GoDutch’s Post

Always great to share what else we do, like support upcoming fintechs and startups. One of our fintech partners, who won in our Mastercard for Fintech event last year has subsequently been nominated as the startup of the year by MT Sprout. GoDutch see themselves as setting a new standard for better, fair and sustainable banking. Read more about why they were nominated and who they are up against in the link they shared below, to keep up with upcoming innovations! If you feel like it, why not vote for your favourite one. Mastercard has different channels through which fintechs are supported with product development, funding and exposure. Additional support in sourcing suitable partners, marketing and access to learning tools. Continuing to do well by doing good, partnering with leading startups. #mastercardemployee #mastercardforfintech #startups

🎉 100 Followers Strong: Thank You, Visey Community! 🎉 Today, we’re celebrating a milestone that’s so much more than a number—it’s the first 100 believers in our vision. Each one of you represents a step forward on this exciting journey, and we couldn’t be more grateful. To every follower, liker, and supporter: Thank you for being part of the early days of Visey. Your belief fuels our mission to connect businesses, empower startups, and create a community where growth knows no bounds. This isn’t just about us; it’s about all of us building something meaningful together. ✨ Our next goal? Turning 100 into 1,000. But we’re not chasing numbers—we’re building a movement. A network of businesses, dreamers, and doers, united by the shared belief that we grow best when we grow together. So here’s to you, our community, for making this possible. Let’s keep building, connecting, and celebrating every step of this journey. 🚀 If you’re excited about what’s ahead, let’s spread the word. Share, invite, and let’s grow this community of builders and believers. Thank you for being here. ❤ Let’s do this! What’s one thing you’d love to see from us as we grow? Drop your thoughts below – we’d love to hear from you!  #Visey #CommunityFirst #Milestones #Gratitude #100to1000

🚀 Exciting News: I am joining UnderdogX! I’m thrilled to be part of this amazing community of founders, innovators, and changemakers! Joining UnderdogX means stepping up my entrepreneurial journey and building Posinnove in public—our project-based learning platform designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice in education. Why am I doing this? I believe education should do more than just teach theory. It should empower learners to gain real-world experience and access job opportunities. That’s why my co-founder and I started Posinnove, a platform where learners work on real projects designed to meet industry needs. By joining UnderdogX, I look forward to learning from other founders, finding new opportunities, and sharing my journey with all of you. Building in public is about more than just visibility—it’s about collaboration, inspiration, and growth. Follow @UnderdogX for updates on founder opportunities and support. I’m ready to take this next step, and I can’t wait to share more of what’s coming! #BuildInPublic #Entrepreneurship #FounderJourney #Posinnove #UnderdogX

#BestoftheWeek, 26 October | Major change at Tata Trusts, startups going public and finance pros flunking Sebi exam, here's a look at Mint's best works from the week gone by (Siddharth Sharma writes)

Building a startup is tough. Building one with awesome co-founders? Still tough. But so worth it! When you're surrounded by incredible people, you feel two things: 1️⃣ Unstoppable 2️⃣ Super accountable Here’s the thing: co-founders don’t get enough recognition. Why? Because “the CEO is the face of the company.” Let’s change that. Today, I want to give a massive shoutout to Anna and Félix - my incredible (and not always easy 😅) co-founders. 💡 Anna: + Designed a consent collection process that led to 2k+ opt-ins in just 6 months (pharma industry, no less!). + Managed a multi-million-dollar project with a team of 7 - at just 26 years old. 💡 Felix: + Crafted 300+ products (yes, you read that right). + Built a marketplace that sold 75k cars in just 2 years. + Developed and handled the complexities of a highly regulated online casino. And to Mo and Dheker, who tirelessly work behind the scenes with us: You guys are AWESOME. 💪 🚀 This is the team that inspires me every single day. Co-founders, colleagues, teammates - take a moment to give them the credit they deserve. Who’s your biggest source of inspiration? Tag them below ⬇️

Startup fairs = wasted time (for most early-stage founders) In my experience, attending these events can cost early-stage founders more than it returns. Here’s why: 1️⃣ Time and budget get drained on travel, setup, and days away from core tasks. 2️⃣ Too much hype, not enough genuine, actionable conversations for those still solidifying their product. Exceptions: 👉 Actively fundraising? These events can connect you with the right investors. 👉 Looking for targeted partnerships? Niche fairs might offer the exposure you need. For most, though, the ROI just isn’t there. Am I the only one thinking like this? Good luck to all the founders at Slush!

Do not join the Sparklers. It's 500+ people bantering about brand, creative, strategy, and more. The recent conversation: A celeb association with a brand and how off-tangent it was according to some Do not join the Sparklers. It's where you'll get the link to the exclusive sessions first - before the world It's where you get first dibs about thoughts in my head It's unfiltered as hell, yet beautiful at the same time Do not join the Sparklers. It's where I ask you what you want to hear about and from whom So I can help you learn, grow and thrive Do not join the Sparklers. But the link is in the comments 💜 Do not join the Sparklers. It might just be one of the most exciting groups you're in #VanshiChats 🧿💜 Shoutout to communities who collaborate 💜 StartupNews.fyi

🥳 We hit the 10,000 followers on LinkedIn! 🥳 This 🔟 k milestone on our LinkedIn journey wouldn’t be possible without you! 🙌 Thank you all for following us, our shared news, events and stories in and around WERK1. We are really happy about our growing LinkedIn community! 💙 Some facts & figures of our journey: ⏺ 1,958 new followers in the last 365 days ⏺ Nations: 77% Germany, 23% of 30 nations worldwide ⏺ 58% Munich Metropolian Area ⏺ 100% organic growth 🌱😉   What content do you like to see more of? Write us in the comments below. ⬇ #werk1community #digitalstartups #techstartups #linkedincommunity #10k #10kfollowers #celebrate #network

TL;DR - After 9 transformative years, I’m moving on from TechChill ✨ Buckle up, this is going to be a heartfelt appreciation post! 💌 For some backstory: I joined TechChill in December 2015, back when it was a small meetup organized by two people… and I fell in love instantly. 💙 The first thing I saw by the door were some random guys (actually Juris and Martin) giving out Taxify (now Bolt) coupons at the entrance. Well, THAT idea will never work, I thought. :D (Just goes to show how much I know! 🤦♀️ ) For me, coming from a mostly corporate world, it introduced me to a very different community. These people were ambitious yet helpful, unafraid of failure yet always learning, and above all, delusional optimists. I wanted to be a part of that mindset. 🚀 With my background in branding, I saw the small event for what it could become. Over three years, we transformed TechChill into a powerhouse brand and the largest Baltic tech event. From 400 attendees in 2016, to 1000 in 2017, and almost 2000 in 2018 – we hit the sweet spot! 🎉 Though a non-profit, we approached it with a startup mindset – sleepless nights, relentless testing, bold risks, cold outreach to high-profile founders, and convincing them to come to Riga in the dead of winter. ❄️ We even reshaped the event from 95% men to 50/50 representation (sorry, Ernests Štāls – I know this “silly women stuff” was super annoying to you, haha 😅). Great things are built by people who believe in something bigger than themselves. I’m grateful to have met so many of them. Monty helped me overcome my fears that first time on the big stage, friends such as Ingmārs, Māris, Laura were the true first VCs here, in the sense that they gave us money (mostly) just because they believed we can pull this off. People like Arvils, Reinis, and Daniels bet on tech and made real legal changes to support the ecosystem. Rasmus (Slush), Ben (Startup Sesame) helped us build for long term, and Anda, Tarmo & Robin were long time supporters helping us make it loud. 💡 After leaving the core team, TechChill allowed me to use its “umbrella” for some of my most rewarding pro bono ideas: HackForce during COVID, aiding Belarus tech refugees, HackForce Ukraine, and most importantly, the Ukraine to Latvia platform built in a single weekend after February 24. These were some of the most fulfilling moments in my life, and I am beyond grateful for everyone who helped make them happen. 🌟 After 9 years, it’s time for me to step down from my (admittedly, already mostly symbolic) role on the board. While the event has changed a lot, I hope it will always stay true to the values it was built on. 🖤 As for me, more news coming soon! ✨ (hint: death is not the end ☠️💫)

🎉 BIG NEWS 🎉 : Happy to share that JustAir is one of 20 startups selected by Google to receive strategic funding from Google for Startups Black+Latino Founders Fund! Founding JustAir has been a journey inspired by my mom's advice to "just give it your all." I confess that I've only been able to manage this commitment thanks to the love and support around me. In my lowest moments, someone has always been there to encourage me or provide the chance I needed to keep moving forward. I look forward to a future without headlines like "Black founders receive <1% of VC funding" or "Air pollution disproportionately impacts Black communities." Today, I am hopeful because of the individuals who are working every day to create a more just future and have encouraged me to stay committed. Grateful for this team: Sarah, Britney, Kristy, Nate, Phillip and Derrick Grateful for my community: Black Tech Saturdays TL;DR: Sometimes, all it takes is a simple "keep going" to help someone get through today. Let's create the future we deserve! 🙏