Considered Capital’s Post

A Call to Action The proposed VC-backed, STEM-driven startup program, complemented by a growth fund for scaling innovations, offers a novel approach to overcoming the funding challenges faced by academic researchers. By fostering closer ties between academia and industry, and creating a sustainable funding model, this initiative has the potential to accelerate the development and deployment of solutions to human challenges. It's a call to action for academic institutions, industry leaders, and philanthropic organizations to come together in support of a future where innovation knows no bounds.

Who’s #fundraising this fall? 💰 We’ve opened applications to Cohort #2 of the Socap.ai (YC W23) free fundraising bootcamp, hosted by me and Slava Solonitsyn, repeat founders backed by YC/a bunch of Silicon Valley VCs. We’ve raised over $180M in our careers so know a thing or two about this 🙈 About a month ago we ended up the Cohort #1 — and received tons of grateful messages from the community (80+ #founders and #startups ended up participating throughout the 1.5 mo program). Here’s the quote by Eric-Jan Krausch that I remembered the most: "This bootcamp gave me the actual Valley vibes even though we’re located in Frankfurt". Applying is easy — just fill in the waitlist on our site (Socap dot ai) — it takes a few mins. We’ll reach out if we think you’re a great fit and we have a spot for you (last time over 400 folks applied and we weren’t able to admit everyone). For this cohort, we’re making a couple of changes: 1️⃣ Separating founders into 2 tracks: - For those who want to understand if they need to raise/want to prep etc - For those who have actively started fundraising and they need ops support 2️⃣ Making the program last exactly 4 weeks for a more focused in-and-out accountability push Looking forward to helping more founders — we’ll start doing a spotlight series on those who succeeded (there are a bunch of them) starting in the next few weeks — stay tuned! P.S. If you're already on our waitlist, no need to reapply — we’ll count you in if you mention that you want to participate in our future bootcamps.

🏎 Not built for the startup rat race, but looking to broaden adoption and impact? Consider the non-profit route.   “So, I built this... Now what should I do?”   This remains a central question to innovators who get great feedback on their work – especially those in the academic setting. Colleagues with state-of-the-art, game-changing technology are excited to see it adopted, and they come to me because of my experience as both an academic and startup founder-operator.   But the truth is, most of them are not interested in or equipped for the roller coaster ride of starting a business. They also don’t want to hand control over to an entrepreneur who can lead the charge in building a go-to-market strategy, managing a payroll provider, and perhaps most daunting of all, hustling to procure investors.   So then what?   In investigating this challenge, my conversations with colleagues have consistently gravitated away from traditional startups and toward non-profits or foundations.  It’s been a success in numerous cases in computer vision, such as CARLA  https://carla.org/ and CVDF (behind COCO) https://lnkd.in/e8bh9SN8.  No route is without challenges, but non-profits offer a mission-driven approach that prioritizes adoption and societal impact over commercial gain. Put simply, this route better fits the needs and goals of academic innovators. In “So I Built This: Broadening the Impact of What You’ve Built in the Lab,” I take a deeper dive into my recent conversations around whether to start a company, apply for a grant, or consider a non-profit foundation. Find the link in comments, and let me know what you think. Article Link in Comments

❓ What might participation in the Youth Sector Innovation Incubator from CAST and NCS look like? CAST is teaming up with NCS - National Citizen Service Trust to set up the Youth Sector Innovation Incubator, a funded project designed to help shape new digital approaches to improving social cohesion among young people (aged 16 and 17). And we're looking for nine youth sector organisations to take part! But what exactly might you be doing? If you join one of the cohorts comprising three youth sector organisations, guided by a digital partner, you might take part in some or all of the following activities: • Research – reading, interviews, mapping and workshops • Identifying and building partnerships to develop community tech • Spending time consulting with different experts • Prototyping, testing and experimenting If you’re not familiar with some of these tasks, don’t worry - you’ll be supported by your digital partner and CAST to learn about them and put them into practice. Interested? Find out more at the CAST website, and apply before 6pm on Thursday 19th September 👉 https://buff.ly/4cVz3WT #youth #charity #funded #digital #AI #techforgood

NUCEE and our Managing Director Marie Meslin were recently featured in Northeastern University #CampaignChampions in honor of #GlobalEntrepreneurshipWeek on why #philanthropy is essential to supporting our work. Question: How does philanthropy fuel innovation and entrepreneurship at Northeastern? Can you share examples where donor support has transformed opportunities for students or ventures? Answer: "At NUCEE our mission is to build initiatives that support #GoodHumans, create #SoundVentures, and cultivate #WorldLeaders. Over the past year, we provided more than $500K directly to founders, Co-ops, and student-led organizations dedicated to advancing entrepreneurship. Every dollar of this funding comes from the generosity of our donors. Whether it’s the innovative companies emerging from IDEA: Northeastern University's Venture Accelerator (our student-led accelerator), the recipients of our various grants, or events that drive interdisciplinary collaboration, nothing would be possible without philanthropic support. #Donors play a critical role in sustaining these efforts, and their contributions ensure that Northeastern remains ranked by The Princeton Review among the top 10 colleges in the U.S. for undergraduate entrepreneurship. This prestigious ranking is a testament to the collective impact of NUCEE and the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem. We are deeply grateful for the support of those who believe in empowering founders and nurturing ventures of all kinds. Together, we’re shaping the future of #entrepreneurship."

The Fundraising Workshop in Santa Monica with our friends at Expert Dojo! 💵 Get the FREE Fundraising Playbook here: https://hubs.li/Q02Csnf_0 Last week we had an incredible group of startup founders gather just outside of Los Angeles at the Expert Dojo offices for a workshop on preparing for fundraising. Brian Mac Mahon, Ashutosh Kumar - Jha and the team at Expert Dojo have created quite the startup community in their mission to help founders grow their companies faster. If you, or any founder friends, are planning to raise capital in the coming 12 months, check out the Fundraising Playbook for Startup Founders. This playbook will help you run a successful fundraising process that starts well before you actually need the capital. Hope this is helpful! ------ ♻️ Please feel free to share with other founders who may find this resource beneficial.

Ignite Sweden recently worked with Bax's European Programmes team to find the best funding and networking opportunities in Europe. The non-profit startup platform has already supported over 1,700 startups in the past seven years. Looking to expand its support, Ignite worked with Bax to create a strategic European funding and networking roadmap. European Programmes consultants Cleo Sips and Charline Morichon analysed 23 funding streams and a range of networking opportunities. The final product was an integrated funding and networking portfolio tailored to Ignite's strategic ambitions. Within just two months, Ignite Sweden became an official EIC Ecosystem partner following the team's advice. Read more: https://lnkd.in/etPF4MyP 📸: Ignite Central Baltic Project SCALE-ABLE

🎓 🥗 LUNCH & LEARN | #Philanthropy for #systems change: What #foundations can do 🤔 🌐 🔎 For the past decade, we have witnessed a “systems turn” in the #nonprofit sector. The central idea is to address the root causes of #complex problems, not just symptoms. Instead of directly helping #beneficiaries, “#systemschange” enthusiasts aim to map and shift the conditions holding these problems in place. To do so, they focus on an array of #system elements that contribute to undesirable #societal outcomes: unequal resource distribution; unjust rules, incentives, and policies; vertical power relations; entrenched routines, customs, and habits; deeply held values, norms, and mindsets. Professional networks and advisors such as Ashoka, FSG, and NPC (New Philanthropy Capital) have published guidelines to help #grantmaking foundations support nonprofit organizations with a systems mindset. Yet we still know little about how #foundation leaders think about systems change and how much they “walk the talk” and do systems change work with their grantees. 👉 This 52nd Lunch & Learn builds upon recent academic #research and concrete examples to discuss what foundations can do in this regard. 👥 We will be pleased to listen to our two guest-speakers: 🔹 Marya Besharov, Professor of Organisations and Impact, Saïd Business School, University of Oxford; Academic Director of the Skoll Centre for Social Entrepreneurship. 🔹 Silvia Steisel, Director Europe, Rockefeller Philanthropy Advisors; Former Managing Director (2014-2024), Degroof Petercam Foundation 📅 Join us online on Tuesday, June 18th from 12.15 pm to 1.45 pm (CET) ! • Zoom link upon registration ⬇ Sign up on our event page with the link in the comments ⬇ Fondation de France Fondation Bettencourt Schueller Fondation Daniel et Nina Carasso Edmond de Rothschild Foundations Fondation Caritas France ESSEC Business School ESSEC Alumni Fondation ESSEC Arthur Gautier Anne Monier Marie-Stéphane Maradeix éléonore assante di panzillo Coalition française des fondations pour le Climat Ashoka France Initiative Racines Carenews, le média des acteurs de l'engagement 🌍📗

Why? Many people wonder why I started a charity helping high potential students realise their full potential in tech, and now continue that work in the form of an #impact #startup #impactentrepreneur #startupgrind #startupgrind I start with why because is the foundation for everything: building a team, getting supporters, attracting investors, that extra energy to pull through. And most importantly, living a good life.

If you’re looking for a great way to up your fundraising game this fall, check out my friends at Socap.ai (YC W23). They’re running a 4-week bootcamp for founders, offering two tailored tracks depending on where you are in the fundraising process. It’s perfect if you need a focused push and practical advice from seasoned founders. Definitely recommend giving it a look if you’re raising this season! You can easily apply on their site. #fundraising #founders