Latest news with #Techstars
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
TechAlliance to host first-ever Techstars Startup Weekend in London, ON
LONDON, Ontario, Aug. 06, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Headquartered in the city ranked #4 on North America's top emerging tech markets index, TechAlliance is the voice of record for the most promising startups and highest potential technology companies in Southwestern Ontario. Making its London, ON debut in September 2025, TechAlliance is thrilled to host Techstars Startup Weekend, a globally recognized experience for early-stage innovation. Techstars selects and partners with leading organizations like TechAlliance, to support entrepreneurs in more than 160 countries all over the world. This 54-hour immersive experience is designed for aspiring entrepreneurs, first-time founders, developers, creatives and builders to experience startup life, and transform innovative ideas into real ventures.
Technical.ly
22-07-2025
- Business
- Technical.ly
After a quiet year, Black and Mobile is going on an East Coast comeback tour
Startup profile: Black and Mobile Founded by: David Cabello and Aaron Cabello Year founded: 2019 Headquarters: Philadelphia, PA Sector: Foodtech Funding and valuation: Bootstrapped Key ecosystem partners: Techstars, Google, Penn Medicine Food delivery startup Black and Mobile is planning a summer splash with a 60-city tour that follows a year of behind-the-scenes improvements. Founded in 2019 to connect residents with Black-owned restaurants in their cities, the Philadelphia-headquartered company already operates in Philly, Atlanta, Baltimore, New York and Los Angeles. Now it's time to 'activate' in more markets, Black and Mobile founder David Cabello told After the tour, he's aiming to hit $185,000 to $225,000 in annual recurring revenue — and grow from there. 'If we have options in every city [on the tour],' Cabello said, 'and if we can generate an order a day, that's putting us over $1 million.' Currently, word of mouth is drawing new users from around the country. When many open the app, however, they find no listings local to their region. To change that, Cabello plans to spend the tour signing up new restaurants, hiring drivers, connecting with customers — and creating a lot of social content. 'TikTok has been huge for us. I used it for the first time last year … the numbers were crazy. Now, for seven months straight, we're going to be posting every single day,' he said about the account, which currently sits around 10,000 followers. That potential growth in visibility could determine whether Black and Mobile starts raising capital. Once revenue hits about $30,000 to $40,000 monthly — as opposed to the current burn rate of $4,000 to $5,000 — Cabello said he'll consider looking for investors. 'Being lean is keeping me away from getting scammed and trusting my family and although I'm going slower, I still own most of my company,' he said, instead of sharing ownership with an investor or risking getting pushed out. The tour kicks off Aug. 1 in Trenton, New Jersey. From there, Cabello will travel to South Florida, then loop around to Houston, Minneapolis and dozens of cities in between. If all goes well, he plans a West Coast swing in 2026. 'Restaurants are just not going to sign up just because we're a Black-owned delivery service,' Cabello said. 'They got to see us doing the work in the community.' A mission-driven origin Black and Mobile began after Cabello, then a driver for food delivery apps like Postmates and Caviar, decided to build a platform that would circulate dollars within the Black community. He co-founded the business with his brother, Aaron Cabello. In its first two years, the startup expanded to three cities, upgraded its app and even landed a cameo in the Pharrell Williams and Jay-Z music video 'Entrepreneur.' The early success landed Black and Mobile a place on 2021 RealLIST Startups and 2020 Startup of the Year award. Black and Mobile relaunched in 2022 with $10,000 it won in a contest hosted by the Black Innovation Alliance called the Back in the Black Tour. The next year, it launched a $1 million crowdfunding campaign to support its efforts and in 2024, it participated in Techstars' spring 2024 cohort. 'What we've been seeing is that people would rather order through a Black-owned delivery service,' Cabello said, 'because they feel like they're making an impact.' Turning hurdles into pillars of success Black and Mobile's growth hasn't come without setbacks. Early internal personnel conflicts and getting caught in a couple scams slowed momentum. In its second year, the company refunded $400,000 due to a lack of drivers and tech infrastructure, per Cabello. He's now intentionally keeping the team lean. Black and Mobile relies on a crew of independent contractors to keep overhead low. The company will only consider more hiring as volume increases, according to Cabello. Despite these constraints, wins continue to pile up. Since March, Black and Mobile has been listed alongside DoorDash and Uber Eats in Google search results for food delivery, which Cabello said boosted app downloads by over 50%. Compared to the competition, however, 'we're not meant to be a cheap service,' Cabello said. 'We're definitely meant for the mission and the purpose.' It's also staying true to its Philly roots. Black and Mobile partners with Penn Medicine to deliver meals to vulnerable community members, and distributes 100 food bags to local middle schools each month. For the founder, it's always been about uplifting Black-owned businesses. He's open to others replicating his approach, as long as they're in it for the right reasons. 'I would never patent what I'm doing,' Cabello said, 'because I want people to go help Black people.'
Yahoo
08-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
The complete Side Events lineup at TechCrunch All Stage 2025
Boston, are you ready?! TechCrunch All Stage 2025 is about to explode with energy — and the real magic kicks off with an epic lineup of lighting up the city from July 14–17! We're just ONE WEEK AWAY, and we couldn't be more pumped to unveil the full Side Events schedule — your ultimate passport to game-changing connections and unforgettable moments. From high-voltage networking mixers to mind-blowing innovation showcases, this is where Boston's boldest tech minds come to connect, create, and crush it. Whether you're a trailblazing founder, a curious startup enthusiast, or a seasoned pro, there's something here to supercharge your All Stage experience. So don't just attend — immerse yourself. Mark those calendars, lock in your spot, and get ready to ride the wave of . Quick Side Event disclaimers: Hosted by: Palm Venture Studios, JP Morgan, and SBURTime: 3:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m. ET The startup life can be a lonely journey — this is a night to come together, have some fun, and remember you're not alone in riding the roller coaster of building. Just founders sharing real stories and the lessons they learned the hard way. – Drinks and food– Networking– Real founders, real stories Hosted by: WithumTime: 5:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET Start your TechCrunch Boston experience with an impactful fireside chat covering today's economic climate, QSBS, equity insights, and real-world advice from startup leaders. You'll also hear directly from serial entrepreneur David Berry as he shares lessons learned, growth strategies, and how to build in today's evolving landscape. Join us for candid conversation, real takeaways, and meaningful connections with fellow tech entrepreneurs in a high-energy, founder-first setting. Hosted by: American South Asian Network (ASAN)Time: 5:15 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. ETJoin us for an engaging evening of networking, insightful discussions, and cultural celebration. Connect with South Asian entrepreneurs, creatives, and professionals, and explore the vibrant contributions of the South Asian community across various industries. More details on our registration page! REGISTER HERE Hosted by: Women Tech Meetup, Techstars, Puzzle, and Venture LaneTime: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ETBoston! Calling all women in tech, allies, friends, and partners! Join our Women Tech Meetup: Raising on Your Terms event, hosted by Techstars and Venture Lane, as an official Side Event of TechCrunch All Stage. Enjoy complimentary drinks and snacks, engaging conversation, networking, and a beautiful venue Additionally, we will host a panel discussion on fundraising, venture capital, and the challenges that female founders face on their journey to building successful companies, along with strategies to overcome them. Agenda listed on our registration page. REGISTER HERE Hosted by: Puzzle and Fidelity Private SharesTime: 9:00 a.m. – 11:00 a.m. ETCome hungry. Leave inspired. Building a startup is a wild ride — so let's hit pause and and connect over great food and even better company Join us for our special breakfast as a Side Event of TechCrunch All Stage, designed for founders navigating the highs and lows of scaling, fundraising, and everything in between. Co-hosted by Puzzle and Fidelity Private Shares. Swap lessons learned and insider tips, biggest wins and toughest challenges, as well as fresh perspectives with fellow founders who truly get it. REGISTER HERE Hosted by: Prepare 4 VCTime: 11:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. ETThe Breakthrough Summit is the grand finale of the Prepare 4 VC Breakthrough Program — a 10-week founder acceleration journey that pushes beyond theory into transformative action. This isn't a demo day. This is a celebration of resilience, growth, and traction. You're invited to witness 10 bold, ambitious founding teams as they take the stage to share:– Their pitch-ready ventures.– Personal breakthrough moments.– Traction gained through the program.– The next big leaps they're preparing for. All framed by the powerful community of mentors, investors, and partners who made it possible. REGISTER HERE Hosted by: Onshape by PTCTime: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ETJoin us for our next Happy Hour event with early-stage founders, top investors, and engineers shaping the future of product design. Hear from Jon Hirschtick and John McEleney, co-founders and former CEOs of both SolidWorks and Onshape, as they share proven strategies for investor pitches that win — whether you're raising $100,000 or $100 million. Plus, hear firsthand from AWS on how to build scalable, secure infrastructure for your startup. Whether you're in Boston for TechCrunch All Stage or building your breakthrough product, you won't want to miss this! REGISTER HERE Hosted by: Æthos FoundationTime: 5:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. ETJoin our ecosystem for an evening of guiding society toward AI that truly serves humanity, and for drinks. An entrepreneur, a professor, and a public servant walk into a bar … Come see whether they walk out with a new understanding of what makes AI responsible. Æthos has built AI startup hubs in Boston and Berlin over the past year around a mission to construct strong practical norms for ethical AI. We bring together startups with leaders from government, Big Tech, academia, and investment to build these norms. The usual place, unusual people: the best minds Boston has to offer on July 16. REGISTER HERE Hosted by: Remotesome and Glasswing VenturesTime: 5:30 p.m. – 9:30 p.m. ETUnlock the secrets to building high-performing teams and scaling your startup with confidence. Join us for Scaling Smartly — an exclusive event bringing together leaders in Boston tech + an all star panel of prominent founders, innovators, and investors sharing their unfiltered experiences on what truly drives success in scaling teams effectively after a funding round. Featured Speakers:Gerard GhariosCPO and Co-Founder (Synquery), Former Head of Innovation (Boston Consulting Group) Blake RichardsCEO (Elucid) Ali MahmoudPrincipal (Glasswing Ventures) Hani AzzamPrincipal (Propeller VC), Founder (Viaka) REGISTER HERE Hosted by: Northeastern University College of Arts, Media and DesignTime: 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. ETPlease join us for this engaging panel discussion with local thought leaders about best practices to engage with universities to empower business growth. After the panel, there will be an opportunity to network with fellow founders, university representatives, and students. Please come prepared for a lively discussion with an open mind and lots of questions! REGISTER HERE Sign in to access your portfolio
Forbes
03-07-2025
- Business
- Forbes
When Japanese Depth Meets American Speed
Yuki Shirato - Managing Director of Techstars Tokyo (left) There's something compelling yet often misunderstood about Japan's startup ecosystem. The country has long ranked high on the global innovation index thanks to its deep research culture, world-class engineering, and academic rigor. And yet, according to CB Insights, Japan currently has only eight active unicorns, compared to more than 700 in the U.S. (These figures exclude IPOs and acquisitions, though even with those included, the proportional gap remains shocking.) To those used to Silicon Valley-style entrepreneurship where speed and bold vision often produce unicorn after unicorn, Japan can feel like a paradox. While economists and historians might offer countless explanations for this disparity, this article focuses on one often-overlooked factor: culture. Specifically, how founders in Japan and the U.S. differ in how they build, pitch, and ultimately scale their innovations—and what each ecosystem can learn from the other. Innovation Isn't Lacking in Japan. It's Just Expressed (and Received) Differently Much of Japan's innovation still stems from university labs and public R&D institutions. But turning that innovation into a fast-growing startup is still a relatively new concept. In a culture where excellence is expected and precision is the standard, founders often delay launch until the product is nearly perfect. This commitment to quality can be an advantage but it can also slow momentum. Japanese founders often build companies the way they would a scientific paper: carefully and with rigorous attention to detail. 'Japanese founders are very diligent and they do not overpromise. This can be good and bad, depending on the expectations of the person you are communicating with,' says Yasemin Karatas, Marketing Coordinator at Google for Startups Japan. Noriko Shibao, Venture Partner at the Japanese impact fund UNERI sees this discipline as a core strength: 'One of the biggest strengths of Japanese founders is their ability to patiently and sincerely build trust—something that's absolutely essential for creating meaningful social impact. In Japan, trust is often considered a form of capital, and earning it requires integrity and a mindset of continuous improvement.' Meanwhile, the U.S. Builds Fast—Sometimes Too Fast In the U.S. the mindset is almost the opposite: speed is celebrated, and vision is a form of currency. American founders are encouraged to pitch big ambitions early, often long before a product is fully proven. 'They have the eagerness and passion that they convey. Also the mindset that they will target the world,' Yasemin observes. And while speed to market and a bold vision for the future are undeniably ingredients behind many successful unicorns, it's important to recognize that the same mindset has also fueled some of the most notorious failures in startupland—from Theranos and WeWork to FTX and Frank. In fact, this dynamic has become so visible that Forbes published Hall Of Shame: The 10 Most Dubious People Ever To Make Our 30 Under 30 List in 2023. Earnest Sweat is a Series A-focused investor passionate about backing founders who are transforming industries with applied AI, vertical software, marketplaces, and tech-enabled services. Over the past decade, he has supported entrepreneurs who have collectively created more than $18 billion in enterprise value. Along the way, he has witnessed both the promise and pitfalls of a growth-at-all-costs mentality. 'I think that phrase [move fast and break things] had its place, but it aged out. The new frontier is 'move fast and build trust.' Founders today are scaling in a world where accountability, transparency, and community expectations are much higher. Velocity still matters—but it has to be paired with credibility and staying power.' What It Looks Like to Navigate Both Worlds Hiroto Yamazaki is the founder of Umami United, a Japanese food tech startup creating plant-based egg alternatives to help consumers with dietary restrictions and support food manufacturers facing egg price volatility and supply chain challenges. Hiroto explains how the company's purpose evolved over time: 'Initially, the focus was on serving consumers with dietary limitations—a mission centered on supporting minorities. However, I realized that addressing only minority issues wouldn't broaden our impact. That's why we shifted toward solving mass-market problems, such as the rising cost and supply instability of eggs in the [global] food industry.' Asked how he balances Japan's perfectionism with Western iteration, Hiroto says, 'To me, startups are inherently about navigating the unknown. If you wait until everything is perfectly researched, the conditions may have already changed. At Umami United, we value a 'learn-as-you-go' approach. In that sense, our culture leans more toward the Western emphasis on speed and iteration.' Where Culture Affects Capital When startups cross borders, culture becomes the hidden variable in how ideas are perceived. Communication styles, gestures, and tone are read as signals of readiness and conviction—sometimes fairly, sometimes not. Yuki Shirato, Managing Director of Techstars Tokyo, has seen this from both sides: 'Cultural differences play a big role, especially in communication. Having lived and worked across 5 countries, including Japan and the United States, I make a conscious effort to filter a founder's presentation through an understanding of their cultural background, to not misjudge their potential based on style alone.' Yuki Shirato - Managing Director of Techstars Tokyo He adds that 'Japanese startups often place a heavy focus on building high-quality products and leveraging deep technical expertise. Japan remains globally competitive in areas like advanced manufacturing, robotics, materials science, and creative fields like anime and gaming.' Noriko points out that even in the pitch process, cultural habits can sometimes become barriers: 'Japanese founders often prefer to 'let the results speak for themselves,' which can make it harder to present bold, forward-looking visions. This is partly influenced by the conservative nature of many leading VCs in Japan, who tend to favor steady traction [when it comes to] areas like SaaS.' She adds, 'Pitch decks also tend to be packed with information—something Japanese investors are used to. But for overseas investors, all that detail can feel overwhelming or even off-putting. It might just be that Japanese founders aren't as comfortable with delivering a simple, clear message.' When it comes to American investors evaluating founders in overseas markets like Japan, Earnest shares his approach: 'Cultural context plays a massive role. In some regions, modesty is a signal of professionalism—not a lack of ambition. I try to decenter my own defaults and look for signals beneath the surface—how well a founder reads the room, how they gather consensus, how they translate vision into momentum. I'm not looking for a single archetype—I'm looking for authenticity, adaptability, and a deeply held belief that this problem needs solving now.' A Note on Female Founders Cultural dynamics are especially pronounced for women in Japan's startup ecosystem. Sumiyo Tsuchikawa, Japan Country Manager for HearstLab International, shared what she's observed: 'From my observations, Japanese female founders often lead with a remarkable quiet strength. This strength is built upon thorough preparation, a long-term perspective, and a strong sense of responsibility that extends beyond financial gains to the well-being of their teams and communities.' She adds, 'A significant barrier is the strong expectation of conformity in various aspects of life—social, cultural, professional, and even familial. This can unfortunately stifle the visibility and the necessary risk-taking mindset for startup founders.'Sumiyo Tsuchikawa - Japan Country Manager for HearstLab International Sumiyo believes cultural norms around humility also shape how women pitch: 'The deeply ingrained values of humility and consensus-building in Japanese leadership culture often lead women founders to be more reserved and avoid 'over-selling.'' When asked what advice she would give other women founders in Japan, she offered this encouragement: 'Be bold in articulating your vision and ambitious in presenting your business plan. While your traction and execution will certainly speak volumes, international investors also want to sense your ambition and the potential for significant growth, in my opinion.' What Each Ecosystem Can Learn From the Other Japan and the U.S. are not opposites but rather complimentary in that each holds lessons for the other. From Japan, American founders can embrace the discipline of building products that work flawlessly. 'Japanese startups often start by targeting major domestic corporations or Japanese consumers,' Noriko says. 'The quality standards are extremely high, but if they can meet those expectations, it earns them a strong level of trust.' UNERI Pitch Competition - Founders and Judges From the U.S., Japanese founders can borrow conviction and the courage to think bigger—and the even greater courage to pivot when necessary. Reflecting on lessons from his early years building Umami United, Hiro advises: 'Stay lean and test hypotheses fast. One mistake we made was building up logistics and inventory in the U.S. before confirming strong customer demand. We ended up stuck trying to sell products that weren't resonating, unable to pivot to new strategies. Today, we prioritize local testing, focus on nurturing repeat customers, and verify our Problem-Solution Fit before scaling. This approach helps reduce risk and fosters long-term, sustainable growth, especially in foreign markets where the margin for error is smaller.' Earnest captures what matters most in any geography: 'I'm drawn to the moment when a founder's ambition outruns their resources. That early-stage window—especially at the Series A—is where I believe conviction and clarity of thought matter most.' Building the Future Together The future of venture-backed startups isn't just global—it's intercultural. The founders who will thrive are those who can navigate different cultures fluently, whether it's understanding diverse customer needs or collaborating effectively with international teams. Reflecting on what lies ahead in the world of Japanese innovation, Noriko shared her perspective: 'I see great potential in technologies that turn social challenges—like Japan's aging population—into opportunities, as well as food tech that captures the essence of Japan's unique sense of taste and healthy food culture. These innovations could well take root in Japan first and go on to set global standards. This is made possible by Japan's strong academic environment and the exceptional talent of its young scientists and engineers, who continue to drive world-class innovation.' When Japanese depth meets American speed, the result won't just be more unicorns. It will be stronger ones—companies built to last for generations and succeed across many cultures.
Yahoo
26-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Brad Feld on 'Give First' and the art of mentorship (at any age)
Brad Feld has spent decades operating by a simple principle: give without expecting anything in return. This philosophy goes beyond traditional pay-it-forward thinking, he says. It's about helping others, knowing only that meaningful connections and opportunities will emerge organically over time if you do. The entrepreneur and VC, who began angel investing in the 1990s, rose to prominence through his candid blog 'Feld Thoughts,' which pulled back the curtain on the then-secretive venture industry and sparked countless discussions across Silicon Valley. After decades as an investor and co-founding both Techstars and the venture firm Foundry Group — which backed hundreds of companies over 18 years before deciding to stop raising new funds in early 2024 — Feld has distilled his approach to business and life into his latest book, 'Give First.' TechCrunch talked with Feld last week about mentorship, boundaries, and why vulnerability might be the most important leadership skill. You've been thinking about this 'Give First' concept for over a decade. What finally pushed you to write the book now? This is my ninth book, and I was getting close to being done with writing nonfiction; I'm interested in exploring science fiction writing. The intersection of maybe this being my last book and really wanting to capture these ideas made me sit down about three years ago. The concept emerged in 2012 in my 'Startup Communities' book as a paragraph called 'Give Before You Get.' The idea was that if you want a startup community to really move, you need people willing to put energy in without defining upfront what they'll get back. It's not altruism — they'll get something, but they don't know when, from whom, over what time period, or in what form. You were once seemingly everywhere, then you pulled way back. After taking a two-year break from public life, what brought you back? I decided I didn't want to be involved in anything public-facing. I was tired and burnt out. I focused on behind-the-scenes work, which meant [my wife] Amy and I were together all the time because I wasn't distracted by other stuff. That's been really satisfying. When David Cohen came back as CEO of Techstars a year ago, I told him I'd engage as much as he wanted, but I still didn't feel like being public. Working with him on strategy got me super deep back into it. I also took the [book draft] off the shelf, looked at it, and thought, 'This is pretty good.' This book is really about mentorship in its different forms. You also talk about the importance of setting boundaries to avoid burnout. There's a reason for the adage 'no good deed goes unpunished.' How should mentors protect themselves while still giving generously? There's a lot of that in the book. I've been very open about mental health struggles to help destigmatize these issues. . .and there aren't absolute answers to the question. One challenge when you're willing to contribute energy without being transactional is that there are people who can't do that, or who are extractors. Adam Grant describes this spectrum in 'Give and Take,' with givers on one end, takers on the other, and traders in the middle. Most of our world, really, is traders to takers. Over the short term, takers can do extremely well, but over the long term, people at the giver end are much more successful when success isn't simply measured as power and money. You emphasize the importance of saying 'I don't know' when mentoring. Why is that so crucial? It's extremely harmful to new founders when experienced, successful people position themselves as having the answer to everything. The magic in entrepreneurship is having lots of hypotheses, testing them quickly, and learning when most fail. We're in an environment where people can't present things as hypotheses. They present them as assertions. The blurring between opinion and fact is a mess. The best mentors provide data and hypotheses, not assertions about what you should do. One of [my] mentor manifesto phrases is 'guide, don't control.' Sometimes you do know the answer, but anyone who's been a great manager knows the best way to get commitment is to get people to make the commitment themselves. There's a lot of opinion shopping that goes on behind the scenes. How should founders navigate conflicting advice from multiple mentors? When I got feedback on my first draft [of the book] from 25 people, I absolutely got conflicting information. The more mentors can make feedback from their own experience, the more useful it is. Instead of saying 'here's what you should do,' they should say, 'here's an experience I had that's similar, and here's what I did.' If mentees listen that way, mentor whiplash is no big deal; you're getting multiple data points from multiple experiences. It's less 'choose your own adventure' and more synthesizing things that make sense in your context, making a decision, communicating it back to mentors, and then having them commit and support you. At what point is someone ready to be a mentor? Here's the magic trick of mentorship: the best mentor-mentee relationships become peer relationships where the mentor learns as much from the mentee as the mentee learns from the mentor. That means essentially anyone can be a mentor at any point. Some of the people I've learned the most from are at the very beginning of their careers—people still in college, running their first company. My friend Rajat Bhargava was 21 when we started working together in 1994. The amount we've learned from each other since then is unreal. There are very successful, experienced people who are awful mentors, and people early on with little experience who are extraordinary mentors. Your ability to be effective as a mentor isn't related to your success or experience — it's a way of being. How does this philosophy apply during times like now, where we're seeing massive layoffs in tech, disruption from AI in everything . . . Right now, there is almost zero predictive power associated with anything anyone is saying. We're so disconnected from understanding what will actually happen. The very loud, extreme pronouncements people are making have the lowest predictive power I've ever seen. We're living in a space where it's loud and jarring, but I'm hopeful this stuff is timeless. My goal with this book isn't for people to say I got it right. It's to stimulate people to think differently about some things, or reinforce what they're already thinking in an additive way. You're still managing funds and assets dating back almost two decades. Any final thoughts on stepping back from the traditional venture model? Amy and I say it all the time: we're all going to die. We don't know when that day is. What are you going to do with your precious life? The number of people hanging on to relevance by their fingernails in their 70s and 80s . . . if that gives you meaning, awesome. But for many, the answer [to the question of whether or not to do that] is not yes. Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
