BusinessLive Wales’ Post

good advice from the perspective of Himalaya Floriculture's founder on how to start a business: "Starting a business requires careful planning, research, and a willingness to take calculated risks. Begin by identifying your passion and expertise, then develop a unique value proposition to differentiate yourself. Secure funding through innovative financing options, grants, or crowdfunding platforms. Build a strong team and foster partnerships with mentors, suppliers, and industry experts. Stay focused, adaptable, and committed to your vision, and be prepared to pivot when necessary."

Celebrating 5 years of Pinnacle Wealth Advisory—proof that building relationships matters more than transactions. In 2024, I was reminded that true wealth advisory isn't just about managing assets - it's about being there for clients through their biggest transitions. As Pinnacle Wealth Advisory marked its 5th anniversary and I made my own transition to Austin, this truth became clearer than ever. From helping business owners navigate succession planning to watching clients turn market uncertainty into opportunity, 2024 reinforced why relationships matter more than transactions. Key moments that shaped our journey: • Celebrated Pinnacle Wealth Advisory's 5th anniversary • Successfully expanded operations to Austin, Texas • Re-engaged CIMA certification from The Investments & Wealth Institute • Joined Vistage and Upwardly Global as volunteer mentor • Built meaningful connections in the Austin business community Three posts that captured our evolution: "High Basin Brands and Treaty Oak Partnership" On building community through organic spirits innovation and local partnerships https://lnkd.in/gC9z8m_g "Moving to Austin: Golf and Growth" Finding personal growth through new challenges and community building https://lnkd.in/gQx4Yk44 "Avoid These Common M&A Mistakes" Strategic guidance for business owners navigating transitions https://lnkd.in/gSK6NGPU As we look to 2025, our focus remains clear: helping business owners navigate succession planning, wealth preservation, and market uncertainty while deepening our Austin presence. Because in times of transition, having a trusted advisor makes all the difference. To our clients who've trusted us through major transitions, and to the Austin community for such a warm welcome - thank you for making 2024 transformative. #entrepreneurship #wealthmanagement #Austin #financialplanning #LinkedInRewind #entrepreneurship #socialnetworking #technology #innovation #pnwa #investing #creativity

Invest in a solid startup, give them some time and eventually watch them invest right back! At SxSW last year, I met a young entrepreneur who over breakfast sold me on the why behind his innovative product. I saw the vision of the founders and love the way they think. Their strong environmental and social impact resonated with me as an entrepreneur and investor and I became an angel for their company a few weeks later. Here we are now, a year later, and aside from thanking them for the cool custom Arch AF 1’s, I must congratulate fellow entrepreneurs Adam Mutschler & Gabriel Huertas del Pino of Arch Pet Foods for winning Purina’s Pet Care Innovation Prize for 2024! (https://lnkd.in/eqBAikQU) This award not only comes with additional working capital, but also entry in Purina’s acceleration system by providing the mentorship and critical resources needs to get this product into more stores across the US and beyond. Looking forward to what the future holds for this amazing company. Chicago Illinois-based Arch Pet Food company offers alternative protein pet treats and food that are food-allergen friendly, highly nutritious, and sustainable. Arch does this by utilizing superfoods like microalgae, insect proteins, and invasive fish as key ingredients. Read more about Arch Pet Food here. #investor #entrepreneur #lifeisgood

Raising money for Cell Based Meat in the last two years- They said it is impossible. Well, BLUU Seafood did it. I set down with Fabian Friede CEO of Bluu Seafood to learn how to get it done. Here are some facts: 🎯 Goal: Blue Seafood is a cultivated seafood company, and the goal is to provide people with healthy seafood products without destroying our planet. 💰 Raised 20+ Million Investors include Meta Ray Ventures, Leather VC, Sparkfood . My Top Findings: Challenges: alternative protein as an industry is suffering from investor fatigue due to several different topics; overall slower progress than maybe promised or at least anticipated, high CapEx needs, and poor performance of public markets. Length of Fundraise: Blue Seafood's recent round took about nine months, significantly longer than anticipated, highlighting the increased difficulty in securing funds and actually had to split it into two closings that are five months apart. Two-step closings become more common now. Two-step closings: when you have your investment agreement, create already shares that you can then give out to new investors that come on board on the second closing. If you give out a thousand new shares, you might create a capital reserve for another thousand. So you can actually collect the same sum again in the second closing, which is then done to the same condition, same valuation. So basically, you're closing the round to get capital in the bank, but allow for more time to get more investors on board. If the investor doesn't have any bandwidth to deal with you at the moment and you don't want to lose them, you might leave that door open via a second closing. Perspective on Lead Investors: Lead investors play an important role by committing the most capital, conducting due diligence, and giving confidence in smaller investors to join the round. It can definitely streamline the process and attract additional investors. The due diligence is mainly done by the lead investor. So once the lead investor commits so much capital, it is the vote of confidence. Effective Introductions: During the outreach, founders should give a list of potential co-investors and pre-written introduction emails for current investors to facilitate easier warm intros. Interpreting "Too Early" Feedback: When investors say that it is "too early," it may be a polite way of declining without burning bridges. Founders should seek genuine feedback for improvement . Cell-Based Space: Elements concerning cell based space include high CapEx and low margin products. As an investor, I need to evaluate what is the opportunity and what is the track. Scaling for example, you need to bring down the production cost, experience for the product and how it differs with the traditional product. vegconomist - the vegan business magazine thank you for the opportunity to interview these greats and The Swarm for sponsoring the podcast. Link To Podcast Below:

I was very glad to have advised KKR on this deal! Marta Szczerba Emil Schaefer great job! Hopefully this will be the first of many in this space! After a few quiet years in the cattle monitoring investment space, this is a great sign of confidence in the sector and that livestock monitoring has a lot of room from growth. Hopefully this deal is the first of many in the livestock tech space in 2025! On Smaxtec: Stefan Scherer and the team have shown great energy and passion for their technology and the next phase of growth with KKR investment will be very exciting. The technology and business models can now be taken to the next level. To borrow Stefan’s mantra: health monitoring is crucial to dairy farming, to monitor health you need to monitor temperature and that’s the core of the strength of the SmaxTec offering. #cattle #technology #smaxtech #kkr #investment

FUNDING A NEW ECONOMY In 1997 my Board member Eckart Wintzen introduced me to Ben Cohen (Founder of Ben&Jerrys) and Yvon Chouinard (Founder of Patagonia). These meetings changed my (business) life completely!! They were passionate entrepreneurs who had created a global network of other passionate entrepreneurs called Social Venture Network (SVN). I would call SVN the first global network of sustainable entrepreneurs. These business people understood that only growing a company and making money was not enough. They understood that their companies had to mean anything, their companies needed to have a positive contribution to the world. And wow, was that a new message in 1997!! Since 1997 I have been trying to change my business life with that third and very important reason; grow companies, make money ánd mean something to the world. Right now, more than 25 years later, I just can not imagine to build or run a company without the key question "why are you here, what is your contribution to the world?". Just to make money; come you, you got to be kidding me :-) Together with my friend Marcello Palazzi we worked on building Social Venture Network Europe, we started B Lab Europe in 2013 and in 2021 we co-founded the creation of he largest global network of business leaders, B for Good Leaders. With a simple and very clear goal; Business Leaders are the changemakers, it is about people! Going back to 1997; it was the people who inspired me to change my business attitude. It always is about the people, the leaders who dare to step into the future, who dare to be different by creating Good Business. My whole life is about building this global trusted network of business leaders who together, in doing business, create a better world. By dealing with each other. Like a Linkedin of only sustainable business leaders. That you can trust because they have the same value system. That you can trust because they share a dream together. Over the past three years we have made remarkable steps; we created three phenomenal Summits in Rome and Amsterdam, we gathered around 80.000 business leaders in our network, we have created and AI based tool to easily connect these leaders with each other. We have created a Community Platform where leaders meet. But I need your help, adressing the 8600 business people in my network here. Are you staying on the sideline or are you feeling the need to join the change. Join us in building the global network, doing business, growing your business but with a meaning while doing business for good. What we achieved over the past 25 years and what we are going to achieve over the coming decades is up to you as well. If not you, then who? If not now, then when? If not here, then where? Marcello Palazzi Frank Swinkels Bas Zuidwijk Ange Dunselman-Kunzmann Isabelle Grosmaitre

Cosy chat about #pricing and #innovation in food with Lynsey Hollywood and the food startups with Invest Northern Ireland at Ulster University today. Thanks for the opportunity to tell my story and hopefully help growing businesses avoid the potholes in the road. #epic #whatsnext

🌍✨ Did you know that New York City was once sold for nutmeg? In 1626, Peter Minuit, representing the Dutch West India Company, famously traded goods worth about $24 for the island of Manhattan from the local Lenape people. This transaction included items like beads, kettles, and, intriguingly, nutmeg—an incredibly valuable spice at the time, worth more than gold in Europe! This deal is often seen as one of the most lopsided in history. Fast forward to today, and Manhattan's land value exceeds $1 trillion, making it one of the most expensive real estate markets in the world. In just a few centuries, the island transformed from a trading post to a global financial hub. What’s even more shocking is the cultural context: the Lenape had a different understanding of land ownership, viewing it as communal and sacred. This clash of values underscores how perceptions of worth can vary dramatically across cultures and eras. As we navigate our own business landscapes, it's crucial to reassess what we consider valuable. Are we trading our resources wisely?💡

SERRA AG & FOOD TECH FUND II Secures Over $22M In Commitments SERRA AG & FOOD TECH FUND II has announced that it has secured over $22M in investor commitments, with an initial target of $100M. The fund is backed by investments from the State of Illinois’s Growth & Innovation Fund and the State of Wisconsin’s Economic Development Corp., demonstrating regional confidence in Serra Ventures, LLC’ ability to support innovation in AgTech. Serra Ventures has been actively investing in agricultural and food technology since 2011, with a history of successful exits to industry giants like John Deere, Nutrien, and Bayer. Article in the first comments 👇 Follow us for more updates!

🚀 Transform Your Startup with The Greenlee Group LLC! 🚀 Check out our latest video on how we empower pharma and food manufacturing startups to achieve operational excellence. At The Greenlee Group LLC, we specialize in streamlining processes, enhancing efficiency, and driving sustainable growth. Our tailored solutions and expert guidance ensure your startup reaches new heights. Ready to elevate your standards? Connect with us today and let’s turn your vision into reality! 🌟 #OperationalExcellence #StartupSuccess #Pharma #FoodManufacturing #TheGreenleeGroup