Just Raised

Space Perspective just raised $40M to build the Disney World of space. To do it they're using Space Balloons. NASA has been toying with space balloons since the 1970s but you may remember them from Red Bull's halo jump — a skydive from the edge of the stratosphere. Space Perspective is betting that instead of strapping into a rocket for a 12 min trip you might prefer a 6 hour trip with WiFi, a cocktail bar, a culinary experience, and a full bar. And if you're looking to grow your business, you need great developers.That's where Lemon comes in. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who've been vetted and tested. You'll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at https://l.lemon.io/justraised (Lemon.io) And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Jane: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jane-poynter/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/SpacePerspectiv Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: twitter.com/JoeySweeny And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

When was the last time you enjoyed your Gmail inbox? Shortwave is picking up where Gmail dropped the ball and redesigning your inbox. Find out how. Joe gets straight into conversation with Andrew about why email should be as much fun as WhatsApp, why Slack is email's greatest threat, and the $9 million Series A they raised in 2020. You'll also hear Andrew's plans on building a professional grade email product for heavy users and what the future looks like for Shortwave. And if you're looking to grow your business, you need great developers.That's where Lemon comes in. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who've been vetted and tested. You'll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at https://l.lemon.io/justraised (Lemon.io) And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/startupandrew (linkedin.com/in/startupandrew) Twitter:https://twitter.com/startupandrew (twitter.com/startupandrew) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

When your crop's ready for harvesting, you need workers ready to go. But getting reliable, legal workers is tough and that's where SESO is stepping up. Joe and SESO CEO Michael get into the multi-billion dollar problem facing the agricultural industry, the very messy visa entry system, and why farmers just want to farm without the hassle of backend operations. You'll hear how SESO is streamlining the hiring and onboarding process, why payroll is the next big win, and why agtech is innovating at a dizzying pace. And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Michael: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelguirguis (linkedin.com/in/michaelguirguis) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Phil Libin has founded a few companies — Evernote the early mobile app giant, All Turtles a product design firm, and now Mmhmm, the culmination of a decade long mission to kill Powerpoint. We dive into how Phil names companies, what he learned about fundraising from raising $400M from Sequioa for Evernote, and how to build products people love. And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Phil: Twitter: https://twitter.com/plibin Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

When you can tell Andrew Chen from A16z how to solve the cold start problem, you know you're on to a good thing. Meet Swaypay, the company with all the answers. And those answers come from Kaeya Majmundar, Founder and CEO, with a $4.2 million Series A to her name. Joe and Kaeya, discuss how Swaypay is riding on TikTok's coattails, how to capture the longtail of social media through everyday users, and why Swaypay customers pay based on the virality of the post. You'll hear all about the rise of social fintech, effective online marketing, and how word of mouth marketing really works. And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Kaeya: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaeya (linkedin.com/in/kaeya) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

“If you're not paying, you're the product”. Josh McManus is shaking financial wellness up with a membership platform helping customers gain financial freedom. The problem with most financial institutions is they just want to sell you things. Fruitful is different. CEO Josh has a clear set of goals: To offer expert advice and powerful tools through a transparent, affordable subscription fee. Joe gets into conversation with Josh about why fintech is a tool for empowerment, how a subscription service makes great advice more accessible, and why it's important to take a holistic view of your finances. You'll also hear why Fruitful invests in design and technology equally, the difference between design and development, and Fruitful's ambitious plans for the future. And if you're looking to grow your business, you need great developers. That's where Lemon comes in. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who've been vetted and tested. You'll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at https://l.lemon.io/justraised (Lemon.io)  And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Josh: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/magnusmcmanus (linkedin.com/in/magnusmcmanus) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

When Everett Cook saw a gap in the market, he didn't just fill it, he set the bar for the entire industry and took his VC backed company to a new level. In this fly through, Joe gets into it with Everett, talking about why digital financial services are transforming the entire fintech market, how they raised $75 million in VC funding, and how Rho actually makes money.  And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Everett: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/everettcook (linkedin.com/in/everettcook) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Delphai is using your data to beat the stock market. Today, the stock market is about having an information edge. Hedge funds use satellite imagery of Walmart parking lots and AI that crawls Twitter to bet on a company's returns. Delphai has it's own information edge: your data. Joe and Andrew Peek, Co-Founder and CEO of Delphia, get into why users would give Delphai access to their data - from Venmo transactions to Robinhood trading - Andrew's journey from software and boutique hotels to blockchain and fintech, and how causal forecasting could to much more than 'just' beat the market. You'll also hear how Andrew attracts top talent by building great teams, how your long term goal is your North Star, and how what Andrew imagines Delphai's users could do with their data edge over the next 20 years. If you're looking to build your own big data bet you'll need the best developers. You need Lemon. When you want to scale quickly, finding the right support is hard and it slows you down. But with Lemon, the process is made quick and easy with hundreds of developers who've been vetted and tested. You'll get a match within 48-hours, ready to work straight away. Sign up today and get matched at https://lemon.io/ (Lemon.io) If you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Andrew: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drupeek (linkedin.com/in/drupeek) Twitter: https://twitter.com/drupeek (twitter.com/drupeek) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Supply chains are broken. Poor communication among suppliers has the potential to affect all our lives from car safety to well stocked grocery stores. Vendia is building solutions. Tim Wagner and Shruthi Rao, Co-Founders, are, at heart, builders, and when they saw a market that needed their technical eye they jumped right in with Venida, which has just raised $30M in series B funding. Joe jumps into it with Tim and Shruthi. You'll hear Vendia's origin story as a problem-solving Venn diagram, the tough job of solving supply chain communication and why APIs are just the icing on the cake. You'll also hear predictions on cutting edge Web3 technology, how Vendia is helping scale without losing control, and Tim's vision for intelligent flying cars. If you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow Shruthi: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/shruthirao (linkedin.com/in/shruthirao) Follow Tim: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/timawagner (linkedin.com/in/timawagner) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised.

Ben Lamm is on a de-extinction mission and it's no coincidence his company is backed by one of the original creators of the Jurassic Park franchise.  As a serial tech entrepreneur, Ben Lamm knew his next startup was always going to have a big impact on the world. With Colossal Biosciences, he's doing just that.  Joe gets Jurassic with Ben as they discuss how Colossal is building tools and tech to help rescue species on the verge of extinction, how DNA technology can build an elephant, and how to raise $75 million dollars from investors including Paris Hilton and Thomas Tull, Executive Producer of Jurassic World. You'll also hear how to create an artificial womb and the shift Colossal made from academic lab to tech startup. If you're growing fast and need marketing talent on board, check out MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they'll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at http://marketerhire.com/ (marketerhire.com) And if you love listening to Just Raised, please leave me a 5-star review on Rate My Podcast: https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised (https://ratethispodcast.com/justraised) Thank you so much! Follow  Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimmychen (https://twitter.com/jimmychen) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Pipedream is a delivery startup, but they're not using bike messengers or Uber drivers, they're using robots that will deliver you a burrito in minutes via pipes underground.Pipedream is GoPuff crossed with Elon Musk's boring company. It's building a hyper logistics network to delivery anything, anywhere in a city in minutes. And they're doing it with bots running through maintenance pipes.Joe gets into it Founder and CEO Garrett McCurrach, talking about what makes a good city for Pipedream's pipes, how to pitch this to VCs, and how Garrett aims to generate revenue while they're first getting started.Stick around to the end to hear Garrett flip the interview on Joe and ask what kind of startups he would love to build one day.If you want to tell your story like Pipedream, you need to check out MarketerHire. Hiring is hard, which is why MarketerHire exists, to match your business with a top-tier marketer fast. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at http://marketerhire.com/ (marketerhire.com) Follow Garret Twitter: https://twitter.com/thegarrettscott (https://twitter.com/thegarrettscott) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY)Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Meet the founder building a fintech business to upgrade government. Propel is building the banking app for the 42M Americans on food stamps. The US government deploys $70 billion a year into food stamps and it doesn't have a website where users can check their balance. Propel is changing that and building a killer business at the same time. Jimmy has onboarded nearly 5 million users on less than $20M in venture capital - wildly capital efficient for a neobank. Now he's building out a recruiting platform to help users find jobs, an advertising platform, and an all-in-one banking app. Jimmy talks to Joe about how entrepreneurs can work with government and why people in the tech sector have failed to build products for Propel's customer base - missing massive opportunities in the process. If you're growing fast, like Propel, and need marketing talent on board, check out MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they'll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at http://marketerhire.com/ (marketerhire.com) Follow Jimmy Twitter: https://twitter.com/jimmychen (https://twitter.com/jimmychen) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/) or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: http://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

How do you bring in the next generation of crypto users? You create your own currency. Most fintech companies are skimming from customers when it comes to saving and investing but the Eco platform is different. By making spending, saving and investing easy, without the skim, it's turning traditional finance on its head. And it's doing that through Eco Points, a rewards currency for the Eco community. Joe brings back Andy, getting into how he got started in Crypto way back in 2014, the launch of the Stanford Bitcoin Club, and his recent raises of $25m and $60m. You'll also hear Andy talking about stable coins, what it's really like creating a new currency, and why it's on course to be a major disruptor. If you're growing fast, like Eco, and need marketing talent on board, get MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they'll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at marketerhire.com Follow Andy LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/andybromberg (linkedin.com/in/andybromberg) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ )or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Meet the startup backed by the GitHub CEO and investment team.  Graphite is growing like crazy. Taking inspiration from Discord and Twitter, this is a company offering a code review tool for engineers. Operating as an open source CLI and dashboard, the platform is for users who want to review code quickly and efficiently. Joe gets into it with Co-Founders Tomas and Greg, talking through their recent $20M Series A led by Andreessen Horowitz, why they've welcomed GitHub investor Peter Levine to the board, and what makes them unique as an engineers tool. You'll also hear how Graphite plans on growing, creating a better desktop experience, and better integration with a host of other tools. And if, like Greg and Tomas, you're ambitious to grow your business, you need MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they'll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at marketerhire.com Follow Greg: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregorymfoster (linkedin.com/in/gregorymfoster) Follow Tomas: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tomasreimers (linkedin.com/in/tomasreimers) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ )or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Meet the company on a mission to make teamwork the best part of work. Backed by a $14M Series A, Switchboard is one to watch. Tapping into the remote working space, Switchboard brings all the right people and tools together on the cloud to make coworking a breeze. And they're doing it beautifully. Joe and Amir get deep in conversation, talking about what it takes to build virality and customer acquisition into a product, the process of raising, and why remote working is exhausting without the right tools. You'll also hear Amir's ambitious plans for continued growth and where Switchboard is heading. And if you're ambitious to grow your business, like Amir, you need MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they'll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at marketerhire.com Follow Amir: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/amirashkenazi (linkedin.com/in/amirashkenazi) Twitter: https://twitter.com/AmirTime (twitter.com/AmirTime) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ )or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Templates! Great trading strategies can get lost in a sea of spreadsheets and complicated code. Composer makes it easy for traders, with a building block system that can be endlessly customized. Even the most experienced retail investors can get frustrated with the endless amounts of coding and paperwork that comes with creating trade strategies. As investing becomes more complex, having access to a library of tried and tested strategy templates is invaluable. Joe gets into conversation with Ben and Ananda, who believe, in Composer, they've created a product that's both powerful and flexible. You'll find out why Composer has layers, making it both approachable and highly customizable, and why you can be irreverent but still be smart with your product. You'll also hear how Sub-Reddits are setting the tone, Ben's lightbulb moment, and how they're planning on taking over the industry. And if you're ambitious to grow your business, you need MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they'll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at marketerhire.com Follow Ben: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/benrollert (linkedin.com/in/benrollert) Twitter :https://twitter.com/benrollert (twitter.com/benrollert)  Follow Ananda: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandaaisola (linkedin.com/in/anandaaisola) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ (https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ )or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Kicking off Season 2 is an extraordinary guest, building way more than just a business in New York City. Mike Fraietta is creating community, art, and co-working space in this fascinating DAO. Web3 has a new home, a heart in SoHo where the Empire DAO community of entrepreneurs, startups, and developers will have ample space to create alongside artists. Joe talks to Mike, a talented founder with an ambitious vision. Mike explains his triple chicken and egg theory, how expansion is already on the cards, and the importance of building genuinely helpful products in Web3 You'll also hear what it's like being at the very tip of the adoption curve, and how you'd better have your NFT swipe card ready to book a desk. And if you're ambitious to grow your business, you need MarketerHire. Using advanced AI tech and a thorough vetting process MarketerHire will match your business with a top-tier marketer and they'll do it quickly. Get signed up today and find your marketing professional at marketerhire.com Follow Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fraietta (linkedin.com/in/fraietta) Twitter:https://twitter.com/MikeFraietta ( twitter.com/MikeFraietta) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Fredrik Haga couldn't have started a crypto startup in a tougher environment, now Dune has a billion dollar valuation.  Three years ago Fredrik and co-founder Mats Olsen were getting used to hearing ‘no'. Rejected by 100s of investors, they decided to go back to basics, zeroing in on creating a product people genuinely wanted and recognizing the importance of traction. Through sheer grit and no small amount of stubbornness from its founders, Dune is now commanding $69 million in Series B. Joe interviews Fredrik, getting into the weeds of scaling a crypto company, building community,  and their recent raises. You'll also hear Joe and Fredrik diving into the difference between live reporting and quarterly reports and why that matters for investors. Follow Fredrik: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredrikhaga (linkedin.com/in/fredrikhaga) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised.

From a cycling chef to CEO of a fleet of EVs, meet the founder changing the face of NYC transport. When you plan on competing with the likes of Uber, you'd better bring your A-game. Revel is that extraordinary company, with a fleet of 100% electric vehicles, with their unique blue livery, and electric mopeds to hire by the hour, the company is also building the largest EV charging station in New York. Joe gets into conversation with Frank Reig, the Co-founder and CEO of Revel. Frank lays out his ambition to spread the EV mission across the US, how he went about raising $126 million from Blackrock and Toyota and why Revel drivers are riding Teslas. You'll also hear how cars will become batteries on wheels, the Revel approach to rideshare employment, and how to build an infrastructure large enough to scale EV use across the country. Follow Frank: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/frank-reig-35052454 (linkedin.com/in/frank-reig-35052454) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised.

Ag Tech! You may have seen crop spraying in movies done by biplanes or Vietnam veteran pilots. That is still how the market works today. Which is why our guest today is building a new kind of ag tech company based on crop spring drones.  We dive into Adam's year in Shenzhen China building protocols-types for an automated dog feeder startup and eventually Guardian, what It means to raise corporate venture capital and have a giant corporation on your cap table, and what the agriculture market in the US really looks like. Maybe most interestingly, we dive into the history of how some of the biggest breakthroughs in technology - from genetic engineering to autonomous driving today - all started with with equipment on American farms in the Midwest.   Follow Adam: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamthalheimer/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-bercu-10838b164/) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Rob Meyerson was recruited by Jeff Bezos to run Blue Origin in 2003. He built the New Shepard, the rocket that took Jeff and three civilians to space last summer, and today he's a VC investing in space startups. On this bonus episode, Joe talks to Rob about what the next 10 to 50 years will look like in space. Startups building transportation networks to the moon, lunar colonies and mining, 3D printing, and private space stations. Follow Rob: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmeyerson/ Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

“A new kind of farm for a new kind of world” - that's the promise of Plenty, and the world's first, high capacity, indoor vertical farm. When growing crops is a battle for so many communities around the world, Plenty is on a mission to bring healthy, pesticide-free leafy greens to all. And with that food come jobs, training, and innovation. On this bonus episode, Joe talks to Nate about raising nearly a billion dollars in venture capital, his role as Founder and Chief Science Officer, and how Plenty has the opportunity to radically transform the way we grow food. You'll also hear why Jeff Bezos and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank are investors, and how food justice equates to social justice. Follow Nate: LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/nate-storey-068670225 (linkedin.com/in/nate-storey-068670225) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Gamer owned universe! When players take ownership of their assets, innovation follows. Meet Faraway, home to 2 million players and counting. Web 2 games studios are fine but gaming is changing. Take GTA, for example. Who knew it would end up getting streamed on Twitch and YouTube as a role play game, adding an extra level of entertainment value? Joe gets into conversation with Alex and Dennis, Co-Founders of Faraway, a games studio and home to Mini Royale Nations. The difference between their shoot ‘em up and all the others out there? Player owned assets. Alex and Dennis discuss why owning games assets, like land, gives players more of a stake in game development, why you'll never win as a lone wolf, and what it's like knowing 92k battles are taking place on your platform every single day. You'll also hear how the pair raised $21million from a who's who of investors, how NFT plays a role, and Faraway's ambition to own a portfolio full of games with a synergy between them all. Mini Royale is a lot of fun. Check out the website and get playing within seconds: https://faraway.gg/ (https://faraway.gg/) Follow Alex: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexpaley (linkedin.com/in/alexpaley) Twitter: https://twitter.com/apaley13 (twitter.com/apaley13) Follow Dennis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/denzz (linkedin.com/in/denzz) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY (https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY) Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Zoom! Grain is building a way to record, search, and edit your Zoom meetings. But what started as a transcription service and a video editor has evolved into a new kind of database - a searchable record of all the conversations that happen inside a company. Today Grain is about connecting ideas across teams and divisions that you may never have even known existed. Joe talks to Mike about how Zoom evolved into a platform for new startups, how Grain found their killer app with a Google doc, and his vision to build a Reddit-like experience for ideas inside companies. Follow Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgadams3/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrainHQ Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Seagliders! When 40% of people worldwide live by the coast, offering innovative transport solutions is a surefire winner. That's what Regent is betting on. Imagine short, fast flights over the water, shredding travel times between hubs like Boston and New York. Billy and Mike are turning that dream into a reality with Regent and more specifically with their 100% electric, zero emission, low-cost seagliders. Joe, Billy and Mike get into the weeds of electric versus traditional aircraft engines, how they're creating regional, coastal, high comfort travel, and why they believe Regent will reduce the cost and headache of regional transportation. You'll hear how underwater fins and hydrofoil tech combine to create maritime vessels that cruise just a few feet over the water and how the automated flight system works. Follow Billy: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/williamthalheimer/ (linkedin.com/in/williamthalheimer) Follow Mike: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-klinker-85a1a989/ (linkedin.com/in/michael-klinker-85a1a989) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Crypto Tax! Reconcile has the tax tools brokerages don't want you to have. Jaimin Desai is democratizing finance for all. Find out how. For high net worth individuals, old school brokerages like Charles Schwab have all the tax planning packages they need, but for ambitious traders it's not enough. Even new brokerages, like Robinhood, don't want to take on the liability of tax advice. And that's where Reconcile steps in. Integrating all your trading, and with strategies to minimize tax penalties, this is one newly minted venture you'll want to dive into. Joe talks to Jaimin about how Reconcile connects users to accounts and tax professionals, why crypto might be the worst possible way to hide money from the IRS, and why NFT traders are facing massive tax bills. You'll hear how Jaimin is bringing taxes out of the Stone Age, how he's building a modern web app that tracks your trades in real time, and the benefit of having your own tax professional on call. Follow Jaimin: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/desaijaimin (linkedin.com/in/desaijaimin) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Edutech! When students partner up with the best operators in their field, radical change takes place. Education meets internet creators, through Wes Kao's Maven platform. Education is one of the last multi-trillion dollar markets virtually untapped by tech. Why? Because very few innovators out there can see the potential. But Maven can, and it's just raised $25 million from a16z and First Round. Joe and Wes discuss how Maven's 10 instructors are already making $100k+ for a 3-week online class, why world class creators like Pomp, Li Jin and David Perell are offering hyper-tactical lessons, and how new audiences no longer need gatekeepers deciding who can and can't teach. Wes gets into mini-apprenticeships, learning from creators at the top of their game, and how Maven is unlocking an army of internet native professors with a cohort ready to learn. The education revolution is happening.  Follow Wes: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/weskao (linkedin.com/in/weskao) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Remote Work! Brennan Keough is building the world's best virtual events and making employees everywhere a little bit happier. In March 2020 when COVID first hit the US, Mystery was a thriving live events business, weeks away from raising millions in a Series A. Seven days later it was virtually illegal. Now a few years and 3 pivots later they just raised $18.5M from Greylock. Joe and Brennan discuss remote work, why it can be so transactional, and how high-performing teams build trust in remote environments. You'll hear about how Mystery designs events, which FAANG company likes R-rated comedy, and pick up a few tips on how to retain employees. Follow Brennan: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brennankeough/ (linkedin.com/in/brennankeough/) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns, or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Insurtech! In 2021 insurance-tech racked up over $15 billion in VC investment. So what is it? And how is it different from the legacy insurance industry? Vouch Cofounder Travis Hedge joins the show to break it down. We dive into pricing black swan events - like Covid or earthquakes - the origins of insurance in Rennaisance-era shipping, and how Vouch is building a full-stack insurance business in an incredibly fragmented market. Follow Travis: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travishedge/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/The_HedgeFund (@The_HedgeFund) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Frontier Tech! Tess Hatch has the playbook for hard tech challenges. She's on the front row of innovation as a tech investor and ready to share her knowledge..  The secret is software. It's the answer to the hardest technical challenges from space launches to nuclear - anything with upfront costs. Joe and Tess discuss why SAAS is the best business model ever, why the best frontier tech companies use their technical expertise to sell software and how companies like Spire are building a competitive moat. You'll hear about Tess' inspiration to become an aerospace engineer, astronaut Sally Ride, and her excitement over the Artemis program to land the first woman on the moon. Follow Tess: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tesshatch (linkedin.com/in/tesshatch) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)   And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Cloud factories! How does a successful YouTuber diversify into creating a physical product? Through Pietra and visionary CEO Ronak Trivedi. The hardest element of launching a direct to consumer product is the physical act of creating that product, then comes packaging, shipping and storage. If you have the audience but not the experience, how can you make this transition? Through online factories and letting creators work with some of the biggest suppliers in retail. Joe talks to Ronak about how he helped secure $15m from Keith Rabois and Founders Fund, why one creator is going to become the next best selling product line and how the likes of George Clooney, Rihanna and Kylie Jenner did similar with $1b-lines in tequila, lingerie, and cosmetics. You'll hear how Pietra is fuelling the passion product economy and why it offers end-to-end services with its own eCommerce marketplace. Follow Ronak: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ronaktrivedi/ (linkedin.com/in/ronaktrivedi) Twitter: https://twitter.com/therealRoShow (twitter.com/therealRoShow) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Fast-food! Is Popchew the coolest food court on the internet? Co-Founder and CEP Rushir Parikh is betting it is, with his platform that helps creators feed their followers. At some point your average YouTube creator begins to look outside the loop of continual creation and uploading, counting subscribers and worrying about algorithms. At some point your average YouTube creator thinks about creating a fast-food delivery network. That's exactly what YouTuber Zik Asiegbu did when he teamed up with Popchew and launched his 60-strong chain of delivery-only restaurants called Wing SZN.  Joe talks to Rushir about how the internet-ization of food is allowing creators to generate a lucrative side business, with no need for prior experience. They discuss how the company is building a distributed network of kitchens across the US and why it's a win-win-win for restaurant owners, creators and Popchew, with previously untapped revenue streams. Follow Rushir: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rushir (linkedin.com/in/rushir) Twitter: https://twitter.com/rushikh (twitter.com/rushikh) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny) And if you're a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you'll love Just Raised

Spreadsheets! Changing founder behavior is at the heart of Adii Pienaar's mission to improve business models across the globe. Find out how Cogsy is taking on Excel. Business marketing has gone through 3 phases. First, building the infrastructure and platforms to trade online, then focusing attention on email marketing, connecting to audiences, now it's all about back office features - making sure operations are fully optimized. Joe and Adii discuss the difficulties fast scaling brands face when it comes to creating consistent cash flow, how Cogsy is helping eCommerce founders save money and time with smart automation and purchase order flow and why a spreadsheet on steroids is still a spreadsheet. As a Co-Founder of Woo Commerce, Adii has decades of experience. He's obsessed with reimaging tools, like spreadsheets, and pushing scaling startups towards success. Follow Adii: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adiipienaar (linkedin.com/in/adiipienaar) Twitter: https://twitter.com/adii (twitter.com/adii) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Grab a seat on the front row of the race to monetize space. Chris Power and Delian Asparouhov are creating innovative solutions to the problem of space tech manufacturing. Manufacturing is a broken system, with long lead times, fluctuating prices and technology that hasn't kept up. For space tech manufacturing this problem is even more intense, with many systems left over from the first space race in the Sixties, Joe talks to Chris and Delian about how Hadrian is creating its own manufacturing vertical from scratch, why a user-dashboard is not a great bandaid over an existing problem, and why building trust with customers is top of the list. You'll hear Chris talk about why they'll be a base on the moon within the next decade and why the tech supply chain needs to turn on a dime to meet customer needs. Chris and Delian also discuss how they're building a factory from the ground up, and how Delian raised $9.5million in VC investment. Follow Chris: LinkedIn: http://linkedin.com/in/powerc (linkedin.com/in/powerc) Follow Delian: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delian-asparouhov-87447742 (linkedin.com/in/delian-asparouhov-87447742) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Robotics ! VC-backed Formic is turning automation on its head by offering companies the chance to hire robots by the hour. Find out how Saman is changing the game. There's no doubt robots are amazing, they can revolutionize a workspace and take a company to the next level. They're also wildly expensive to implement and can take far too long to optimize according to a business' individual needs. Except Formic doesn't see it that way. Joe talks to Saman about how Formic is democratizing automation based on the principle that this service isn't a luxury, it's a necessity. Saman explains how Formic is able to offer robots to factories, paid for by the hour and that integrate quickly into the role they're assigned - all science, no friction. Joe unpacks how Formic is tackling bottlenecks in automation by transforming an expensive, front-loaded fixed cost into an affordable monthly subscription, drawing parallels between Amazon Web Service for servers and Culture Bio for bacteria culturing. Formic is a venture capital backed startup that attracted $26m Series A funding from Lux Capital and hasn't looked back. Follow Saman on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/samanfarid LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/samanfarid (linkedin.com/in/samanfarid) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Robo chickens! If you're looking for the future of gaming, you've found it. Rahul Sood and Irreverent Labs are combining art and entertainment with NFT tech and it's wild. It's 2140, an alien race has visited Earth and left behind thousands of eggs that hatch robotic chickens. These chickens fight, learn, and fight some more.They are beautifully designed and rendered by some of the most talented digital artists in the world. They're also looking for an owner. Joe talks to Rahul about Irreverent Labs current game in development, Mecha Fight Club. Rahul shares why his “dumb idea for a game” made his co-founder walk out of his job developing defense technology at Microsoft to join him. And why companies like Apple need to get on board with crypto, or risk being left behind. You'll hear Rahul's vision for the industry and how music, entertainment, arts and culture will converge, using gaming as a Trojan horse. Plus how he and Co-Founder David, raised $5 million from VCs by going all-in. Follow Rahul on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/rahulsood LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/serialceo (linkedin.com/in/serialceo) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Fragmentation! Zachary Ahmed & Matthew Achariam are changing the way we manage relationships with the important people in our lives. Find out how Clay is solving the problem of fragmentation. At its core Co-Founders Zach and Matt are product designers, obsessed with creating beautiful, bespoke solutions. Backed by $8m in seed funding led by Forerunner Ventures and General Catalyst, Clay unifies contact information across Twitter, LinkedIn, email, calendars,and iMessage creating a singular profile for every person in your life. Like a personal CRM, Clay tells you when you last interacted with a contact and on which platform, taking the heavy lift out of relationship management. Joe talks to Matt and Zach about why the smallest details matter in design and his experience of pitching for funding in a highly competitive space. You'll hear Matt and Zach's ambitious plans for scaling the platform and why people will always be at the heart of what they do. Follow Zach on: Twitter:  https://twitter.com/zmh (https://twitter.com/zmh) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zacharyhamed/ Follow Matt on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/mg Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Football! Passive football watching is done. And Sohrob Farudi, Co-Founder and CEO of FCF is bringing the game to fans in a wholly immersive new way over on Twitch. Find out how. Game day has changed. FCF is pro-football reimagined in digital. You watch real games, played in a high-tech studio arena, but the difference? You call the plays in real time and you draft the players. Joe and Sohrob discuss why fanatical fandom communities are demanding more from the sport and how FCF is bringing its A-game, embracing everything crypto and sports do well. You'll hear how Sohrob raised a $40m Series A round, led by crypto venture capital investors, and why NFL players are jumping on board the new league. Follow Sohrob on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/sohrobf LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sohrobfarudi/ Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Biotech! When Taiwan introduced affordable chip manufacturing, tech firm startups exploded. Now Culture Biosciences is working on the same play for biotech. Bacteria is the building block for everything from drugs to proteins. But building bioreactors to create bacteria is wildly expensive and a huge block for many startups in the biotech space. That's where Culture Biosciences is stepping up to the plate. Building in-house bioreactors and making the technology available to biotech companies through the Cloud, means those companies zero their capital expenditure, freeing up liquidity.  Will Patrick shares with Joe his experience in democratizing bioreactor technology, and how Culture Biosciences is shaping up to become the AWS of the biotech industry. Follow Will Patrick on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/wgpatrick LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wgpatrick (linkedin.com/in/wgpatrick) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Blockchain! Miljan Martic is breaking new ground with blockchain and shaking up AI. Most AI research centers around games - poker, chess - anything with a strategy and a set of logical rules you can repeat many times over. And when you look at smart contracts built on blockchain, you see the exact same thing. Defined rules governing automated cash flow, logical and predictable. Kosen Labs believes AI needs new challenges to evolve. New harder games that are infinitely composable. Join Joe as he talks to Miljan Martic on why Kosen Labs is building the future of AI with blockchain. Follow Kosen Labs on: Twitter: https:https://twitter.com/kosenlabs LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kosenlabs To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter @JoeySweeny

Arbitrage! Casai is the coolest LatAm startup you've never heard of. Set to replace Airbnb in emerging markets, this is a company with multi-million dollar firepower. Find out why. When you've stayed in one too many Airbnbs without WiFi, you know it's time to change the game. For Nico and his Co-Founder, Maricarmen Herrerías, not being able to connect online when traveling for work was that moment. Joe and Nico talk about the needs of the digital nomad generation and why, if you don't know the neighborhood, a $9-$18 a night apartment in Mexico City might not be such a bargain after all. You'll hear how Casai is solving this problem by curating beautiful apartments that merge the design and comforts of a boutique hotel with the technology of a San Francisco home, and the local ambiance of a vacation rental. And why venture capital firm, a16z, are backing this startup with a $48m fund. Discover why charging US rates and incurring local costs is a win-win-win business model for customers, building owners and Casai. Follow Nico Barawid on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/nicobarawid LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicobarawid (linkedin.com/in/nicobarawid) To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter @JoeySweeny

When the worlds of media and gaming collide, you want to be in the middle of that explosion and that's exactly where Infinite Canvas has positioned itself. The gaming market is already hitting peaks. Way bigger than music, more revenue-commanding than movies, Infinite Canvas is bringing together influencers, indie game developers and platinum-standard investors to create a modern media empire. Stand back as players become developers, generating content for other users and getting paid for the worlds they're creating on games like Fortnite and Roblox. If you want to make a bet, I'd back User Generated Content (UGC) as the future of gaming and media. Follow Infinite Canvas on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/infcanvas LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/infcanvas/about/ To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter @JoeySweeny

Blood! Sam Corcos, Co-Founder of Levels, knows when you join the dots between what you eat and how you feel, you're going to learn how to bring your A-game. Having racked up more than 50,000 subscriptions for this blood glucose monitoring tech PRE LAUNCH and raising $12 million from a killer set of angels, Sam has a simple but powerful playbook of creating connections. On this episode he shares why NBA players, celebrities and retired CEOs are queuing up for his product. You'll hear why he sends out a super tactical list of asks every week to his network, and how almost 100% of them convert. Levels is a closed loop system bringing glucose monitoring to all. It's a painless patch that attaches to your arm, providing real time blood glucose data to the software on your phone. Pro athletes can make detailed analysis of how they're fueling while the rest of us can see how what and when we eat affects our overall mood and performance. Follow Sam on: Twitter: https://twitter.com/SamCorcos (https://twitter.com/SamCorcos) LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/samcorcos (linkedin.com/in/samcorcos) To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter @JoeySweeny

Peter Beck is the Founder and CEO of Rocket Lab, a company whose mission is to “go to space to improve life on Earth.” Rocket Lab is the second largest rocket company in the world and one of the few driving down launch costs, making it cheaper to get into space. Peter shares his unique business insights as a Founder and Engineer at the forefront of rocket design. From starting the business back in 2006, to date Rocket Lab has launched 109 satellites and their Electron rocket is the second most frequently launched rocket in the US. Last year the company debuted on Nasdaq, backed by venture capital firm Khosla Ventures, which has invested over several rounds since 2013. On the show today, I talk to this out-of-the-world founder on the challenges and opportunities space offers investors and what you should know about the future of the space industry. Follow Peter on: Twitter: @Peter_J_Beck LinkedIn: peter_beck_ab7b63b To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter @JoeySweeny

Newsletters! Tyler Denk is THE newsletter guy. Joe Sweeney interviews Tyler, CEO of Beehiiv, a platform made by creators for creators and scaling fast. Beehiiv attracted more than 1,000 users within 8 weeks and all without spending a dime on acquisition. On this episode Tyler shares insights with Joe Sweeney from his time spent at Morning Brew and how his company is supporting newsletter creators to monetize their products. He shares his experiences, good and bad, of launching a startup and gives his best predictions on what the media landscape will look like in the future. . You can follow Tyler on: Twitter: @denk_tweets LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk (linkedin.com/in/tyler-denk) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

AI! Video content creation just got a whole load easier. Joe Sweeney interviews Cristóbal Valenzuela, Co-Founder and CEO of Runway - a visionary company with a goal of breaking down the barriers to AI. This startup is developing the next generation of creativity tools, making AI and machine learning available to even more creators. On a mission to “make impossible video”, the small team of artists, engineers, researchers and dreamers are reimagining the limits of creativity. Started 3 years ago, recently Cristóbal announced Runway's $35M Series B led by Coatue. This is a company scaling fast. Listen in to Cristóbal's ambitious vision and how Runway is unleashing a new era of storytelling. Follow Cristóbal Valenzuela: Twitter: https://twitter.com/c_valenzuelab LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cvalenzuelab (https://www.linkedin.com/in/cvalenzuelab) Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny (https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny)

Web3 Marketplaces! On this episode of Just Raised, Joe Sweeny interviews Adam Jackson, founders of Braintrust. Braintrust is a decentralized marketplace for software engineers and knowledge workers. It's like a decentralized Upwork. We dive into why the $BTRST token hit a $2 billion market cap when it launched on Coinbase, how to design token economies, and what it takes to actually bootstrap a crypto project. You can follow Adam on Twitter: https://twitter.com/adamjacksonsf (@adamjacksonsf)  And check out the Just Raised Newsletter:https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/just-raised/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=workweek ( https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/just-raised/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=workweek) To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JoeySweeny ( @JoeySweeny)

Direct to Consumer Brands! On this episode of Just Raised, Joe Sweeny interviews Peter Frelinghuysen and Misha Medvedev, founders of Earth Brands. Earth Brands is a direct to consumer company selling biodegradable cups to compete with solo cups on college campuses. They've already raised a few million from Mark Cuban and on the show today to talk about how to raise capital from the ground up.  You can follow Earth Brands on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/earthcups/ (@earthcups) And check out the Just Raised Newsletter:https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/just-raised/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=workweek ( https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/just-raised/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=workweek) To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JoeySweeny ( @JoeySweeny)

Cleantech! On this episode of Just Raised, Joe Sweeny interviews Maddie Hall, Founder and CEO of Living Carbon. Living Carbon is building trees to capture more carbon from the atmosphere to take on climate change.  Maddie has a fascinating background and worked on special projects at Open AI and Y Combinator before launching Living Carbon and raising her first round from Chris Sacca's new fund, Lower Carbon. This conversation is a dive into carbon credits, forestry, carbon recapture, and some of the most existential problems that face humanity today. You can follow Maddie on Twitter: https://twitter.com/maddiehalla (@maddiehalla)  And check out the Just Raised Newsletter:https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/just-raised/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=workweek ( https://workweek.com/discover-newsletters/just-raised/?utm_source=twitter&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=workweek) To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JoeySweeny ( @JoeySweeny)

Flying Cars! On this episode of Just Raised, Joe Sweeny interviews Ian Villa, Founder of Whisper Aero. Whisper is building silent engines for EVTOLs - electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicles. We dive into how EVTOLs work - from batteries to electric engines, why electric aircraft are cheaper than jet fuel powered helicopters (hint: It's the jet fuel), and what cities will look like if these vehicles start taking off, which could be as soon as 2024. You can follow Ian on Twitter https://twitter.com/ian__villa (@ian__villa) To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JoeySweeny ( @JoeySweeny)

Amazon! On this episode of Just Raised, Joe Sweeny interviews  Stephan Haney, Cofounder of Foundry.  Foundry is buying amazon third party sellers, but what makes it unique is that Stephan joined Amazon in 2003 and actually built Amazon's 3rd party marketplace for sellers. Now he's acquiring sellers and helping them scale. Ultimately to build the next great consumer brands company.  To stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised, visit https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitterhttps://twitter.com/JoeySweeny ( @JoeySweeny)