Just Raised

Just Raised

By Joe Sweeny, a Workweek friendBusinessEntrepreneurshipTechnology
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Just Raised episodes

  • Why The Future of Space is VC Startups
    Rob Meyerson was recruited by Jeff Bezos to run Blue Origin in 2003. He built the New Shepard, the rocket that took Jeff and three civilians to space last summer, and today he's a VC investing in space startups.
    On this bonus episode, Joe talks to Rob about what the next 10 to 50 years will look like in space. Startups building transportation networks to the moon, lunar colonies and mining, 3D printing, and private space stations.
    Follow Rob:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/robmeyerson/
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
     
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    32 min
  • Plenty: Why Vertical Farming is The Change We Need With Nate Storey, Co-Founder | VC |
    “A new kind of farm for a new kind of world” - that’s the promise of Plenty, and the world’s first, high capacity, indoor vertical farm.
    When growing crops is a battle for so many communities around the world, Plenty is on a mission to bring healthy, pesticide-free leafy greens to all. And with that food come jobs, training, and innovation.
    On this bonus episode, Joe talks to Nate about raising nearly a billion dollars in venture capital, his role as Founder and Chief Science Officer, and how Plenty has the opportunity to radically transform the way we grow food.
    You’ll also hear why Jeff Bezos and Masayoshi Son of SoftBank are investors, and how food justice equates to social justice.
    Follow Nate:
    LinkedIn:linkedin.com/in/nate-storey-068670225
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
     
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    37 min
  • Faraway: Why Lone Wolves Never Win With Alex Paley & Dennis Zdonov, Co-Founders | VC
    Gamer owned universe! When players take ownership of their assets, innovation follows. Meet Faraway, home to 2 million players and counting.
    Web 2 games studios are fine but gaming is changing. Take GTA, for example. Who knew it would end up getting streamed on Twitch and YouTube as a role play game, adding an extra level of entertainment value?
    Joe gets into conversation with Alex and Dennis, Co-Founders of Faraway, a games studio and home to Mini Royale Nations. The difference between their shoot ‘em up and all the others out there? Player owned assets.
    Alex and Dennis discuss why owning games assets, like land, gives players more of a stake in game development, why you’ll never win as a lone wolf, and what it’s like knowing 92k battles are taking place on your platform every single day.
    You’ll also hear how the pair raised $21million from a who’s who of investors, how NFT plays a role, and Faraway’s ambition to own a portfolio full of games with a synergy between them all.
    Mini Royale is a lot of fun. Check out the website and get playing within seconds: https://faraway.gg/
    Follow Alex:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/alexpaley
    Twitter: twitter.com/apaley13
    Follow Dennis:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/denzz
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
     
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    40 min
  • Ep.44: Grain: How One App is Opening Up Zoom With Mike Adams, CEO | Mapping Conversations | VC
    Zoom! Grain is building a way to record, search, and edit your Zoom meetings.
    But what started as a transcription service and a video editor has evolved into a new kind of database - a searchable record of all the conversations that happen inside a company. Today Grain is about connecting ideas across teams and divisions that you may never have even known existed.
    Joe talks to Mike about how Zoom evolved into a platform for new startups, how Grain found their killer app with a Google doc, and his vision to build a Reddit-like experience for ideas inside companies.
    Follow Mike:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mgadams3/
    Twitter: https://twitter.com/GrainHQ
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    27 min
  • Ep.43: Regent: Futuristic Sea Travel Now With Billy Thalheimer, CEO & Mike Klinker, CTO | VC | Electric Aircraft
    Seagliders! When 40% of people worldwide live by the coast, offering innovative transport solutions is a surefire winner. That’s what Regent is betting on.
    Imagine short, fast flights over the water, shredding travel times between hubs like Boston and New York. Billy and Mike are turning that dream into a reality with Regent and more specifically with their 100% electric, zero emission, low-cost seagliders.
    Joe, Billy and Mike get into the weeds of electric versus traditional aircraft engines, how they’re creating regional, coastal, high comfort travel, and why they believe Regent will reduce the cost and headache of regional transportation.
    You’ll hear how underwater fins and hydrofoil tech combine to create maritime vessels that cruise just a few feet over the water and how the automated flight system works.
    Follow Billy:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/williamthalheimer
    Follow Mike:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/michael-klinker-85a1a989
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
     
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    44 min
  • EP.42: Reconcile : Get The Tax Tools Brokers Don't Want You to Have With Jaimin Desai, CEO | Crypto | VC
    Crypto Tax! Reconcile has the tax tools brokerages want to keep to themselves. Jaimin Desai is democratizing finance for all. Find out how.
    For high net worth individuals, old school brokerages like Charles Schwab have all the tax planning packages they need, but for ambitious traders it’s not enough. Even new brokerages, like Robinhood, don’t want to take on the liability of tax advice. And that’s where Reconcile steps in.
    Integrating all your trading, and with strategies to minimize tax penalties, this is one newly minted venture you’ll want to dive into.
    Joe talks to Jaimin about how Reconcile connects users to accounts and tax professionals, why crypto might be the worst possible way to hide money from the IRS, and why NFT traders are facing massive tax bills.
    You’ll hear how Jaimin is bringing taxes out of the Stone Age, how he’s building a modern web app that tracks your trades in real time, and the benefit of having your own tax professional on call.
    Follow Jaimin:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/desaijaimin
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
     
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    30 min
  • Ep.41: Maven: When Top Level Creators Turn Educators With Wes Kao, Co-Founder | VC
    Edutech! When students partner up with the best operators in their field, radical change takes place. Education meets internet creators, through Wes Kao’s Maven platform.
    Education is one of the last multi-trillion dollar markets virtually untapped by tech. Why? Because very few innovators out there can see the potential. But Maven can, and it’s just raised $25 million from a16z and First Round.
    Joe and Wes discuss how Maven’s 10 instructors are already making $100k+ for a 3-week online class, why world class creators like Pomp, Li Jin and David Perell are offering hyper-tactical lessons, and how new audiences no longer need gatekeepers deciding who can and can’t teach.
    Wes gets into mini-apprenticeships, learning from creators at the top of their game, and how Maven is unlocking an army of internet native professors with a cohort ready to learn.
    The education revolution is happening. 
    Follow Wes:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/weskao
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    41 min
  • Ep.40: Mystery: The Science of Happy Employees With Brennan Keough, Cofounder | VC
    Remote Work! Brennan Keough is building the world's best virtual events and making employees everywhere a little bit happier.
    In March 2020 when COVID first hit the US, Mystery was a thriving live events business, weeks away from raising millions in a Series A. Seven days later it was virtually illegal.
    Now a few years and 3 pivots later they just raised $18.5M from Greylock.
    Joe and Brennan discuss remote work, why it can be so transactional, and how high-performing teams build trust in remote environments.
    You’ll hear about how Mystery designs events, which FAANG company likes R-rated comedy, and pick up a few tips on how to retain employees.
    Follow Brennan:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/brennankeough/
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns, or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    35 min
  • Ep.39: Vouch: How to Build Insurance Products in a Fragmented Market With Travis Hedge, Cofounder | Insurtech | VC
    Insurtech! In 2021 insurance-tech racked up over $15 billion in VC investment. So what is it? And how is it different from the legacy insurance industry? Vouch Cofounder Travis Hedge joins the show to break it down.
    We dive into pricing black swan events - like Covid or earthquakes - the origins of insurance in Rennaisance-era shipping, and how Vouch is building a full-stack insurance business in an incredibly fragmented market.
    Follow Travis:
    LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/travishedge/
    Twitter: @The_HedgeFund
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    46 min
  • Ep.38: Bessemer Venture Partners: Why The Answer is Always Software With Tess Hatch, Partner | Frontier Tech Investor | VC
    Frontier Tech! Tess Hatch has the playbook for hard tech challenges. She’s on the front row of innovation as a tech investor and ready to share her knowledge.
    The secret is software. It’s the answer to the hardest technical challenges from space launches to nuclear - anything with upfront costs.
    Joe and Tess discuss why SAAS is the best business model ever, why the best frontier tech companies use their technical expertise to sell software and how companies like Spire are building a competitive moat.
    You’ll hear about Tess’ inspiration to become an aerospace engineer, astronaut Sally Ride, and her excitement over the Artemis program to land the first woman on the moon.
    Follow Tess:
    LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/tesshatch
    Check out the Just Raised newsletter: https://bit.ly/3Ghj2tY
    Stay up-to-date on all things Just Raised: https://workweek.com/brand/just-raised/ or follow Joe Sweeny on Twitter: https://twitter.com/JoeySweeny
     
    And if you’re a fan of Acquired, Invest Like The Best, Business Breakdowns or 20VC, you’ll love Just Raised
    34 min

About Just Raised

From the publisher's feed

Venture-backed startups are springing up across the globe, but how do you keep up with what’s coming next? On Just Raised, you’ll be first to hear from the founders of those newly minted companies…