Techstars

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Channel • 5 Shows

Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated 09/12/2020
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated 05/04/2021
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Every two weeks
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Updated weekly
Entrepreneurship

Entrepreneurship

Every two months

01/12/2021

Derek Handley / Investing in the Next Sustainable Startup for a Competitive Marketplace

At the dawn of mobile, Derek Handley wanted to be an innovator, building a global company. About a decade ago, he had an existential crisis: What would happen if his business, his identity all went away? From this, Derek moved fully into sustainability and founded Aera VC to pick up where the climate pioneers left off. Now, Aera VC is investing in sustainability leaders that are tackling carbon in chemicals, reduction of industrial reliance on fossil fuels, the struggle for a plastics replacement, and how concrete is negatively affecting global emissions despite it being a more climate change champion. Cody and Derek also discuss the industrial revolution and how though it changed the world for the positive, the early warning signs of the fossil fuels’ destructive nature didn’t come to the forefront for a very long time. Connect with our guest: Derek Handley, Aera VC: https://www.aera.vc/team-member/derek-handley/ Aera VC LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/aera-vc Follow Cody on Twitter @codysimms Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01/12/2021

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34 min
07/05/2021

Sourcery: Giving developers magic powers

On this episode of The Lead Up, we catch up with Brendan, Tim, and Nick, cofounders of Sourcery. They empower developers to write beautiful, clear code, all the time, through real time refactoring. As a team with decades of combined experience in software development and scaling, they share their thought process behind pursuing a bottom-up go-to-market model, deciding against going open source, launching on Product Hunt, and how negative feedback helped improve their team dynamic and vision. Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

07/05/2021

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24 min
06/05/2021

Lightning: Enabling financial support in a flash

On this episode of The Lead Up, we catch up with Ren and her team behind Lightning Social Ventures, a fintech startup that enables charities and public sector organisations to quickly verify and process financial support applications for millions of people in financial hardship. Founded in the midst of the pandemic, the team explains their human-centric approach to building a product for a distressed audience, common misconceptions about selling to charities, and how to build a successful pool of advisors. Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

06/05/2021

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26 min
04/05/2021

Mockmate: Democratizing recruitment

On this episode of The Lead Up, we catch up with Waina and Meg, cofounders of Mockmate, a tool helping job seekers practice interviews, while also helping companies screen candidates faster using natural language processing. Motivated by their own frustration with traditional recruitment — its lack of diversity and transparency, just to name a few elements — the founders shed light on their strategy of shifting from a B2C to B2B focus, how it’s never too early to start building your company culture, and how they’re positioning themselves as a challenger brand. Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

04/05/2021

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27 min
05/05/2021

Yoona.AI: A tech makeover for the fashion industry

On this episode of The Lead Up, we catch up with Anna, the founder of Yoona.ai, a company using AI to help apparel makers and fashion companies like Puma and Vaude to shorten their design processes. Inspired by the intersection of technology and design, Anna explains her approach to building an innovative product for an incumbent industry full of traditions, how she’s earned the trust of some of the biggest players in fashion, and the process of putting together a strong support system for herself as a solo founder — from a solid team to an impressive board of directors with big names from the industry. Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

05/05/2021

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19 min
14/04/2021

Creating Demand for Breakthrough Climate Tech, with Nan Ransohoff and Shawn Drost

New and breakthrough technologies are essential to solving our planet’s climate crisis. We need tech that replaces high CO2-emitting processes, tech that removes carbon from our atmospheres, tech that connects it all — and more. That’s why Hannah Davis, Program Director of the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, is talking with Nan Ransohoff, Head of Climate at Stripe, and Shawn Drost, CEO at Diversified Hydrogen. Listen for a dive into the importance of creating demand for new climate-friendly technologies, plus a clear explanation of why hydrogen is such an important element of climate solutions — and how it’s being used now. Follow Nan on Twitter @nanransohoff Follow Shawn on Twitter @shawndrost Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

14/04/2021

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20 min
23/02/2021

What Exactly Is Going On With Our Planet? with Dr. Kamal Kapadia

We’re all trying to wrap our minds around climate change, its enormous consequences if left unchecked, and how people and organizations can fight it. In this first episode of the Techstars Climate Tech podcast, host Cody Simms, SVP for Climate & Sustainability at Techstars, talks with Dr. Kamal Kapadia, Cofounder of Terra.do, about the big questions, like what exactly is going on with our planet, and what our lives may look like in 20 or 50 years, before diving into the ways that technology can help. Listen for answers to these key questions: What are the biggest, hardest problems to solve about climate change?Where is technology a solution? Policy?Where is technology ready, but in need of marketplace support?How can entrepreneurs and startups help? The good news? Kamal is an intelligent optimist, and she offers a lot of reasons why we can be hopeful. Follow Kamal on Twitter @kamal_kapadia Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

23/02/2021

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32 min
01/06/2021

How To Start and Grow a Renewable Energy Company, with Steph Speirs and Yoav Lurie

Renewable energy startups — and the entrepreneurs who found them — are crucial to the fight against climate change. These founders are smart, driven, and agile enough to see the opportunities in energy right now, and dive in. This is a fascinating time in energy, as renewable sources become cheaper and easier to democratize, reaching a more racially and economically diverse set of users, and big utility companies are also starting to see the need to get on board with sustainable initiatives. It wasn’t long ago that climate tech was unpopular. We’re grateful to see that changing. But here are some words of wisdom from Yoav to other entrepreneurs who are doing the right thing, even when no one else believes in their mission: “Don't be afraid to do the unpopular thing, because the rest of the world is just going to catch up.” Listen to learn about community solar, energy savings at home, learning to work with utility companies, the importance of infrastructure, and more. Follow Solstice on Twitter @solarforgood Follow Yoav on Twitter @yoavlurie Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

01/06/2021

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25 min
10/03/2021

An Academic and an Entrepreneur Talk Climate Change, with Dr. Chip Fletcher and Sierra Peterson

In order to survive the climate change crisis, we’re going to need solutions from all over. That’s why Hannah Davis, Program Director of the Techstars Sustainability Accelerator in partnership with The Nature Conservancy, invited Dr. Chip Fletcher, Professor at the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa, and Sierra Peterson, entrepreneur and climate tech investor, to talk about climate change and the solutions they see coming from research and from business — and how entrepreneurs can get involved. To quote Sierra: “For anybody who is thinking about starting a company in this space and devoting your time and talent to working on climate solutions, I can tell you your work matters. This is the defining challenge of our time. And if you succeed, you will influence the quality of life on earth and the only known life that we know in the universe.” Listen for a profoundly informed and thoughtful conversation about where we’re at now — and practical solutions for how we can save the planet and ourselves. Follow Chip on Twitter @fletcher_chip Follow Sierra on Twitter @sierrap Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

10/03/2021

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18 min
13/10/2020

Finding Motivation by Battling Yourself – with Shastri Mahadeo

When Unioncrate cofounder Shastri Mahadeo struggled with predicting demand for his specialty tea and matcha import business, he discovered that this was a common supply chain management problem among suppliers of consumer packaged goods (CPG). He met a developer at a Techstars Startup Weekend, and their solution led to the founding of Unioncrate. Their supply chain platform simplifies operations and demand planning for consumer goods companies. “What keeps me going,” says Shastri, “is that I'm in a constant battle with myself. I don't care about the money. I'm just curious if I can do it.” He explains the importance of believing in what you’re doing, especially when others don’t share your vision. Listen to Shastri’s story about how he brought his supply chain solution to the CPG marketplace, and how he overcame challenges along the way. He advises fellow entrepreneurs to home in on a specific problem to solve, get feedback from industry insiders, focus on investors that believe in you, and hire people who share your enthusiasm. Techstars personnel and/or guests who speak in this podcast express their own opinions, and not the opinion of either Techstars or any company discussed in this podcast. This podcast is for informational purposes only, and should not be relied upon as legal, business, investment, or tax advice. You should consult your own advisers as to those matters. References to any securities are for illustrative and/or informational purposes only and do not constitute an investment recommendation or offer to provide investment advisory services. Furthermore, this content is not directed at nor intended for use by any investor or prospective investor, and may not under any circumstances be relied upon when making a decision to invest in any fund managed by Techstars. Certain of Techstars funds own (or may own in the future) securities in some of the companies discussed in this podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

13/10/2020

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20 min

The Techstars Podcast Network looks to elevate and amplify voices and stories from around the Techstars worldwide network, showcasing the points of view of founders, investors, mentors, and innovation leaders.

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