Andy White

AI isn't just powering software. BrightAI just raised $51 million to automate inspection and other hardware-based AI capabilities. As Alexa von Tobel, co-founder of Inspired Capital put it: “So many people are so focused on the future of digital AI, but we’re excited about this new layer of AI: the physical world AI.” We are in the early innings of a series of AI-fueled innovations! https://lnkd.in/enhmafvH

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Seed-stage fundraising requires differentiation. Grind Ventures found it at the intersection of three underserved markets Technology transfer from universities creates early-stage opportunities that most VCs miss. Defense and federal marketplace applications provide revenue visibility. Critical infrastructure sectors offer commercial scale. Focused Thesis - Dual-use technologies serving defense and 16 critical infrastructure sectors Technology Transfer - University research teams1-5 years old at $1-3M valuations Revenue Clarity - Federal marketplace provides structured procurement pathways Commercial Scale - Critical infrastructure sectors offer massive addressable markets   Geographic Focus - US-based companies with clear domestic advantages Stage Discipline - Seed investments with defined entry points and milestones The market rewards problem-obsessed founders with healthy margins and cash flow visibility. Dual-use technology delivers both. Which of these thesis elements resonates most with your investment approach? #VC #GrindVentures #ThoughtLeadership

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I’ve spoken to over 2 dozen MDs at PE firms I can confidently say that the arb of figuring out how to implement Vertical AI at portfolio companies is very real right now It will fundamentally change underwriting for those who can do it predictably and unlock generational returns. Most are aware they need to act. Very few have.

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Boards are supposed to help founders. Over the past 19 years, I've watched many trap them instead. As companies scale, many boards turn from insight to oversight and stop doing what founders actually need: Help making big, hard decisions. Early boards tend to be small, the board members are close to the business and highly invested in it. They argue from first principles. They help founders think. Later-stage boards often look more impressive on paper - they have more independent directors, committees and process. Somewhere along the way, collective problem solving gets replaced with oversight. The board shifts from helping the CEO make better decisions to monitoring decisions that have already been made. Strategy discussions get safer, real debate gets rarer and meetings become more about risk management than judgment. This usually coincides with the introduction of more professional board members. For better or worse, they often optimize for governance, optics, and liability management. That’s their job. But it’s not always what the company needs in moments of real uncertainty. Then, CEOs stop using them as thought partners. That’s a problem. So what should founders do? A few principles that help: • Keep the board as small as you can for as long as you can • Add directors for new insight they bring, not what boxes they check • Treat board seats like senior hires, not trophies • Design meetings for debate rather than reporting • Be explicit about when you want input vs approval Good boards should improve decision-making. If your board isn’t making you think harder, it’s probably not doing its job.

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Here's a counterintuitive truth: if you get sued for patent infringement, you should consider yourself lucky. It means you've built something valuable enough that competitors are worried. Most founders swing between two extremes: IP naive (ignoring patents completely) or IP obsessed (building patent fortresses instead of businesses). Both kill startups. After 20+ years in IP strategy, investing in deep tech startups, and now building a deep tech startup accelerator, I've seen the pattern repeatedly. The founders who succeed understand patents as competitive intelligence tools and business enablers—not substitutes for finding customers. New post breaks down the IP strategy spectrum and why the sweet spot matters more than most founders realize. 👉 https://lnkd.in/g2x5ssyJ

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Is early-stage VC broken? Or just evolving? In this new episode of Startups Decoded Podcast, I sit down with Jeff Becker, General Partner at Antler, to explore how venture capital is shifting, and what that means for founders. We dig into;  - the “hidden years of inception,”  - the traits that define durable founders and, -  how AI is reshaping the startup growth engine. From counter-cyclical investment strategies to rolling capital and the importance of community, we look at what it takes to build smarter, not just faster. If you're navigating the early-stage ecosystem — as a founder, investor, or operator — this conversation offers perspective, insight, and a glimpse into where the next wave of innovation is headed.

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🚀 Few people have done more to shape the Pacific Northwest startup scene than Chris DeVore On the latest Sound Investments, Chris explains why Founders Co-op doubled down on Seattle, how he thinks about community-driven VC, and what lessons founders everywhere can learn If you care about where innovation comes from - and how to build ecosystems that last - this is the episode for you Listen to the full conversation: 🎧 https://pod.fo/e/3211fd #FoundersCoop #VentureCapital #Seattle

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"𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗼𝗻 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝘆. 𝗕𝘆 𝘀𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗿𝗲𝗲, 𝗶𝘁 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗲𝘀 𝗮 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸." John Frankel of ff Venture Capital just dropped this gem in our interview on the new episode of Inside the Fund. I laughed. Then realized he was dead serious. 𝗛𝗲'𝘀 𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲'𝘀 𝘄𝗵𝘆: Most founders optimize for the round. Not the exit. They raise too much at too high a valuation because they can. Then they scale prematurely. Burn through cash. Fire people. And never grow into that valuation. 𝗝𝗼𝗵𝗻'𝘀 𝗮𝗱𝘃𝗶𝗰𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗿: "Each round is a battle. You're trying to win the war." Translation: Stop trying to get the highest valuation possible. Start thinking about where you need to be in 5 years. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗲𝘀: • Party rounds with no lead (everyone's buying options, no one's actually helping) • Raising more than you need (you'll spend it all, guaranteed) • Optimizing for dilution instead of partnership • Taking money without considering the responsibility His take on founders who don't feel that responsibility? "You can just ruin your reputation over time. Ultimately, people are trusting you with capital." 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗻𝗼𝘄: Think marathon, not sprint. Raise what you need, not what you can. Find the right partners, not just the biggest checks. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔 𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗱𝗼𝗲𝘀𝗻'𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗻𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗺𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗶𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗕. 🎤 What's the worst fundraising advice you followed that seemed smart at the time? (full link in the comments. Thank you 28th&Park for this Inside Startup Funding production!) #fundraising #venturecapital #startups

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Last week's musings. You'll notice some reoccuring themes... 𝟭. 𝗜𝗻𝗱𝘂𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗶𝗰𝘀/𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗟 🍇 (𝗿𝗲𝗾𝘂𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗷𝗮𝗺)  -recurring idea i've been mulling -robotics is happening particularly in industrial setting  -still lots of problems, but the revolution is happening and there are  work arounds until the tech is really there -prices in theory are highest they will ever be (impact of tariffs?) -folks looking for pre-training data, but eventually will also need fine tuned data -what data fidelity is good enough? 𝟮. 𝗧𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘀𝗗𝗶𝗴𝗺 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗯𝗹𝗲 𝗯𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀 + 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵 🍇  -it's an absolute monster, $75B market cap and up 300% over the last 5 years. - aircraft parts, 90% proprietary but high margin - killer aftermarket business  - how many software biz have lifetime value of 50 years?! -has lots of things software investors look for (sticky revenue, high margin, defensibility in GTM and unique flywheel, focus, etc.)  -makes me think way more about hard tech viability 𝟯. 𝗧𝗿𝘂𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗰𝘂𝘀 - from Neil Shah on Invest Like the Best - incredible listen - few people have maniacal focus and it's so important for founders 𝟰. 𝗦𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗺 𝗥𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 -WTF  𝟱. 𝗖𝗼𝗿𝗹𝗲𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗼𝘁 𝗛𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲 -Kawasaki released prototype and it's wild! Substack for full thoughts: https://lnkd.in/gzNtkEHk

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