Mindy Hsu

"You can’t be truly successful without being true to yourself." I had the pleasure of hearing Kara Swisher speak at the Dean’s Speaker Series at University of California, Berkeley, Haas School of Business a couple weeks ago, and this quote really stuck with me. Kara was incredibly candid about her journey covering the tech world for decades, but it was her advice on authenticity that truly hit home. After the event, I asked her about her thoughts on navigating the entrepreneurship space as a founder from an underrepresented background. I’ve often found myself code-switching or "cosplaying" to fit into certain professional spaces, and I’ve been torn about whether that’s necessary in the exclusive world of venture-backed startups. Kara’s response? Focus on building the best product and staying true to the mission that drives you. That advice resonated deeply, especially as I work on building a product that addresses some of the hardest and most meaningful problems in healthcare and nutrition—areas that have personal significance for me. If you're as passionate about advancing health and nutrition through AI as I am, or if you’re building in these spaces, let’s connect. I’d love to continue this conversation and explore how we can make real impact together. #Entrepreneurship #Authenticity #HealthcareInnovation #AI #NutritionTech #FounderLife

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👀 Looking at our recent investments at Draper Associates, here’s what standout founders nailed, making our decision to invest much easier (and faster): 💥 Visionary Tech with a Bold Vision – These founders are not here for incremental wins; they’re reimagining what’s possible in across tech - biotech, robotics, aerospace, and beyond. Their vision is big and audacious, tackling complex problems that demand breakthrough solutions, others have not been willing to try. 👊 Clear Passion & Purpose – The drive in these founders is undeniable. They’re committed to their mission with a depth of purpose that shapes every choice. One founder, for example, took two years completely off to learn and meet everyone in longevity biotech. This level of grit and dedication is rare but essential for the most impactful founders. 🌟 Assembling All-Star Teams – They bring together top-tier talent from diverse disciplines: experienced business leaders with successful exits or industry experience at top companies, technical co-founders with deep expertise, often PhDs or industry pioneers, and even published authors. It’s a complementary team, unified by a shared vision. They make the: "Why this team?" obvious - at a glance. 💻 Data-Driven to the Core – These founders present data insights that show why their approach is unique, especially against a competitive field of companies. This data is delivered with clarity and they make the complex simple. Many are published in top journals, adding depth and credibility to their approach, and reinforcing that they know their tech inside out. ⚡️ Memorable, Clear Vision – They don’t just pitch; they make the future feel tangible, with a vision that’s both compelling and concise. If I can relay their pitch in under 30 seconds to my team, they’ve killed it. 📣 Transparent & Proactive Communication – The best founders don’t wait for questions. They come prepared, often with a comprehensive FAQ doc, give timely updates to our questions, and are candid about challenges. This level of openness builds trust and strengthens our partnership. 💸 Milestone-Driven Funding Strategy – Each funding stage aligns clearly with already achieved or upcoming achievable milestones. They’ve mapped out a roadmap that minimizes risk at every step, giving us confidence in their journey. 💰 Revenue Milestones Along the Way – Even if it'll take a decade to hit revenue on their big vision, these founders find revenue generation stops along the way to profitability. They share a trajectory that connects early wins to revenue, showing how every step is a building block toward their bigger vision. Overall, the best founders are incredibly thoughtful, prepared, and fantastic verbal / written communicators. #founders #startups #fundraising #VC

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Congrats team Lodestar Space to closing this £2.5M pre seed round! Off to the (new space) races. At Inflection.xyz we are committed to pioneer sovereign computation as the biggest leverage for human progress. The space economy will help us provide valuable services from imagery and connectivity on earth all the way to in space semiconductor production, energy harnessing, regulating the earths climate and becoming an interplanetary species in the long run. Object manipulation is a very present bottleneck for repair, refuelling and other services. As opposed to tele operated robots that come with high latency, connectivity issues, human failure and high costs Lodestar Space is taking a different approach. By leveraging new materials, additive manufacturing and advancements in AI and in-space „edge“ compute capabilities (see our portfolio Cryptosat) they enable autonomous robotics operating in real time and far beyond human precision. Based on their space specific data set - robots and objects behave very differently at 0 gravity, extreme light conditions and temperatures - new applications and interfaces become possible. Data network effects are expected to accelerate development across verticals. Read more about the company’s value propositions, team and vision on https://www.lodestar.space Reach out if you see room for collaboration!

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Most folks engage with us early in their product development process. Much of the time, we are a great fit for the manufacturing but NOT the product development. Naturally, we look to lean on our network and make introductions to product development firms. The innovators inevitably ask us -- How do we choose the right Product Development firm for our project? (that will be another post for another day. go talk to 3-5 firms, in different places, at different sizes, and see who you like) The NEXT question folks ask is -- How much will this cost? ($100,000 - $1,000,000 is a canned answer) Ok, really though, hourly rates range from $75 to $500+, why the disparity—and how do you decide what’s right for you? Again, SUPER high level. Every project is different. BUT, at a glance... Here’s a quick breakdown: 1️⃣ Hourly Rates Vary by Expertise: Small firms/freelancers: $75–$150/hour Mid-sized firms: $150–$300/hour Large, specialized firms: $300–$500+/hour The differences are often due to experience, location, tools, and risk management. I am also seeing more firms do away with hourly and swap to a monthly retainer or per-project / per-stage fee structure. 2️⃣ How to Decide What Fits Your Needs: Low Budget (<$50k): Startups and simple designs? Freelancers or small firms can work great. Mid-Range Budget ($50k–$150k): For balancing expertise and cost, mid-sized firms are ideal. High Budget ($150k+): Complex, regulated projects? You’ll need a full-service partner. 3️⃣ Find Your Perfect Match: Define your goals: What stage are you in—ideation, prototyping, or scaling? Evaluate portfolios: Look for firms with experience in your product’s niche. Start small: Test with a limited-scope project before committing to the full journey. Maybe toe in the water with a feasibility study. 4️⃣ Domestic vs. Overseas Firms: USA-Based Firms: Offer closer collaboration, reduced communication gaps, and a better understanding of local compliance requirements. Ideal for high-touch projects or when speed to market is critical. Overseas Firms: Typically more cost-effective but may involve longer lead times, language barriers, or timezone challenges. Best suited for well-defined projects with clear deliverables. 💡 Pro Tip: Don’t overlook mid-sized firms for their mix of efficiency and expertise, especially for scaling production or optimizing designs for manufacturing. What questions do you wish you could ask a PD firm? I am toying with the idea of an interview series... Throw some questions in the comments that you'd like to have answered by subject-matter experts.

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"WHY I'M COMING TO REINDUSTRIALIZE" Said differently, how I realized manufacturing is a multiverse 🤯 A compilation: * * * "Highly relevant as my office implements the National Defense Industrial Strategy we published earlier this year" Julie Loiland Deputy Director, Industry Engagement, OSD(A&S) * * * "Seems like a great gathering of industrial founders, investors, etc. Let's exascale the industrial sector!" Adam Gluck CEO/Founder, Copia Automation * * * "Meet US Series A/B space companies consuming additive manufacturing" Kevin Compher Vice President, In-Q-Tel * * * "Our Venture fund is focused on digital transformation in legacy industries. Reindustrialize is focused on these key technologies segments." Mason A. Partner, Industrious Ventures * * * "I’m interested in the future" Joshua Steinman 🇺🇸 CEO/Founder, Galvanick * * * "Hear cutting edge perspectives and proposed solutions to the greatest challenges facing a broad host of industrial challenges facing our defense industrial base" Edward Miskowski Innovation, Capability and Modernization (ICAM) * * * "To assess the potential for industrial projects and to network for strategic partnerships" Benjamin Kohlmann Investor, Cubit Capital * * * "Bits to atoms is the next frontier of industrial growth" Van Espahbodi Partner, Generational Partners * * * "Support movement to scale advanced manufacturing in the United States to advance national competitiveness" Liza Tobin Senior Director for Economy, SCSP * * * "To support our portfolio companies and strengthen relationship with people who are passionate about next-gen manufacturing" Kei Onishi CEO & Managing Director, Yamaha Motor Ventures * * * "We are very interested in supporting startups and nontraditional defense companies as they explore pathways to scale" Ariel Kayne Commercial Engagement Analyst, Army Applications Laboratory * * * "Been reinventing the tool and die business for years" Austin Schmidt President, Additive Engineering Solutions * * * "To learn more about Investing in the Future of AI Infrastructure for the Industrials sector" JD Weinstein Global Director, VC Practice, Oracle * * * "Foster economic vibrancy in Michigan" Daniel Feder, CFA Sr. Managing Director, U of M Endowment * * * "I want to meet founders and potential co-investors that are interested in collaborating with Newlab." Alex Prather Director of Ventures, @Newlab * * * "To deepen relationships with cutting-edge technologists shaping the future of the U.S. industrial base and to network with key leaders from technology, industry, and government sectors. Ultimately, towards making impactful investments fostering collaborations that support the American agenda" Andrew Schoen Partner, NEA * * * "To engage across sectors with others in the advanced manufacturing space" Brandon Bodor Global BD - Defense, Parker Hannifin Corporation #REINDUSTRIALIZE

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"We’re now completely sold out in the US until mid-2027"- Topher Haddad and remaining tasking availability is dwindling globally: https://albedo.com/reserve What is Albedo doing again?? We build and operate satellites that co-collect 10 cm/pixel visible imagery with 2 m/pixel thermal (LWIR) imagery. Native GSDs. ^ resolution comparable to that of imagery collected by planes, but we're doing it from space 🙃 We couldn’t be more excited about our initial customers and are stoked to see who all snags the rest of our remaining capacity. Be among the first commercial end users EVER to have access to this unprecedented dataset. Cheers! https://lnkd.in/gtBuW68c

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I have finally delved into this year's "100 Silicon Startups Worth Watching in 2024," recently published by EE Times | Electronic Engineering Times. One insight from Peter Clarke in his preface is the interesting shift in the geographical distribution of these top 100 companies. While there's a slight decline in California and North American representation (is it real?), the most striking changes are the sharp decrease in Chinese companies and the meaningful rise in European entries. Peter attributes the Chinese decline to trade tensions: "#China continues to have high levels of startup activity, but its reduced presence on the Silicon 100 reflects the trade tensions between the U.S. and China. That friction has intensified in recent years and has hit a number of Chinese startups that may have had international aspirations but have been denied access to leading-edge silicon out of foundry TSMC." #Europe, on the other hand, has seen an increase from 23 to 29 startups, with the U.K. leading the charge: "The U.K. has 12 startups on the current list, up from nine startups in version 23. The U.K., with longstanding entrepreneurial bases in Cambridge, Oxford, Bristol, and Edinburgh, has enjoyed strong representation for many years." In my view, this growth is a testament to #Europe's robust academic system, coupled with government support, investments, and incubators like Silicon Catalyst.UK. Israel continues to excel: "Israel has always punched way above its weight by population and continues to do so," with its representation growing slightly from 7 to 8 this year, including NeuReality*, POLYN Technology, NeoLogic*, Speedata.io, Pliops, Chain Reaction Ltd.*, Hailo, .Quantum Machines . (*=new additions to the 2024 list). This list provides a good overview of this dynamic and evolving industry, blending both emerging and more established technologies. It's a must-read for anyone interested in the future of #semiconductor #innovation. For the full list: https://lnkd.in/dgfrNUWX

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NEW PODCAST - I chatted with Zane Ball former head of data centers, current head of AI for Intel Corporation about everything the energy business needs to hear from Silicon Valley about the continued growth of the Cloud and AI. Zane’s pretty thoughtful and lays out the Uber Electricty demand case AND a more moderate case for power demand. His key premise is that market forces are pretty powerful: how much AI will we be willing to pay for? Energy prices will drive innovations and there’s a lot of potential for continued developments in energy efficiency. This is a must listen for anyone in the energy business because if we aren’t courting Silicon Valley, they’ll choose nukes and not natural gas. Watch it https://lnkd.in/eFjkYskq or listen https://lnkd.in/eAUQAWxi

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Having a Cars and Capital event tomorrow in Southern California with Oren Klaff. If you want to join message me. https://lnkd.in/gDQ4D39u Oren Klaff Bridger Pennington #InvestorEvent #FamilyOffice #InvestmentOpportunity #CarlsbadEvent #PrivateEquity #WealthManagement #InvestmentConference #CapitalRaising #NetworkingEvent #IndustryLeaders #FinancialGrowth #InvestorsMeetup #WealthBuilding #BusinessGrowth #InvestmentForum

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Interesting article with a clear perspective on where we stand in robotics and transformer models today. Worth a read.

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In the earliest stages, startups have to balance two needs: capital to build now, and the focus to create the product that will bring their vision to life. We experienced this journey at Prewitt Ridge, and I had the opportunity to share parts of our story last week at AIAA ASCEND, and I wanted to share some of the highlights here, as well as the video clip captured by my teammate York Zhang! Steve Massey and I incorporated Prewitt Ridge in Dec 2019 and hit the ground running in 2020. Building on our experience as engineers working at SpaceX and Slingshot Aerospace, we set out to take a picks-and-shovels approach to build digital engineering software tooling for engineers like us, who are working at the companies out there using the picks and shovels, here on Earth and soon in space. We quickly found that there were a host of resources available to us. We received initial funding through the SBIR/STTR program, an initiative from the US government to provide early-stage technology funding for small businesses. With two STTR awards and a great university partner at UNM, we began to execute on our product vision. Simultaneously, we received phenomenal support from the Techstars Space Accelerator program. This accelerator helped us focus on the tradeoffs of bootstrapped growth through SBIR/STTR vs traditional fundraising. SBIR/STTR are fantastic sources of capital, providing a partnership that helps small businesses build through non-dilutive funding. But it’s important to remember that these opportunities are focused on specific topics and non-recurring. As a business, it's important to be disciplined on aligning the SBIR/STTR opportunities with your core product features and strategies to ensure they don't impede your teams execution. We made the decision to balance both SBIR/STTR with growth via venture capital. We successfully raised a round of funding, led by Squadra Ventures with participation from Stage Venture Partners, Aurelia Foundry, Wonder Ventures, Haystack, Acequia Capital, Techstars and GC&H We’ve had a wonderful experience working with the VC community, highlighted by the hands-on approach and national security expertise of Squadra Ventures. Going forward, we’ll continue to consider both types of funding. These resources have provided numerous connections to government and industry leaders, and in turn they have helped to focus our tool offering and capabilities. Our journey shows the importance of another balance that startups must strike: reducing risk and optimizing opportunities. Thanks to Techstars, AIAA ASCEND and all of the panelists for a great conversation! If you’re interested in discussing solutions for digital engineering, get in touch! #startups #aerospace #AIAAASCEND

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Innovation AND execution exemplified....but why did Tesla succeed? EV's are everywhere and there is so much demand. There is Rivian, Lucid and multiple others... At the end of the day, this is why many great ideas in VC ultimately fail...execution and lack to a path of profitability. Here is why Tesla succeeded vs Ford but many others are struggling: 1. First Mover Advantage: Tesla has been producing EVs at scale for over a decade, giving it a head start in refining manufacturing processes, supply chain management, and cost reduction. - Economies of Scale: With a significantly larger production volume than newer competitors, Tesla benefits from lower per-unit costs. 2. Control Over Supply Chain: Tesla designs and produces many of its components in-house, including batteries and software. This reduces reliance on third parties and allows better cost control and faster innovation. 3. Manufacturing Innovations: Gigafactories: Tesla’s Gigafactories are designed for scale and efficiency, incorporating automation, innovative production lines, and co-location of battery production. Gigapress: Tesla uses massive casting machines (Gigapresses) to produce large, single-piece components, reducing assembly complexity and costs. Focus on Simplicity: Tesla's designs emphasize simplicity, using fewer components and standardizing across models, which reduces manufacturing complexity. 4. Scale: Lucid and Rivian are producing at much lower volumes, leading to higher per-unit costs. At the end of day, Tesla makes $9,264 per vehicle (profit) while Rivian loses $38,784 per vehicle and Lucid loses $137,150 per vehicle. Same idea, right? Just done very differently... #venturecapital #endowments #familyoffices

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Battery Ventures released their State of Open Cloud report last week. Really cool (and humbling!) to see Ravenna featured in the report alongside industry innovators ... including my other favorite Seattle startup Clarify - I see you Patrick Thompson Austin Hay Ondrej Hrebicek ;). The report analyzes the current AI market "supercycle," and projects a whopping $4 trillion in market value up for grabs 🤯. The point that caught my attention in the report - the emphasis on product design as a "critical force driving fast adoption and accelerating time to value" in AI-powered solutions. I couldn't agree more with this point. At Ravenna, we place a ridiculous emphasis on great product and user experience design as we believe they are essential to driving AI product adoption. Huge 🙏 to the Battery Ventures team for including Ravenna in the report! Link to the report in the comments below.   #Cloud #AI #Innovation #Enterprise #Tech #ITSM #ESM

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🚀🚀🚀🚀🚀 As part of our venture portfolio, Logic Robotics is transforming supply chains with innovative robotic pallets, optimizing spatial utilization in warehouses. Founder Michael Santora, a former NYC architect, is revolutionizing warehouse automation. Check out his recent interview for more insight. Excited to see where they go next! ⚙️🤖 #VentureCapital #PortfolioCompany #Robotics #Innovation #SupplyChain #SpatialUtilization #Automation #Logistics

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Hot Off the Press - Over on SpaceNews journalist Jeff Foust penned a piece about CRV's newest company, Apex - Spacecraft Manufacturing. Get more information about the business Ian Cinnamon, Maximilian Benassi and the team are building by checking out today's article. #VC #venturecapital #funding #space #satellite

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https://lnkd.in/gRiPD7tN Several career Intel Corporation ex-colleagues would be forced into layoffs in the next few days because of the mess that it has gotten into thanks to its top management for years, accelerated in last three years. An Intel Corporation representative Jeff Rittener told US senate recently, under oath, that Pat Gelsinger was paid 40% more in 2023 while Intel was in deep shit and gave employees 5% base pay cuts and other cuts to benefits and bonuses, than he was paid in 2021 when Intel was having some of its best times in recent history. So Pat took the revenue down some 1.4x over two years, while his own income from Intel increased 1.4x over the same two years. When Rittener was asked how Intel Corporation management has the gall to layoff so many Americans while taking US govt money, he replied "Intel hasn't taken any money" - I'm sure this would be news to many. In fact it got more ridiculous - when asked why has Intel continued to invest in Chinese AI and Semiconductors companies through it's venture arm, Rittener replied that Intel wants to benefit from developments in that nation. This when Pat Gelsinger can't be shut up about Semiconductors manufacturing imbalance between Asia and the west, when he is begging for CHIPS Act money. Somehow China isn't in Asia according to his Atlas. Either that or he thinks China having Semiconductors advances is preferable to US allies Taiwan and South Korea having those advances The whole video is here https://lnkd.in/gxrNJgZ5 and here https://lnkd.in/g5VSB3tp

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Team San Diego! I though you may find this as surprising as I did...we are not alone. Read this quick article from Jon Prentice's (Silicon Valley Bank) interview with with James Newell (Voyager Capital), published in GeekWire on Seattle's innovation ecosystem....they lament the SAME issues as we do in San Diego: * Lack of angel investors, (Especially, it calls out, given the local giant tech co's) * "We need low-conviction check writers." * Lack of "cachet associated with being an angel investor" - We have similar efforts (as described in the article) to drum up angel activity: NuFund Venture Group and, Interlock Capital (read the article and you'll see why the Interlock effort is tops as relates to "paying back into the ecosystem") Connect.org strives to 'connect' innovative companies with investors of all types (angel, VC, PE...) - just see "Innovation Day". Their Springboard program provides another great way for experienced entrepreneurs to give back through mentorship...as for the companies going through Springboard: "Ask for advice, and you often get $$" Your thoughts on the article or San Diego innovation ecosystem? https://lnkd.in/gfwq6mfq

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Great to see Google supporting innovation from Fervo Energy via an innovative clean energy purchase agreement with NV Energy. I expect to see an explosion of agreements like this as AI driven energy consumption skyrockets and companies struggle to find enough power (clean or not!). This intersection of AI, energy, grid resilience and clean power is creating huge opportunities for innovative startups to build global scale ups in thre coming years. And at Smart Society Ventures - we’re excited about the potential! https://lnkd.in/efdc3tth

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