Podcasts about Blumberg Capital

Logan sits down with Bipul Sinha, CEO and co-founder of Rubrik and former VC at Lightspeed and Blumberg Capital. Bipul shares what he learned transitioning from investor to founder, why intuition beats expertise, and how he built Rubrik into a category-defining business by betting on uncool ideas. They talk product-market fit in the AI era, what most VCs get wrong today, and why the enterprise IT market is still just getting started. It's a conversation packed with hard-earned wisdom and bold takes on building lasting companies. (00:00) Intro (01:42) Transitioning from VC to Founder (02:27) The Genesis of Rubrik (03:30) Navigating Uncertainty in Business (06:57) Product Market Fit and Early Success (08:56) Evolving with the Market (13:14) AI and Data Security (18:53) Leadership and Intuition (28:34) Building a Transparent Culture (31:52) Handling Tough Questions in Board Meetings (33:28) Changing Perspectives Over Time (34:57) Traits of Successful Entrepreneurs (36:46) The Future of Venture Capital and Startups (40:38) Balancing Forward and Lateral Motion in Business (42:35) The Impact of AI on Various Industries (01:00:28) The Evolution of Work and Technology (01:02:52) Fostering a Collaborative Company Culture (01:04:56) Looking Ahead: The Future of Rubrik Executive Producer: Rashad Assir Producer: Leah Clapper Mixing and editing: Justin Hrabovsky Check out Unsupervised Learning, Redpoint's AI Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@UCUl-s_Vp-Kkk_XVyDylNwLA

בפרק לייב מיוחד שהוקלט באירוע ההשקה של הספר שלי - "היזם האנושי - איך להקים סטארטאפ ולהישאר בחיים", בחרתי לראיין שלושה חברים מרכזיים באקוסיסטם הישראלי – מרב בהט, מייסדת-שותפה ומנכ״לית Dazz שנמכרה לWiz (זכיתי לראיין אותה לפני ההכרזה בדבר רכישת Wiz על ידי Google), נועם פרידמן, מייסד שותף Airis labs, ויודפת הראל בוכריס, שותפה מנהלת Blumberg Capital – בשיחה שהפכה לדיון על יזמות בשעת משבר, אשר שיתפו בכנות בסיפורים האישיים והמקצועיים שלהם על דרכם המקצועית והאישית ועל המשברים שעברו בדרך, ובפרט מבעד לעדשה של אירועי השבעה באקטובר. יחד, הם מרכיבים תמונה רבת-רבדים של חוסן, אחריות, מנהיגות, גמישות וקהילתיות – מרכיבים שבלעדיהם, יזמות פשוט לא יכולה להתקיים. להתחיל הכי מהר שלך - ואז להגביר חיידק היזמות בער במרב בהט הרבה לפני שיצאה לדרך כיזמת. גם בתפקידיה הקודמים בעולם הקורפורייט תמיד ידעה שיגיע יום שבו תצא לדרך עצמאית. מרב הקימה את Dazz יחד עם שני שותפים, בשיא הקורונה, ולמרות שלא היה להם רעיון מגובש, הם ידעו היטב מה הם לא רוצים לעשות. מתוך ההבנה הזו, הם יצאו למסע וגיבשו חזון חדשני בתחום אבטחת הענן, שהפך בהמשך לאחת מהחברות המבטיחות בעולם הסייבר. מרב מדברת על "client obsession" – אובססיה בריאה ללקוח – שהניעה את הצוות ללמוד, להקשיב ולבנות פתרון מדויק מתוך שיח ישיר עם לקוחות. בתוך תהליך הצמיחה, היא מדגישה שוב ושוב: הכל מתחיל ונגמר באנשים. הגיוסים הלא נכונים של ההתחלה לימדו אותה את הערך של התאמה אנושית ושל קבלת החלטות מהירה. היא מדברת על החשיבות של לגייס צוות מגוון – לא רק מקצועית, אלא גם תרבותית ומגדרית: נשים בצוות ההקמה, עובדים שאינם מאותו רקע או יחידה, שילוב אמריקאים בשלבים מוקדמים – כל אלו איפשרו ל-Dazz לבנות תרבות של גיוון, פתיחות וחשיבה מערכתית מהיום הראשון. גם בשלב מתקדם יותר, כשהחברה כבר התקדמה משמעותית, האתגרים המשיכו להגיע - אתגרים מקצועיים כאשר הבנק שהחזיק בכל כספי החברה קרס; אתגרים אישיים כשאיבדה את אמה האהובה ערב הClosing של עסקת מכירת Dazz לWiz, וקרוב משפחה שלה נהרג ונלקח בשבי במלחמת חרבות ברזל; וכן אתגרים לאומיים עם פרוץ המלחמה כאשר עובדים רבים נקראו למילואים. בתוך הכאוס, מרב החזיקה את כל הצוות, המשיכה להנהיג, ועמדה בחזית החברה בתהליך המכירה לWiz. בדיעבד, היא מתארת את שלוש וחצי השנים שעברו עליה כ"הדבר הכי מטורף שקרה לי בחיים" – אך גם ככזה, היא לא מתחרטת עליו לרגע. להפך – היא מעודדת כל מי שחולם ליזום, להגשים חלומות, ופשוט לצאת לדרך.  head in the sky and fit on the ground - המסע של Airis Labs נועם פרידמן, מנכ"ל ומייסד-שותף של Airis labs, הקים את החברה חודשים ספורים בלבד לפני ה-7 באוקטובר. בשלב הזה, הם עדיין חיפשו מיקוד, בדקו כיוונים והיו בשלבים מוקדמים של גיבוש אסטרטגיה. ואז הגיעה המלחמה – והעולם, כמו גם החברה, השתנה בן רגע. תוך שעות ספורות התקבלה החלטה: עוזבים את הקווים שהותוו מראש ונכנסים לפעולה מיידית. מה שהיה רעיון ראשוני הפך במהירות לאופרציה בשטח שעבדה מול גופים ביטחוניים בזמן אמת. נועם מתאר את התקופה הזו כנקודת מפנה, לא רק עבור החברה – אלא גם עבורו כאדם, כיזם וכמנהל. הוא מדבר על האינטנסיביות הבלתי נתפסת, הפיתוח בלחץ זמן, גיוס של עשרות מתנדבים, עבודה מסביב לשעון – ובמקביל, שמירה על איזון משפחתי, אחריות רגשית לצוות, וניהול בתוך אי ודאות. הוא מדגיש את הדואליות שהתקופה הזו יצרה: מצד אחד, הצורך להיות עם "הראש בעננים" – להיות עם חזון ברור, לחשוב בגדול ולתכנן קדימה, ומצד שני, "להיות עם הרגליים על הקרקע" - הצורך לדלוור, להגיב מהר, ולאפשר קבלת החלטות מהירה. נועם  מצביע על שגרות קטנות כעוגן משמעותי – מדיטציה, זמן עם הילדים, שיחות עם השותפים. כל אלו אפשרו לו להחזיק את המורכבות מבלי לקרוס תחתיה. הוא מתאר את תהליך ההקמה של סטארטאפ כמרתון להבדיל מספרינט - ומדגיש את החשיבות של שמירה על איזון לאורך הדרך. עבורו, יזמות היא לא רק מימוש חזון טכנולוגי – אלא קודם כל ניהול של אנרגיה אנושית. איך מגייסים אנשים למשימה, איך מחזיקים קבוצה לאורך זמן, ואיך ממשיכים להאמין גם כשמסביב הכול משתנה. בתוך הכאוס, הוא מצא בהירות. ומתוך המשבר – בנה לעצמו ולאחרים דרך. השקעות, טראומה ולקיחת אחריות – יודפת הראל בוכריס על כוחן של החלטות רגישות יודפת הראל בוכריס, שותפה מנהלת ב-Blumberg Capital, מביאה איתה נקודת מבט נדירה אל נקודת החיבור שבין עולם ההשקעות לעולם הרגשי, האישי והקהילתי. כמשקיעה ואישה שנמצאת בלב האקוסיסטם היזמי – עם פרוץ השבעה באוקטובר התמודדה עם אתגרים אישיים כשבניה גויסו למילואים וחברם הקרוב נהרג בקרב, וגם מקצועיים – כאשר רבות מחברות הפורטפוליו שלה נכנסו למצב קיצון. יודפת מספרת בכנות על האתגרים האדירים שעמדו בפני יזמים עם המשכות המלחמה - עובדים שגויסו או התמודדו עם שכול, צוותים שהתערערו, ויזמים שנאלצו לתפקד מתוך טראומה אישית. במקרים רבים נדרש לא רק מענה עסקי – אלא הכלה רגשית, הבנה פסיכולוגית ולעיתים קרובות גם תמיכה נפשית ממשית. היא מדברת על המתח שבין הצורך להמשיך לרוץ קדימה – לגייס, לפתח, לנהל לקוחות ומשקיעים – לבין הקושי המנטלי של הצוות, שלפעמים פשוט לא מסוגל להחזיק את אותה העוצמה שהייתה לפני. היו כאלה שנשברו, כאלה שנאלצו לעזוב, וכאלה שהחליפו תפקיד. במקרים רבים נדרש ליווי רגשי, ארגוני ואישי גם יחד – ויודפת הייתה שם, לא רק כמשקיעה, אלא כבת ברית. בתוך המערבולת הזו, היא בחרה להקים עמותה שתומכת ביתומים שאיבדו את שני הוריהם באירועי 7 באוקטובר. זו לא הייתה החלטה עסקית – זו הייתה בחירה אנושית, עמוקה, מתוך הבנה שיש צורך מיידי בליווי ותקווה. יודפת מדברת על כך שכמשקיעים – יש לנו אחריות לא רק לתשואה, אלא לאנשים. להחזיק עבורם גם כשקשה להם, לדעת מתי לשחרר ומתי להציב גבול, ולהיות שם עם לב פתוח, דווקא כשכואב. היא מזכירה שלעיתים דווקא היכולת להבין את המצב האנושי – היא שמביאה את החברה קדימה.התובנות של יודפת ברורות: לא מספיק להבין אקסלים. צריך להבין נפש. צריך לדעת לקרוא את השטח – לא רק של השוק, אלא של האדם. יזמות אמיצה נמדדת לא רק ביכולת לבנות חברה – אלא גם ביכולת להכיל את החיים עצמם, ולהוביל בתוך מציאות שבה כל קלף נטרף. הפרק מעלה שאלות חשובות: איך שומרים על מיקוד כשהלב כואב? איך ממשיכים לתפקד כמנהיגים – גם כשאין תשובות ברורות? שלושת המרואיינים מציגים לא רק מודלים שונים של יזמות – אלא גם גישות שונות להתמודדות, למנהיגות מתוך שבר, ולפעולה תחת מגבלות קיצון. המשותף לכולם הוא האמונה בכוחם של אנשים: הצוותים, המשקיעים, השותפים והקהילה. מתוך המפגש הזה עולה קול ברור – האקוסיסטם הישראלי לא רק מייצר טכנולוגיה, אלא גם תודעה של אחריות ונתינה. והיכולת לשלב בין חזון למציאות – היא לא רק הישג ניהולי, אלא מפתח ליצירה של אימפקט אמיתי.

In today's episode, Kimberly Zhang sits down with David Blumberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital. David shares his journey from his early days in venture capital to building a leading early-stage investment firm, with a deep dive into his rules of thumb in identifying and supporting groundbreaking technologies from inception through exit. Tune in to hear about: - The impacts of technological evolution on early-stage venture investing - The expectations for funds to provide value beyond capital and to foster strong ecosystems to drive success - David's long-term vision for Blumberg Capital and how to stay ahead of the curve in identifying and nurturing the next wave of innovation

Join host Nataraj on the Startup Project podcast as he sits down with David Blumberg, a seasoned investor with over three decades of experience in early-stage tech companies. From his early days at T. Rowe Price to founding Bloomberg Capital, David shares his unique journey and insights into the world of venture capital. About the Episode: This episode explores David's evolution as an investor, from his initial interest in government to his realization that business and entrepreneurship were the true drivers of positive change.  He discusses his early investments in Israeli tech companies, his time at Claridge, a prominent family office, and the lessons he learned along the way. David shares his investment philosophy, emphasizing the importance of strong teams, large market potential, and minimal competition. He highlights his experience with successful companies like Double Verify and Nutanix, emphasizing the value of repeat founders and the power of building strong relationships. The conversation also delves into David's personal investment strategy, his passion for energy humanitarianism, and his belief in the potential of AI to revolutionize various industries. He shares his insights on the evolving landscape of venture capital, the importance of continuous learning, and the impact of regulatory changes on the business world. About the Guest and Host: David Blumberg: Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital, a venture capital firm focused on early-stage and growth investments.  → LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidjblumberg → Website: https://blumbergcapital.com/ Nataraj: Host of the Startup Project podcast, Senior PM at Azure & Investor.  → LinkedIn:   https://www.linkedin.com/in/natarajsindam/ → Twitter: https://x.com/natarajsindam → Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠ → Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://thestartupproject.io⁠⁠⁠ Timestamps: 00:01 - Introduction and Guest Introduction 00:42 - David's Location and Work Model 00:54 - David's Career Journey and Interest in Tech Investing 01:22 - Early Influences and the Importance of Entrepreneurship 05:10 - First Tech Investment and Israeli Tech Ecosystem 09:22 - Israel's Tech Growth and the Yozma Program 13:45 - Government's Role in Fostering Innovation 17:53 - The Israeli Military's Influence on Entrepreneurship 19:54 - Experience at Claridge and Transition to Bloomberg Capital 24:34 - The Evolution of Venture Capital and Bloomberg Capital's Strategies 27:15 - Working with Repeat Founders 30:40 - Decision-Making in Pre-Seed Investing 34:19 - Defining Talent in Early-Stage Founders 39:32 - Importance of Domain Expertise 41:11 - Lawyers in Leadership Roles 43:15 - Bloomberg Capital's CIO Innovation Council 48:29 - Personal Investment Strategy and Energy Humanitarianism 51:39 - Admired Investors and the Venture Capital Landscape 56:06 - Current Consumption (Books, Podcasts, etc.) 01:00 - Mentors and Their Influence 01:01 - Advice for Young Investors Subscribe to Startup Project for more engaging conversations with leading entrepreneurs! → Email updates: ⁠https://startupproject.substack.com/⁠ #StartupProject #VentureCapital #Investing #TechInvesting #Israel #Entrepreneurship #Podcast #YouTube #Tech #Innovation #Energy #Humanitarianism #AI #CIO #BloombergCapital

Yodfat Harel Buchris, from Blumberg Capital, shares her vast experience across tech and finance, revealing how a blend of innovation, leadership, and strategic investment shapes the future of startups. Dive into her insights on nurturing groundbreaking companies and her vision for a data-driven, AI-enhanced world.

In this episode, we speak with Liron Azrielant, a Founding Managing Partner at Meron Capital - a VC at the forefront of investing in technology companies in Israel. Her track record speaks volumes as she's led investments in tech successes such as Loom Systems, Clear Genetics, Testim, and many others which were subsequently acquired. Prior to Founding Meron, she was a Principal at Blumberg Capital, where she led early-stage deals that also turned into successful exits. Before her venture capital career, she honed her skills as a Strategy and M&A consultant at top-tier firms like Bain & Co. and PwC's PE group in New York. She's also a fellow of the Kauffman Fellowship, a highly sought-after two-year program for leading venture capitalists. Her list of accolades is long. We discuss: • Entrepreneurship and mental preparation during turbulent times • Resilience, and investment strategies in challenging times • Motivation, and Career Paths • Focusing on solving a specific problem, rather than pursuing fame or money • Developing a business partnership language to argue passionately but constructively • Building skills through practice and repetition • And much more Enjoy your listen!

Guest: Bipul Sinha, co-founder and CEO of RubrikWhen Bipul Sinha graduated from the Indian Insitute of Technology and came to America to work in tech, his mother told him: Don't start a company. His ambitious father was a failed pharma entrepreneur, and Bipul was content for most of a decade to hold a steady job at Oracle. But in his early 30s, he began to shed his risk aversion, pursuing a part-time MBA and more difficult jobs, and by the time he co-founded the data security firm Rubrik in 2014, he had gone through an epiphany: “Only make decisions that you truly believe is the right thing to do,” he says. “If you are here, at the moment of truth, you want to succeed or lose based on your own terms, not what others feel.”In this episode, Bipul and Joubin discuss how debate moves business forward, companies as living systems, growing up poor, refusing to compromise, risk aversion, finding your own potential, paying tuition, context matters, psychological safety, and smelling the roses.In this episode, we cover: Joubin's interview with Ali Ghodsi (00:51) The importance of authenticity (02:33) Extreme voices (05:10) Being yourself at work (08:14) Reducing blind spots (11:08) Tough feedback (13:09) Learning entrepreneurship through osmosis (14:41) IIT or bust (19:40) Setbacks and reorienting (23:35) Leaving India for America (26:53) From Oracle to Blumberg Capital (30:21) Prioritizing his own happiness (34:36) “This is a career” (37:08) Dissatisfaction and the next thing (40:37) Creating an enduring institution (45:02) No one knows what they're doing (49:32) Open board meetings (53:39) Hiring and firing (55:37) Good and bad startup advice (57:58) Working forever (01:01:16) Positive feedback and empathy (01:04:19) Who Rubrik is hiring and what “grit” means to Bipul (01:08:55) Links: Connect with Bipul Twitter LinkedIn Connect with Joubin Twitter LinkedIn Email: grit@kleinerperkins.com  Learn more about Kleiner Perkins This episode was edited by Eric Johnson from LightningPod.fm

Tanis Jorge seems to have come up with a magical recipe for consistently starting and selling businesses rapidly. Her last company raised over half a billion dollars through a Series D round. Now, she's going even bigger with her latest company that aims to give back to the founder community and equip others to scale successful businesses. The venture, Cofounders Hub, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Blumberg Capital.

Ryan Bloomer is an experienced entrepreneur and investor with a passion for building companies and communities. He launched K50 Ventures as a continuation of the K50 community which recognized purpose-driven founders from around the globe who were pushing the world. K50 Ventures is now a supporter of over 180+ new purpose-driven companies with a particular focus on the areas of Health, Finance, and Work. In addition to K50, Ryan is also a founding partner and advisor of Kairos HQ, a venture studio that co-founded fintech unicorn Bilt, the first card that lets you pay your rent and earn points. Prior to founding K50 Ventures and KairosHQ, Ryan founded two companies and held operating roles at Blumberg Capital, 1-Page, and Jumptap in San Francisco.   As a young professional entering the workforce, Ryan found himself at the crossroads between a safe, stable job and an opportunity to start his own business. Today on the One Away Show, Ryan shares the risks and rewards he assessed and why he chose the path he did.   Read the show notes on Arcbound's Podcast Page: https://arcbound.com/podcasts/    Find Arcbound here: Homepage: Arcbound.com Services/Work with Us: https://arcbound.com/work-with-us/ About: https://arcbound.com/about/ Founders Corner: https://arcbound.com/category/founders-corner/ Connect: https://arcbound.com/connect/  

This week, Matt Burns spoke to Trulioo co-founder, Tanis Jorge, and David Blumberg of Blumberg Capital. Tanis and her co-founder, Stephen Ufford, began their journey with Trulioo back in 2011, and today, she runs The Cofounder's Hub, a service dedicated to helping founders identify their needs and find a co-founder who works best in that situation. David was one of Trulioo's first investors and put money in at every round.On today's episode, we talked about:Finding a co-founder (if you weren't lucky enough to meet them in high school)Building partnerships and putting "the founder ego" asideNavigating the equity splitWe closed out the show with questions from the audience and a round of Pitch Practice. As always, you can watch the full interview on our YouTube channel.The TechCrunch Live Podcast drops at 6:00 a.m. PT every Monday, so subscribe to us on Apple Podcasts, Overcast,Spotify and all the casts.

In der Rubrik “Investments & Exits” begrüßen wir heute Jan Miczaika, Partner bei HV Capital. Jan hat die Runde von WorkJam und Qunomedical sowie die Übernahme von Embedded Capital durch Motive Partners kommentiert:Der auf Fintechs spezialisierte Berliner Fonds Embedded Capital des Finleap-Gründers Ramin Niroumand wird vom New Yorker Wagniskapitalgeber Motive Partners erworben. Das teilten beide Firmen am Dienstagmorgen mit. Zum Kaufpreis wollten sich beide Seiten nicht äußern. Niroumand hat den Fonds für Frühphaseninvestments erst Anfang des Jahres gegründet und seither neun Beteiligungen getätigt. Im Rahmen einer Series-A-Finanzierungsrunde hat das Berliner Startup Qunomedical zehn Millionen Euro eingesammelt, unter anderem von Bertelsmann Investments und dem Frühphaseninvestor Dieter von Holtzbrinck Ventures. Bestandsinvestoren wie der US-Fonds Ms&Ad Ventures und Calm Storm aus Wien sind die Runde ebenfalls mitgegangen. Das Geld soll in die Weiterentwicklung und in den Ausbau der sogenannten Patient Relationship Management-Software des Startups fließen.WorkJam, ein in Montreal, Kanada, ansässiger Anbieter einer Plattform für digitale Frontline-Arbeitsplätze, hat in einer Series-D-Finanzierung 50 Millionen US-Dollar erhalten. Die Finanzierungsrunde wurde von Fonds de solidarité FTQ und Inovia Capital geleitet, mit Beteiligung von Blumberg Capital und Demopolis Equity Partners. Das Unternehmen beabsichtigt, die Mittel für die Ausweitung seiner Reichweite in Europa, Südostasien, Lateinamerika und den USA, die Beschleunigung der Produktinnovation und das Geschäftswachstum zu verwenden.

Interview mit Jana Bartels, COO von Wunder Mobility In der Nachmittagsfolge begrüßen wir heute Jana Bartels, COO von Wunder Mobility, und sprechen mit ihr über die erfolgreich abgeschlossene Finanzierungsrunde in Höhe von 12 Millionen Euro. Wunder Mobility bietet Technologie für den Aufbau, die Innovation und die Skalierung von Shared Mobility. Als One-Stop-Shop bietet das Startup sowohl die Software als auch die Fahrzeuge, die Carsharing-Unternehmen mit Flotten von E-Bikes, E-Scootern, E-Mopeds und Autos benötigen. Zudem stellt das Jungunternehmen eine breite Palette an Dienstleistungen zur Verfügung und unterstützt bei der Einführung und Verbreitung neuer Mobilitätsdienste. Wunder Mobility wurde im Jahr 2014 von Gunnar Froh in Hamburg gegründet. Die Plattform hat mittlerweile mehr als 40 Millionen Fahrten mit mehr als 50.000 Fahrzeugen in 200 Städten vorzuweisen. Das Hamburger Startup hat nun in einer Finanzierungsrunde 12 Millionen Euro eingesammelt. Zu den Investoren gehören u.a. KCK und Blumberg Capital. Blumberg Capital ist eine US-amerikanische Risikokapitalgesellschaft, die insbesondere in frühphasige Technologieunternehmen investiert. Mit der Runde steigt die Gesamtfinanzierung des Jungunternehmens auf über 60 Millionen Euro. Mit dem frischen Kapital soll die Mikromobilitätssoftware weiter ausgebaut und der Kundenservice erweitert werden.

Boaz Yaari has brought a whole new investment product to the market with his bold fintech startup. A fast-growing venture that has already attracted close to $80M from notable investors. The venture, Sharegain has attracted funding from top-tier investors like SixThirty, Kessler Family Office, Citi, and Blumberg Capital.

Liron is a General Partner at Meron Capital and has over 10 years of experience in the venture capital, private equity and tech industries.  Liron also manages the Young Venture Capital Forum in Israel - a professional organization connecting over 250 young partners, principals and associates from all VC firms in Israel.Prior to joining Meron Capital, Liron was a Principal at Blumberg Capital and led Cyber, SaaS, Marketing-tech and Infrastructure IT deals. Prior to that, she was a Strategy and M&A consultant at Bain Capital and PwC's PE group in New York, where she leads commercial and operational due-diligence projects for the largest private equity firms in the US.  Before moving to the US, Liron was a technical Applications Engineer at Agilent Technologies, where she worked with blue-chip clients in Europe, Asia and the US. Liron holds an MBA from MIT-Sloan, an M.Sc. in Computer Science from MIT and a B.Sc. in Math and Physics from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. At 25, she was the youngest student ever to graduate MIT's dual MBA / M.Sc. degree program. She started her bachelor's degree at Talpiot, the elite Israeli Defense Forces program, and completed it while serving full-time as a technology analyst and researcher at the Israeli intelligence unit 8200.

It's been more than 18 months since the COVID-19 pandemic started and we experienced weeks of lockdowns, quarantines, and a total reconfiguration of the way we work.For venture capitalist David Blumberg, the pandemic took him from his ancestral home of California across the country to Florida. Realizing that he was no longer chained to his fixed, physical office in San Francisco, he took the plunge and moved over 3,000 miles in order to take advantage of the up-and-coming vibe of Miami, as well as the state's business-friendly regulations and taxes. David learned how to take advantage of the pandemic and was able to recognize it as -- as he puts it -- a catalyst of virtualization, innovation, and decentralization.Blumberg is the founder and managing partner of Blumberg Capital, a private Venture Capital firm investing in early-stage IT, digital media, social media, mobility, Internet, e-commerce, payments, SaaS, and tech-enabled services. He also serves as a board member of Credorax, Trulioo, IntSights, and Slync.io. David holds an undergraduate degree from Harvard University and an MBA from Stanford University Graduate School of Business. Listen to today's episode of Investing in Florida Technology and find out how David made the leap from studying government to becoming a venture capitalist, how he embraces virtualization, and why he believes that the 21st century will be one of massive innovation and productivity for office and service work. Listen on SpotifyListen on Apple PodcastsListen on Google PodcastsSome Questions Asked: Can you tell our audience a bit about your background and where you grew up? (01:54)You have this tie with Israel, when did that start? (14:10)What do you see in Florida and Miami? (22:41)What are you looking for in a founder? (29:38)In this episode, you will learn:Why Miami made the top of David's list when he and his family decided to relocate (03:16)About taking ‘acorns' and turning them into unicorns (09:41)How patience has paid off for Blumberg Capital (12:57)A little about the Israeli company that David and Tom are both investors in (20:01)Venture capitalists either follow the NASCAR model or the marionette model (33:59)Connect with David:LinkedInBlumberg CapitalTwitter See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

David Blumberg is the founder and managing partner of Blumberg Capital. David is an authority on early-stage investing with decades of experience. He founded Blumberg Capital in the early 1990s and launched its first venture-backed fund in 2001.Prior to Blumberg Capital, David managed international investments with the Bronfman Family Office, Adler & Co, APAX Partners and at T. Rowe Price. He also launched business development for Check Point Software Technologies as one of its top four executives.——————————————————————Watch this video on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/c/SALTTube/videosFor podcast transcripts and show notes, visit https://www.salt.org/Moderated by Anthony Scaramucci. Developed, created and produced by SALT Venture Group, LLC.

Microsoft's Windows Virtual Desktop will now be known as Azure Virtual Desktop. A set of new features will be launched to provide a flexible, virtually accessible cloud VDI platform for all end-users with different use cases. Some features include a QuickStart service and new pricing options for remote app streaming.Mumbai-based QuickSell, a B2B mobile commerce suite platform, has raised $2M in a pre-Series A round co-led by InfoEdge Venture Fund and BEE NEXT, reports state. The proceeds raised shall be used to scale its business, expand its team, and enhance its product features. According to Deepak Bhagchandani, founder and CEO of QuickSell, when a product evokes solid and positive emotions from people, it grows in popularity, which has led the QuickSell team to set up a global customer base in over a hundred countries without the need to spend on marketing its product.Bengaluru-based payments and banking technology company Cashfree has announced its new investor, State Bank of India (SBI), who has invested an undisclosed amount in Cashfree on Monday. The investment reinforces their shared vision of promoting digital modes of payments, Cashfree's statement to the press read. The proceeds would be utilized on Cashfree's growth strategy to improve customer experience and product innovation. As per Crunchbase, Cashfree has raised $40.9M so far, and the latest funding comes from SBI in a debt financing round (financial details undisclosed). Preceding it is the $35.3M Series B funding raised from Apis Partners.Trulioo, a Canada-based online verification company, has announced that it has raised $394 million in a Series D funding round led by TVC, a venture capital firm. With its valuation reaching $1.75 billion, the company turns unicorn. Other participants in the round include existing investors Amex Ventures, Citi Ventures, Blumberg Capital, and Mouro Capital. The massive funding round comes as the epidemic has spurred business digitalization, and e-commerce and banking institutions want new ways to authenticate consumers' identities to conduct secure transactions.Lightspeed, a provider of point-of-sale and eCommerce solutions for shops and restaurateurs, has announced its intention to purchase Shopify rival Ecwid and NuORDER. The acquisition occurs when every company in the world is attempting to transition to the internet sphere and establish a digital presence. Clients of Lightspeed will get access to more digital economy entry points, unrivaled supply chain management, and more capacity to build extraordinary online consumer experiences. 

Photo: Excellence in advertising: Pub Peugeot-Le Chauffeur-1900 .The New John Batchelor ShowCBS Audio Network@BatchelorshowThirteen years later DoubleVerify launches NYSE IPO. David Blumberg, Blumberg Capital. Oren Netzer, Co-founder.Blumberg Capital's blog posthttps://blumbergcapital.com/congratulations-to-doubleverify-on-its-ipo/Crunchbase News article on the "big winners": https://news.crunchbase.com/news/the-big-winners-in-doubleverifys-ipo/MarketWatch article on IPO: https://www.msn.com/en-us/money/topstocks/doubleverifys-stock-opens-30-above-ipo-price-valuing-company-at-more-than-5-billion/ar-BB1fTHSE  

Join America's Roundtable co-hosts Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy in a conversation with David Blumberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital, focusing on pro-growth economic policies and California's tech exodus. David Blumberg also shares his reflections on 2020 and predictions for 2021 in venture capital tech, as well as about the successful Abraham Accords in bringing peace and greater stability in the Middle East. https://ileaderssummit.org/services/americas-roundtable-radio/ https://ileaderssummit.org/ | https://jerusalemleaderssummit.com/ America's Roundtable on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/americas-roundtable/id1518878472 Twitter: @davidblumberg @ileaderssummit @NatashaSrdoc @JoelAnandUSA America's Roundtable is co-hosted by Natasha Srdoc and Joel Anand Samy, co-founders of International Leaders Summit and the Jerusalem Leaders Summit. America’s Roundtable radio program - a strategic initiative of International Leaders Summit, focuses on America’s economy, healthcare reform, rule of law, security and trade, and its strategic partnership with rule of law nations around the world. The radio program features high-ranking US administration officials, cabinet members, members of Congress, state government officials, distinguished diplomats, business and media leaders and influential thinkers from around the world. America’s Roundtable is aired by Lanser Broadcasting Corporation - at 96.5 FM and 98.9 FM, covering Michigan’s major market, and through podcast on Apple Podcasts and other key online platforms.

Jonathan Langer is the cofounder and CEO of Medigate which owns and operates a medical device security platform that protects all connected medical devices on health care provider networks. The company has raised $50 million from investors like US Venture Partners, Partech, Blumberg Capital, YL Ventures, and Maor Investments.

Jonathan Langer is the cofounder and CEO of Medigate which owns and operates a medical device security platform that protects all connected medical devices on health care provider networks. The company has raised $50 million from investors like US Venture Partners, Partech, Blumberg Capital, YL Ventures, and Maor Investments.

Gunnar Froh is Founder & CEO of Wunder Mobility. Based in Hamburg, Germany, the startup is one of the globally leading technology providers for new mobility solutions. With its platform, the company enables startups, corporations, and governments in 100+ cities around the world to launch, scale, and analyze shared transport solutions. Founded in 2014, Wunder Mobility pivoted twice to find its optimal business and operating model. Today, it is the fastest-growing company in its sector in Europe. The tech startup has also successfully raised $70m from notable investors like Blumberg Capital and Piton Capital along the way. In this episode, Gunnar shares why the founding team decided to pivot Wunder Mobility and how to successfully manage such a wide-ranging task when building a startup.

Steven Kramer is the co-founder and CEO of WorkJam which is a frontline digital workplace that unleashes the full potential of non-desk workforces. The company has raised $70 million from investors like Lerer Hippeau, Founder Collective, Inovia Capital, Blumberg Capital, Fonds de solidarite FTQ, Harmony Partners, Novel TMT Ventures, and Claridge to name a few. Prior to this, he cofounded iCongo which merged with hybris and sold to SAP for $1.5 billion. 

Steven Kramer is the co-founder and CEO of WorkJam which is a frontline digital workplace that unleashes the full potential of non-desk workforces. The company has raised $70 million from investors like Lerer Hippeau, Founder Collective, Inovia Capital, Blumberg Capital, Fonds de solidarite FTQ, Harmony Partners, Novel TMT Ventures, and Claridge to name a few. Prior to this, he cofounded iCongo which merged with hybris and sold to SAP for $1.5 billion. 

Andrew Romans, General Partner of 7BC Venture Capital and Rubicon Venture Capital, discusses with David Blumberg specifics on what startups and VCs can do to survive and thrive in a Covid economy talking specifics on extending burn rate, lowering expenses, cutting salaries, Corona pivots, fundraising during Covid, making acquisitions, M&A exit market and the impact of Covid on the venture capital asset class. Recorded in Silicon Valley April 30, 2020 during the Covid pandemic lockdown. Andrew Romans andrew@7bc.vc www.7bc.vc www.rubicon.vc

Gunnar Froh is Founder & CEO of Wunder Mobility. Based in Hamburg, Germany, the startup is one of the globally leading technology providers for new mobility solutions. With its platform, the company enables startups, corporations, and governments in 100+ cities around the world to launch, scale, and analyze shared transport solutions.   Founded in 2014, Wunder Mobility pivoted twice to find its optimal business and operating model. Today, it is the fastest-growing company in its sector in Europe. The tech startup has also successfully raised $70m from notable investors like Blumberg Capital and Piton Capital along the way.   In next week’s episode, Gunnar shares why the founding team decided to pivot Wunder Mobility and how to successfully manage such a wide-ranging task when building a startup.

David Blumberg of Blumberg Capital (https://www.blumbergcapital.com) on Fintech & Supply Chain Software's Role in Helping During Covid-19.

There are many types of CEOs around the world, but more than that, there are a lot of types of companies in this world. On this How To CEO Show i will be talking with David Blumberg, founder and managing partner of Blumberg Capital, he has decades of experience in early stage investing, and now we are gonna talk about What a CEO need to know about IA Companies. What's an IA? What's an IA Company? How can we work with that? David Blumberg will enlighten us sharing everything he knows thanks to his experience on this field. --- Support this podcast: https://anchor.fm/murray-newlands7/support

Collision Conference is a marketplace in and of itself in the startup community with so many fresh ideas that have been cooking in the great minds of passionate entrepreneurs who are just starting. We have been fortunate over the years to get to know so many of these young companies as they forge their way … Continue reading Blumberg Capital takes the necessary risks to create a better future → The post Blumberg Capital takes the necessary risks to create a better future appeared first on Tech Podcast Network.

Collision Conference is a marketplace in and of itself in the startup community with so many fresh ideas that have been cooking in the great minds of passionate entrepreneurs who are just starting. We have been fortunate over the years to get to know so many of these young companies as they forge their way from concept to successful business. And even though some of them are not able to fully realize their dream this go around, the process is exciting and important, nonetheless. Unfortunately, as we all know too well, an idea nowadays simply isn't enough to bring a product to life in the world. Ideas need resources, many resources, to get started, and a lot of these early-stage companies with prototypes just don't have funds readily accessible. Lucky for them, there are people like David Blumberg, founder of Blumberg Capital, that seek out powerful and unique designs, even with nothing yet to show.Blumberg Capital is an early-stage, focused venture capital firm that invests in the dreams that passionate entrepreneurs breathe. Their goal is to take these fresh ideas and skyrocket them to build a successful technology company through necessary resources to survive such as finances, business development, customers, and talent acquisition. They benefit from businesses thriving, so they do everything in their power to help an entrepreneur succeed. Operating for 30 years in North America and Israel, Blumberg Capital manages approximately 550 million US Dollars under management across 5 different funds. Blumberg currently has a partnership with 64 companies as of Collision 2019 and is excited to continue growing for a better and brighter future. David has an eye for the future and finds excitement in events such as Collision because it bleeds creativity that shows what the can future hold. This is the same energy that our PLuGHiTz team enjoys speaking with to help the same companies gain more coverage and expand their base. For more information about Blumberg Capital, you can visit their website.Sponsored by: Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy. Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.

Collision Conference is a marketplace in and of itself in the startup community with so many fresh ideas that have been cooking in the great minds of passionate entrepreneurs who are just starting. We have been fortunate over the years to get to know so many of these young companies as they forge their way from concept to successful business. And even though some of them are not able to fully realize their dream this go around, the process is exciting and important, nonetheless. Unfortunately, as we all know too well, an idea nowadays simply isn't enough to bring a product to life in the world. Ideas need resources, many resources, to get started, and a lot of these early-stage companies with prototypes just don't have funds readily accessible. Lucky for them, there are people like David Blumberg, founder of Blumberg Capital, that seek out powerful and unique designs, even with nothing yet to show.Blumberg Capital is an early-stage, focused venture capital firm that invests in the dreams that passionate entrepreneurs breathe. Their goal is to take these fresh ideas and skyrocket them to build a successful technology company through necessary resources to survive such as finances, business development, customers, and talent acquisition. They benefit from businesses thriving, so they do everything in their power to help an entrepreneur succeed. Operating for 30 years in North America and Israel, Blumberg Capital manages approximately 550 million US Dollars under management across 5 different funds. Blumberg currently has a partnership with 64 companies as of Collision 2019 and is excited to continue growing for a better and brighter future. David has an eye for the future and finds excitement in events such as Collision because it bleeds creativity that shows what the can future hold. This is the same energy that our PLuGHiTz team enjoys speaking with to help the same companies gain more coverage and expand their base. For more information about Blumberg Capital, you can visit their website.Sponsored by: Get $5 to protect your credit card information online with Privacy. Amazon Prime gives you more than just free shipping. Get free music, TV shows, movies, videogames and more.

This podcast will provide a 5 minute highlight reel of all that happened in the startup ecosystem last week. So let’s begin with the news around funding. So, guess what? This week’s startup funding scene has been quite great. We are talking about a total of 330 funding rounds, $6.7 billion total funding, 99 acquisitions recorded, and a transaction of a total acquisition amount of $7.3 billion. That being said, let’s dive right into the highlights. Gokada a Nigeria based ride-hailing startup raises $5.3M In many large cities across Africa, motorcycle taxis are the most common mode of shared transport. That includes Lagos, Nigeria, where ride-hail startup Gokada has raised a $5.3 million Series A round to grow its two-wheel transit business. Gokada has trained and on-boarded more than 1,000 motorcycles and their pilots on its app that connects commuters to moto-taxis and the company’s signature green, DOT– approved helmets. The startup has completed nearly 1 million rides since it was co-founded in 2018 by Fahim Saleh — a Bangladeshi entrepreneur who previously founded and exited Pathao, a motorcycle, bicycle and car transportation company. Zero raises $20 million from NEA and others for a credit card that works like debit Just ahead of the launch of the Apple Card, a startup that has its own take on modernizing the credit card industry, Zero, is announcing the close of its $20 million Series A. The new round of funding was led by New Enterprise Associates (NEA), and brings Zero’s total raised to date to $35 million, including both equity and debt funding. Today, only 33% of millennials have a major credit card, a Bankrate survey found — largely because they’re wary of falling into the vicious debt cycle. Instead, this younger demographic often only carries a debit card. But that also means they’re missing out on credit card benefits — like points, rewards and cash back. Zero’s idea is to offer a rewards credit card that works like debit. The Zerocard itself is a World Mastercard, so it earns credit card cash back. But unlike a traditional credit card, it’s combined with an FDIC-backed checking account called Zero Checking. That means Zerocard and Zero Checking work together in the app, allowing cardholders to see one net number they can spend from. Hunters.ai raises $5.4M for its autonomous threat-hunting solution Hunters.ai, a Tel Aviv-based startup that built an AI-based threat-hunting solution, today announced that it has raised a $5.4 million seed funding round led by YL Ventures and Blumberg Capital. Sofar Sounds house concerts raises $25M. Sofar Sounds announced it’s raised a $25 million round led by Battery Ventures and Union Square Ventures, building on the previous $6 million it’d scored from Octopus Ventures and Virgin Group. The goal is expansion — to become the de facto way emerging artists play outside of traditional venues. The 10-year-old startup was born in London out of frustration with pub-goers talking over the bands. Now it’s throwing 600 shows per month across 430 cities around the world, and more than 40 of the 25,000 artists who’ve played its gigs have gone on to be nominated for or win Grammys. What else caught our eyes last week? Well, I mean anything bitcoin needs a mention. So, ya CoinBits launches as a passive investment app for bitcoin. Finman, who built his first company while still in high school, is launching a new startup called CoinBits, which allows users to passively invest in bitcoin. The idea, according to Finman, is to democratize access to the currency by letting everyday folks invest nominal sums through well-known mechanisms like roundups on transactions made with a credit or debit card or through regular transactions from a customer’s savings or checking account to bitcoin through CoinBits. That’s pretty great. The next thing I want to bring to your notice is this recent hike in non-alcoholic beverage startups around the world. In their recent article, TechCrunch talks about how millennials, according to various studies, are consuming less alcohol than previous generations and are therefore seeking non-alcoholic beverage alternatives. For example, we have Seedlip, a non-alcoholic spirits company. Or Haus, launching this summer, an all-natural beverage distilled from grapes that has a lower alcohol content than most hard liquors. Haus, like any good consumer startup in 2019, is shipped directly to your door. Perhaps the most noted so far is Liquid Death, canned water for the punk rock crowd, I mean why not? I’m loving this trend. Liquid Death has attracted nearly $2 million in funding from angel investors like Away co-founder Jen Rubio and Twitter co-founder Biz Stone. Then you have Bev, a canned wine business that recently raised $7 million in seed funding from Founders Fund, thinks marketing in the alcohol industry is the problem. Founder Alix Peabody designed a line of female-focused canned rosé. Peabody explained most alcohol brands cater to men, and that’s a problem.

Israel is known as "startup nation". That's because "Israel has the highest concentration of startups per capita in the entire world," says David Blumberg of Blumberg Capital. I went to Israel to find out why, and interviewed Blumberg for Stossel TV. Blumberg tell me, Israel took "advice of economists from the University of Chicago, MIT, following in the Milton Friedman school of thought ... [they] basically said 'Israel you have to free the entrepreneurs'." So Israel got "rid of taxes and tariffs and stupid red tape," according to Blumberg. The result was creation of remarkable wealth and opportunity for people in that tiny country. If you liked this, please subscribe to my YouTube Channel! YouTube.com/NaomiBrockwellTV If you would like to support my podcast on Patreon, please visit: Patreon.com/NaomiBrockwell For any links mentioned in this podcast, please visit NaomiBrockwell.tv

Ankur is co-founder of Emergent Ventures. Previously, Ankur was a venture investor at Nexus Venture Partners investing in US and India. Prior to that, Ankur was venture investor at Blumberg Capital investing in US and Israel. Prior to that, Ankur did strategy consulting at Accenture across a range of verticals including healthcare, financial services and... The post The Indian Startup Ecosystem System, Investing Cross-Border and Using Mindfulness and Meditation as an Investment Filter with Ankur Jain of Emergent VC appeared first on The Syndicate.

Venkat Nagaswamy. He’s the CEO of Mariana IQ. He brings a long and diverse background in high technology to apply artificial intelligence and deep learning to help marketers make account-based marketing at scale a reality. "Big Kat," as he was nicknamed by friends and colleagues, has led teams in creating analytics, technology and business development solutions at McKinsey, Juniper Networks and GE Plastics, among others. He's worked in enterprise and digital consumer hardware, SaaS, corporate and business unit strategy, market entry strategy, and product development. He's a proud graduate of the University of Michigan and the Georgia Institute of Technology. He holds an MBA and a Master's in Aerospace Engineering. Famous Five: Favorite Book? – Good to Great What CEO do you follow? – Marc Benioff and Mark Zuckerberg Favorite online tool? — Calendly and Feedly How many hours of sleep do you get?— 6 If you could let your 20-year old self, know one thing, what would it be? – “Being diligent and hard-working counts for a lot more than being smart and clever”   Time Stamped Show Notes: 01:54 – Nathan introduces Venkat to the show 02:54 – Venkat was in Juniper trying to implement account-based marketing 03:14 – Venkat is trying to solve the problems in account-based marketing 03:27 – People buy a monthly subscription to Mariana IQ which will allow them to run campaigns targeting the same audience across different platforms 03:37 – Mariana IQ is a SaaS business 03:43 – Average pay is $4K a month per customer 03:55 – Venkat started Mariana IQ three years ago with his three co-founders 04:02 – Venkat also uses their technology 04:16 – Venkat and his co-founders felt that marketers need more tools to be successful in the field 04:36 – First year revenue was zero 04:45 – Late 2015, Mariana IQ made $155K and $550K in 2016 04:59 – Venkat is expecting to get 5x more in annual revenue this year 05:17 – MRR in June was $70-80K 05:45 – Mariana IQ has around 20 customers 06:00 – Zendesk is one of Mariana IQ’s clients 06:13 – Zendesk wanted to target larger companies and so they gave Mariana IQ their data 06:30 – Mariana IQ used their API to find the targeted companies for Zendesk 06:54 – Venkat shares their success rate at Mariana IQ 07:27 – “We got better quality, 4x the volume while keeping the cost the same” 07:36 – Mariana IQ has raised capital 07:39 – First seed round was in 2014 which was led by Blumberg Capital 07:58 – David Blumberg owns Blumberg Capital and Bruce Taragin is who is on Mariana IQ’s board 08:05 – Blumberg Capital has been around for 34 years 08:19 – The first round was a convertible note round with $6M capital 08:47 – Mariana IQ did another round in 2016 which was a priced round 09:10 – Mariana IQ has raised a total of $4M 09:48 – Venkat doesn’t worry about growing into their valuation 12:00 – In Mariana IQ’s first year, they were only getting beta customers 12:41 – Venkat shares the unconventional way he attracted more customers; a video of him in the shower, singing 13:05 –The video was posted on Twitter and got a million views 13:38 – “I’m the worst singer on the planet” 13:57 – Gross margin is around 80% 14:10 – Gross customer churn is quite high, at 3% 14:22 – Revenue churn 14:55 – Full weighted CAC is $22K per customer 15:06 – Customer LTV is $200-250K 15:40 – Venkat is looking at increasing their CAC by spending more on sales and marketing to increase their volume 15:54 – They will add two more salespeople 16:23 – Last month, they spent $2k on marketing alone 17:20 – The Famous Five   3 Key Points: Marketers are constantly looking for alternative ways to become more effective and successful in their industry. A business shouldn’t worry about its valuation—as long as their confident with their product and continue to add value to their customers; it will work out in the end. It’s necessary for companies today to invest in their sales and marketing to increase that engagement with their audience.   Resources Mentioned: Simplero – The easiest way to launch your own membership course like the big influencers do but at 1/10th the cost. The Top Inbox – The site Nathan uses to schedule emails to be sent later, set reminders in inbox, track opens, and follow-up with email sequences GetLatka - Database of all B2B SaaS companies who have been on my show including their revenue, CAC, churn, ARPU and more Klipfolio – Track your business performance across all departments for FREE Hotjar – Nathan uses Hotjar to track what you’re doing on this site. He gets a video of each user visit like where they clicked and scrolled to make the site a better experience Acuity Scheduling – Nathan uses Acuity to schedule his podcast interviews and appointments Host Gator– The site Nathan uses to buy his domain names and hosting for the cheapest price possible Audible– Nathan uses Audible when he’s driving from Austin to San Antonio (1.5-hour drive) to listen to audio books Show Notes provided by Mallard Creatives

David Blumberg, Founder and Managing Partner of Blumberg Capital, has been in the business for a long time, and we had a very interesting chat about the evolution of the venture business over the last 15 years. We also discussed some areas where there are opportunities to build new scalable businesses.

I enjoy all my guests on Barefoot Innovation, but if someone forced me to choose my favorite episodes, this one would be on the list. It’s partly because my guests, the co-founders of Bee, were so fun to talk with, and so thoughtful. And it’s also because they are addressing one of the objections people raise to fintech – the notion that it’s only for millennials. Bee was founded in June of 2015 by Vinay Patel and brothers Max and Alex Grasner as an outgrowth of One Financial Holdings, a 'venture-backed laboratory for innovation in retail financial services'. In pioneering an innovative capital-light model using pop-up kiosks and street teams to sign up customers in-person, Bee is able to offer top quality financial services at a significantly lower cost than traditional brick-and-mortar bank branches. Bee is specifically targeting the lack of quality services for low-and moderate-income underserved people (although my guests point out that 'underserved' and 'underbanked' are not words people use to describe themselves). The product is intended to function as an alternative to checking accounts, structured as a prepaid card paired with a mobile app. Bee partners with Community Federal Savings Bank to offer alternatives to checking and savings accounts to its customers in New York and California.  Part of what makes this interesting is Bee’s specific hybrid model of personal touch and high tech. They’re trying to put the human beings where customers need them the most – in explaining and opening the account. And then they’re trying to drive down costs overall by not providing branches and tellers for routine functions. Bee’s team goes in person into underserved neighborhoods in New York and San Francisco, and they set up eye-catching mobile kiosks, which they compare to food trucks. They get people interested and then help them through a thorough process of thinking through their needs; opening an account; setting up and learning to use the app; and then, often, letting the new customer stay on to take advantage of the Bee wifi hotspot. The in-person signup process also helps guard against money laundering, since people are seen face-to-face.  I think you’ll be fascinated by Max and Vinay’s insights into these consumers, including their huge financial savvy -- how thoroughly they know their money situations, and how they optimize their spending on their phones (and the challenges of working with such a wide array of phones that may be old or broken). Vinay and Max talk about their customers’ worries about both pricing uncertainties and payment delays (issues that are being tackled by other innovators as well).    One repeated theme is the company’s commitment to treating these customers with respect by providing a product that is obviously high-quality, right down to the thickness of the card, and providing a truly fantastic user experience on the app. They say customers often take selfies with the Bee team, at the end of setting up an account.  Bee’s CEO, Vinay Patel, has a joint law degree and MBA from NYU. He spent 5 years teaching at NYU Business school and at Columbia Public Policy Business School. He then moved on to McKinsey and Co. as a consultant to banks and government.  Max Gasner has a background as an investment stock broker on Wall street from 2007 – part of what motivated this work. He has also worked in the Bay area at an AI company  - Prior Knowledge, and then moved on to a tech company which eventually morphed into Salesforce.  We recorded this episode several months ago. Since then the company has grown. It also won national recognition in New Orleans in June at the Emerge Conference, as one of the winners of the Financial Solutions Lab competition run by the Center for Financial Services Innovation and funded by JPMorgan Chase. Max and Vinay are eloquent on the need for regulators to allow space for robust innovation – just one startup might create the 10X breakthrough that can change people’s lives. They’re also thoughtful on their commitment to earning compelling returns for their investors, including Blumberg Capital, Fenway Summer Ventures and AXA Strategy Ventures.  They aim to do this with their unique formula of delivering personal attention and high value to a huge, largely untapped market, at very low cost.  Enjoy my conversation with Bee. More Links and Information One Financial Holdings Blog Bee card website and access to kiosk locator CFSI CFSI research on consumer financial health and the financial situations of underserved families Blumberg Capital Fenway Summer Ventures AXA Strategy Ventures My blog post on CFSI’s research on underserved consumers, “Underserved and Underestimated”  More about Vinay Prior to Bee, Vinay spent five years at McKinsey & Company, where he advised leaders of US banks and public sector organizations on executing large-scale IT modernization programs. Vinay is a faculty member at both NYU Stern School of Business and Columbia School of International and Public Affairs, where he has taught courses on Enterprise Strategy, Game Theory, and Data Visualization. Vinay holds a J.D. and an M.B.A from NYU, and a B.A. with honors in Economics from the University of Chicago. He is happily married and lives in Brooklyn. LinkedIn Twitter: @patelpost More about Max Prior to Bee, Max built and sold a machine learning company to Salesforce.com and traded equities in NY and London. Max holds a B.A. in South Asian Languages and Civilizations from the University of Chicago, where he graduated after spending two years at Deep Springs College. He lives in West Oakland. LinkedIn Twitter: @gasnerpants More about Bee Bee is a financial technology startup built on the principle that all Americans deserve convenient, high quality retail financial services. Bee has pioneered an innovative capital-light model using pop-up street teams and kiosks to sign up customers in-person for financial services at significantly lower cost than with traditional brick-and-mortar bank branches. Bee partners with Community Federal Savings Bank to offer alternatives to checking and savings accounts to its customers in New York and California. Bee has ambitious plans to expand its product offering and geographic footprint over the coming years. Its major investors are Blumberg Capital, AXA Strategic Ventures, T5 Capital, Fenway Summer Ventures, and Western Technology Investment Websites: www.onefinancialholdings.com and www.beecard.us Support the podcasts - A buck a show! I've decided to distill a lesson from the popular podcast series Hardcore History, by emulating their habit of asking everyone to send them "a buck a show." Some years ago, the show's host Dan Carlin realized the podcast was taking over his life - much as Barefoot Innovation has been doing with mine! He hit on the idea of asking listeners for "a buck a show," and eventually reached the point where he can devote himself to producing the series. Barefoot Innovation is produced part-time by me and two young, very talented helpers. One of them has a day job and the other is a full-time graduate student. If all our listeners will chip in a buck a show, we'll be able to expand our interviews, accelerate our pace (believe it or not, we currently run at a four- to five-month backlog from recording date to posting!), and be able to do some fun new things we have in mind for you. We'll appreciate any and all help to keep the show going, and growing! And remember to post a review on iTunes. Support the Podcast Subscribe to our Mailing List Sign up with your email address to receive news and updates. Email Address Sign Up We respect your privacy. Thank you!

In honor of Israel’s Independence Day, a panel of San Francisco-based experts share the latest on Israel’s high tech economy, the explosion in arts and culture, efforts to improve the lives of Israeli Arabs and Israel’s place in the world. Israel’s Consul General Akiva Tor speaks about efforts on college campuses to divest in companies that do business in Israel. Rabbi Brian Lurie, co-chair of the Inter-Agency Task Force on Israeli Arabs speaks about progress to open lines of communication and commerce between Jews and Arabs in Israel. Bruce Taragin of Blumberg Capital shared positive news about Israel’s growing high tech economy and amazing gains that have been made there in I.T. and Dr. Donny Inbar paints a glowing picture of the arts scene today in Israel.