Ty Findley

🎉 I am thrilled to announce our $4M Seed round led by Ironspring Ventures! This also includes participation from Schematic Ventures, Plug and Play Supply Chain & Logistics, Iron Prairie Ventures, Motivate Venture Capital , and 25madison.   And there’s more - we have a new name: Wilya ! Our bold new brand (more on this at a later date) will help us better communicate our capabilities as an HR SaaS platform for the supply chain industry. With this latest round of funding and exciting new partners, expect big things ahead from Team Wilya as we accelerate the development and deployment of our software platform and add new features to address the unique human capital challenges in the supply chain. What does not change is our mission, the team and the zeal we carry to solve the number one challenge that manufacturing faces today. Also, if you are at the SHRM Annual in Chicago - do stop by and say hi! #supplychain #manufacturing #flexlabor #startup #flexibility #flexwork #skills

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I’m always hunting for industry-reshaping technology. That's why Cape Fear Ventures is thrilled to invest in Raven Space Systems. Raven and its exceptional founders, Blake Herren and Ryan Cowdrey, are set to revolutionize space hardware manufacturing. Launched from their PhD research at Oklahoma University, Raven’s developed a new way to 3D print aerospace-grade composites using microwaves. This versatile tech allows complex, high-performance parts for: • Rockets • Satellites • Spacecraft To be created: • Faster • Cheaper • More efficiently Than ever before. Traditionally, making these specialized components is a slow, expensive process. We're talking months of lead time and astronomical costs for custom parts. Raven's approach changes all that. They can print aerospace-grade parts in hours - not weeks - at a fraction of the cost. This is a potential industry earthquake. Imagine SpaceX being able to iterate Starship designs 10x faster. Or satellite companies slashing hardware costs by 50%. That's the kind of impact we're talking about. NASA's already taken notice. They’ve funded Raven to work on 3D-printed heat shields for reentry vehicles. Looking ahead, the potential is enormous. The aerospace composites market is set to hit around $70 billion by 2032, growing at a CAGR of around 12%. • Rising focus on high-performance, sustainable materials • Huge demand for fuel-efficient, lightweight aircraft Raven’s positioning itself for a big slice of that pie. And, its ambition seals the deal for us. They're planning a 2025 demo mission to test a fully 3D-printed capsule during reentry from the International Space Station. It could become "the first 3D printed object to survive re-entry from space", said Herren. It's a bold move that could instantly establish them as a major player in space manufacturing. We're excited to fuel Raven's growth and watch them reshape how we build for space. That's a future we're eager to invest in. Thank you Bryce Dabbs for the opportunity! ____________________________ P.S. Founders solving big aerospace challenges - I'd love to hear about your moonshots. DM me to discuss how we can potentially partner on your journey.

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💡 Are vertical AI startups the future of industry-specific SaaS? SignalFire's latest blog outlines a compelling case for how AI-enabled vertical SaaS solutions could transform industries, tapping into a $6 trillion market opportunity. By applying seven innovative frameworks, startups can address unique, industry-specific challenges like handling unstructured data, achieving data defensibility, and automating workflows. One standout approach is the “networked SaaS” model, where diverse stakeholders—from end-users to insurers—can connect on a single platform, driving efficiency and deep integration. Curious about these frameworks and examples of companies pioneering this space? Dive into the full article! 📈👇

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Exciting News: Schematic is publicly available and we’ve raised $4.8M in seed funding! 🚀 I’m pumped to share that Schematic is now publicly available! We've also raised $4.8M in seed funding, led by MHS Capital with participation from NextView Ventures, Active Capital, Atlanta Ventures, and Ritual Capital—along with support from incredible founders of companies like CrowdStrike, LaunchDarkly, and Salesloft. A big thank you to our investors for believing in us, to our customers for guiding us, and to Benjamin Papillon, Jasdeep Garcha, Giovanni Hobbins, Vladyslav Len, Youssef Salah, Christopher Brady, Joseph Chrzan, Mohammed Almusaddar, and Markiian Simkiv for the opportunity to build this together. ➡️ Solving the last mile of pricing & packaging At every startup, one thing is certain: pricing and packaging will always change. Product and engineering teams shouldn’t have to reinvent the wheel every time this happens. Most companies hard-code pricing and packaging into their applications, making it slow and painful to evolve as market demands shift. ➡️ What We’re Building We're building Schematic to transform pricing and packaging for B2B SaaS companies by getting product and engineering teams out of billing projects. With Schematic, B2B SaaS companies can change pricing & packaging without code changes or billing refactors. ➡️ How It Works With just a few lines of code, businesses can implement pricing and packaging into any application—end-to-end—from feature delivery through billing and customer experience. Quickly roll out new features and tie them to your pricing plans. Target specific plans to customers and adjust them without engineering support. Experiment, scale, and manage pricing & packaging operations: trials, plans, limits, entitlements, metering usage, handling exceptions, provisioning customers, & embedding front-end purchasing components —all without code changes. ➡️ Who we’re building for We’re building Schematic for B2B SaaS companies who want their pricing & packaging roadmaps to move in sync with their product roadmaps, without slowing down their engineering teams. Some key use cases our customers are already benefiting from: 🔹Outsourcing homegrown & hard-coded entitlement services. 🔹Programmatically managing feature access based on subscription plans. 🔹Metering usage and actually enforcing limits. 🔹Updating and managing plans, add-ons, bundling, and customer exceptions 🔹Delivering embeddable purchasing experiences (pricing tables, customer portals, upgrade/downgrade flows, etc). We’re still in the early innings, but the foundation is strong—we're already handling 500K entitlement flag evaluations every month. If you’re a founder or a product leader looking to avoid building what should be out-of-the-box (feature flags, entitlements, admin dashboards, customer portals), check out Schematic and let us know what you think.

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Catch the latest episode of Best Day Ever! I talk with Jason Whitney, CEO at Darwin Tech LLC. Jason has a remarkable track record in mechanical and electrical engineering and we’ve teamed up on several consumer products together. (Super fun fact: He worked on emergency systems for the Boeing 787 Dreamliner!) 🛫 Here are my favorite takeaways from our chat: 📱 Simplicity of user experience is key in consumer electronics, but it requires really tight engineering. That’s Jason’s magic. “I think our focus is simplicity. It’s kind of like when Steve Jobs wanted to make the iPod and make sure it’s like one button… the complexity is underneath. That’s what my job is. That’s what my team’s job is, to obfuscate that technology and the complication of using it and make sure that the user experience is as seamless as possible.”   🛒 Shop around, always. “You need to make sure that you understand where you’re getting your profit from. So understand pricing, and get pricing from at least three different vendors every time you do it, and that’ll help you save cost.”   💸 Play the long game; but remember the meter is running. “The best way I’ve been told to look at it is how much is one month of your product not being on the shelves going to hurt you? Are you going to lose a hundred grand? Are you going to lose a million dollars? How much money is whatever you’re holding it up for worth? And so keep that in mind. You want to get it out there.”   ☕ Bring your coffee from home; focus on the work! “Make sure you have the right people in the right place and that you’re lean. It’s okay if you don’t have a cafe inside your office. You don’t need special chairs and all those kinds of things. The idea is to get your product out the door, start making money, and then you can build from there.” We talked about a bunch more topics including Rolodexes, Robin Williams, and favorite travel destinations! Jason brings so much enthusiasm to what he does and has such a wonderful perspective on work and life. I had a blast chatting with him. Check out the full conversation on Substack and let me know if you have any thoughts below. 💭

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Economies thrive with automation, and Formic is accelerating state-of-the-art robotics & AI across our factories and warehouses:

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The Information is out with breaking news about Bolt finalizing a $450M round at a whopping $14B valuation for their Series F. This is complete with Ryan Breslow returning as the CEO. While this fundraising is obviously impressive, the ultimatum is that existing investors "Have to buy at twice their existing positions at the higher valuation." Most egregious is their written threat of forcing the existing Preferred Shares into $0.01 common shares if they do not." It will be interesting to see how BlackRock and General Atlantic respond to this direct threat. #management #venturecapital #privateequity #fintech #capitalmarkets https://lnkd.in/eZZec5kT

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Who doesn't love chatting about the frontier of Space?! Loved getting this insiders look from Epsilon3 CEO Laura Crabtree (ex-SpaceX, Northrop Grumman) as the industry reshapes into a lightening fast startup ecosystem for us to marvel. Small teams are lowering the cost to access space. Homegrown automation software is dramatically reducing team size -- as Laura puts it: "You won’t see 50 people in a control room for launch…you’ll see 5 controlling 50 different assets and a couple of 100 assets that are mostly operating on their own." Personally i'm keeping a close eye on the new interconnectedness between space and the broader economy will spark a flywheel of innovation. 🎙️ Listen in to our discussion (link in comments) as we release today -- 5YF#16: Space command reimagined, automating mission control, new deep tech hubs, interstellar missions, and the future of space operations w/ Epsilon3 CEO Laura Crabtree To infinity!

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As we witness the current dock strikes, I can’t help but reflect on the profound implications these events have on our global supply chain—from Maine to Texas and beyond. The fear surrounding automation and robots taking over dock worker jobs is palpable, and rightly so. We’re talking about potential disruptions that could cost us trillions of dollars! While I’m no expert in the dock industry, it’s clear that there’s a delicate balance to strike between innovation and workforce stability. Yes, automation can streamline processes and boost efficiency, but we still need skilled hands on deck to manage these advancements effectively. What excites me, however, is the potential for AI and technology to create NEW jobs in the logistics and shipping sectors. Instead of viewing robots as a threat, we can leverage them to enhance the roles of dock workers, pushing more goods and keeping our supply chains moving smoothly. Let’s embrace the conversation about how we can integrate technology to support our workforce rather than diminish it. Our docks and our economy depend on it. #dockstrikes #robotics

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Surprising to see two mega mergers getting past antitrust: - The $53B Chevron-Hess merger - The DirecTV-Dish merger where AT&T is selling its stake in DirecTV for $7.6B to TPG and DirecTV buying Dish for $1 and taking on its $10B in debt What does it mean for consumers? And what does it mean for the M&A market? These approvals may signal a shift in antitrust policy. Looks like they're prioritizing global competitiveness over strict market share considerations. This might invite additional scrutiny on how these mergers impact innovation in bigtech. These mega mergers usually tend to have a strong impact on consumer choice and pricing. The industry dynamics will be closely watched by regulators and investors.

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An incredible deep dive from Nathan M. into the cultural and structural issues that are plaguing Boeing and how they got to where they are today. This article should be turned into a business school case study it's that good. And many of these issues aren't unique to Boeing. The focus on financial engineering over actual engineering is an issue at play in many scaled aerospace and defense companies. A definite must-read! https://lnkd.in/gkdpF2tM

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On this week's episode of Lobster Talks, we had the privilege of speaking with Daniel Driscoll, former military officer and co-founder of Elodin (YC W24). Elodin is building the "Unreal Engine for aerospace," a flight software development platform that promises to accelerate innovation and make space exploration more accessible. Key takeaways from our conversation with Dan: -From battlefield to launchpad: Dan's unique journey from serving in Iraq to leading a cutting-edge space tech startup. -The "Unreal Engine" analogy: How Elodin is changing the game for aerospace software development. -Disrupting the status quo: Why agile software practices are essential for the future of space. -Advice for founders: Dan's insights on identifying and solving problems in established industries. This episode is a must-listen! Check out the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/eHp_WWGc #aerospace #softwaredevelopment #startups #innovation #spaceexploration #podcast #lobstertalks

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Kudos to aifleet on its $16.6M raise to fund growth in tech-enabled trucking. Its investors include Heron Rock Volvo Group Venture Capital, Obvious Ventures, Ibex Investors, Compound, Winthrop Square Capital and Cooley LLP. Aifleet is doing something different. Most other startups in this field are focused on pure technology. They have 204 drivers and power units. Will they be able to make it work with a combination of trucking and technology? https://lnkd.in/ePytPHx7

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In the earliest stages, startups have to balance two needs: capital to build now, and the focus to create the product that will bring their vision to life. We experienced this journey at Prewitt Ridge, and I had the opportunity to share parts of our story last week at AIAA ASCEND, and I wanted to share some of the highlights here, as well as the video clip captured by my teammate York Zhang! Steve Massey and I incorporated Prewitt Ridge in Dec 2019 and hit the ground running in 2020. Building on our experience as engineers working at SpaceX and Slingshot Aerospace, we set out to take a picks-and-shovels approach to build digital engineering software tooling for engineers like us, who are working at the companies out there using the picks and shovels, here on Earth and soon in space. We quickly found that there were a host of resources available to us. We received initial funding through the SBIR/STTR program, an initiative from the US government to provide early-stage technology funding for small businesses. With two STTR awards and a great university partner at UNM, we began to execute on our product vision. Simultaneously, we received phenomenal support from the Techstars Space Accelerator program. This accelerator helped us focus on the tradeoffs of bootstrapped growth through SBIR/STTR vs traditional fundraising. SBIR/STTR are fantastic sources of capital, providing a partnership that helps small businesses build through non-dilutive funding. But it’s important to remember that these opportunities are focused on specific topics and non-recurring. As a business, it's important to be disciplined on aligning the SBIR/STTR opportunities with your core product features and strategies to ensure they don't impede your teams execution. We made the decision to balance both SBIR/STTR with growth via venture capital. We successfully raised a round of funding, led by Squadra Ventures with participation from Stage Venture Partners, Aurelia Foundry, Wonder Ventures, Haystack, Acequia Capital, Techstars and GC&H We’ve had a wonderful experience working with the VC community, highlighted by the hands-on approach and national security expertise of Squadra Ventures. Going forward, we’ll continue to consider both types of funding. These resources have provided numerous connections to government and industry leaders, and in turn they have helped to focus our tool offering and capabilities. Our journey shows the importance of another balance that startups must strike: reducing risk and optimizing opportunities. Thanks to Techstars, AIAA ASCEND and all of the panelists for a great conversation! If you’re interested in discussing solutions for digital engineering, get in touch! #startups #aerospace #AIAAASCEND

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Today's Boring Biz: Pool Leak Detection Company - $2.3M Revenue - $610K Cashflow - South Carolina - Day 39 of "50 States In 50 Days" Note: We do not represent this deal, highlighting for informational purposes only for viewers What do they do? 1. Leak detection services 2. Electronic detection equipment 3. Pool inspections Investment Highlights 1. Strong market demand 2. Established reputation 3. Business systems in place Investment risks/concerns 1. What is the competition 2. Customer concentration 3. Length of contracts #SMB #ETA #finance #Cashflow #investing #search #searchfund #privateequity #microprivateequity #smallbusiness #venturecapital #vc #entrepreneur #business #businessowner #pool #leakdetection #southcarolina #servicecompany Disclaimer: Hypothetical and illustrative only. Please do your own research (DYOR) or work with tax and legal professionals before making a decision. This video are intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice, nor should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by SMB PE LLC or any third party

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Some more insight into what we are building at Aerodome 📈🚀

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Toby Z. Rice, EQT Corporation and the Rice family are bona fide American heroes. They are a national treasure, steering the fight not only for abundant affordable energy for Americans, but American energy independence and economic dominance around the world. The facts are simple: The vast majority of the world still depends on oil and coal. LNG is simply the largest, most actionable, and most economic tool for decarbonization humanity has ready at their disposal today. Period. Let us unleash it. Halting LNG is simply unpatriotic. Worried about the plight of developing nations? Trust me as someone whose family originated from Bangladesh, one of the poorest nations historically speaking, more lives and economies are at risk when nations are energy insecure. Hard to live, cook, have air conditioning, run businesses, run factories and enable a national workforce to thrive when you don’t have energy, and power goes out multiple times a day.. And when LNG is unleashed, America becomes more secure thanks to the stronger relations it creates with other nations. Proud to have the Rice family as a partner and frequent collaborator at 8090 Industries. Inspiring words from Toby Z. Rice himself: “We're not fighting for our business. We're not fighting for pipelines. We're not fighting for LNG. We're fighting for our customers, which is you. All of you. We're fighting for America because energy is everything.” Cc Ryan Rice Danny Rice Kerem Ozmen Wes Mendenhall Filip Vurdelja Haluk Sabanci Dincer Grant Brown Ishan Meswani Garuth A. Andrew Irwin Shilpa Patel

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🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 As part of our venture portfolio, Logic Robotics is transforming supply chains with innovative robotic pallets, optimizing spatial utilization in warehouses. Founder Michael Santora, a former NYC architect, is revolutionizing warehouse automation. Check out his recent interview for more insight. Excited to see where they go next! ⚙️🤖 #VentureCapital #PortfolioCompany #Robotics #Innovation #SupplyChain #SpatialUtilization #Automation #Logistics

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