Dealmakers

Entrepreneurship is a journey filled with successes, failures, and countless lessons. Evan Richardson, founder of Form Health, the national leader in science-based obesity care, offers an insightful look into building and scaling a business based on his experiences and hard-learned lessons from the ventures he's led.

In this engaging interview, Diane Yu, a repeated founder and highly successful entrepreneur, offers valuable insights into her extraordinary journey from a young graduate to a leading force in the technology and finance sectors. From her early days at DoubleClick to her role in building FreeWheel, which Comcast acquired for about $400M, and now her current venture, TidalWave, Diane has consistently focused on innovation, learning, and building strong relationships. TidalWave has attracted funding from top-tier investors like RevTech Labs Capital.

Micha Grueber’s story stands out in the dynamic world of entrepreneurship thanks to the resilience, adaptability, and strategic foresight he has demonstrated. Micha is the founder of 1KOMMA5°, a home electrification company with a vision to revolutionize adopting clean energy. 1KOMMA5° has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Deutsche Bank, BNP Paribas, G2 Venture Partners, and b2venture.

When you think of the pioneers in cryptography and cybersecurity, one name that stands out is Dr. Taher Elgamal. He has had an incredible journey spanning decades of innovation, from growing up in Cairo and studying at Stanford to building and selling companies. Today, Taher is an investor in Evolution Equity Partners, a $2B operation deploying capital to upcoming companies like Torq, Protect AI, Cytactic, and Anvilogic.

Kieran Donovan’s journey is a fascinating tale of creativity, resilience, and the unexplored paths of entrepreneurship. His professional experiences have taken him across continents, from New York to London, Hong Kong, and now Singapore, where he co-founded k-ID. Kieran’s company, k-ID, navigates the complex regulatory landscape of kids’ and teenagers’ online privacy and has raised capital worth over $50M from top-tier investors like Andreessen Horowitz, Lightspeed, Z Venture Capital, and Everywhere Ventures.

In the world of entrepreneurship, few stories are as inspiring as that of Ran Shaul, a serial entrepreneur who embodies the resilience, adaptability, and foresight required to build and scale companies on a global level. Ran also offers insights into raising $380M for K Health from top-tier investors like Valor Equity Partners, 14W, Mangrove Capital Partners, GGV Capital, and Comcast Ventures.

Few stories in the world of entrepreneurship depict the perfect blend of grit, vision, and serendipity like Shawn Marcell's. A seasoned entrepreneur with a knack for founding, scaling, and exiting multiple ventures, his story offers a wealth of lessons. Shawn's company, Torus Biosystems, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like David R. Walt and Northpond Ventures.

Tanuj Mohan is no stranger to the world of entrepreneurship. From growing up in India to becoming a successful, repeated founder, his journey is a testament to innovation, perseverance, and a deep understanding of technology. Tanuj's latest company is AirEye, which has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Canaan, USVP, toDay Ventures, and Steve Krausz.

In a rapidly changing world, navigating uncertainty, building scalable solutions, and creating positive social impact are more critical than ever. These were the focal points of the conversation with Maheen Rahman, a trailblazing entrepreneur and finance leader who has raised a balance sheet capability of over $400M. Her company, Infra Zamin. has attracted funding from top-tier investors like InfraCo Asia Investments and Karandaaz Pakistan.

In an era where environmental concerns are more pressing than ever, Daphna Nissenbaum is a shining example of how passion and determination can spark innovative solutions. She is the CEO of TIPA, a company dedicated to solving the world's plastic pollution. TIPA has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Blue Horizon Ventures, Triodos Organic Growth Fund, Horizons Ventures, and Greensoil Investments.

Tomer London, co-founder of Gusto, a company with over 2,500 employees, relates what it means to go from humble beginnings to building a hypergrowth business. His journey is an exciting blend of personal history, entrepreneurial lessons, and hard-earned wisdom. Gusto has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Kleiner Perkins, Sands Capital, Fidelity Management and Research Company LLC, and Cross Creek.

In a candid and insightful conversation, Bence Jendruszak, co-founder of a leading fraud prevention company, shared his entrepreneurial journey, offering a blueprint for aspiring founders on scaling a global business, leadership growth, and staying ahead of market trends. Bence talks about how Seon has offices in four locations worldwide with over 270 employees. It has raised $100M from top-tier investors like Creandum, IVP, Fielder Capital, and PortfoLion Capital Partners.

Few stories in the world of technology and entrepreneurship demonstrate resilience, constantly reinventing technology and lessons learned from hard-fought battles better than that of Greg Mulholland, founder of Citrine Informatics. Greg's story is a valuable resource for entrepreneurs facing similar challenges in building a lasting company in an old-line industry like chemicals and materials. Citrine has attracted funding from top-tier investors like DRIVE Catalyst, Innovation Endeavors, DCVC (Data Collective), and Universal Materials Incubator.

Priit Lepasepp’s story is one of navigating the currents of history and reshaping the future of energy. Born in 1986 in Soviet-occupied Estonia, Priit experienced a world that was vastly different from the one he would come to build. In this interview, Priit talks about overcoming hurdles and successfully scaling Sunly, which fundamentally transformed the energy landscape of Eastern Europe. Sunly has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Rivage Investment, Kommunal Landspensjonskasse (KLP), Copenhagen Infrastructure Partners, and mBank.

Mark Slack is a pioneer in medical robotics and one of the key figures behind CMR Surgical, a company now valued at over $3B. His incredible journey and path to entrepreneurial success was shaped by early challenges, military service, and a deep-seated commitment to improving healthcare through innovation. CMR Surgical has attracted funding from top-tier investors like SoftBank Vision Fund 2, LGT, Escala Capital Investments, and Ally Bridge Group.

In a rapidly evolving world of fintech and entrepreneurship, few stories exemplify resilience, adaptation, and foresight quite like that of Malte Rau. In this interview, Malte talks about navigating his company, Pliant, through different countries and currencies. He also reveals fundraising insights, having raised over $70M in equity and more than $200M in debt from top-tier investors like SBI Investment, Alstin Capital, Motive Ventures, and Neosfer.

In the bustling world of biotechnology and venture capital, few stories are as captivating as that of Adam Mendelsohn, the CEO of Vivani Medical. Adam’s journey demonstrates an inspiring blend of vision, perseverance, and adaptability required to navigate the complex landscape of building and scaling a company–particularly one that transitioned from a private entity to a publicly traded powerhouse. Adam's company, Vivani Medical, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like the National Institutes of Health.

In the world of AI, few founders have navigated the intersection of coding, corporate experience, and entrepreneurial vision as effectively as Ulrik Stig Hansen. As the co-founder of Encord, Ulrik's path offers a fascinating roadmap for founders looking to build and scale in the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence. Encord has attracted funding from top-tier investors like N47, Y Combinator, CRV, and Crane Venture Partners.

In today’s ever-changing business landscape, few founders possess the experience of building multiple successful ventures across different industries. An Australian entrepreneur, Jason Wyatt, is an inspiring example of such a founder. Jason's platform, Marketplacer, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Salesforce Ventures, Ellerston Capital, Acorn Capital, and Soul Patts.

Elizabeth Rossiello, founder and CEO of AZA Finance, has been riding the wave of startup life since 2013. Over the past decade, she has steered her company through 16 "crypto winters" and raised over $80M. Elizabeth's journey is not just inspiring because of the impressive figures but also because of her resilience, adaptability, and vision in navigating the ever-evolving fintech landscape.