Episode 403 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Nick Ornitz and Shannon Kay, Co-Founders of Topline Pro.
Make something people want is the motto behind Y Combinator. It sounds simple, yet so many founders miss this fundamental requirement.
Topline Pro is a perfect case study in getting it right. They didn't fall victim to early false positives; instead, they listened, experimented, and successfully pivoted to solve a true, massive problem for an underserved market.
Topline Pro is building AI that empowers local home service pros to grow and scale their businesses. They provide a critical platform to help with the marketing, sales, and operations of running a business in the trades, allowing these business owners to focus on their craft.
The company recently announced a $27M Series B funding round led by Northzone, with new participation from Tactile Ventures, and Industry Ventures, alongside continued support from existing investors Forerunner Ventures, Bonfire Ventures, TMV, Flybridge, and BBG Ventures.
In this interview, we dive into:
* The inspirational backstory of Nick and Shannon and how they decided to build a company together after meeting at HBS.
* Their initial concept called Dwelling, the "false positive" they experienced, and the strategic pivot.
* Their time at Y Combinator and how early access to GPT opened their eyes to the potential of AI.
* The value that Topline Pro is providing customers and the exciting opportunities ahead following their Series B.
* Growth plans, hiring goals, and the culture they're building at Topline Pro.
* Advice for non-AI native companies that are starting to build out their own AI strategy.
* And so much more!
Episode Sponsor:
As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.
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Episode 403 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Nick Ornitz and Shannon Kay, Co-Founders of Topline Pro.
Make something people want is the motto behind Y Combinator. It sounds simple, yet so many founders miss this fundamental requirement.
Topline Pro is a perfect case study in getting it right. They didn't fall victim to early false positives; instead, they listened, experimented, and successfully pivoted to solve a true, massive problem for an underserved market.
Topline Pro is building AI that empowers local home service pros to grow and scale their businesses. They provide a critical platform to help with the marketing, sales, and operations of running a business in the trades, allowing these business owners to focus on their craft.
The company recently announced a $27M Series B funding round led by Northzone, with new participation from Tactile Ventures, and Industry Ventures, alongside continued support from existing investors Forerunner Ventures, Bonfire Ventures, TMV, Flybridge, and BBG Ventures.
In this interview, we dive into:
* The inspirational backstory of Nick and Shannon and how they decided to build a company together after meeting at HBS.
* Their initial concept called Dwelling, the "false positive" they experienced, and the strategic pivot.
* Their time at Y Combinator and how early access to GPT opened their eyes to the potential of AI.
* The value that Topline Pro is providing customers and the exciting opportunities ahead following their Series B.
* Growth plans, hiring goals, and the culture they're building at Topline Pro.
* Advice for non-AI native companies that are starting to build out their own AI strategy.
* And so much more!
Episode Sponsor:
As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.
Episode 386 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Shahid Azim, Managing Partner & CEO of C10 Labs, an AI venture fund and studio.
When ChatGPT was released towards the end of 2022, it changed everything and the AI era officially began.
It was perfect timing for Shahid and his two co-founders of C10 Labs that being Professor Ramesh Raskar and Dr. Patricia Geli, as the organization was born out of a course they were co-instructors on called AI for Impact.
They knew the time was now and it was an opportunity to build a market leading venture studio that is specifically focused on AI-first companies.
They were early to the movement and helped create the spark for the AI ecosystem in the Boston area. Fast forward to today, Shahid and the team at C10 Labs are deeply involved in creating the core foundation for AI in the Boston tech ecosystem from the startups that are participating in their accelerator to playing a key role in lots of other initiatives like the Massachusetts AI Hub. Overall, C10 Labs is making a major impact.
In this episode of our podcast, we cover:
* Details about how C10 Labs came to fruition.
* Shahid’s background story and his journey into entrepreneurship.
* The details about Shahid’s startups which focused on lots of important matters like brain health or heart health like Quanttus, a VC backed company with ground breaking tech for a continuous blood pressure monitoring wearable device that came before the launch of the Apple Watch.
* All about C10 Labs and what companies can expect by going through their program.
* The criteria they look for while reviewing companies for their accelerator and the details on their upcoming AI Biology cohort this fall.
* Common stumbling blocks for native AI companies.
* And so much more.
The VentureFizz Podcast
Episode 403 of The VentureFizz Podcast features Nick Ornitz and Shannon Kay, Co-Founders of Topline Pro.
Make something people want is the motto behind Y Combinator. It sounds simple, yet so many founders miss this fundamental requirement.
Topline Pro is a perfect case study in getting it right. They didn't fall victim to early false positives; instead, they listened, experimented, and successfully pivoted to solve a true, massive problem for an underserved market.
Topline Pro is building AI that empowers local home service pros to grow and scale their businesses. They provide a critical platform to help with the marketing, sales, and operations of running a business in the trades, allowing these business owners to focus on their craft.
The company recently announced a $27M Series B funding round led by Northzone, with new participation from Tactile Ventures, and Industry Ventures, alongside continued support from existing investors Forerunner Ventures, Bonfire Ventures, TMV, Flybridge, and BBG Ventures.
In this interview, we dive into:
* The inspirational backstory of Nick and Shannon and how they decided to build a company together after meeting at HBS.
* Their initial concept called Dwelling, the "false positive" they experienced, and the strategic pivot.
* Their time at Y Combinator and how early access to GPT opened their eyes to the potential of AI.
* The value that Topline Pro is providing customers and the exciting opportunities ahead following their Series B.
* Growth plans, hiring goals, and the culture they're building at Topline Pro.
* Advice for non-AI native companies that are starting to build out their own AI strategy.
* And so much more!
Episode Sponsor:
As a longtime champion of the local startup ecosystem, Silicon Valley Bank supports innovative companies with the solutions and financing they need through every stage of growth. With more than 1,500 bankers and relationship advisors, and $42B in loans as of Q2 2024 – SVB delivers the right people, service and resources to support your entire financial journey. Learn more at SVB.com.
