Draper House Americas

🗽🇺🇸💙 Draper Founders Program Nyc! Apply here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eHQEyyxJ

I met Leon Zhang in a "tech trek" to SF organized by classmates from The Wharton School, in our first semester in the MBA. Fast forward almost 2 years, he's fresh out of Y Combinator. With BetterBasket (YC W24), he is helping food and beverage businesses increase margin and sell-through with an end to end approach to merchandising, using AI to recommend pricing and assortment changes. We had a conversation at #StartupSounds by Draper House Americas & Draper Startup House. Tune in to this episode to hear how Leon’s shaping the future of retail tech! Youtube 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/dEfw-fP5 Spotify 👉🏼https://lnkd.in/dk6j5VMi A few highlights of our conversation below.. The Complexity of Seasonal and Dynamic Pricing 📊 Leon observed that traditional retail approaches, like manual pricing for seasonal items, often limit retailers. While they may understand that certain products have seasonal demand and interact with other items—like an ingredient tied to certain holidays or events—they lack the technology to apply this insight at scale. Scaling Smart Pricing Solutions for Mid-Market Retailers in the U.S. 🇺🇸 Leon’s team is targeting mid-market retailers in the U.S., focusing on companies with around 50 to 100 stores. These businesses often struggle with the high costs and limitations of manual pricing processes but aren’t large enough to implement fully customized solutions. Delivering Rapid ROI with Automated Pricing Optimization 📈 Leon’s solution targets retailers eager for quick returns, knowing that once they see strong ROI, adoption follows swiftly. Automating pricing saves stores an average of 20 hours per week per location, while incorporating unused historical data helps forecast demand accurately: retailers achieve a 7-8% increase in margins across various SKUs. Rapid Digital Adoption in LatAm Retail Markets 🌎 Leon’s team sees enormous potential in Latin America, where retailers are embracing digital solutions at a remarkable pace. Unlike in the U.S., where legacy systems can slow down adoption, LatAm retailers are more agile, often moving directly to mobile and digital platforms without legacy hurdles. Automating Complex Pricing Decisions with AI 🔍 Retailers face many challenges in handling vast product inventories, with hundreds of SKUs, each competing against multiple products across various stores. Manually managing such complex pricing, including product complementarity—like pairing coffee with collagen supplements—is a tough task. Learning Through Mistakes: Lessons from Y Combinator 💡 Leon reflects on the invaluable experience of participating in Y Combinator (YC), where he and his co-founder learned not only from mentors but also from their peers. YC offered a supportive yet hands-off approach, allowing founders to make their own mistakes while learning how to tackle challenges independently.

the countdown is on! 🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾🇺🇾

Sebastián Musso, founder of SkyBlue Analytics (Techstars 23'), compares his experiences fundraising and selling in LatAm vs the US, in his #DraperFounderSpotlight on #StartupSounds by Draper House Americas full episode: Youtube: https://lnkd.in/dpXp-zBh Spotify: https://lnkd.in/dt8m-ZQr

What a night! We couldn't have pulled off such an impactful Startup Nightmare without the support of our incredible sponsors. A huge thanks to Litebox, Mana Tech, Sisu Powerhouse, Miami DDA, Draper House Americas, Whitefriar, Google for Startups, HyperGrowth Partners, and so many more. 🙌🌟 From our speakers’ insights to the unforgettable networking moments, your contributions made all of this possible. Thank you for helping us build a space where entrepreneurs can face their fears and turn challenges into growth. Here’s to the power of collaboration—see you all at the next edition! 👻💼 #StartupNightmare

🚀 Demo Day Draper Founders Program Montevideo 🇺🇾 On Thursday, November 21st, Draper House Americas will host the Draper Founders Program Montevideo Demo Day by Draper House Americas! Participants will present their startups from various sectors to a panel of investors, competing for two full scholarships to the #HeroProgram at Draper University, as well as the chance to receive funding from the Draper House Angel Club 👼🏼 An unmissable event for those eager to discover the future of innovation! 🌟 📍 Location: Innovation Campus - Uruguay Innovation Hub 📅 Date: 11/21 🕒 Time: 3pm 🔗 Register here! 👇🏽 https://lu.ma/6ldccsqs ignacio marchionna faré Santiago Caniggia Bengolea Ignacio Campo Mariano B. irene pasolini Julian De Muria Iñigo Redondo Matheus Rodrigues Gustavo Blanco Pablo Salomon Sara Goldberg AstroPay Zendesk WeInvest LatAm Uruguay Innovation Hub

🎙️ New Episode Alert on #StartupSounds! 🎉 Leon Zhang from BetterBasket (YC W24)

Should be awesome!

🎙️ New Episode Alert on #StartupSounds! 🎉 Today, we're joined by Leon Zhang, Co-Founder & CEO of BetterBasket (YC W24)! Leon’s mission? Helping food and beverage businesses boost margins and sales with a smart, end-to-end approach to merchandising—powered by AI-driven pricing and assortment recommendations. 📈🤖 Fresh out of Y Combinator, BetterBasket is on an exciting journey, and Leon will share what it’s like to be part of YC and what’s next for his team! A little about Leon's background: Born in the US and raised in China 🇨🇳, he studied Mathematics and Economics at the University of Chicago and was even on his way to an MBA at The Wharton School—before dropping out to build BetterBasket! 🚀 From asset allocation at PIMCO to strategic initiatives at Uber, Leon's path is packed with bold moves and impressive pivots. Tune in to this episode to hear how Leon’s shaping the future of retail tech! Youtube 👉🏼 https://lnkd.in/d-rtdM94 Spotify 👉🏼https://lnkd.in/dzw5bJmp Host ignacio marchionna faré

🚀 Demo Day Draper Founders Program Montevideo 🇺🇾 On November 21st, the Draper Founders Program Montevideo Demo Day by Draper House Americas will take place! Participants will present their startups from various sectors to a panel of investors, competing for two full scholarships to the #HeroProgram at Draper University, as well as the chance to receive funding from the Draper House Angel Club 👼🏼 An unmissable event for those eager to discover the future of innovation! 🌟 📍 Location: Innovation Campus - Uruguay Innovation Hub 📅 Date: 11/21 🕒 Time: 3pm 🔗 Register here! 👇🏽 https://lu.ma/6ldccsqs ignacio marchionna faré Santiago Caniggia Bengolea Ignacio Campo Mariano B. irene pasolini Julian De Muria Iñigo Redondo Matheus Rodrigues Gustavo Blanco Pablo Salomon Sara Goldberg AstroPay Zendesk WeInvest LatAm Uruguay Innovation Hub