Milad Alucozai’s Post

Right now I am in Berlin. Althought it has been 3 weeks. Sometimes it feels I take 1 step forward, 2 steps back, 1 step forward 1.3 back. Until you get back to Day zero. The very beginning of a founder’s journey that is steeped in uncertainty. But when nothing is certain, everything is possible. And that’s what Antler is committed to helping founders pursue and make real—the possible. I found my cofounder (most probably) and working on an idea that can impact many. After expanding to 25 cities, enabling 5,000+ founders, and helping create and investing in 600+ companies, we evolved our brand to reflect that commitment and the reason Antler exists: to stand behind our founders from day zero and to keep backing them on their paths to greatness. We’ve coined a new phrase to capture this: day zero investing. Read what day zero investing means here: https://lnkd.in/efXi57_B #dayzero #dayzeroinvesting #founders #startups

As venture investors and support systems push into the heartland from concentrations on the coasts, some regions are seeing more of a surge. Read about how Columbus is putting the pin in the startup ecosystem! 📍🚀 https://ow.ly/VcUU50PvRiB

Let me first say congratulations to Aishwarya Srinivasan on becoming an Angel Investor with Hustle Fund's Angel Squad! 🎉 That's fantastic news! And what a thoughtful gift from Brian Nichols with that lovely cup and inspiring quote. Wishing you all the best as you embark on this exciting journey of supporting and empowering great founders! Technological advancements continuously reshape our economic landscape, creating boundless opportunities for both aspiring and established entrepreneurs. History teaches us that even the most formidable corporations can be outpaced by these shifts, often due to bureaucratic hurdles. In contrast, startups, unencumbered by rigid structures, excel at swiftly adapting to emerging technologies and pioneering innovative solutions. Take the example of Blu-ray DVDs and the rise of internet streaming. While traditional corporations focused on enhancing DVD technology, startups like Netflix revolutionized entertainment with streaming services, fundamentally changing consumer habits. Blockbuster's decline, despite efforts to enter the streaming market, underscores the disruptive power of agile startups. This dynamic environment presents an unprecedented opportunity for aspiring entrepreneurs. However, success requires more than just hard work—it demands unwavering passion. The entrepreneurial journey is challenging, but passion fuels resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. As we navigate this landscape of innovation, let's remember that genuine passion is the key to enduring success. Here's to many successful investments and impactful collaborations ahead! 🚀👏😊

🎉 Today is a 𝐁𝐈𝐆 day as Allocate turns 3! 🎉 Below is a picture taken just one week after we closed our seed round. When we started Allocate, it was based on a decade long observation of the broken nature of private markets for investors. Our goal was to build a private market engine that drove the transparency, ease, liquidity, and access historically seen only in the public markets. It’s still early days, and like all startups, we've learned a lot from our customers, partners, investors, and each other along the way. Solving difficult problems is hard, and building a startup is an all-consuming experience—you wake up and go to sleep thinking about it EVERY DAY. Days blend into each other, highs and lows are the daily price of admission, and things usually take longer than you’d like. But these are all things you start to embrace, loving the thrill of building something that could positively impact many people. After 22 years working in the corporate world at organizations that, despite being excellent, I couldn’t imagine not working at a startup ever again. We’re excited to announce new products soon, and to date, we've been fortunate to grow with the support of: • 46 full-time employees • Over $33MM in funding, including M13 SignalFire Basis Set Fika Ventures INTERA Investments Broadhaven Capital Partners Gopher Asset Urban Innovation Fund Tusk Venture Partners Ulu Ventures Anthemis Group Bedrock Unshackled Ventures and so many others. • Nearly $750MM in capital deployed by users through Allocate (AUM/AUA) • Partnerships with over 65 unbelievably high-quality venture capital firms since inception As we move into our 4th year, we know the real hard work is just beginning and there will be lots of challenges ahead. We sincerely appreciate everyone who has supported us, especially those who were there at the beginning like in the picture below.

Last week Raj Kapoor and I had fun doing this interview with VCwire about Climactic and my proudest response is below. Being serial founders and seasoned investors has really helped us to be both empathic with our portfolio CEOs and give them solid, honest advice from both sides of the table. VCWire: Beyond capital, how do you support startups?   Josh: Climactic is built to be an extension of our founders’ management teams. As repeat founders and investors, (who have worked with over 100 founders and have 40 + years of collective experience) we’ve scaled companies with multiple high-profile exits under our belts, and bring an unparalleled breadth of experience to help them scale and navigate through some of the toughest challenges they’ll face.  https://lnkd.in/g5pCEVRh

"I disagree with the notion that investors are just moving upstream. Pre-seeds are not the new seeds. Seeds are not the new Series A. Everyone is just a different flavor of early-stage investor deciding how they will slice up the universe of early-stage opportunities." - Rob Go So are you a hammer, defining stages in narrow terms? 🔨 Or are you a pair of hands, investing more flexibly into the early-stage market? 🤝 Check out Rob's latest blog post to find out: https://lnkd.in/dqHREQeS #venturecapital #startups

I'm thrilled to join forces as an Angel Investor with Hustle Fund's Angel Squad! Thank you Brian for this lovely cup. I love the quote "Great founders can look like anyone" 😄 As part of Microsoft for Startups and having worked with startups before, I've been fortunate to witness firsthand how startups are often leading the charge when it comes to AI breakthroughs. What truly captivates me are the talented entrepreneurs behind so many of these advancements - their dynamism and ingenuity shape the startup ecosystem, where groundbreaking ideas flourish and reshape industries. While I'm deeply passionate about various domains, I've come to realize there are only so many hours in the day - I can't possibly build everything I envision. However, I'm eager to channel my enthusiasm and expertise into supporting brilliant founders whose vision resonates with mine. Angel investing, for me, isn't just about financial backing - it's about nurturing budding entrepreneurs, empowering them to realize their wildly imaginative dreams, and contributing to the evolution of transformative technologies. The opportunity to join Hustle Fund, known for its commitment to backing hustlers at the early stages is stirring. If you're curious about the exhilarating world of startups, eager to explore the realm of Angel investing, or simply want to connect and exchange ideas over coffee, I'd love to hear from you! #angelinvestor #ai #startups

Exciting News from the Creator Fund Kick-off Event ! 🚀 I'm thrilled to announce my new journey as a Venture Fellow with Creator Fund for the upcoming year! 🌟 Over the past 12 months, I've been deeply immersed in the world of entrepreneurship, learning the ins and outs of founding a startup while building Transpexa from the ground up. ⭐️ Today, I'm excited to pivot and explore the other side of the equation: venture capital. Balancing my academic journey with this role allows me to explore a new dimension of the startup ecosystem, enriching my understanding of entrepreneurship and venture capital. I'm eager to dive headfirst into understanding how VCs work, from identifying promising startups to learning about due diligence. 📝 My aim is to gain a holistic perspective equivalent to that of an associate at a Venture Capital firm. 🌐⚡️ Academia and the entrepreneurial world share striking parallels - both places where innovation thrives, and where you can drive real change. My academic journey has instilled in me a passion for pushing boundaries, and now, I'm excited to channel that drive into my role at Creator Fund. 🚀 Creator Fund invests in deep tech companies at pre-seed and seed stages. Do you know of any cool upcoming startups in the ecosystem? Would love to hear your thoughts. 📩 #VentureFellow #CreatorFund #StartupEcosystem #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship 

🌱 Ready to Fuel Your Startup? Let's Dive into Seed Capital! 💰 Starting your own venture? Seed capital is the spark you need, igniting growth, marketing, and talent. 🚀 Venture capitalists and angel investors are your compass, guiding you through this exciting phase. ✅ Here's your roadmap to rockin' seed capital: Prep Like a Pro: Equip yourself with a killer business plan, cost projections, and a deep investor insight. Forge Connections: Networking and mentorship programs, like incubators, open doors to potential backers. Team up with enthusiastic supporters who've walked the path. Direct to Dream: New to the scene? No sweat. Connect directly with the VC community. Network your way up! Crowd-powered Momentum: Platforms like Kickstarter are your ticket to swift seed capital. Thanks to the JOBS Act, investing's now everyone's game. Lead the Charge: A lead investor is your anchor in the seed stage. They fuel the fire and set the course for future funding. Optimism and Transparency: Stay positive while being transparent about projections, even the "what-ifs." Remember, seed capital equals equity financing – trading ownership for support. Angel investors bring more than funds, while venture capitalists seek solid plans and projections. 🌟 Your startup's blockbuster begins here. Ready to seize the moment and make your mark? Let's do this!.🚀 #StartupSpark #SeedCapitalSuccess #TrailblazingTogether

In the news this morning... The last two ventures I worked on full time in the decade, MindBridge and Solink each raised over $50M. As I promised to many friends, I will share over the months to come in full transparency while respecting my confidentiality agreements what it means to create an AI venture, the lessons learned, dos and don't within Fresh Founders offline, but sometimes here on Linkedin in the hope that others take the leap of faith and exploit the transformative power that AI is. So here's the first, this is my departure memo to the team last Friday, I wish every entrepreneur to experience what it means to have an idea to modernize an industry, be lucky to work with a team capable of making it happen, never give up no matter the obstacles, and succeed. We were a bit early on timing, which made it harder, but thanks to so many people, too many to list, we succeeded. My initial plan for this company was to build a professionally run organization that endures the test of time, and goes beyond me. I can assure you that I am leaving with more capable hands than me to do everything that needs to be done and the best is yet to come. Words are short to describe my gratitude to current, past and recent employees, shareholders and partners who helped us along the way make that a reality. The odds truly were against us. One of the biggest challenge was acquiring talent and executives from ottawa, before remote work, while "the big green monster"(Shopify), was hiring everyone in town on their path to IPO and explosive growth and companies as Assent also growing extremely fast but we did it. Never doubt that a company's success is the result of the work of its people. Forget my "founder" title... for me, this is a big "WE DID IT", with each employee, each executives that came by and lifted us up, the founding team, cofounders, and our early investors who took a big get on us. The best part? I am leaving an organization I wished existed when I started my career in tech, with a competent executive team, a clear market, global recognition and people that care to build things the right way... and with big news this year, and more to come. Thank you Linkedin friends, some of you don't even realize how much some of the basic comments of support you shared at each victory were uplifting, because doing something like a MindBridge is not that easy! Especially while trying to have a family life and not get overweight with all the good food at conferences and customer dinners! Next: working on a specific idea in accounting tech again, but also helping people across Fresh Founders to get to this stage faster, smarter and better than I did and investing on ai ventures. Full article from Sean Silcoff the The Globe and Mail below in the comments ps: congrats team Solink !!!