sports-betting company DraftKings Inc.' acquisition of digital lottery app Jackpocket, SBVP seized the opportunity to return profits to its limited partners (LPs) and pave the way for its second fund. 💡Engel highlighted the challenges faced by young VC firms in raising subsequent funds, particularly amid a downturn in exit activity and heightened investor scrutiny. With traditional exit routes becoming increasingly elusive, the pressure is on for firms to demonstrate tangible returns and establish a track record of success. ✨"For us, secondary sales have been a game-changer. They've helped us return profits to our LPs and attract investors for our second fund," said Dan Engel. 💰For SBVP, the decision to pursue secondary sales was driven by the need to provide liquidity to LPs and validate its investment thesis in the eyes of prospective investors. By strategically offloading portions of its holdings in high-performing portfolio companies like Bark Technologies and Rad AI, SBVP not only generated substantial returns but also bolstered investor confidence in its ability to deliver results. ⚠Despite the complexities and potential stigma associated with early share sales, Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing investor returns and seizing opportunities to unlock value for stakeholders. With a focus on profitability and transparency, SBVP remains committed to its mission of delivering sustainable growth and maximizing returns for its LPs. 🔍 "Returning profits to our investors is our top priority. By strategically selling shares, we're proving our commitment to delivering results and driving value for our stakeholders," added Engel. As SBVP continues to explore secondary transactions and expand its investor base, the firm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience in the face of market challenges. 🚀 ✅ 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 #VCInnovation #SecondarySalesSuccess #InvestorReturns #ValueCreation 

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📍 This week, it’s time for Avenir, the fifth out of seven companies in Cohort I of the Female Foundry Visionaries AI Incubator in partnership with Google Cloud. Can you believe that a typical financial analyst spends an average 4 hours preparing a regulatory report? That’s 26 working days per year! Meet Andrea MacDonald, Jeremy Bensoussan and Stefan Rotarus, the founding team of Avenir—a platform using proprietary AI algorithm that reduces the lengthy (and boring!) process of creating complex financial reports to just 20 minutes per report! To date, Avenir has built relationships with over 100 financial advisory firms and has over 72 more on its waiting list! Its backers include Techstars and SFC Capital. Current team’s focus? Growth. The team is looking for intros to financial advisor networks and is slowly preparing for its new equity round in Q1 2025. Want to get in touch? Drop an email to Andrea MacDonald and follow the team ➯ Avenir. #femalefoundryvisionaries #visionaries #femalefoundry #AI #googlecloud

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French AI startup H raises $220M seed round Paris-based startup H, formerly known as Holistic AI, secures an extraordinary $220 million #seed round shortly after its inception, a rarity in the #startup world. Led by a stellar founding team, including former researchers and employees of Google DeepMind, H focuses on developing #AI agents to automate tasks traditionally performed by humans. Co-founder and CEO Charles A. Kantor, a former #Stanford researcher, leads the team, which includes veterans of DeepMind such as Karl Tuyls, Laurent Sifre, @Daan Wierstra, and Julien Perolat. H aims to revolutionize productivity with its "frontier action models," targeting sectors where #automation can significantly enhance efficiency. Investors comprise a diverse group, including billionaires like Eric Schmidt and Bernard Arnault, VC funds like Accel and FirstMark Capital, and strategic backers like Amazon, Samsung Electronics, and UiPath. For more information: https://lnkd.in/dfMxMvJZ #AI #Startup #SeedRound #Innovation

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We just published the final chapter of our Robotics research 🤖: What we look for in startups 🚀 ! If you're a founder building in the sector, be sure to reach out to Advika Jalan and Alexandra Reinert!

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When I founded Hexa (eFounders) with Thibaud Elziere back in 2011, the term Startup Studio hadn't been coined yet; it emerged around 2014. In 2019, #TeamEntrepreneurship was termed to showcase how we operate as a studio amidst the growing number of Studios. At Hexa, we've established 14 core principles, our "Hexa Cheat Sheet," reflecting our values and mission for the next decade. Fueled with Ambition and Driven by Purpose Discover more in the full article & pdf in the first comment.

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France is a competitive market for software and SaaS providers seeking to expand their global reach. The country’s software market, estimated at $19.7 billion U.S. in 2022 according to a Gartner forecast, is Europe’s third-largest software market with an expected CAGR of 10% through 2025. While there are tons of opportunities, expanding into France’s software market may feel daunting... Next week the largest health exhibition in France (SantExpo) will take place in Paris. If you envisage to explore this market, here a few good reasons and an interesting article to read… I’ll be happy yo meet you there 😊 #innovation #sante #digital #data #scaleup #gotomarket #MedTech #DigitalHealth #HealthTech #eHealth #HealthcareInnovation #Telemedicine #HealthIT #HealthData #transformationdigitale #DigitalTransformation

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France's Eden AI has raised €3M in a seed round to simplify AI adoption for businesses. The funding round was led by Galion.exe, with participation from 50 Partners and notable business figures like Olivier Pomel from Datadog and Sébastien Pahl from Docker, Inc. Eden AI plans to use the funds to enhance product development, expand their engineering team, and grow their partner ecosystem. The company aims to improve AI workflow capabilities and develop tools for tracking AI performance, usage, and costs. Founded in 2021 by Taha Zemmouri and Samy Melaine, Eden AI provides a unified API for businesses to access various AI models. Taha Zemmouri, Co-Founder and CEO, said their platform supports both software companies incorporating AI and traditional businesses automating processes. The platform offers access to over 70 AI technologies from providers like Google and OpenAI, attracting thousands of users globally. Eden AI's business model includes selling AI credits and offering subscription licenses for advanced AI needs. The company is preparing for a future Series A financing round and is hiring in areas like user experience, platform scalability, and advanced AI features. Kevin Kuipers from Galion.exe praised Eden AI for its innovation in making AI accessible to businesses. Jérôme Masurel from 50 Partners expressed confidence in Eden AI's potential to boost efficiency and productivity across industries. Read more: https://lnkd.in/e664c36Y #ai #artificialintelligence #aistartup #aifunding

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Join our masterclass 🚀🚀🚀

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🌟 Binary Stars is Back! 🌟 For those who missed the first edition with Harm de Vries, Paul Lasserre and Léo Dreyfus-Schmidt, Binary Stars is Fly Ventures's virtual conference dedicated to the latest advancements of Software Engineering and AI in Europe. For this second edition, we're super happy to partner with the awesome Antoine Moyroud (Lightspeed), Roosh Circle and AI HOUSE to deep dive into AI reasoning. 🧠 AI REASONING ? ! ? 🧠 With Zachary Gleicher (Deepmind), Rolf Pfister (Lab42, supporting the ARC Prize), and a yet-to-be-revealed third speaker, we'll ask the big questions : - What’s objectively achievable by the best AI models in terms of reasoning? - Are we stuck with LLMs making basic errors (how many Rs in Strawberry?), or are there breakthroughs on the horizon? - While benchmark performances have improved, has reasoning *genuinely* advanced, or it is all tricks still? - What did the Transformer architecture contribute to reasoning problems, and have we reached its limits? - What are the main research avenues pushing reasoning forward today? ... Join us on Nov 8th => register on binarystars.org!

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We at Seaya Andromeda are looking forward to co-hosting #ImpactReturn, Europe's leading LP / GP event dedicated to climate investing next week in Barcelona. Do reach out if you are around. Some of the key themes that we at Andromeda are focused on are below. Looking forward to exchanging insights and ideas. ☀️ Acceleration of Renewables Deployment: Scaling clean energy sources and maximising the use to meet global demand faster than ever 🤖 AI for Smart Resource Management: Harnessing AI to optimize resource use, reduce waste, and improve efficiency ♻️ Re-use & Recycling: Driving a circular economy by reprocessing valuable materials sustainably 🌐 Infrastructure Resilience: Upgrading existing infrastructure to a higher system resilience against climate impacts and ensuring energy security #climate #investments #netzero #infrastructure #sustainability #energy

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🎯The Serena European SaaS benchmark is returning soon for a 4th edition! 🎯 We started this public benchmark 4 years ago to empower every SaaS entrepreneur and investor in Europe with the data that truly matters through a valuable companion tool. The study explores 30+ crucial data points per company (NRR, ARR per employee, growth rates, burn rates, sales efficiency metrics, valuation benchmarks…) and allows SaaS players to make the most informed financial decisions. 🆕 This year, we’re teaming up with Google and Hubspot, focusing on creating a playbook for building top-tier SaaS companies. We will give AI extra attention and include data points like NRR, ARR per employee, growth rates, burn rates, sales efficiency metrics, valuation benchmarks, funding metrics, and more. And to build the most qualitative and comprehensive report, we need as many responses as possible to our survey. So if you’re a SaaS company in Europe, please fill out the survey (available below👇)! https://lnkd.in/eb7qCpjG ⏳Deadline: May 31 🎁 As a participant, you'll receive the report in advance, giving you a head start on the latest industry insights and trends. Responses will remain confidential and reported collectively. And of course, feel free to shoot this to your SaaS network ;) Serena Sébastien Le Roy Sybille Ranchon Heba Hitti

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What are some valuable insights into the European startup ecosystem? I recently had the opportunity to read an insightful discussion between two established investors in the European venture space - Saul Klein of LocalGlobe and Raluca Ragab of Eurazeo. At the TechCrunch StrictlyVC event in London, they generously shared their perspectives on the opportunities and challenges facing founders and investors across the continent (for source or entire article see comment). While the fundamentals of starting and scaling a high-growth business remain similar everywhere, Saul and Raluca highlighted some key differences that impact the European landscape. One aspect they discussed was the relative lack of liquidity events compared to the U.S., which makes returns riskier for investors. With fewer large exits, it can be more difficult to attract later stage capital. 🔝 At the same time, both highlighted many promising qualities of Europe's startup hubs. Talent pools are deep, and multinational collaboration comes naturally to entrepreneurs in the region. Government programs also aim to foster innovation, and COVID has accelerated the digital transformation of traditional industries 🏭. However, Klein and Ragab's perspectives underscore the work that still needs to be done in Europe to catch up with the U.S. exit environment. Their balanced view got me thinking about how to strengthen Europe's network effects in the long term. As leaders seeking to build an inclusive world of shared prosperity, what innovative strategies could help connect the continent's many vibrant startup ecosystems? I'd love to hear your thoughts. #D11ZVentures #techcrunch #FutureOfTech #VCInsights

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We have an another lineup of star investors for MELT. Let me introduce 23 amazing VCs and Angels ! ☞ Stedde Capital Sector: Biotech, B2C, B2B ☞ The Collective Sector: Fintech ☞ Muivona Capital Sector: Healthtech, Legaltech, Retailtech, AI, E-commerce, B2B ☞ Touring Capital | AI SaaS Fund Sector: SaaS, B2B, AI ☞ Forum Ventures Sector: Fintech, Climate tech, Govtech, Legaltech, Cybersecurity, AI, B2B, SaaS ☞ Plain Sight Capital Sector: Fintech, Insurtech, Retailtech, Legaltech, Govtech, Adtech ☞ Fantastocker INC Sector: Fintech ☞ Biran Capital Sector: Fintech ☞ Lynx Ventures Sector: Fintech, Proptech, Legaltech, AI ☞ CLNM Capital Sector: Fintech ☞ Brilliant Minds Sector: AI, Fintech, Climate tech, Retailtech, Biotech, Neurotech ☞ Woodside Capital Partners Sector: Adtech, E-commerce, B2B, B2C, SaaS ☞ Generous Ventures Sector: Fintech, Healthtech, Climate tech, Edtech, Insurtech, Proptech, Agtech, Govtech, Legaltech, Retailtech, Biotech, Adtech, Mobility, Cybersecurity, AI, B2C, Gaming, Web3, Robotics, AR/VR, Neurotech, Spacetech, B2B, E-commerce, SaaS ☞ 615.vc Sector: Spacetech ☞ seedlabs co / Harvard Sector: AI ☞ Bullpen Capital Sector: Fintech, Healthtech, Climate tech, Edtech, Proptech, Insurtech, Agtech, Govtech, Legaltech, Retailtech, Adtech, Biotech, Spacetech, Gaming, Web3, Mobility, Robotics, Cybersecurity, AR/VR, Neurotech, AI, B2C, B2B, SaaS, E-commerce ☞ Connecticut Innovations Sector: SaaS, B2C, B2B ☞ Matr (Matter) Ventures Sector: Fintech, Cybersecurity, Healthtech, Climate tech ☞ Sanctor Capital Sector: Web3, AI, AR/VR, Gaming ☞ Clockwork // 171 Ventures Sector: Fintech, AI ☞ W Ventures Sector: Fintech ☞ BASE64 Capital Sector: B2B, SaaS, AI, Cybersecurity, Robotics ☞ Conscience VC Sector: Healthtech, AI, B2C Founders x Investors Dynamic Network 『MELT』 6/3 5pm https://lu.ma/ldbfgkez 【💎VIP Sponsored】 ​Bradley Kam ​・Founded 2 companies Unstoppable Domains & Talkable ・Raised over $70M ・Unstoppable Domains recently raised $65M in a Series A round led by Pantera Capital, reaching a $1B valuation. Aquibur Rahman ​Founder of Mailmodo, has received funding from Sequoia and is an alum of Y Combinator S21 ​Nathan Stevenson ​CEO and Founder of ForwardLane Inc. has been featured by Forbes, the World Economic Forum, and American Banker ​Rene Anziani & Leevar Williams ​Founded by MIT alumni, APrime Technology Technology is an elite team of experienced engineers, product managers, and data experts intent on helping startups build innovative products that matter. Our customers operate in complex, data-driven, highly regulated industries such as quantitative finance, healthtech, fintech, and edtech. We have received 400+ registrations. ​・76 VC and Angel Investors ​・280+ Founders/CEOs ​3 Series D companies ​2 Series C companies ​6 Series B companies ​35 Series A companies ​15 Pre-Series A companies ​106 Seed companies ​146 Pre-Seed companies ​26 Bootstrap companies ​50+ Executives Meet at us MELT!

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🌍 Introducing Empyrio: Revolutionizing Waste Management and Energy Production 🌱 Meet Alexander Belskis, the visionary founder of EMPYRIO, a game-changing solution in the fight for sustainability. 🚀 💡 What Empyrio Does: Empyrio transforms wastewater and sewerage sludge into clean energy, powering a circular economy that turns waste into opportunity. By addressing one of the world’s most pressing environmental challenges, Alexander and his team are lighting the way to a more sustainable future. 🔗 Watch the full story here 👇 Why It Matters: ✔️ Reduce Waste: Minimize landfill impact and methane emissions. ✔️ Generate Clean Energy: Turn waste into a renewable energy source. ✔️ Boost Sustainability: Create a model for the cyclical economy of tomorrow. Empyrio isn’t just changing the game—it’s redefining how we think about waste, energy, and innovation. 🌟 Let’s support bold thinkers like Alexander, who are shaping a cleaner, greener world for us all. #CircularEconomy #WasteManagement #Sustainability #CleanEnergy #Empyrio #Innovation Veolia Planet43 R3I CAPITAL R3i Ventures

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🚨 We did it again! We've created the ultimate Side Event List for this week's SuperVentures & SuperReturn and TOA Berlin. Plus, we're giving away Tech Open Air tickets and guest list spots for the biggest VC Party, organized by Join Capital, EUVC , Isomer Capital and others. 𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐦👇 What is the Superventure / SuperReturn conferene? How Amy Lewin would describe it: "SuperVenture is the Berlin conference where VCs go to fundraise and catch up with their LPs". Kinda like the definition! And let me say this! The Side Event's this week are on fire 🔥. Here are my top 3 + 1 event from the 45+ Event List: - Diversity Drinks at the stunning Fotografiska space. Networking with a purpose! Organized by Auxxo Female Catalyst Fund, the Evangelistas, Out Investors and identity.vc I Backing LGBTQ+ Entrepreneurs - JOIN CAPITAL is doing it again, and is running the biggest VC Party this Wednesday. We have limited tickets available for FOMO Insider Subscriber. - Cherry Ventures & Felix Capital are coming together to run a networking event at the coolest flagship stores Berlin, at Highsnobiety - FOMO (fearofmissingout): HIT x Yoga meets Rooftop Session, Thursday, 8 am start. ​Amidst a busy week with Super Ventures, Super Return, and TOA, we're creating a sanctuary away from the typical networking and business noise. Link in the comments. Here’s how you can win: - 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 45+ 𝐒𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭: Subscribe to FOMO Berlin and comment below. - 𝐉𝐎𝐈𝐍 𝐂𝐚𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐕𝐂 𝐩𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐲 𝐆𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐬𝐭: If you're in the VC, LP, EP, GP scene, comment below your favorite Berlin VC fund. - 𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐓𝐞𝐜𝐡 𝐎𝐩𝐞𝐧 𝐀𝐢𝐫 𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐤𝐞𝐭: Comment below your favorite event and tag the event organizer & FOMO (fearofmissingout).

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🎉 Venture Catalysts Leads $500k Pre-Seed Funding in Robotics Firm Perceptyne ! Venture Catalysts is proud to lead a pre-seed funding round in Perceptyne, an innovative deeptech AI & Robotics startup founded by the brilliant minds of Raviteja Chivukula, Jagga Raju N., and Mrutyunjaya Nadiminti, alumni of esteemed institutions like IIT and BITS. Joining us in this journey are industry stalwarts like Tarun Mehta and Swapnil Jain from Athera Venture Partners (formerly Inventus India), along with Pawan Kumar Chandana and Bharat Daka from Skyroot Aerospace. The support from T-Hub, z21 Ventures, and individual founders like Naveen, Satya, and Aditya Damani further validates the potential of Perceptyne's groundbreaking vision. Perceptyne is set to disrupt the industrial automation landscape with India's first Industrial Humanoid Robots, ushering in a new era of efficiency and productivity on the factory floor. With the global and Indian automation market poised for exponential growth, Perceptyne's innovation couldn't have come at a better time. At Venture Catalysts, we're committed to nurturing disruptive technologies, and our investment in Perceptyne is a testament to that. We're excited to see the team Perceptyne scale new heights and redefine the future of robotics. Venture Catalysts++ | India's 1st Multi-Stage VC, 9Unicorns, Anuj Golecha, Anil G Jain, Gaurav Jain, Vansh Oberoi, Shruti Arya, Anvit Baliga, Madhav Bhaskar, Sei Deshpande #VentureCatalysts #AngelInvestor #VC #IndianStartups #VentureCapital #DeepTech #Innovation https://lnkd.in/deWt5pg8

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