Dealmakers

A scientist-turned-entrepreneur, Bruce Lahn has successfully transitioned from academia to leading businesses like VectorBuilder and Cyagen, reshaping gene delivery and genetic research. Here's a dive into his extraordinary path and the lessons he's gleaned along the way. VectorBuilder has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Legend Capital, Operation Holding Group, Wanlian Securities Co., Guangzhou Yuexiu Industrial Investment Fund Management, and China Chengtong. 

When Kristian Ranta reflects on his entrepreneurial journey, it’s a story filled with grit, resilience, and a profound sense of purpose. From his roots in Finland to founding ventures that span continents, Kristian’s experiences offer invaluable lessons for aspiring founders. His latest venture, Meru Health, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Bold Capital Partners, Foundry Group, Freestyle VC, and FMZ Ventures.

In the world of cybersecurity entrepreneurship, few stories are as inspiring and insightful as that of Ayal Yogev, co-founder and CEO of Anjuna. Ayal's journey weaves through Israel’s renowned Unit 8200, Silicon Valley startups, and the transformative experiences of founding his own company. Anjuna has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Insight Partners, M Ventures, SineWave Ventures, and DCVC.

Matthew Kligerman’s path as a founder is a masterclass in vision, adaptability, and persistence. His entrepreneurial story is woven with bold moves, serendipitous moments, and relentless curiosity.In this engrossing interview, Matthew talks about adapting his experiences as a climber into building, scaling, and financing his companies. He also reveals unique aspects of the adventure of building a company in Latin America.Matthew's company, Escale, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Invus, QED Investors, Redpoint Eventures, and Kaszek.

Sky Kurtz’s entrepreneurial journey involves grit, transformation, and strategic excellence. His story traces his humble beginnings in Jerome, Arizona, to crafting multi-million-dollar exits in the tech and agribusiness sectors. Sky's latest venture, Pure Harvest Smart Farms, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like IMM Investment, Samarthya Investment Advisors, StartX (US), and Metric Capital Partners.

Fawn Weaver’s journey from Pasadena to founding successful businesses has been anything but traditional. In this interview, she talks at length about an interesting concept–how to approach challenges by ignoring them. Fawn also discusses her journey of building and raising funding for her company and her unique approach toward venture capital, private equity, and growing Uncle Nearest. The company has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Hybridge Capital Management, CB3 Holdings, Mosaic General Partnership, Strand Equity, and Still Capital Partners.

In the startup ecosystem, building a company from the ground up without extensive capital is an impressive feat, as Anand Chandra has demonstrated. But building one in agriculture—a sector with deeply embedded challenges—is a story of grit, vision, and tenacity. Anand's company, Arya Collateral has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Quona Capital, the U.S. International Development Finance Corp, Lightrock, and Stride Ventures.

In the AI industry, where innovation evolves at lightning speed, some founders set the pace by combining a unique cultural perspective with a relentless drive to create groundbreaking technology. Gaurav Misra, founder and CEO of Captions, is one of these visionaries. Captions has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Adobe Ventures, HubSpot Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, Sequoia Capital, and Jared Leto.

In this insightful conversation, Amir Ben-Efraim takes us on a journey through his remarkable career in cybersecurity, from growing up in Silicon Valley to building and scaling two successful ventures—Altor Networks and Menlo Security. Menlo Security has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Vista Equity Partners, Neuberger Berman, General Catalyst, American Express Ventures, and Ericsson Ventures.

In a world driven by data, it takes a visionary to see beyond the noise and build something truly scalable. Viraj Parekh, co-founder of Astronomer, didn’t have a clear roadmap. His journey from childhood curiosity in technology to becoming a key figure in data orchestration is fascinating. Astronomer has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Venrock, Bain Capital Ventures, Insight Partners, and Sutter Hill Ventures.

In the field of enterprise SaaS, some founders set out with clear roadmaps, while others, like Khadim Batti, blaze new trails through sheer determination, pivots, and a deep-rooted commitment to solving customer pain points. In a recent conversation, Khadim delved into his journey from growing up in Mumbai to scaling his current venture, Whatfix. Whatfix has raised funding worth $270M from top-tier investors like Warburg Pincus, Softbank Vision Fund 2, Dragoneer, Peak XV Partners, and Eight Roads.

In today’s rapidly evolving venture capital landscape, one of the most exciting developments is the rise of investors like Kate McAndrew. Kate, a visionary founder and leader, recently launched Baukunst, a $100M fund. Baukunst has attracted funding from top-tier investors with whom Kate and her co-founders had built long-term relationships.

In the entrepreneurial world, every journey is unique. Alexander Jekowsky’s path from aspiring baseball player to tech entrepreneur was marked by unexpected turns, unrelenting passion, and an affinity for solving unconventional problems. In this riveting interview, he talks about vertical integration, verticalizing in the SaaS industry, and ultimately disrupting an industry many would consider far from glamorous—laundry. His company, Cents, has attracted investment from top-tier investors like Camber Creek, Contrarian Thinking Capital, Derive Ventures Management Company, and FJ Labs.

Adeniyi Abiodun’s career is a tale of foresight, adaptability, and relentless pursuit of innovation, from his early fascination with astrophysics to building large-scale Bitcoin mining operations. Along with his team at Mysten Labs, Co-Founder and Chief Product Officer Adeniyi is now launching groundbreaking decentralized protocols. His journey showcases the boldness of a true visionary.

In the ever-evolving landscape of technology and entrepreneurship, few stories are as multifaceted and inspiring as that of Othman Laraki. This interview dives into Othman’s story, offering a deep exploration of the world of building, scaling, and transforming companies. Othman relates his experiences working in healthcare and artificial intelligence and eventually building Color Health. This venture has attracted funding from top-tier investors like General Catalyst Partners, Viking Global Investors, Emerson Collective, and T. Rowe Price.

Chris Walti is a seasoned engineer and entrepreneur whose career spans across world-class companies like Tesla and innovative startups. His story is one of resilience, constant reinvention, and an unwavering passion for building, culminating in the establishment of Mytra. Mytra has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Greenoaks, Eclipse Ventures, 515 Ventures, and Promus Ventures.

Barney Balmforth's journey is a testament to calculated risk-taking, resilience, visionary leadership, and two pivotal lessons: the importance of taking calculated risks and pursuing meaningful endeavors. These values, along with the inspiration to work hard, drove Barney's career in the high-stakes world of tech and biotech startups. His latest startup, Biofidelity, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Agilent Technologies, Octopus Ventures, BlueYard Capital, and SBI Investment.

Mario Schlosser's story resonates with entrepreneurs navigating the complexities of building companies across different cultures, facing financial hardships, navigating board dynamics, and even being fired from their own startups. Mario's latest venture is Oscar Health that has raised funding from top-tier investors like Lakestar, Alphabet, Coatue, Baillie Gifford, and Reinvent Capital.

Jeffrey Wessler’s story is a captivating blend of medicine, innovation, and entrepreneurship. He is a cardiologist and the founder of Heartbeat Health, the largest, countrywide virtual cardiologist practice in the US. Heartbeat Health has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Cressey & Company, 406 Ventures, Echo Health Ventures, Optum Ventures, and Kindred Ventures.

Guilherme Weigert's story is one of remarkable transitions—from growing up in Rio de Janeiro to founding successful companies reshaping the healthcare landscape in Latin America. In this riveting interview, Guilherme talks about pivoting, driving his company, Conexa, from growth to profitability, and navigating the ups and downs of building a business. Conexa has attracted investment from top-tier investors like Vivo Ventures, Endeavor Promessas, Wayra Brazil, Goldman Sachs Asset Management, and Goldman Sachs Growth Equity.