Podcasts about series c

Phygital is the new digital.On Episode 2 of Couchonomics with Arjun Season 4, we sit down with Coenraad Jonker — Founder & Group CEO of Tyme — a digital banking pioneer who's built real scale across emerging markets.Tyme raised $250M in Series C. Reached a $1.5B valuation. Signed up 17M+ customers across South Africa and the Philippines. All while keeping CAC at one of the lowest levels globally.This isn't hype. This is hard-earned traction.  We break down regulation, scale, AI-native banks & why incumbents can't keep up.If you want to understand the next decade of retail banking — this is the conversation.

We're thrilled to welcome Amanda Frank to the next episode of Leadership Talks! With over 15 years of experience in the fast-paced world of hospitality, Amanda is a powerhouse executive known for her ability to drive results, build high-performance teams, and open markets with impact.Amanda has led the successful opening of more than 40 hotels, consistently surpassing RevPAR targets and raising the bar for operational and sales excellence. Her leadership journey spans from early roles as a Sales Manager to high-level positions including Regional Director of Sales and, most recently, Corporate Director of Sales at Kasa Living—a Series C startup redefining flexible accommodations. At Kasa, Amanda built the sales organization from scratch, scaling revenue from zero to over $3 million in just two years while also leading major cross-functional initiatives in product and technology.Previously, during her seven-year tenure at Evolution Hospitality, she oversaw the launch of 28 hotels, led nationwide training programs, and earned the prestigious President's Award for her contributions to both culture and performance.Amanda brings a rare blend of strategic vision and operational execution, making her a standout voice in leadership, innovation, and hospitality. In this episode, she'll share her insights on scaling teams, building culture, and leading through growth and transformation.Don't miss this inspiring conversation with Amanda Frank on Leadership Talks where real leaders share the stories behind their success.

What if your firm could cut its tech stack in half while delivering faster results to clients? In this episode, Blake and David explore the consolidation revolution in accounting software as practice management tools secure massive funding rounds. They also break down how private equity is reshaping the profession's business model, with some firms now prohibiting CPAs from using their credentials in email signatures. Plus, discover why a proposed Florida bill eliminating the Board of Accountancy could have nationwide implications for licensed professionals. Learn why shorter turnaround times—not lower prices—might be your most cost-effective path to happier clients in today's AI-transformed landscape.SponsorsOnPay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/onpayRelay - http://accountingpodcast.promo/relayREFRAME 2025 - http://accountingpodcast.promo/reframe2025 Payhawk - http://accountingpodcast.promo/payhawkChapters(01:14) - Today's Topics Overview (03:53) - Travel Stories and Observations (05:14) - Conference Highlights and Industry Insights (16:50) - Florida CPA Threat and Licensing Issues (21:21) - Private Equity in Accounting Firms (39:39) - IRS Workforce Reduction Update (44:04) - IRS and ICE Data Sharing Agreement (45:42) - Proposed Bill to Regulate Tax Preparers (47:37) - Americans' Perception of Tax Fairness (52:16) - Improving Client Satisfaction in Tax Services (01:01:36) - Consolidation in Accounting Tech: Xero and Bill.com (01:03:43) - Gusto Expands into AR and AP (01:12:02) - The Impact of AI on Accounting Jobs  Show NotesFirms with AI report higher per-employee revenue vs others https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/firms-with-ai-report-higher-per-employee-revenue-vs-others50% of finance teams still take over a week to close the books https://www.cfo.com/news/50-of-finance-take-week-to-close-books-ledge-month-end-close-time-cfo-three-day-close-myth-/746085/Shorter Turnaround Equals Happier Tax Clients https://www.cpatrendlines.com/2025/05/shorter-turnaround-equals-happier-tax-clients/Less than half of Americans believe federal income taxes are fair, Gallup poll finds https://news.gallup.com/poll/taxes-fairness-poll-2025.aspxFlorida bill threatens to eliminate Board of Accountancyhttps://www.goingconcern.com/florida-bill-threatens-to-eliminate-board-of-accountancy/13 regional accounting firms unite under Sorin brand backed by private equity https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/13-regional-accounting-firms-unite-under-sorin-brandBennett Thrasher rejects private equity, champions independence https://www.accountingtoday.com/news/bennett-thrasher-rejects-private-equity-champions-independenceInterest in accounting rising among students, CAQ survey finds https://www.thecaq.org/accounting-interest-students-survey-2025/Treasury to stop issuing and accepting paper checks effective September 30, 2025 https://home.treasury.gov/news/press-releases/paper-checks-phase-out-2025IRS and ICE reach agreement to share immigrants' tax information https://www.irs.gov/newsroom/information-sharing-agreement-ice-2025Bill to regulate tax preparers introduced in Congress https://www.congress.gov/bill/tax-preparer-regulation-2025Canopy raises $70 million Series C for practice management software https://www.canopytax.com/blog/70-million-series-c-funding-2025Thoma Bravo invests $100 million in HubSync for accounting technology growthhttps://www.hubsync.com/news/thoma-bravo-investment-100-millionXero and Bill forming alliance for embedded bill pay in the US https://www.xero.com/blog/2025/05/bill-partnership-announcement/Melio to embed payments for AR and AP inside Gusto https://www.melio.com/blog/melio-gusto-partnership-2025Need CPE?Get CPE for listening to podcasts with Earmark: https://earmarkcpe.comSubscribe to the Earmark Podcast: https://podcast.earmarkcpe.comGet in TouchThanks for listening and the great reviews! We appreciate you! Follow and tweet @BlakeTOliver and @DavidLeary. Find us on Facebook and Instagram. If you like what you hear, please do us a favor and write a review on Apple Podcasts or Podchaser. Call us and leave a voicemail; maybe we'll play it on the show. DIAL (202) 695-1040.SponsorshipsAre you interested in sponsoring the Cloud Accounting Podcast? For details, read the prospectus.Need Accounting Conference Info? Check out our new website - accountingconferences.comLimited edition shirts, stickers, and other necessitiesTeePublic Store: http://cloudacctpod.link/merchSubscribeApple Podcasts: http://cloudacctpod.link/ApplePodcastsYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheAccountingPodcastSpotify: http://cloudacctpod.link/SpotifyPodchaser:

In this episode of the SaaS Revolution Show, Alex Theuma sits down with Marcus Ryu - Co-founder of Guidewire and now a Partner at Battery Ventures - for an honest conversation about the highs, lows, and hard lessons of building and backing SaaS companies. Marcus shares how he went from pursuing a career in academia to leading a billion-dollar business, what it felt like to face years of rejection, and why he believes true founders don't chase easy wins — they lean into hard problems. He also talks candidly about the realities of being a CEO, the shift into venture capital, and whether AI is truly as transformative as it's hyped to be.Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

Immad Akhund is the CEO of Mercury. Launched in 2019, Mercury has raised $500M in funding from Sequoia, Coatue, CRV, Andreessen Horowitz and others. He is a former part-time partner at Y Combinator and is an active angel investor, with more than 350 investments in startups including Rippling, AirTable, Rappi, Applied Intuition, and Substack. In Today's Episode We Discuss: 04:38 Exclusive News: New Fund Announcement 05:15 Lessons from 350 Angel Investments 12:27 Why Founders Should Always Push for the Highest Price 14:40 Biggest Wins and Misses in Angel Investing 22:56 How Sequoia Came to Lead the Series C for Mercury 31:32 Why Move From Angel to VC 33:41 Is It Wrong For Founders to Also Have Funds with LP Capital? 36:28 AI Investments: Overhyped or Worthwhile? 41:14 Raising a First Time Fund: Challenges & Surprises 49:47 The Future of Venture Capital 54:36 Quickfire Questions and Reflections  

Host Alex Theuma is joined by Neha Sampat, Founder and CEO of Contentstack. In the episode, Neha shares: - Her journey as a serial entrepreneur - From New Kids on the Block fan club to Founder and CEO of Contentstack. - The Contentstack story: Scaling to 600 employees and raising $169M - The difference between being a bootstrapped vs VC funded founder - Life as a female entrepreneur: Giving back to the community, supporting women in tech, and the ERA framework - Key lessons from scaling Contentstack - Growing with Fortune 1000 customers: Why a human approach is key for technology adoption. Guest links: LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nehasampat/ Website - https://www.contentstack.com/ Kara Lawson talk mentioned: https://youtu.be/oDzfZOfNki4 Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

Arvind Parthiban, CEO of Super Ops, discusses the company's growth strategy following a recent $25 million Series C funding round. With a focus on artificial intelligence (AI), Super Ops aims to enhance its platform for managed service providers (MSPs) by developing innovative features that streamline IT management. Parthiban emphasizes the importance of being close to customers, revealing plans to relocate the leadership team to the U.S. and expand into European markets. The company is committed to building a strong presence in the MSP sector, leveraging AI to transform service delivery.Parthiban differentiates Super Ops' approach to AI from competitors by viewing it as a foundational element rather than a mere feature. He argues that while many companies are integrating AI functionalities, true differentiation lies in how these technologies are applied to solve real-world problems for MSPs. Super Ops has invested in a dedicated AI team in New Zealand, focusing on creating meaningful tools that enhance operational efficiency and service quality for its users.The conversation also touches on the challenges of data access for AI development. Parthiban acknowledges that while Super Ops has a growing customer base, competitors with larger datasets may have an advantage. However, he believes that the company can still leverage its existing data and partnerships to create valuable AI-driven insights and automation tools. He asserts that the focus should not solely be on data volume but also on the quality and applicability of the AI solutions being developed.Finally, Parthiban addresses concerns regarding Super Ops' marketing strategies, which some MSPs have described as aggressive. He defends the company's approach, likening it to common practices in the tech industry, while also expressing a desire to build trust within the MSP community. He clarifies that while the company is not currently monetizing its AI features, it plans to ensure that MSPs see tangible value before implementing any pricing changes. This strategy reflects a commitment to fostering long-term relationships with customers as the industry evolves. All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

We're online with Daniela Marino, CEO and co-founder of one of the best companies in Europe for tissue therapeutics, CUTISS.We discussed the story behind CUTISS and its current series C fundraising. We also discussed cell therapy in general and why kids are good at preventing burnout.---This episode is sponsored by CUTISS, the only TechBio company in the advanced clinical stage of developing skin tissue therapies. Learn how you can support CUTISS on its path to Series C success: https://bit.ly/flotbio-cutiss---⭐️ ABOUT THE SPEAKERIn 2023, Daniela Marino was named as one of the 30 Rising Leaders in the healthcare industry, thanks to the impact of CUTISS, the company she co-founded as a spin-off from the University of Zurich. Here, she and her team have made waves for people suffering from severe skin injuries and defects through regenerative medicine, tissue engineering, and skin pigmentation.

True Anomaly has just raised $260 million in a Series C funding round. The company, which develops spacecraft that can maneuver each other in orbit, will use the capital to ramp up production and support future missions. Co-founder & CEO Even Rogers joins Morgan Brennan to discuss securing and defending space.

True Anomaly has just raised $260 million in a Series C funding round. The company, which develops spacecraft that can maneuver each other in orbit, will use the capital to ramp up production and support future missions. Co-founder & CEO Even Rogers joins Morgan Brennan to discuss securing and defending space.

This week, we're running it back to one of our most popular episodes from 2023. Host Alex Theuma is joined by Mike Tessler, Managing Partner at True North Advisory and founding CEO at BroadSoft. Mike shares: - The BroadSoft journey: from its founding in 1998 , to going public on Nasdaq in 2010, and being acquired by Cisco in 2018 for +$1.8B - The process behind the decision to sell BroadSoft to Cisco - Three key lessons from scaling the business to +$500M ARR - How to build a realistic execution plan and hold teams accountable - Why senior leaders have to act as ambassadors as a company grows - BroadSoft's secret to success with go-to-market partners - The biggest partner technology challenge the industry is facing - How he handled feelings of loneliness when at the top Guest links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeltessler1/ Website: https://www.truenorthadvisory.us/ Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

The three-person Shenzhou-19 crew has returned to Earth. Satellite manufacturing company Apex has raised $200 million in a Series C funding round, and True Anomaly closes an oversubscribed $260 million round. Spire Global to design, build and operate 16 satellites with enhanced second-generation payloads for Myriota, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. Selected Reading China's Shenzhou-19 crew returns to Earth after 183-day space journey - CGTN Apex Raises $200 Million in Series C Funding to Increase Productized Satellite Bus Manufacturing Announcing Our $260M Fundraise Myriota Expands Agreement with Spire Global to Scale its IoT Constellation with 16 More Satellites Alpha FLTA006 - Firefly Aerospace UK researchers access more quantum and space Horizon funding - GOV.UK V2X Awarded $140 Million Task Order to Support a Key Space Force Tracking and Instrumentation Station Axiom Mission 4 Help Classify Galaxies Seen by NASA's James Webb Space Telescope! T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Apex, a space manufacturing company, secured $200 million in a Series C funding round on April 29, 2025. This round, led by 8VC and Point72 Ventures, follows a previous $95 million raised in Series B funding. Apex focuses on mass-producing spacecraft buses to meet the demands of clients, including the U.S. Department of Defense. The funding will enhance production capabilities and expand inventory for both government and private sector clients. Meanwhile, the first quarter saw $1.7 billion invested in VC-backed space startups, a slower progression compared to the total $12.5 billion invested in the previous year. Other notable funding rounds this year include Stoke Space at $260 million and Epirus at $250 million.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Dexter welcomes back Josh Foreman to discuss their global expansion and recent Series C capital raise.Josh first appeared on the show in 2020 and he shares the lessons he has learned from writing Indebted's first line of code to launching in 7 countries!Chapters00:00 Introduction to Indebted and Its Mission03:04 The Evolution of Technology in Debt Collection09:08 Disrupting Traditional Debt Collection Models15:00 The Future of Credit Infrastructure18:03 Lessons Learned and Strategic Insights30:42 Scaling a Global Business35:59 The Role of Intuition in Decision Making39:00 Raising Capital in a Challenging Environment45:41 The Future of Fintech and AI InnovationsFind out more about Indebted - https://www.indebted.co/careers/You can find previous episodes with Josh - 2020 - https://tieronepeople.com/2020/11/11/josh-foreman-indebted-fintech-australia-podcast/2022 - https://youtu.be/iA0j-yejKDQ?si=ibKW4oNXZUxHaJpgSend us a textSubscribe Newsletter: https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/fintech-leaders-7092732051488980992/Connect on Linkedin: https://bit.ly/3DsCJBp

Join us on this new episode of HR Like a Boss, where John sits down with Jocelyn King, CEO and founder of Virgil HR, to discuss her unique journey from HR generalist to tech entrepreneur. Jocelyn shares how her deep HR experience shaped the creation of a cutting-edge compliance platform and what it takes to scale both teams and technology in today's fast-paced business world. The conversation dives into the evolving strategic role of HR, the power of mentorship, and how tech can be a game-changer for compliance and growth. Whether you're navigating a startup or building partnerships at the executive level, this episode offers a roadmap for making a bigger impact through innovation and relationships.ABOUT JOCELYNJocelyn King, SHRM-SCP is the CEO and Founder of VirgilHR, a SaaS solution that empowers HR professionals to make smart, compliant employment and labor law decisions in real-time. HR has been the passion and focus of Jocelyn's entire career as she's supported high-growth technology start-ups and public companies throughout her tenure. She defines herself as a true HR generalist and has touched on all aspects of HR in her more senior roles. Jocelyn has strong expertise in creating and executing HR strategy, managing employee relations for multi-state and global organizations, developing a diverse and high-performing work culture, owning organization development and change management, and crafting the total reward, talent development, and talent acquisition strategies. In addition to HR, what has also remained consistent in her career has been technology. Jocelyn has worked for technology companies most of her career and, as an HR executive, has had the privilege of supporting executives and departments in all functions across the organizations. In her role as CEO for VirgilHR, she's displayed proven success in building a venture-backed technology company from the ground up. She has held previous roles as the Vice President of People, North America for Ocado Group, as well as Vice President of People for Cybrary, a Series-C start up. She's spent a majority of her career working with a range of tech companies from Pre-Seed to Post-IPO. Jocelyn earned her bachelor's degree in Liberal Studies from Georgetown University.

Rahul Vohra (Founder and CEO at Superhuman) joins SaaStock's Alex Theuma to discuss how Superhuman stayed ahead of the generative AI wave, how they're shaping the future of productivity with autonomous email agents, and why great products that delights users — not flashy marketing — are the key to viral growth. Rahul also opens up about the loneliness of being a CEO, his meditation practices, and the game design principles behind Superhuman's success. Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

Chainguard, a software supply chain security startup, secured $356 million in a Series D funding round, achieving a valuation of $3.5 billion. The funding was co-led by Kleiner Perkins and IVP, with new investors including Salesforce Ventures and Datadog Ventures. The valuation reflects a threefold increase from the previous valuation of $1.12 billion after a $140 million Series C round. Chainguard focuses on secure software development tools, particularly for open-source software, and reported an annual recurring revenue of $40 million, aiming to exceed $100 million by fiscal year 2026. The company has raised a total of $612 million since its founding in 2021. Cybersecurity investment remains strong, with Exaforce recently raising $75 million in a Series A round and total funding for VC-backed cybersecurity startups surpassing $2.7 billion in Q1 2024, a 29% increase from the previous quarter.Learn more on this news visit us at: https://greyjournal.net/news/ Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Medikabazaar news: From a $700M valuation to financial scandal engulfing the healthtech.Learn about inflated GMV, the $33M claim by Series C investors, governance failure, and the fallout.

Who's the top Bitcoin miner? We rank them in this week's news roundup. Plus Auradine raises a ton of money to bring Bitcoin mining manufacturing stateside.FILL OUT THE MINING POD SURVEY BY CLICKING HEREWelcome to The Mining Pod! In this episode, the gang breaks down the latest in Bitcoin mining with their weekly hash price update, showing prices hovering around $45 per petahash day with an expected 2.5% difficulty increase. We then flex to"Bitcoin Mining Mountain" - a spicy tier ranking of top mining companies based purely on vibes. The crew also discusses Auradine raising $153 million in Series C funding to expand ASIC manufacturing, dives into Luxor's derivatives market for hash rate futures, and concludes with Coinbase's alleged front-running controversy with their "Base is for Everyone" token launch.Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com# Notes:- Hash price currently at $45 per petahash per day- Expected 2.5% difficulty adjustment on April 19- Ordean raises $153M in Series C funding- Bit Deer ranked S-tier due to Tether investment- Luxor did $65M in notional volume in Q1- Hash rate growth projected to slow in 2025Timestamps:00:00 Start01:08 Difficulty Report by Luxor04:24 Ranking Miners26:27 Auradine raises $153 million32:42 Luxor Market Update44:12 Cry corner - Coinbase rugs ‘Base' usersPublished twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday!

FILL OUT OUR SURVEY BY CLICKING HERE Who's the top Bitcoin miner? We rank them in this week's news roundup. Plus Auradine raises a ton of money to bring Bitcoin mining manufacturing stateside.  Welcome to The Mining Pod! In this episode, the gang breaks down the latest in Bitcoin mining with their weekly hash price update, showing prices hovering around $45 per petahash day with an expected 2.5% difficulty increase. We then flex to"Bitcoin Mining Mountain" - a spicy tier ranking of top mining companies based purely on vibes. The crew also discusses Auradine raising $153 million in Series C funding to expand ASIC manufacturing, dives into Luxor's derivatives market for hash rate futures, and concludes with Coinbase's alleged front-running controversy with their "Base is for Everyone" token launch. Subscribe to the newsletter! https://newsletter.blockspacemedia.com # Notes: - Hash price currently at $45 per petahash per day - Expected 2.5% difficulty adjustment on April 19 - Ordean raises $153M in Series C funding - Bit Deer ranked S-tier due to Tether investment - Luxor did $65M in notional volume in Q1 - Hash rate growth projected to slow in 2025 Timestamps: 00:00 Start 01:08 Difficulty Report by Luxor 04:24 Ranking Miners 26:27 Auradine raises $153 million 32:42 Luxor Market Update 44:12 Cry corner - Coinbase rugs ‘Base' users Published twice weekly, "The Mining Pod" interviews the best builders and operators in the Bitcoin and Bitcoin mining landscape. Subscribe to get notifications when we publish interviews on Tuesday and a news show on Friday!

Matt Mullenweg on scaling Automattic to $500M ARR. In this episode of The SaaS Revolution Show, host Alex Theuma sits down with Matt Mullenweg, Co-founder of WordPress and Founder and CEO of Automattic — the company behind WordPress.com, WooCommerce, Tumblr, Beeper, and more. Matt shares the mindset, strategies, and lessons that helped him build one of the most impactful open-source businesses in the world — now generating over $500M in ARR, including: - The mindset and mission behind Automattic. - How AI is reshaping the WordPress ecosystem. - Key lessons from scaling to $500M ARR. - What his ‘ideal' work week looks like. - How he stays motivated as CEO. Guest links: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattm/ Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

Auradine Raises $153 Million in Series C to Boost Blockchain and AI InfrastructureCrypto venture fund Galaxy Ventures could hit a $180 Million fundraiseBitwise Launches 4 Crypto ETFs on London Stock Exchange

Consider Dilution in Setting Your Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup fundraising dilution is a key issue for founders. At each stage of funding investors will demand a certain amount of equity. Here's how much each round will cost a startup in equity: Pre-seed Typically funded by family and friends the cost of funding is 5 to 10%. Seed Angels take 5 to 10% while venture capitalists take 10 to 25%. Seed+ Most founders will need additional funding to carry the business forward.   Seed+ rounds cost the same amount as seed rounds. Series A Venture capital investors will seek 15 to 25% of equity at this stage. Series B Later-stage VCs look for 10% to 20% of the equity at this point. Series C and following. Growth equity investors look for 10% to 15% at this level. Consider the impact of dilution on your startup from fundraising.    Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

This week, we're running it back to one of our most popular episodes. Recorded live at SaaStock USA 2023, host Alex Theuma is joined by Jason Cohen, Founder of WP Engine. In the episode, Jason reflects on his multi-decade journey as a serial entrepreneur, and shares his lessons from building and scaling WP Engine into a SaaS giant, including: - His journey as a serial entrepreneur. - The science behind why your startup really is like your baby. - Founding WP Engine, the world's largest managed Wordpress platform - From bootstrapped to venture backed, the decision to raise money. - Why most founders shouldn't raise money—and how to know if you're one of them. - How to build a practical strategy that involves the whole team. - How to know your own strengths and why he replaced himself as CEO. Guest links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncohen/ WP Engine: https://wpengine.com/Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

refurbed, the leading online marketplace for refurbished products in Ireland has surpassed €2 billion in gross merchandise value (GMV) this year, marking a major milestone in advancing the circular economy both in Ireland and across Europe. Irish sales account for €100 million of this total, with over 300,000 products sold in Ireland since the company's launch. When it comes to sustainable tech purchases, Irish consumers rank among the top buyers across refurbed's eleven markets. They bought the second highest number of refurbished laptops out of eleven markets and the joint second highest number of tablets. Irish consumers are also marked the highest in terms of gifting cameras, buying twice as many cameras as a German consumer during the Christmas period. Audio devices, smartwatches and gaming consoles ranked the most popular purchases for Irish consumers, after smartphones and laptops. Speaking on the announcement, refurbed's co-founder and CEO Peter Windischhofer said: "Since refurbed's foundation, our mission has been to drive the circular economy and make sustainable consumption more accessible. Reaching €2 billion in sales is a clear sign that Europe is embracing this change, with Irish consumers buying into many different categories. "With more people prioritising the environment over e-waste and hyperconsumption, it is clear that this is not merely a trend, but a lasting priority. The planet can no longer sustain our level of production, so this momentum is extremely encouraging." refurbed's growth refurbed reached €1 billion in sales in 2023, doubling its GMV in just two years and signifying 100% total growth. refurbed has recently closed a €53 million Series C funding round, expanded its operations to now include eleven European countries and widened its offering to 25,000 products available on its marketplace. The company's growth and momentum reflect a shift toward sustainable consumption, driven by increasing consumer awareness of the negative impact of new technology production. Last year, refurbed earned B Corp certification for its commitment to social and environmental responsibility and transparency. To measure its impact, the company developed an ISO 14040/44 verified calculation model. On average, a refurbished smartphone saves 83% in CO2 emissions, 89% in virtual water, and 77% in electronic waste. Every product sold on refurbed's marketplace undergoes a rigorous refurbishment process of up to 40 steps, including data erasure and restoration to factory settings. To ensure customer confidence, each device comes with a 30-day free trial and a minimum 12-month warranty. Since its inception, refurbed has saved over 270,000 tonnes of CO2, 900 tonnes of e-waste, and 94 billion litres of water, planting more than 6.6 million trees. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

Foundersuite has established itself as the leading platform for startups raising capital, with $13 million in funding and a comprehensive suite of tools designed to streamline the fundraising process. In this episode of Category Visionaries, I sat down with Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite, to explore how his extensive background in investment banking and startup advisory evolved into building a specialized platform that's revolutionizing how founders approach fundraising. Nathan shares his journey from consultant to entrepreneur, and how Foundersuite has grown from a simple CRM into a robust platform serving startups from seed stage through Series B and beyond.   Topics Discussed: The evolution from an investment banking career to founding a startup focused on fundraising tools How Foundersuite narrowed its focus from a broad suite of founder tools to specialized fundraising solutions The strategic decision to target the seed through Series B segment as their primary market Building a sustainable marketing strategy through events, podcasting, and innovative guerrilla tactics The launch of Funding Stack, a new platform designed for VCs and fundraising consultants How AI is being integrated throughout the fundraising process to enhance efficiency and outcomes   GTM Lessons For B2B Founders: Start with your unique expertise: Nathan built Foundersuite based on his decade of fundraising experience, turning his specialized knowledge into product features. He explained, "I'm a one trick pony. The only thing I've done ever since college is raise capital for startups." B2B founders should leverage their deep industry expertise when defining their product category and value proposition. Be willing to kill good products for great focus: Despite positive user feedback on several products in their initial suite, Foundersuite made the difficult decision to eliminate tools that weren't core to their primary value proposition. Nathan recalls, "It was hard to kill something that people did love... but they weren't really paying as much for that." B2B founders should continuously evaluate their product portfolio against market traction and be willing to make tough decisions for greater focus. Define your "Goldilocks" customer segment: Foundersuite identified their ideal customer segment as seed through Series B companies—not too early (pre-seed) and not too mature (Series C+). Nathan explains, "Too early, you don't have any money, you can't pay us, you're not really fundable. Too late, you have a lot of other resources to help you raise capital." B2B founders should similarly identify where their product delivers maximum value and focus acquisition efforts accordingly. Use content marketing as a learning opportunity: Foundersuite's "How I Raised It" podcast not only serves as a marketing channel but also provides valuable market intelligence. Nathan shared, "I thought I knew everything about raising capital. And here I am just drinking from a fire hose... I'm learning more than my first six months of doing a podcast than I have in the last five years of actually doing the work." B2B founders should view content marketing as both a growth channel and a customer research tool. Implement annual marketing experiments: Foundersuite commits to trying one new marketing approach each year. Nathan explains, "One of the things I try and do every year... let's try a new, different marketing experiment." For 2025, they're implementing monthly webinars. B2B founders should similarly build experimentation into their marketing roadmap while maintaining their core channels.   //   Sponsors: Front Lines — We help B2B tech companies launch, manage, and grow podcasts that drive demand, awareness, and thought leadership. www.FrontLines.io The Global Talent Co. — We help tech startups find, vet, hire, pay, and retain amazing marketing talent that costs 50-70% less than the US & Europe.  www.GlobalTalent.co  

Host Alex Theuma is joined by Max Greenwald, Co-founder and CEO at Warmly. During the chat, Max shares candid learnings about his journey as a Co-founder and CEO and insights into how he's scaling Warmly. Tune in to hear: - How Max went from Google PM to building a high-growth SaaS startup. - The pivots that shaped Warmly's product-market fit (and what it meant for fundraising). - His approach to blitzscaling Warmly into a future billion-dollar company.

Emily Long is the co-founder and CEO of Edera, the pioneer of strong workload isolation technology for cloud and AI infrastructure. She places the highest value on people and bringing diverse teams together to build something that is greater than the sum of its parts. Emily is a tactical and strategic leader who’s proven in scaling operations, fostering strong company cultures, and driving strategic execution. She’s also an unapologetic people person who believes in the capacity of humor and human connection to motivate and empower team members to achieve more. Prior to Edera, she was the COO at Chainguard, where she built, scaled, and led core business functions that helped lead the company to its Series C and Unicorn status. Emily also served as Chief Operating & People Officer at Anchore, where she oversaw business operations and sales and spearheaded its DEI initiatives. She’s also held strategic operations roles at LogicMonitor and KPMG. Emily is based in Santa Barbara, California and holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Host Alex Theuma is joined by Go Nimbly CEO (and SaaStock USA Speaker) Jen Igartua for this episode packed with practical advice on making your GTM processes more efficient, including: - Why GTM efficiency is now critical for SaaS growth. - How AI and automation are transforming sales workflows. - The biggest mistakes SaaS companies make with their tech stack. - The tools that top RevOps leaders are using to drive revenue. - Why high-touch, relationship-driven selling is making a comeback. - What's next for Go Nimbly, including the upcoming RevFest event. Guest links: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jen-igartua Website: https://gonimbly.com/ RevFest: https://revfest.gonimbly.com/ Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

Superpowers for Good should not be considered investment advice. Seek counsel before making investment decisions. When you purchase an item, launch a campaign or create an investment account after clicking a link here, we may earn a fee. Engage to support our work.Watch the show on television by downloading the e360tv channel app to your Roku, AppleTV or AmazonFireTV. You can also see it on YouTube.Has your business been impacted by the recent fires? Apply now for a chance to receive one of 10 free tickets to SuperCrowdLA on May 2nd and 3rd and gain the tools to rebuild and grow!Devin: What is your superpower?Emily: Informed decision-makingCities across the world are grappling with rising temperatures, making outdoor spaces increasingly unlivable. The urban heat island effect exacerbates the problem, and traditional cooling solutions often come with high energy costs or water consumption. ThermoShade, founded by Emily Dinino, offers an innovative alternative—a cooling technology that provides relief without requiring electricity or water.ThermoShade's high-tech shade panels use passive radiative cooling, leveraging phase change materials to absorb heat during the hottest parts of the day and recharge overnight. “We saw a gap in the market,” Emily explained. “Shade alone is not cutting it. People and animals need a solution that provides real relief, and we're delivering just that.” These advanced panels can make shaded areas feel up to 20 degrees cooler than traditional awnings.Emily developed ThermoShade while earning her MBA at UCLA. Inspired by firsthand experiences of extreme heat in Los Angeles, she and her team conducted over 100 interviews with scientists, engineers, and potential customers to refine the concept. “We realized that most existing solutions required electricity or water—resources that aren't always available or sustainable,” Emily said. “By applying phase change materials in a new way, we created a cooling solution that's both effective and accessible.”Beyond urban environments, ThermoShade is exploring applications in agriculture, particularly for dairy farms where heat stress impacts cattle productivity. The company is currently conducting a pilot study with Fresno State to analyze how the technology can improve livestock health and efficiency.ThermoShade is currently raising capital through a regulated investment crowdfunding campaign on MicroVentures. “We believe crowdfunding makes sense for us because people understand the challenges of extreme heat,” Emily said. “It's an opportunity to engage the public in a solution they can benefit from directly.”With climate change making extreme heat an increasingly urgent issue, innovative and sustainable solutions like ThermoShade are more critical than ever. By leveraging advanced materials and smart design, Emily and her team are helping cities, communities, and industries adapt to a warming world without exacerbating the problem.tl;dr:ThermoShade's innovative panels use phase change materials to provide passive cooling, reducing heat by up to 20 degrees.Emily Dinino developed ThermoShade during her MBA at UCLA, conducting extensive research to refine the technology.The company is raising funds on MicroVentures to scale its impact and expand into new markets.A pilot study with Fresno State aims to assess the effectiveness of ThermoShade in agriculture, particularly for dairy cattle.Emily's superpower is informed decision-making—she synthesizes data, perspectives, and insights to drive innovation and solve complex challenges.How to Develop Informed Decision-Making As a SuperpowerEmily Dinino's superpower is informed decision-making—the ability to synthesize data, perspectives, and insights to confidently determine the best course of action.“Being a founder means navigating an overwhelming amount of input—from investors, customers, and advisors. I take in all that information, challenge assumptions, and make informed decisions that align with our mission,” Emily explained.One defining moment of this ability occurred in her role as a finance manager at an ed-tech nonprofit. Tasked with developing a 10-year strategic plan, Emily had to balance competing priorities from the board, funders, co-founders, and department heads. By distilling complex financial and operational data into a cohesive model, she secured buy-in from all stakeholders, ensuring the plan's success.For those looking to develop this superpower, Emily offers the following insights:Actively listen to diverse perspectives. Understand not just what people are saying, but why they believe in their approach.Challenge assumptions. Question conventional wisdom to uncover the best path forward.Use data to validate decisions. Gather and analyze information before committing to a course of action.Stay confident in your expertise. Recognize that while advice is valuable, you know your business best.Surround yourself with trusted mentors. Seek guidance from experienced individuals who can help refine your thinking.By following Emily's example and advice, you can make informed decision-making a skill. With practice and effort, you could make it a superpower that enables you to do more good in the world.Remember, however, that research into success suggests that building on your own superpowers is more important than creating new ones or overcoming weaknesses. You do you!Guest ProfileEmily Dinino (she/her):Founder and CEO, ThermoShadeAbout ThermoShade: ThermoShade's mission is to make cities and communities more resilient to climate change by providing a cooling alternative that is clean, effective, and affordable. ThermoShade is a high-tech passive cooling shade panel that can be affixed to any outdoor structure, creating a shady space that feels up to 20°F cooler than under a basic awning. Implementing ThermoShade will help avoid electricity related GHG emissions, improve grid resilience and affordability, deliver energy savings to customers, and improve public health and safety outcomes.Website: getthermoshade.comOther URL: https://invest.microventures.com/offerings/thermoshade?referral_code=ThermoShadeSuperpowersForGoodBiographical Information: Emily Dinino is the Founder & CEO of ThermoShade. She spent two years studying the problem of extreme heat as her master's thesis and is passionate about finding solutions to protect people and animals impacted by heat stress. Emily has extensive experience in finance and entrepreneurship across investment banking, venture capital, and nonprofit finance. She has been an investor in mission-driven technology and consumer companies from Pre-Seed to Series C and is intimately familiar with the challenges early-stage companies face. Emily holds a BA from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from UCLA Anderson School of Management.Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/emilydinino and linkedin.com/company/thermoshadeInstagram Handle: @getthermoshade, @emilydininoSupport Our SponsorsOur generous sponsors make our work possible, serving impact investors, social entrepreneurs, community builders and diverse founders. Today's advertisers include FundingHope, Pivotal Health, SuperCrowdLA and Crowdfunding Made Simple. Learn more about advertising with us here.Max-Impact MembersThe following Max-Impact Members provide valuable financial support:Carol Fineagan, Independent Consultant | Lory Moore, Lory Moore Law | Marcia Brinton, High Desert Gear | Paul Lovejoy, Stakeholder Enterprise | Pearl Wright, Global Changemaker | Ralf Mandt, Next Pitch | Scott Thorpe, Philanthropist | Matthew Mead, Hempitecture | Michael Pratt, Qnetic | Add Your Name HereUpcoming SuperCrowd Event CalendarIf a location is not noted, the events below are virtual.Impact Cherub Club Meeting hosted by The Super Crowd, Inc., a public benefit corporation, on April 15, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Each month, the Club meets to review new offerings for investment consideration and to conduct due diligence on previously screened deals. To join the Impact Cherub Club, become an Impact Member of the SuperCrowd.SuperCrowdHour, April 16, 2025, at 1:00 PM Eastern. Gene Massey, Chairman/CEO of MediaShares, will lead a session on "Secrets For Creating Great Content To Attract Investors." He'll share expert insights on crafting compelling content that engages and converts potential investors. Whether you're launching a crowdfunding campaign or looking to enhance your storytelling strategy, this session is a must-attend! Don't miss it!SuperCrowdLA: we're going to be live in Santa Monica, California, May 1-3. Plan to join us for a major, in-person event focused on scaling impact. Sponsored by Digital Niche Agency, ProActive Real Estate and others. This will be a can't-miss event. Has your business been impacted by the recent fires? Apply now for a chance to receive one of 10 free tickets to SuperCrowdLA on May 2nd and 3rd and gain the tools to rebuild and grow!  SuperCrowd25, August 21st and 22nd: This two-day virtual event is an annual tradition but with big upgrades for 2025! We'll be streaming live across the web and on TV via e360tv. Soon, we'll open a process for nominating speakers. Check back!Community Event CalendarSuccessful Funding with Karl Dakin, Tuesdays at 10:00 AM ET - Click on Events.Igniting Community Capital to Build Outdoor Recreation Communities, Crowdfund Better, Thursdays, March 20 & 27, April 3 & 10, 2025, at 1:00 PM ET.Asheville Neighborhood Economics, April 1-2, 2-25.Regulated Investment Crowdfunding Summit 2025, Crowdfunding Professional Association, Washington DC, October 21-22, 2025.Call for community action:Please show your support for a tax credit for investments made via Regulation Crowdfunding, benefiting both the investors and the small businesses that receive the investments. Learn more here.If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.If you would like to submit an event for us to share with the 9,000+ changemakers, investors and entrepreneurs who are members of the SuperCrowd, click here.We use AI to help us write compelling recaps of each episode. Get full access to Superpowers for Good at www.superpowers4good.com/subscribe

Here's the latest CPG news happening right now on March 19th, 2025 including Poppi Acquisition By Pepsi, Poppi Lawsuit Settlement, Trump Tariff Update, New Brand Mark's Snacks LaunchingPepsiCo just announced it is acquiring prebiotic soda brand Poppi for $1.95 billion, a major accomplishment for a brand founded less than ten years ago. This transaction echoes the year-on-year growth of the functional drink market, especially the better-for-you soda category, with competitor Coca-Cola launching Simply Pop just a few weeks ago and Olipop raising a $50 million Series C, valuing the rival prebiotic soda brand at nearly $2 billion. These industry moves might finally convince skeptics that gut-friendly and other healthier soda alternatives are here to stay, forcing traditional players to evolve and adapt to growing demand for less sugary drinks.As Pepsi was closing the deal on its $1.95 billion acquisition of Poppi (VNGR Beverages), the prebiotic soda maker is wrapping up another deal, this one with a class action group of consumers alleging they were misled by the drink's gut-health claims.The group asked the California federal judge presiding over the case to confirm a proposed $8.9 million settlement, a result it described as “exceptional compared with similar misleading beverage cases” in its motion for preliminary approval filed last Friday.In a statement shared with BevNET this morning, Poppi stated: “The class action suit filed against poppi in May 2024 has been settled. poppi acknowledges no fault, liability, or wrongdoing, and instead, we are focused on bringing consumers the innovation they expect from the brand they love. We're excited to move forward and continue our passion to modernize soda for the next generation.”The total settlement, according to the filing, breaks down to 0.75 cents per single 12 oz. can, $3 per 4-pack, $6 per 8-pack, and $9 per 12-pack or 15-pack. The class includes anyone in the U.S. who purchased Poppi between Jan. 23, 2020, and the settlement notice date.The three complaints lodged against Poppi last year, which were consolidated in September, take aim at one of the brand's core pillars: gut health, as reflected in slogans like “gut health never tasted this good” and “for a healthy gut.”The filings argued that the agave inulin Poppi uses as its primary source of prebiotic fiber was far too low to have any meaningful impact on the gut, and that the presence of sugars harms the balance of good bacteria in the digestive system.President Trump said last week he is doubling tariffs on Canadian steel and aluminum in response to Ontario adding a surcharge on its electricity exports to the U.S., hitting Michigan, Minnesota and New York. The latest increase, which brings levies on the goods to 50%, will go into effect Wednesday morning, the president wrote in a social media post. Trump also vowed to “substantially increase” tariffs on Canadian auto parts on April 2, if dairy and other tariffs are not dropped.Mark Samuel, Previous Founder of IWON Organics, is launching a new brand, suitably called 'Mark's Snacks. On Linkedin, he debuted the news and said "I said I'd never do it again. At the same time, I said I'd never live with regret. So, I'm diving back into CPG, making it even more personal this time around, please follow the journey at MARK'S SNACKS, it should be one heck of a ride!" Go to www.markssnacks.com and sign up for their e-newsletter for more updates on product, packaging, launch date, and more

Host Alex Theuma is joined by Sendspark Co-founder and CEO (and SaaStock USA speaker) Bethany Stachenfeld. In this 30 minute episode, Beth shares: - Her journey from Marketer to SaaS founder and CEO. - The Sendspark founding story and journey so far. - How Sendspark approaches differentiation. - Advice for founders differentiating their product at scale. - How to stay relevant in a fast-moving product space. And more! Guest links: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bethany-stachenfeld/ https://www.sendspark.com/ Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders

Host Alex Theuma is joined by Larry Kim, Founder and CEO at Customers.ai."With the benefit of hindsight, it could have been done with even less than $18M. I think what happens is when you raise money, it allows you to make bets that you might not have otherwise made had you been operating on the edge of a knife."In this 35 minute episode, Larry shares:– How he transformed a consulting business into a $55M ARR SaaS company.– The content marketing strategy that generated 50,000 leads per month.– Lessons from his $150M exit to Gannett (USA Today's parent company).– Why traditional inbound marketing is no longer effective in 2025.– How his new company, Customers.ai, is reshaping digital marketing and lead generation.– His learnings on bootstrapping vs. raising venture capital.Follow Larry Kim: https://www.linkedin.com/in/larrykim/ Website: Customers.ai Hear more from Larry Kim at SaaStock USA – He'll be speaking on the Founderpath Center stage sharing more on the WordStream journey and how to know when to sell.   Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders

When you accepted the offer, maybe you imagined being in the group photo when your boss rang the bell at NASDAQ. But five years later, your company just raised its Series C, and an IPO isn't on the horizon. Meanwhile, you need liquidity — whether it's for a down payment on a house, starting a family, or another major life event. The stock options you've earned are fully vested, but they're just sitting there. So how do you turn them into cash? If your company allows it, you can sell your shares to an accredited investor, assuming you can find a buyer who'll meet your price. That's where the secondary market comes in. I spoke with Phil Haslett, founder and Chief Strategy Officer at EquityZen, a platform that helps startup employees sell a portion of their equity to investors looking to get in on high-growth companies before they go public. We took a deep dive into how the secondary market works, its risks and rewards, and how aspiring founders can even use it to bootstrap their own startups. Disclaimer: This interview is for informational purposes only. Nothing Phil says should be interpreted as financial advice. RUNTIME 41:54 EPISODE BREAKDOWN (0:00) I used Descript to create an elaborate cold open for this episode, please listen. (3:19) The specific pain point that led Phil and Atish to start EquityZen. (5:11) “ I've kind of gone through maybe two or three evolutions of the IPO markets since EquityZen started.” (7:57) All things being equal, early-stage tech workers take on more risk than founders or investors. (9:12) Few workers are well-informed about the secondary market, “but it's not their fault.” (11:38) “ At some point, employees start to decide that maybe where they want to work — or maybe where they want to keep working — might be informed a bit by what they can or can't do with their equity.” (13:06) Should we keep the traditional four-year vesting schedule, or scrap it for something new? (14:14) Typical reasons why sellers turn to the secondary market. (16:25) EquityZen's typical selling size and average investment size, as of November 2024. (18:52) ” You're probably not gonna get a billion-dollar valuation for your shares purely based on structure alone.” (20:45) Keep close track of your equity, especially if you think you're going to be laid off. (22:20) Consult a financial services professional before you start the process. (24:16) “ The first steps are kind of just also learning if you can sell your shares.” (27:04) “ The company that you held shares in, if it went to zero: would you regret that you didn't sell?” (30:10) A framework for figuring out whether the secondary market is worth the time and trouble. (33:25) Offer your employees liquidity without jeopardizing morale or financial stability. (36:27) Phil's founder pitch: “ We're gonna support you all along the way. We can help you with liquidity in the future.” (39:16) Tips for approaching your CEO to ask about liquidity options. LINKS Phil Haslett, co-founder/Chief Strategy Officer Atish Davda, co-founder/CEO EquityZen Descript stock library: Music: She Was In Hawaii (Lap Steel) SFX: Bar Background Ambience 01 SFX: Ocean Waves Crashing Ambience SUBSCRIBE

Book referenced: Designing Your Organization by Jay Galbraith and Amy Kates Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders

One of our most listened to episodes, we're bringing back Keji Mustapha, CMO at Partech, who shares how the best founders scale themselves as their companies scale. "If more founders did that, they would probably enjoy what they were doing more. I mean, you quit your job and set out on this journey to build this incredible utopia that you see because you're excited about it. And then if you don't actually get to be excited about it because it begins to drain you, then it's all for nothing. And I think it's a shame. I think you should enjoy the journey while you're on it. And you can only do that if you set boundaries and make time for other things." Keji shares: • The importance of self-awareness and humility (that means knowing when you're not the best person for a task, and admitting it) • Her mantra for hiring great talent - emphasising that leaving a position unfilled is preferable to hiring the wrong person who creates problems for the team • At what stage a founder should get a virtual or executive assistant to help with workload • Why setting boundaries is absolutely essential for founders • Why leaning into imposter syndrome helps founders be better and more! Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders

Ninja One has secured $500 million in Series C funding, raising its valuation to $5 billion. This investment will enhance its capabilities in autonomous endpoint management, patching, and vulnerability remediation, while also facilitating the acquisition of DropSuite, a SaaS backup and data protection firm. Despite this growth, Ninja One faces criticism for lacking a robust cybersecurity strategy, which could hinder its competitiveness against rivals like Kaseya and ConnectWise. The absence of integrated security solutions means that managed service providers (MSPs) using Ninja One must seek additional security measures independently, potentially limiting their market appeal.Zoom Communications has issued disappointing revenue forecasts, indicating a decline in demand for video conferencing as companies shift back to in-office work. The company anticipates revenues below Wall Street estimates, reflecting a post-pandemic reality that is less favorable than the boom experienced during the pandemic. Although Zoom has integrated artificial intelligence into its tools, these enhancements have not yet proven effective in driving user adoption or revenue growth, suggesting that AI features may not be sufficient to differentiate the platform in a competitive market.In Europe, significant strides are being made in artificial intelligence, highlighted by the launch of the Open Euro LLM project aimed at developing open-source language models for all EU languages. This initiative, co-led by computational linguists, has a budget of €37.4 million and aims to preserve linguistic and cultural diversity. Additionally, the EU has introduced the Invest AI initiative, which seeks to mobilize €2 billion for AI investments, including the establishment of AI gigafactories. These efforts reflect Europe's commitment to enhancing its AI capabilities and reducing reliance on non-European technology providers.The Cybersecurity Maturity Model Certification (CMMC) is becoming increasingly important for MSPs looking to secure government contracts. While certification is not yet mandatory, companies are encouraged to pursue it to remain competitive in the market. The recent update from Sentinel Blue highlights the significance of CMMC Level 2 certification, as it demonstrates a commitment to cybersecurity standards. As the landscape evolves, MSPs without certification may find it challenging to compete, making it essential for them to consider obtaining this credential to attract higher-quality clients and enhance their market position. Four things to know today00:00 As NinjaOne Raises $500M, Its Cybersecurity Strategy Remains Unclear02:52 Zoom's Pandemic High Fades—AI Can't Save It Yet04:57 Europe's AI Push Gains Momentum—But Will Regulation Be Its Strength or Weakness?08:16 MSPs Without CMMC Certification Risk Losing Government Business—Here's Why  Supported by:  https://getflexpoint.com/msp-radio/ https://www.huntress.com/mspradio/  Event: : https://www.nerdiocon.com/ All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

Plus, Israeli startup Quantum Machines raises $170 million in a Series C round. And Apple says it will fix a transcription glitch that replaces “racist” with “Trump.” Julie Chang hosts. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

The AI observability platform has raised $70 million in Series C funding. © 2024 TechCrunch. All rights reserved. For personal use only. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Autonomous shipbuilder Saronic is raising $600 million in a Series C funding round that—within a year— quadruples its valuation to $4 billion. CEO Dino Mavrookas joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the challenges and delays in miliary shipbuilding, the company's $600 million Series C funding round, and making vessels that don't require humans.

Autonomous shipbuilder Saronic is raising $600 million in a Series C funding round that—within a year— quadruples its valuation to $4 billion. CEO Dino Mavrookas joins Morgan Brennan to discuss the challenges and delays in miliary shipbuilding, the company's $600 million Series C funding round, and making vessels that don't require humans.

In this episode of the SaaS Revolution Show our host Alex Theuma is joined by Nathan Latka, CEO and Chief Investment Officer at Founderpath (and the powerhouse behind SaaSOpen!), as he shares the truth about AI in SaaS ...and why it counters Microsoft's CEOs prediction. "I would get emails from real sales reps all the time that were terribly written and they'd go right to spam. I'd also get emails from CEOs that were really well written and I would click them or I'd reply and I engage. Nothing changes. All that changes now is that people with less resources can maybe get an outbound campaign going faster. But if you don't structure it in a way that captures the recipient's attention and gets them to reply like it's just useless, you're just spraying and praying. You're just paying for ChatGPT and credits that you know got you no value. So this is why the biggest in demand job towers here is going to be prompt marketing." Nathan shares: • His counter to Satya Nadella: how AI is transforming SaaS pricing to usage-based models ...not killing the industry! • While many SaaS companies are rushing to add AI labels to their marketing, the real opportunity lies in using AI to reduce friction points and help users reach value faster • Why ChatGPT and AI tools have replaced review sites as the go-to for software recommendations • The key to appearing in AI tool recommendations (and why it isn't about gaming the system) • The rise of "prompt marketing" - how to stand out in a world of AI-generated content • How domain ratings and SEO fundamentals will remain a crucial part for AI tool visibility and rankings and more! Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders

Here's the latest CPG news happening right now on February 9th, 2025 including Big Olipop Raise, Chubby Snacks Shuts Down, Oatly Hits ProfitabilityPosted onJust-Drinks.Com, US functional soda brand Olipop has raised $50m in a Series C funding round, bringing its valuation to $1.85bn.JP Morgan Private Capital's Growth Equity Partners led the investment round.In a statement, Olipop said the cash injection marked its “final anticipated round of equity financing”, after becoming profitable “in early 2024”.Olipop plans to use the proceeds to “drive product development, expand marketing efforts and diversify distribution channels”.It also looks to bolster its retail presence, add new products to its range, and “increase availability in spaces traditionally dominated by legacy sodas”.Olipop CEO Ben Goodwin said: “It's staggering and thrilling to have achieved a $1.85bn valuation after just five to six short years in market”.Frozen PB&J maker Chubby Snacks has unfortunately shut down operations as of February 2025. Coming off of multiple record-breaking sales months, our Chubb-O-Matic finally hitting stride and major corporate partnerships on the horizon, we were served with our biggest blow to date, a lawsuit from our massive corporate rival.Entrepreneurs are constantly taking blows, but over the last few months, we faced the hardest hits of our career. We lost everything and unfortunately fell into some of the worst situations imaginable with some of our best partners. Words can't explain the embarrassment or anxiety.I share this because it's important. No one gets into business thinking they'd ever be in this position but if you do, you know it's utterly brutal. A lot of people were negatively affected, not just ourselves. I'm truly sorry to everyone that was affected by our downfall.Leading oat milk maker Oatly has hit profitability since going public for the first time. According toBevnet.com,

Hudson Gilmer is the co-founder and CEO of LineVision. LineVision is a Series C-stage startup helping utilities monitor and increase the capacity of the vast network of transmission lines that serve as the vascular system of the U.S. electric grid. The U.S. transmission grid spans 600,000 to 700,000 circuit miles of high-voltage lines, connecting energy generation with consumption and delivering power across the country. This infrastructure typically lasts for decades, yet much of it was built before the advent of sophisticated software-based monitoring or persistent connectivity.LineVision provides a non-contact sensor and software system that detects issues with transmission lines and enables grid operators to safely increase their capacity—critical in an increasingly electrified world where grid constraints limit power delivery and building new transmission lines is a slow, multi-year process.We explore all this and more in our conversation with Hudson.In this episode, we cover: [2:06] An overview of transmission as one of the backbones of infrastructure in the US[7:00] LineVision's focus on high-voltage, long distance lines [8:53] Hudon's background and LineVision's origin story[12:41] LineVision's customers and who they work with[14:33] An overview of LineVision's product [19:31] How seasonality plays into transmission capacity [22:53] The lifespan of typical transmission lines [25:10] The future of transmission line monitoring [28:11] LineVision's funding to date [31:05] How LineVision's business could be applied in the future[33:30] How monitoring facilitated grid security[35:42] LineVision's  new customersEpisode recorded on Jan 30, 2025 (Published on Feb 13, 2025) Enjoyed this episode? Please leave us a review! Share feedback or suggest future topics and guests at info@mcj.vc.Connect with MCJ:Cody Simms on LinkedInVisit mcj.vcSubscribe to the MCJ Newsletter*Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant

In this episode of the SaaS Revolution Show our host Alex Theuma is joined by Aviv Canaani, CRO at Datarails, who shares how he helped move the company from 90% outbound to 90% inbound. "One of our best performing ads is something actually I saw, usually it comes from the team, but I saw this TikTok ad for I think it was a B2C company. Something like, someone asked a lady a question and whatever they ask she says 'yup'. 'Oh, does it do this?' 'Yup'. 'Does it do this?' 'Yup'. So I sent it to the team. I'm like, let's try to do something like that for Datarails. It's been our one of our best performing ads on TikTok. So I think it's really understanding, you know, the channel you're focused on and you have to create the fun, engaging videos that align with what works in the channel, but with our own spin of marketing, our own software." Aviv shares: • Diversification and reducing dependency on any single ad channel • TikTok success in B2B; from user-generated content to understanding the algorithm • Reducing attribution confusion: the simple switch the DataRails team made to categorise and analyse data • How they've scaled their marketing budget in direct proportion to AE hiring: their data-driven system that predicts meeting generation based on marketing spend • His transition from VP Marketing to CRO and his biggest learning managing sales teams • Combat rising ad costs: why creating platform-specific content rather than using a one-size-fits-all strategy is key and more! Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders

It was only appropriate that ASU's victory in the Big 12 championship game took place in Texas, as the Texas-to-Tempe movement has been such a critical factor in the Sun Devils' turnaround. One of the first players that arrive through that movement has developed into one of the key pieces of Arizona State's success. Defensive tackle C.J. Fite once committed to ASU under the prior staff, decommitted after the coaching change, but then recommitted once he saw the vision Kenny Dillingham planned to bring. In his second year, Fite blossomed into an All-Big 12 selection and a member of the Pat Tillman Leadership Council. Now an upperclassmen, bigger things are ahead. On this episode, we discuss his growth as a leader, winning the title in his home state, how the team can keep its edge, the most fashionable Sun Devil, and much more.

One of our most listened to episodes, we're bringing back Mark Roberge, Co-Founder at Stage 2 Capital, who shares his sales acceleration formula 2.0 with our SaaStock Founder Members. Mark dives deep into the Sales Acceleration formula followed by his previous company Hubspot. He also answers the questions posted by our SaaStock Founder Membership community. Interested in becoming a member? Apply to SaaStock Founder Membership to supercharge your growth: https://www.saastock.com/founder-membership/Check out the other ways SaaStock is serving SaaS founders

Today's show: The AI revolution is about to hit your household—Jason and Alex break down how general-purpose robots, AI-powered chicken coops, and voice clones are redefining daily life and work. They dig into OpenAI's sky-high valuation, the surprising rise of DeepSeek's R1 model, and why the AI cost curve is dropping at an insane pace. Plus, the latest on AI hardware, antitrust battles, and why the “No Buy 2025” trend could change how we think about consumer tech. * Timestamps: (0:00) Jason and Alex kick off the show. (3:10) Episode topics overview and fan participation (5:48) Meta's Ray-Ban smart glasses discussion (9:27) Paddle. Go to https://www.paddle.com/twist to get started with your exclusive listener fee-free period. (11:05) 11 Labs' Series C funding and voice cloning technology (18:09) Automation's impact on jobs and ethical considerations (20:05) Northwest Registered Agent. For just $39 plus state fees, Northwest will handle your complete business identity. Visit ⁠https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today. (21:22) Market trends towards sustainability and AI in smart chicken coops (27:04) Y Combinator's AI startup focus and investment considerations (29:47) Scalable Path. Get 20% off your first month at https://www.scalablepath.com/twist (31:42) AI in compliance, auditing, and personal staff replacement (35:06) AI development tools, hardware investments, and data trust issues (39:29) AI company valuations, OpenAI's revenue, and AI commoditization (51:04) AI ethics, SoftBank's strategy, and audience questions on AI hardware (59:27) Government AI funding, DOJ suit, and tech industry commoditization (1:09:21) AI advancements, consumer electronics costs, and computing hardware trends (1:12:08) Closing thoughts on technology's impact on life and teaser for next week * Subscribe to the TWiST500 newsletter: https://ticker.thisweekinstartups.com Check out the TWIST500: https://www.twist500.com Subscribe to This Week in Startups on Apple: https://rb.gy/v19fcp * Follow Alex: X: https://x.com/alex LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexwilhelm * Follow Jason: X: https://twitter.com/Jason LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasoncalacanis * Thank you to our partners: (9:27) Paddle. Go to https://www.paddle.com/twist to get started with your exclusive listener fee-free period. (20:05) Northwest Registered Agent. For just $39 plus state fees, Northwest will handle your complete business identity. Visit https://www.northwestregisteredagent.com/twist today. (29:47) Scalable Path. Get 20% off your first month at https://www.scalablepath.com/twist * Great TWIST interviews: Will Guidara, Eoghan McCabe, Steve Huffman, Brian Chesky, Bob Moesta, Aaron Levie, Sophia Amoruso, Reid Hoffman, Frank Slootman, Billy McFarland * Check out Jason's suite of newsletters: https://substack.com/@calacanis * Follow TWiST: Twitter: https://twitter.com/TWiStartups YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/thisweekin Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thisweekinstartups TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@thisweekinstartups Substack: https://twistartups.substack.com * Subscribe to the Founder University Podcast: https://www.youtube.com/@founderuniversity1916

The episode highlights the fallout of DeepSeek, an open-source large language model that has gained traction for its cost-effectiveness and performance. Microsoft has integrated DeepSeek's R1 model into its Azure AI foundry and GitHub, while businesses like ZoomInfo report substantial cost reductions by switching from OpenAI's models to R1. However, the rise of DeepSeek raises concerns about data privacy, bias, and security, particularly given its reported vulnerabilities and the influence of the Chinese government.Sobel also covers the U.S. Copyright Office's recent clarification regarding AI-generated content, stating that such content can receive copyright protection if a human significantly contributes to or modifies it. This announcement aims to address the legal gray areas surrounding AI and copyright, providing clearer guidelines for IT service providers and content creators. The episode emphasizes the importance of human creativity in copyright law while acknowledging that the subjective nature of "significant human involvement" could still lead to legal disputes.In addition to copyright issues, the episode discusses Super Ops' successful $25 million Series C funding round, which positions the company to enter the direct IT market with an AI-powered endpoint management tool. This move reflects a broader trend in the IT service market toward automation-first solutions, as companies like Super Ops and Syncro seek to enhance operational efficiency. Sobel advises IT leaders to remain cautious about efficiency claims and to evaluate real-world performance before adopting new technologies.Finally, the episode delves into the ethical implications of data usage in AI development, particularly in light of OpenAI's allegations against DeepSeek for potentially misusing its API. Sobel critiques the hypocrisy of OpenAI's outrage over data theft, given its own history of data collection practices. The discussion raises fundamental questions about the future of AI development, the legal frameworks governing it, and the potential for commoditized AI models to benefit both service providers and customers. As the landscape evolves, Sobel encourages listeners to stay informed and engaged with these critical issues. Four things to know today 00:00 Cheap AI Comes at a Price: DeepSeek's Rise Sparks Security and Bias Concerns04:31 AI Can Be Copyrighted—As Long As a Human Puts in the Work, Says U.S. Copyright Office07:32 SuperOps Lands $25M—And a Spot in the Direct IT Market With AI in Tow09:01 AI's Ultimate Irony: OpenAI Furious Over Data Theft… After Doing the Same?   Supported by:  https://www.huntress.com/mspradio/   All our Sponsors: https://businessof.tech/sponsors/ Do you want the show on your podcast app or the written versions of the stories? Subscribe to the Business of Tech: https://www.businessof.tech/subscribe/Looking for a link from the stories? The entire script of the show, with links to articles, are posted in each story on https://www.businessof.tech/ Support the show on Patreon: https://patreon.com/mspradio/ Want to be a guest on Business of Tech: Daily 10-Minute IT Services Insights? Send Dave Sobel a message on PodMatch, here: https://www.podmatch.com/hostdetailpreview/businessoftech Want our stuff? Cool Merch? Wear “Why Do We Care?” - Visit https://mspradio.myspreadshop.com Follow us on:LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28908079/YouTube: https://youtube.com/mspradio/Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/mspradionews/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mspradio/TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@businessoftechBluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/businessof.tech

SpaceX launched lunar probes for Firefly Aerospace and Japan's ispace destined for the lunar surface. Loft Orbital has raised $170 million in a Series C funding round. Slingshot Aerospace has been awarded $1.9 million from the USSF's Space Systems Command to further develop the Company's existing GPS jamming and spoofing detection, and more. Remember to leave us a 5-star rating and review in your favorite podcast app. Be sure to follow T-Minus on LinkedIn and Instagram. T-Minus Guest Our guest today is Chad Anderson, Founder and Managing Partner at Space Capital. You can connect with Chad on LinkedIn, and learn more about Space Capital on their website. Selected Reading Two lunar landers launch to the moon aboard a SpaceX rocket Announcing Loft's $170M Series C Slingshot Aerospace Selected to Provide Technology to USSF to Detect GPS Jamming and Spoofing Threats to International Security- Business Wire Varda's Second Mission, W-2, Launches with Payloads from Air Force Research Laboratory and NASA D-Orbit Launches Two Orbital Transportation Missions with ION Satellite Carrier  ICEYE launches four new satellites, supporting additional customer missions Planet Launches High-Resolution Pelican-2 Satellite & 36 SuperDoves- Business Wire Pixxel Launches World's Highest-Resolution Hyperspectral Satellites, Kickstarts Firefly Constellation for Climate Action- Business Wire constellr Launches First Satellite, Ushering in a New Era of Global Thermal Monitoring- Business Wire SpaceX Space startup funding set for boost from US-China rivalry in 2025, report says- Reuters China plans to build enormous solar array in space — and it could collect more energy in a year than 'all the oil on Earth'- Live Science 10 predictions for the space economy in 2025 A NASA astronaut may have just taken the best photo from space—ever - Ars Technica Astrophotography and the ISS with Don Pettit. T-Minus Crew Survey We want to hear from you! Please complete our 4 question survey. It'll help us get better and deliver you the most mission-critical space intel every day. Want to hear your company in the show? You too can reach the most influential leaders and operators in the industry. Here's our media kit. Contact us at space@n2k.com to request more info. Want to join us for an interview? Please send your pitch to space-editor@n2k.com and include your name, affiliation, and topic proposal. T-Minus is a production of N2K Networks, your source for strategic workforce intelligence. © N2K Networks, Inc. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices