Linda Rabbitt’s career started in the classroom, teaching middle schoolers. But when she returned to work after her daughters were born, she took a role at KPMG, where she eventually moved up to become director of marketing. Entrepreneurship wasn’t on Rabbitt’s radar until she was approached by another woman who wanted to launch the first female-owned construction company in the Washington, D.C., area.
Why construction? As a single mother with no financial support, Rabbitt was attracted by the prospect of increasing her income — but she discovered a passion that remains strong today. “I ended up absolutely loving my industry,” Rabbitt says. “One day, I’m sitting on the floor with a carpenter, and the next day I’m with a CEO. I get to see the full range of working America.”
After parting ways with her co-founder, Rabbitt started Rand Construction in 1989, and it’s since grown to seven locations serving 30-plus states. Along with raising two “nearly perfect” daughters, Rabbitt says, she’s proud to be part of a community that accepted her so quickly, as well as the leadership role she’s played for other women in the industry. Today, 24% of Rand’s workforce are women.
Rabbitt encountered setbacks along the way, both personally and professionally, and her perseverance was recognized in 2016 when she received the Horatio Alger Award. More recently, she’s been working on legacy planning so Rand can thrive for generations to come. “I know it sounds goofy, but it is the American dream, and I got to live it.”
Virginia’s startup scene is rich with new businesses as diverse as the regions of the commonwealth. Virginia Business asked startups to send us their best pitches for what makes their businesses innovative, and we’ve spotlighted some of our favorites.
AGRICISION Sedley
Co-founders:Diana and Ken Warren
Founded:2019
Capital raised:$110,000
Employees: 2 full-time, 4 part-time
Service provided:Proprietary drone mapping/pest detection software and drone manufacturing for the agricultural landscape
What makes your company different? Our all-in-one scan and spray drone is designed to transform agricultural pest management. This drone employs proprietary software to accurately detect, identify and verify pests (weeds, insects or diseases) across a crop field. Once a pest is located, the drone pilot has the freedom to make a real-time decision and spot-treat the area immediately or drop a geotag and return to provide treatment later. Additionally, our innovative mapping drone can relay data to sprayer drones in real time.
The pitch: Agricision was established in 2019 by farmers Ken and Diana Warren. Determined to protect their crop from a small problem that would quickly spiral out of control, the Warrens knew there were two options: spray the entire field or manage it by hand. Seeking a better way, they brought on a team to develop the next generation in precision agriculture spray drones. This year marks a significant milestone for Agricision by introducing our suite of drones, including our scout-sprayer drone, which will outperform other drones with its impressive 1-hour battery life.
Photo by Jeneene Chatowsky
PS FERTILITY Charlottesville
Co-founders:Kevin Combs and Jeff Lysiak
Founded:2022
Capital raised:$3.3 million
Employees: 8
Service provided: Diagnostic testing for male fertility
What makes your company different? Our IP-protected diagnostic and functional tests measure a newly identified biomarker that must be present on male sperm in order for it to fertilize a female egg.
The pitch: The PS Fertility story begins with a breakthrough discovery by two researchers at the University of Virginia concerning sperm and egg fusion in human reproduction. The novel discovery of a biomarker on the outer wall of some live, male sperm led researchers to uncover exciting, new and meaningful information about sperm function that quantifies the levels of fertilization-competent sperm. This information gives health care providers the only male fertility test measuring fertilization competency at the sperm-egg interface, which leads to better advice for couples on the likelihood of fertilization and then helps to guide fertility treatment options. The most used current tests are upstream of the sperm-egg interface and don’t correlate with the ability of a sperm to fertilize, thus our tests are a substantial leap forward in helping over 7 million couples annually better understand the impact of potential male-cause infertility.
Photo by Will Schermerhorn
LEXIQ Tysons
CEO: Samarth Gupta
Founded: 2023
Capital raised:$120,000
Employees:2
Service provided: Generative AI-powered contract drafting and analysis tool for in-house lawyers
What makes your company different? LexIQ is tailor-made for in-house lawyers working with commercial contracts, including NDAs, MSAs, SaaS, vendor, licensing and lease agreements. Our white-glove service enables you to fully customize your implementation with bespoke features while securely uploading your playbooks, templates and historical contracts data. We lead with security first — deployed on Microsoft Azure and compliant with SOC2 Type II and ISO 27001 standards.
The pitch: For in-house lawyers who spend hours drafting and analyzing contracts, we offer a GenAI-powered Word plugin that significantly reduces the time spent on contract negotiation. GenAI is rapidly emerging as a key driver in the legal tech market, projected at a compound annual growth rate of 9.1%
from 2023 to 2030, with the market value expected to reach $50 billion by 2027. Data indicates that 50% of legal transactional work will be automated by 2024, with legal tech budgets set to triple by 2025. Our five- to 10-year grand vision is to become a one-stop shop for all legal research and analysis. From our commercial contracts beachhead, we will expand to other verticals such as financial services (M&A, tax, construction, etc.) and intellectual property, while also expanding our services to cater to mid- and large-sized law firms.
Photo courtesy Laser Thermal
LASER THERMAL Charlottesville
Co-founders: John Gaskins and Patrick Hopkins
Founded:2020
Capital raised: $6.5 million
Employees: 17
Service provided:Nanoscale thermal measurements (for the semiconductor industry, among others)
What makes your company different? Laser Thermal is defining the future of thermal measurements leveraging recent advances in fiber optic technology to innovate solutions to challenging problems. These advanced measurement systems provide customers with infor-mation leading to increased yield, performance, efficiency and cost savings.
The pitch:While semiconductor logic and memory devices that are ubiquitous in everyday life have continued to shrink and become more complex, subse-quently generating more heat, measurement technologies to characterize how heat moves in and around these devices have not kept pace. At the same time, excess heat continues to be the leading cause of component failure in microelectronics, power electronics, and wireless technologies. Laser Thermal has brought the world’s most advanced thermal measurement technologies out of the academic lab into the commercial market, all while placing an emphasis on ease of use, throughput and automation. Our tools provide thermal measurements at scales that do not currently exist in the commercial market.
Photo by Mark Rhodes
MAGAZINE JUKEBOX Norfolk
Co-founder and CEO: Scott Janney
Founded: 2020
Capital raised: $2.65 million
Employees: 6
Service provided: Magazine Jukebox is a digital entertainment hub with magazines and games for businesses to offer their visitors.
What makes your company different? We are the only digital entertainment hub available for consumers to access via QR code or SMS without downloading an app.
The pitch: Magazine Jukebox is transforming digital entertainment for businesses worldwide. Our platform offers seamless access to games, magazines and trivia without the need for additional apps, streamlining the experience for customers and employees alike. Whether you’re a café, health care center or laundromat, Magazine Jukebox caters to diverse business needs. With a user-friendly interface and customizable options, businesses can effortlessly keep customers entertained while boosting brand loyalty and requesting Google reviews.
Photo by Caroline Martin Bookbinder
RECHARGED Richmond
Co-founder and president:John Foley
Founded: 2023
Capital raised: $1 million
Employees: 6
Service provided: A marketplace for buying and selling used electric vehicles
What makes your company different? We are entirely focused on the electric vehicle market and the unique needs of those buyers and sellers.
The pitch:Recharged is the future of used EVs. With data-driven insights, a unique and trusted “Recharged Score Report,” and solutions to all the challenges EV buyers and sellers face, Recharged is quickly becoming the trusted brand in our space. As a result, dealers have now started listing their used EV inventory on the Recharged platform, finding they can sell their used EV inventory faster and more profitably. These partnerships make our business more asset-light and scalable and create opportunities to monetize our other offerings. While many of our buyers and sellers already are coming from other states, our focus in 2024 is to fully serve all the dealers in Virginia and begin growth into our neighboring states.
Photo courtesy Klarivis
KLARIVIS Roanoke
Founder and CEO:Kim Snyder
Founded: 2019
Capital raised:$25 million
Employees: 62
Service provided: Data analytics for community banks
What makes your company different? KlariVis stands out in the realm of banking analytics solutions due to its origin and design ethos. Far from being just another analytics tool, KlariVis is a comprehensive bankwide dashboard and analytics solution crafted by bankers for bankers. KlariVis doesn’t offer a one-size-fits-any-industry solution. The team understands and addresses unique needs of community banks, having navigated the same challenges themselves. This allows them to deliver solutions that drive real results for the community banking industry.
The pitch:Community banks today grapple with a daunting data dilemma, navigating through vast amounts of siloed data in disparate systems. Converting this into actionable insights is crucial for enhancing customer service, optimizing operations and staying competitive amidst larger institutions and nonbank rivals. This is where KlariVis shines. Designed by seasoned bankers, KlariVis offers a transformative solution. Its platform seamlessly consolidates and organizes valuable data, presenting it through intuitive dashboards that provide clear and actionable insights. This real-time visibility empowers teams, driving efficiency, profitability and productivity organization-wide. KlariVis isn’t just a tool; it’s community banking’s strategic advantage. By enabling banks to maintain independence while effectively competing with larger national institutions, KlariVis emerges as the catalyst for success in today’s data-driven banking landscape
Photo by Caroline Martin Bookbinder
FRINGE Richmond
Co-founder and CEO: Jordan Peace
Founded: 2018
Capital raised: $24 million
Employees: 37
Service provided: Fringe is an ecosystem of 140 popular apps and services — from Airbnb to DoorDash to Talkspace — where employees can pick and choose benefits with points supplied by their employers.
What makes your company different? As the first platform for personalized lifestyle benefits, the goal of our service is to create a curated and customized experience for everyone involved. Unlike traditional employee experience programs, Fringe offers over 140+ well-being and lifestyle services in one space that’s easy to set up and manage. We have companies up and running within two weeks to jumpstart utilization and engagement. We are not a discount marketplace, nor an affiliate program, and our partners do not pay to
be listed.
The pitch: The Fringe well-being marketplace truly humanizes the relationship between employer and employee by allowing users to select products and services that employees can benefit from to live easier, better and more fun lives. Fringe boosts loyalty and engagement for companies while simplifying vendor administration for people leaders. Through Fringe, employers are able to deliver the power of choice by giving employees points to select those services — from mental health offerings to child care to grocery delivery and more — that best meet their needs and bring immediate value to their lives.
Jay Long and Alexandra McLeod. Photo by Will Schermerhorn
PARLAY Alexandria
CEO:Alexandra McLeod
Founded: 2022
Capital raised:$1.7 million
Employees: 5 (plus 3 contractors)
Service provided: Parlay is a software-as-a-service platform that helps community banks and credit unions approve more small businesses for loans. Using Parlay, lenders can get more SBA(7) loans funded efficiently, fill their applicant funnel and maximize their customer lifetime value while providing crucial support to business owners in their communities.
What makes your company different? The entire founding team is military veterans or military spouses, which guides our commitment to expanding inclusive access to the American dream. Parlay has a mission of expanding access to affordable access to capital for underserved small business owners nationwide.
The pitch: Three out of four small businesses find it hard to access affordable capital because they don’t qualify. With Parlay, leaders can quickly pre-vet and guide qualified applicants through the application process using our user-friendly system. For those not yet eligible, we don’t just say no — we offer a ‘not yet.’ Our unique platform helps these businesses improve their loan readiness and maximize their chances of future approval.
Photo by Jeneene Chatowsky
POPPY Charlottesville; San Francisco
CEO and founder:Cameron Hardesty
Founded:2019
Capital raised:$8.5 million
Employees: 20
Service provided:Local wedding flowers in 60 U.S. markets, designed by Poppy and arranged by hand by one of our 700-plus network florists.
What makes your company different? We offer flexible and affordable pricing for wedding flowers, source direct from ethical farms to reduce waste, and we are the first national network of wedding and event florists of our kind.
The pitch: Poppy is the first online, full-service wedding florist bringing affordable, on-trend, locally arranged wedding flowers to couples in 60 U.S. markets. With more than 4,000 clients since 2020, we are the largest full-service wedding florist in the country.
Photo by Will Schermerhorn
CAPE Arlington County
CEO:John Doyle
Founded: 2022
Capital raised: $61 million
Employees: 30
Service provided: Cape is a mobile carrier that provides nationwide 5G and 4G cellular coverage with added privacy and security.
What makes your company different: At Cape, we believe privacy and security are inherently valuable. We ask for minimal personal information and store sensitive credentials locally on your device, not on our network. We build software features that solve hard problems related to privacy, security and resilience on the global cellular network. That’s privacy by design, and we apply this thinking to everything that we build.
The pitch: Cape is America’s privacy-first mobile carrier. We are tackling an enormous set of problems that exist due to the rise of smartphones and mobile networks as a primary avenue to accessing the internet. Nearly three out of four Americans are more concerned about data security now than they were a few years ago. A majority are taking action by adjusting settings and purchasing privacy-related services for their phones and apps, but until now they have had no control over the risks inherent in the underlying cellular networks they use to access the internet. We founded Cape to help American consumers take back control of their mobile identities so they can be connected without compromise.
Photo by Shandell Taylor
RVA HOT WHEELZ Henrico County
Co-founders:Dashia and Destiny Oliver
Founded:2022
Capital raised: $25,000
Number of employees: 4
Service provided: RVA Hot Wheelz is the state’s pioneering and sole Polaris rental provider, offering Slingshot rentals in the Richmond area. Our rental options for these three-wheeled vehicles are flexible, allowing customers to rent by the day or hour.
The pitch: Experience the thrill of the open road like never before with RVA Hot Wheelz. Our partnership with Polaris Adventures ensures top-of-the-line vehicles and expert guidance, guaranteeing a safe and unforgettable experience every time. At RVA Hot Wheelz, we cater to thrill-seekers, adventure enthusiasts and anyone looking to make lasting memories, whether they’re planning a solo ride or a group outing. Discover the ultimate road trip excitement in Richmond.
HOW I CHOSE MY CAREER: I believe that when you discover your purpose, and have the courage to persuade it, the path to your career goals and aspirations will be clearly defined. Work no longer feels like work but feels like you’re doing what you were put here to do.
HOW I BALANCE WORK AND PERSONAL LIFE: Daily mindfulness and self-care practices in addition to physical exercise improves all aspects of my work-life balance. Like a seesaw, I’m intentional in the adjustments I have to make to keep the balance.
WHAT I’VE LEARNED:Effective leadership can resemble a box of chocolates. Through their actions, words and vision, leaders can create a positive and motivating work environment, where individuals feel valued, encouraged and excited about their work. Like a box of chocolates that brings smiles, leaders can bring joy and enthusiasm to their team.
DID YOU KNOW? Myers has been with the national cable television and broadband internet provider since 2006, leading Cox’s Virginia operations and now its East Coast region. In 2023, Cox expanded Myers’ role, placing him in charge of day-to-day operations for much of the eastern U.S., including Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Ohio, Rhode Island and Virginia.
Ruth Porat, Google and Alphabet’s president, chief investment officer and chief financial officer, announced the tech company’s investment to grow its Virginia data center campuses. News conference photo courtesy Google
Google is expanding its Virginia data center campuses this year and is launching a $75 million Google.org AI opportunity fund. (April 26)
After nine years and through three U.S. presidents, attorneys David DePippo and Tim McHugh and their client, a Richmond FBI agent, won a case focused on GI Bill education funding. (April 16)
Five Petersburg casino contenders shared their plans, but the city later picked a partnership between The Cordish Cos. and former NFL star athlete Bruce Smith
to move forward. (April 15)
Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced three new hires in his administration. (See related interview with new Virginia Lottery Executive Director Khalid Jones, Page 46.) (April 12)
Leaders from across Virginia’s entrepreneurial ecosystem discuss investing in new companies, challenges facing startups and advice for success.
RASHEEDA CREIGHTON
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, JACKSON WARD COLLECTIVE FOUNDATION, RICHMOND
WHAT LED TO YOU CO-FOUNDING JACKSON WARD COLLECTIVE FOUNDATION?
JWC Foundation’s mission is to learn, grow and own in the Black community. The organization began when Kelli Lemon and I separately came to the realization that we needed a Black incubator in Richmond. For Kelli, the need was clear as she worked to open Urban Hang Suite, which remains the only Black-woman-owned coffee shop in Richmond. At the same time, I was working at Capital One as executive director of what is now the Michael Wassmer Innovation Center. So much great programming was happening in the space for entrepreneurs, and yet, many of the tenants in the building and participants in the program didn’t look like me. There were a mix of reasons: not knowing what was taking place, not being connected, marketing efforts, but regardless, it was clear we needed a space where we could gain the skills, network and resources to build sustainable businesses.
WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU SEEING AMONG STARTUPS RIGHT NOW?
We are seeing a lot of professional services and personal wellness businesses emerge. We are also continuing to see the trend of businesses starting from side businesses while people are working full-time jobs.
HOW DOES BEING AN ENTREPRENEUR-LED ORGANIZATION HELP YOU TO BETTER SUPPORT OTHER FOUNDERS?
I am a firm believer that lived experience is one of our most valuable tools. Our staff is made up of entrepreneurs, and those who we bring in to engage in any of our programming are also entrepreneurs speaking from lived experience. It is much easier to learn from those who aren’t speaking theoretically but who know what it’s like to walk this sometimes-difficult journey because their advice is practical, and they are willing to share the lessons learned — good and bad.
RICH DIEMER
MANAGING DIRECTOR, CAV ANGELS, CHARLOTTESVILLE
WHAT’S YOUR PROCESS FOR RECOMMENDING WHETHER YOUR MEMBERS SHOULD INVEST IN A COMPANY?
CAV Angels is a network of 160 accredited investors, all with a connection to [the University of Virginia], that vote with their checkbooks on the deals that we bring to them. We perform due diligence, share our DD report and schedule an all-member virtual pitch. My mission is to present members with a diverse assortment of fundable deals capable of delivering angel-type returns. Quite frankly, that is as much an art as it is a science, and [as] our due diligence process evolves with each deal, we consider whether it is a yes or a pass.
WHAT TRAITS DO SUCCESSFUL STARTUPS RIGHT NOW SHARE?
The key is the ability to pivot, to survive and even thrive in the current funding desert, to have the ability to convert adversity into opportunity and demonstrate true grit — not just talk about it. Business models need to be both durable and flexible.
WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST MISTAKES FUNDERS MAKE WHEN PITCHING?
Let’s start with the initial pitch deck. Pitch decks that are too long (12-15 pages should be plenty), too technical or too complex can be disqualifying. We look for founders [who] are both passionate and practical. It is just as important to demonstrate an ability to listen and have an open mind as it is to [make] a good pitch. Realize that knowing your customer is important and when you are seeking capital, we are also your customer. Understand that you are entering into a long-term partnership, and we like to see evidence that you value your reputation as much as we value ours.
NANCI HARDWICK
FOUNDER AND CEO, AEROPROBE; MELD MANUFACTURING, CHRISTIANSBURG
WHEN DID YOU KNOW MELD’S INDUSTRIAL METAL 3D PRINTING TECH WAS GOING TO SUCCEED?
I knew in the beginning that the MELD technology was a long shot. I was curious and optimistic about the challenge, but not sure of my capability to create success. In my journey from idea to manufactured product, I experienced many highs and lows. During the lows, I questioned my decisions, my capability and our chances of survival. When [R&D World magazine’s] R&D 100 [Awards] named our large-scale metal printing process the most disruptive new technology across the globe, it was early validation that this technology would change the world.
WHAT ADVICE DO YOU HAVE FOR FOUNDERS IN MANUFACTURING?
There is a tremendous amount of support available for manufacturing companies at the federal and state level. Virginia is a great state for manufacturing startups. Additive manufacturing — 3D printing — is a great example of a current opportunity for startups in manufacturing, which I see firsthand at MELD Manufacturing, where we make MELD [industrial 3D printing] machines. We’ve had so much demand for printed parts that we launched a separate company named MELD PrintWorks. Even at Aeroprobe, where we have been manufacturing avionics equipment for over 30 years, we are finding new markets with products using 3D printing.
WHAT CHALLENGES MIGHT ENTREPRENEURS NOT TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN STARTING A BUSINESS?
All entrepreneurs face the challenge of meeting the expectations we put on ourselves. The pressure doesn’t lessen with progress, because we then adjust our expectations and change the definition of success. I don’t know any short-term entrepreneurs. It’s a long-term commitment to an idea, a company and a team. Invest in your own physical and mental health to go the distance. Share the importance and purpose of your work with your family and friends. Find customers that find value in the product and are willing to walk the development journey with you. Work beside capable people who believe the world will be a better place if your company and product succeed.
CONAWAY HASKINS
VICE PRESIDENT OF ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS, VIRGINIA INNOVATION PARTNERSHIP CORP., RICHMOND
HOW HAS VIRGINIA’S ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEM MATURED IN RECENT YEARS?
Virginia has a variety of vibrant startup ecosystems which reflect the unique dynamics of our regions and industries. Over the past few years, we’ve seen increases in the number and dollar amounts of venture capital deals going to Virginia companies, and the number of patents filed now exceeds pre-COVID levels. We have also seen a steady increase in the R&D funding flow into Virginia universities, and the commonwealth remains one of the top three or four states for companies securing federal innovation funding via the Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer programs. These are all great signs of ecosystem growth and maturity.
ARE MORE STARTUPS REALLY USING AI, AND IF SO, HOW?
Yes, we see more and more startups that use AI to automate business processes and streamline the work of employees. It can help efficiency and productivity, especially for young companies that need to conserve cash. Just as interestingly, we are also seeing wider adoption of AI by other ecosystem players such as accelerators, incubators, economic development agencies and venture capital funds.
HOW DOES VIRGINIA’S ECOSYSTEM COMPARE WITH THOSE IN OTHER STATES?
Over the years, Virginia has steadily developed robust resources, which makes us highly competitive with other states. For example, our venture investment program will bring over $170 million in new venture capital funding into the state over the next 10 years via the federal State Small Business Credit Initiative, which will be leveraged by more than $200 million in private-sector venture capital dollars. This program is now being recognized as a potential national best-practice model. Another example is the Virginia Accelerator Network, a consortium of nonprofit accelerators, incubators and innovation hubs spread throughout the state who all serve high-growth, innovation-led startups. The VAN collaboration optimizes how Virginia’s ecosystems serve entrepreneurs, which gives us a competitive edge over other states. Most other states lack such a network.
DEBBIE IRWIN
MANAGING DIRECTOR, LIGHTHOUSE LABS, RICHMOND
YOU RAN SHENANDOAH COMMUNITY CAPITAL FUND BEFORE MOVING TO LIGHTHOUSE LABS. HOW DOES METRO RICHMOND’S ECOSYSTEM COMPARE WITH THE SHENANDOAH VALLEY’S?
The type of support that founders need, outside of industry specifics, is usually very similar. From overall business and operations support to community and mental/emotional support, founders need a place where they can ask hard questions and get direct feedback. I see more similarities in the types of startups each market is working with than differences. There is a lot of innovation in both markets, just in different industries, but there is definitely more density and diversity of industries in the Richmond ecosystem, which is exciting.
HOW IMPORTANT ARE EVEN SMALL AMOUNTS OF CAPITAL FOR STARTUPS?
Nondilutive funding is crucial to startups, especially for underrepresented founders. There are high barriers (although sometimes necessary) to entry for founders when it comes to getting through market validation to product market fit. That time between those two stages is also often when entrepreneurs hit the entrepreneurial trough of sorrow. During those mentally taxing times, being able to have some money in the bank to push through and keep up with pivoting and testing can often be make-or-break for many startups.
HOW ARE THE ENTREPRENEURIAL ECOSYSTEMS ALIKE IN RICHMOND AND HAMPTON ROADS?
Both ecosystems are at a point where stakeholders are trying to find alignment around what industries each region can double down on from a “center of excellence” perspective. While both regions have similar entrepreneurial assets, I’ve observed a closer alignment between these stakeholders in the Hampton Roads region. In some cases, it’s due to who has a seat at the “regional leadership table,” and in other cases it’s due to how particular organizations are structured. Where Richmond seems to excel vis-à-vis its entrepreneurial ecosystem is in the density of founders choosing to call RVA home and the number of Fortune 500 [companies] located there that could present channel partnership opportunities for startups.
WHAT MAKES 757 COLLAB UNIQUE IN VIRGINIA?
There are certainly other entrepreneurial support organizations in the state that offer incubation, acceleration and funding resources, but I think 757 Collab differs in two ways: the breadth and scope of services under one roof, and how active its affiliated angel network is. Collab is the only ESO [entrepreneur support organization] that has an incubator, accelerator, angel network and fee-for-service pre-acceleration offerings under one common brand. The organization is certainly the sum of its parts, with each line of business having achieved brand recognition in [its] own right. But the combination of these resources on one platform makes for a very compelling venture hub to attract the most promising startups in the region and beyond.
WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE ENTREPRENEURS?
Be humbly confident and approach your venture with a firm hypothesis on where you think the industry in which you’re operating is headed from a macro level.
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