Dealmakers

Shahar Alster's career is a testament to the power of resilience, innovation, and strategic thinking in the tech industry. As a multiple-time founder, Shahar has navigated the complex landscape of startups, scaled businesses, and led successful exits. Shahar's latest venture, Ourcart, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like New York Angels, Partam Hightech, Pereg Ventures, and Roni Michaely.

From a humble beginning in South Africa to becoming a serial entrepreneur in the United States, Wayne Slavin's story is one of perseverance, adaptability, and relentless pursuit of innovation. As a young immigrant in Southern California during the late 80s, Wayne experienced a world where possibilities seemed endless despite the initial challenges his family faced. Wayne's latest company is Sure that has attracted funding from top-tier investors like BluePointe Ventures, FTAC Ventures, Menlo Ventures, and Cohen Circle.

In the fast-paced world of entrepreneurship, few journeys are as inspiring as that of Christian Talmage, the founder of Oliver Space and Chief Product Officer of Dispatch Goods. From the rural woods of Maine to his rapid ascent in the startup ecosystem, Christian's story is about the power of intuition and resilience. Christian's latest venture, Dispatch Goods, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Climate Tech Circle, Congruent Ventures, Active Impact Investments, and Andreessen Horowitz.

In the rapidly evolving landscape of fintech, few stories stand out as vividly as that of Colin Walsh, founder of Varo Bank. He has had remarkable accomplishments, including raising over $1B and running a company with a team dispersed worldwide. Varo Bank has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Warburg Pincus, TPG, HarbourVest Partners, Lone Pine Capital, and Gallatin Point Capital.

Rohit Choudhary's journey from a curious teenager in India to a seasoned entrepreneur and innovator demonstrates the transformative power of technology and entrepreneurial spirit. His latest venture, Acceldata, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Insight Partners, March Capital, Industry Ventures, Lightspeed, and Sorenson Ventures.

In the ever-evolving world of technology and startups, few stories are as inspiring as that of Ray Chohan, co-founder of Patsnap. This company has raised over $300M in funding and is now on a path to becoming a leader in AI-enabled intelligence platforms. Patsnap has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Vertex Ventures, CITIC Industrial Investment Group, Shunwei Capital, and SoftBank Vision Fund.

Carlos N. Escutia's entrepreneurial journey is an exciting story of experiences drawn from diverse roles across countries, industries, and business models. It is a fine example of adaptability, resilience, and strategic thinking. His latest venture, GroWrk, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like K20 Fund, Hustle Fund, Act One Ventures, and Allied Venture Partners.

Richard Schenkel’s story reflects the power of resilience, strong work ethics, and a boundless entrepreneurial spirit. He has been a founder and has now turned into an investor operator. In this exclusive interview, he talks in detail about building, scaling, and financing his companies. Richard's latest venture, Phoenix3 Holdings, has invested in top-tier companies like Infuse Hospitality in Chicago and Fairgrounds Coffee & Tea.

In a captivating conversation with John Clendening, we delve into his incredible journey from the beaches of Florida to leading multi-billion-dollar companies and venturing into the startup world. John shares his unique perspectives on leadership, the art of bringing differentiation in segments, and his experiences in corporate giants and agile startups. He also talks about raising $200M for his startup from top-tier investors like Juxtapose, Hudson Structured Capital Management, Summit Partners, and Silversmith Capital.

In the world of startups, where every decision can lead to success or failure, the stories of resilience, innovation, and purpose often stand out the most. Mark Swanson, an entrepreneur with a journey spanning several decades, exemplifies these qualities. Mark's latest venture, Vu Technologies, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Accenture (NYSE: ACN), Lane Five Ventures, Topmark Partners, Jacques Fu, and ADX Labs.

In the business world, some stories stand out not just for their success but for the bold decisions and risks that paved the way. Michael Marks, founding partner at Celesta Capital, is one such figure whose journey from Missouri to Silicon Valley is about the spirit of entrepreneurship and the transition from operator to investor. His career, marked by strategic moves and seizing opportunities, offers invaluable lessons for entrepreneurs at every stage. Celesta Capital has funded top-tier companies like Aurascape, Auradine, Recogni, and Agnikul.

Steve Magami was born in Tehran and raised in the sunny suburbs of Southern California. His journey is about determination, adaptability, and the spirit of innovation. In this exclusive interview, Steve talks about raising more than $500M and scaling a company in an industry where he was an outsider. He also talks about culture, team building, and moving to the other side of the table as an investor. Steve's company, Agrovision, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Avenue Capital Group, Steve Kaplan, Aliment Capital, and KuE Capital.

For Bhavin Shah, a serial entrepreneur with a remarkable career, the paradox of Silicon Valley was his playground. In this exclusive interview, he talks about his experiences meeting Steve Wozniak in sixth grade and going through the motions of starting, financing, scaling, and exiting companies. Bhavin's latest company, Moveworks, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Lightspeed, Bain Capital Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, and Iconic.

Rob Bearden's journey is one of innovation, leadership, and relentless pursuit of growth. From his early days at Oracle to his most recent venture, Sema4.ai, Rob has been at the forefront of technological transformation across multiple industries. In this exclusive interview, Rob dives into his experiences, the lessons he learned when building and scaling his companies, and the vision that drives his latest endeavor. Rob's company, Sema4.ai, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Benchmark (Business/Productivity Software), Mayfield Fund, Canvas Ventures, Harpoon VC, and Uncorrelated Ventures.

Arjun Pillai's journey from a small village in Kerala, India, to becoming a successful serial entrepreneur in Silicon Valley is nothing short of remarkable. With a deep passion for problem-solving and an unyielding entrepreneurial spirit, Arjun has built and sold multiple companies, navigating the challenges of bootstrapping, fundraising, and acquisitions along the way. His latest company, Docketai, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Mayfield Fund and Foundation Capital.

Lawrence Lin Murata's journey from Brazil to Silicon Valley is nothing short of extraordinary. Born and raised in São Paulo, he ventured into the tech world without prior experience, eventually leading a successful startup. This blog post delves into his inspiring story, covering his multicultural upbringing, the challenges of breaking into tech, his experiences at Stanford, and the founding of his company, Slope. Slope has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Tech Square Ventures, Alerion Ventures, Charlotte Angel Fund, and Techstars.

Leadership in the fast-paced world of cybersecurity requires more than just technical expertise. It demands resilience, a strong vision, and the ability to inspire a team towards a common goal. Amitai Ratzon, the CEO of Pentera, embodies these qualities. His company, Pentera, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like Awz Ventures, a Canadian-Israeli VC group, Felicitas Global Partners, Delta-v Capital, and Blackstone.

In the fast-paced world of startups, few founders successfully navigate the tumultuous transition from building a company to becoming a venture capitalist. Robert Grazioli is one such individual. Robert moved from founding and scaling Density—a company valued at $1.1B—to now investing in the next generation of entrepreneurs through his venture firm, Bread. His story is one of trial, error, and resilience, and provides valuable insights to founders and investors alike. 

In the ever-evolving landscape of tech startups, few stories are as compelling as Rick Nucci's journey from founding Boomi to launching Guru. A serial entrepreneur with a track record of success, Rick’s career is a masterclass in leveraging market opportunities and navigating the complexities of scaling a business. Rick's company, Guru, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like FirstMark Capital, Emergence Capital, MSD Capital, Slack, and Thrive Capital.

In the ever-evolving landscape of entrepreneurship, few have experienced the full spectrum of highs and lows like Zvi Schreiber. His journey from software engineer to successful serial founder offers invaluable insights into the trials and triumphs of building and scaling companies. In this exclusive interview, Zvi talks about his experiences selling a company to IBM, taking another company public, and fundraising. He has had a series of successful acquisitions and fire sales. Zvi's latest company, Freightos, has attracted funding from top-tier investors like FedEx, SGX, OurCrowd, Aleph, and Annox Capital.