Oliwia Piechulek’s Post

👻 Had a blast organizing this last week. Thanks everyone for coming!! 🍷 It was a very random and sudden thought to just gather VCs and relevant parties in the ecosystem for small talk. Turns out the crowd was bigger than what I was expecting. Should've chosen a more strategic location next time! One of my dear friends, Kenneth Ho, suggested to turn this gathering into something more structured and consistent. ⁉ Thinking of doing an easy gathering once or twice a month (probably just once, or we might all be socially drained), whats your thoughts? #vc #startup #vcmalaysia

Creating a Culture of Disruption: How Startups and VCs Are Redefining Industry Norms Over Drinks and Dialogue 🥂 Last evening's catch-up over drinks with fellow founders and visionary VCs was nothing short of inspiring! It's always energizing to step away from the desk and engage with peers who are equally passionate about transforming industries through innovation. We exchanged ideas, celebrated milestones, and discussed the challenges of scaling our startups in a rapidly changing landscape. The collective wisdom in these gatherings is a goldmine for anyone looking to push the boundaries of what's possible. Bonus is we get to pick the brilliant minds of VCs to gauge their sentiments on the latest market trends, do and dont's and what do they look at in a founder which catalyst investments, while also building bonds that will shape our journey forward. A huge thank you to everyone who joined us. It’s meetups like these that remind us of the power of community and collaboration in the startup ecosystem. Let’s keep the momentum going and continue to support each other’s journeys. Looking forward to our next gathering! 🍸 Mike Leow Aden Chan Shu Qi , ACA Len Yue Yang Brendan Beh Kenneth Ho Albert Chee Tuleshini Jivanantham TRIVE Gobi Partners Sunway iLabs Nestspace #StartupLife #Innovation #VentureCapital #Networking #CommunityBuilding #web3 #layer1 #sumotex #Gobipartner #Trive

Too many investors only look for Unicorns 🦄  Here’s why investors should look for 🦓 Zebras instead If you’ve been following my posts, you’ll notice I use the zebra emoji 🦓 a lot. You see... The startup and investment world are OBSESSED about unicorns. I've been personally against the notion that the narrow focus on achieving unicorn status is the only way to succeed. 🦄 Unicorns are defined as such: - Fast-growing companies that hit $1Billion valuations that eventually IPO. - Extremely rare and hard to find - the stuff of legends. - Uber, Airbnb are a couple of names most consider to be unicorns. 🦓 Zebras on the other hand: - A defined subset of startup companies that focus on sustainable growth, - Find creative means to grow that don’t involve pure capital acceleration. - Companies like Hubspot and Atlassian come to mind. It's becoming the more attractive type of investments to look for… Some reasons why: 1/ Risk vs Return 🦄  Unicorns sport hockey-stick-style growth - short, steep, and aggressive 🦓 Zebras go slow-and-steady - sustainable growth over time Unicorns are notoriously high-risk. Longer time horizons in investments mean you can find and have a lower risk investing in Zebras for pretty attractive outcomes. 2/ Real value and impact from day one 🦄  Unicorns often spend capital to acquire users at pace to outcompete others (aka growth at all costs) 🦓 Zebras focus on building products that add value to customers and reduce churn 3/ Zero-sum vs Win-Win 🦄  Unicorns seek to be clear winners and dominate the market 🦓 Zebras co-exist and cooperate to win together, sharing resources and insight Especially now where we’re seeing this much uncertainty, it’s crucial focus on the basics – sustainable growth and a pathway to profitability. It's no surprise that plenty of investors are seeking out Zebras today. I’m a 🦓 Zebra fan, how about you? #investing #startups #b2btech #enterprisetech

  📣 In B2B SaaS here in Atlanta? Then you don't want to miss this event on March 6th. 🎯 Pavilion #atl is hosting an in-person fireside chat with 3 incredible executives from venture capital firms active here in the Southeast. They'll chat about the Atlanta startup scene, what funding looks like as we move through 2024, and what hot right now in SaaS - from an investor's view. 💪 Y'all, this will be a discussion you can't find just anywhere.   Come hear from: - Michael Cohn, Managing Partner Overline, an Atlanta-based venture capital firm focused on filling the institutional funding gap for seed-stage businesses in the Southeast. - Tami McQueen, CMO BIP Ventures, the North American-focused venture capital division of BIP Capital, is one of the Southeast's largest and most active VC firms. - Jason Kuo, Investor Tech Square Ventures, investing in seed and early stage high-growth tech companies.   And thanks to our host, Anil Yasyerli, we'll get to do this over drinks and appetizers at always-fantastic The Gypsy Kitchen. 🍷 🙋♀️ Come meet new executives and listen to some incredible speakers in this 2-in-1 fireside chat and happy hour: The State of Early-Stage Funding in Startups.   Registration link in the comments.   Not in Pavilion? No worries, come be our guest. #pavilion #saas #atlanta #venturecaptial #jessgmarketing

As we build up for our 3rd annual Wolves Summit Europe in Vienna (6-7 November), we'd like to update you about some of our initial Partners, VC and CVC Investors, Angel Network Partners, VC Association Partners, International Delegations, and Speakers (including Workshops and Showcase Presentations). And every day we are adding ambitious StartUps and ScaleUps to our growing list of entrepreneurs- founders planning to attend and pitch at the Great Pitch Competition (GPC). SUBMIT YOUR STARTUP APPLICATION HERE: https://lnkd.in/dUMUJnb8 Wolves Summit Europe will feature more than 500 Early-stage and emerging-growth companies from across Europe, especially DACH and CEE – in such sectors as Technology, Energy/Climate- tech, HealthTech/Life Sciences, Defense/Aeronautics, Fintech, Mobility, AI and IndustrialTech – and a catch-all, Open category as well. If you are a Startup or ScaleUp seeking capital, new clients, or partnerships, submit your Application here, for the opportunity to Join or Present at Wolves Summit Europe, the premier event in DACH & CEE connecting ambitious StartUps and ScaleUp founders with pre-screened VC's, Corporate VC's CVCs), and Angel and private Investors – in total more than 150 active Investors will join Wolves Summit in Vienna. The first of our 25 VC and Angel Investor Associations joining includes: Deutsche Börse Venture Network Network, PSIK, the Polish Private Equity & Venture Capital Association(Poland VC Association), Estonian Business Angels Network (EstBAN) (Estonia); COBIN Angels (Poland), HunBAN (Hungary), invest.austria... Next week we'll announce another 7 partners joining us.   More than 50 Speakers: WS Europe will feature more than 50 Speakers, Workshops and Showcase Presentations, including Tomasz Czechowicz, Founder of MCI Capital S.A., a VC and PE fund with 600 million euro funds under management. Reserve Tickets here: https://lnkd.in/gSgR3JQN WolvesMatch this week: Discover 25 new startups and scaleups looking for investment opportunities here.   WolvesMatch - Premium Subscription WolvesMatch connects startups with potential investors. This premium subscription service is designed to foster strategic partnerships and provide expansion capital for emerging businesses.  Subscribers get full contact details and Pitch Decks: https://rb.gy/dv97dh

Strong thought for the Indian startup ecosystem. Our domestic revenue TAM are under stress. Unicorns will be hard to build & sustain. Taking a long, sustainable approach will be far more effective. Maybe lessons we can pick from IT Services sector. #founders #investors

🦓 Zebras or 🦄 Unicorns? No need to choose—with FUTURE Engine, you can discover them all! 🦓 For those who resonate with the Zebra philosophy, FUTURE Engine unveils a world of companies committed to sustainable success. Navigate FUTURE Engine for businesses prioritizing real value, reducing churn, and coexisting for collective triumph. 🦄 Yearning for the thrill of the Unicorn chase? FUTURE Engine doesn't shy away from the extraordinary. Identify Unicorns set to make waves in the investment realm with FUTURE Engine's insights. Why settle for one when you can explore the full spectrum of possibilities? Uncover the magic of both Zebras and Unicorns in your investment journey at future-engine.net. #FUTUREEngine #InvestSmart

🚀 Exciting News From DisruptX! 🚀 Thrilled to announce that our Accelerator Program kicked off last week and will run until April 1st! 📆✨ Our startups are diving into a comprehensive 65-hour journey, blending theoretical and practical training in vital areas such as business development, financial modelling, marketing strategy, team development, leadership skills, and sustainability in the workplace. 🌐💼 What makes our program exceptional? Each startup is paired with 1-1 mentorship sessions featuring insights from our diverse pool of DisruptX Mentors and Coaches. Currently, we're fostering the growth of three dynamic startups: 🌐 Riple: An all-in-one news app that curates trusted global news, facilitating conversations on the hottest topics in one unified platform. 🌿 Vikalp.io: Specializing in AI-Smartbins equipped with cutting-edge sensors, Vikalp.io is addressing urgent environmental challenges, with innovative solutions. 💼 The Accountancy Franchise: Transforming the accounting industry, this innovative franchise empowers individuals to start and run their own accountancy practices, with 40+ franchisees already benefiting from their support. This week, our focus shifts to business development. Our startups will delve into strategies for maximizing their models, covering objectives like branding, marketing expansions, new user acquisition, and heightened awareness. 📈🚀 Don't miss out on being a part of DisruptX's thriving ecosystem! Join us to tap into these incredible opportunities and witness the transformative journey of our startups. 🌟 #DisruptX #acceleratorprogram #startupjourney #innovationhub

Running a startup with co-founders spread across Denmark, Latvia, and Sweden presents unique challenges. Through virtuall's monthly offsites, we've discovered the transformative power of well-structured rituals. These not only enhance productivity but also strengthen our bonds.   𝗖𝗵𝗲𝗰𝗸-𝗶𝗻 𝗥𝗶𝘁𝘂𝗮𝗹𝘀: Startups thrive on connection. Our check-ins go beyond work updates—we share personal milestones, brainstorm, and reconnect over meals and drinks. This ritual helps bridge the physical distance and rejuvenates our team spirit, ensuring everyone is aligned and energized.   𝗗𝗲𝗲𝗽-𝗗𝗶𝘃𝗲/𝗖𝗿𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲: Tackling complex issues requires focus. Our deep-dive sessions are dedicated to dissecting key areas such as strategy, investment, and product development. Facilitating these discussions in person cuts through the inefficiencies of remote communication and sparks more innovative solutions.   𝗥𝗲𝘁𝗿𝗼𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴: Reflection is key to progression. We review our past achievements and challenges, aligning our learnings with future objectives. This systematic approach not only keeps us agile but ensures our goals are consistently met, driven by a clear understanding of our broader vision and OKR framework.   How do you maximize the impact of your offsites?   #collaboration #teamwork #offsite #leadership #startup #cofounders #virtuall #checkin

We're ecstatic to look back on our incredible time from last Tuesday, when we had the privilege of attending Wolves Summit in #Berlin 🐺. This time, the spotlight belonged to scale-ups. The “Scale Up with Wolves” conference brought invaluable insights into emerging businesses’ endeavours towards global success. And we learned this journey wasn’t always pretty for them – from the highs and lows to the breakthrough moments, it was all there. For thriving startups and scale-ups, Wolves Summit was a goldmine of tips on running a successful company and strategies for raising capital💡. 🤝 Did we mention networking? We rubbed shoulders with fellow entrepreneurs, investors, industry experts, VCs, and CVCs alike, making tons of connections with visionary individuals and teams—hopefully lasting ones. What struck us the most was the investors’ openness and their eagerness to share their expertise to help others scale their businesses effectively. Last but not least – a huge shoutout to the venture capitalists awarded for their tremendous support towards startup and scale-up ecosystems. It was really inspiring! Hats off! 🎖 For us, at Shaped Thoughts, Wolves Summit in Berlin was a remarkable opportunity to dive into the world of startups and scale-ups, and we certainly came back richer with fresh insights and experiences. We couldn’t be more grateful for the chance to be a part of this astounding event! We’ll be absolutely thrilled to lend our expertise and propel those who look to scale their business to success 🚀. Reach out! #Startup #Scaleup #Networking #Investment #BusinessGrowth #Collaboration #ShapedThoughts