Below is an April 2021 milestone report featuring updates from Founder Institute portfolio companies across the globe. See the most recent grad news and top media features of the past month, new video founder interviews and webinar videos - including from the 20th Global Founder Showcase - as well as a list of the upcoming FI global events taking place the rest of this month in May, 2021.
Alumni Funding + News Highlights:
- Niftron (FI Colombo), a Sri Lankan blockchain-as-a-service platform, raises Rs. 21M in capital from LAN’s Angel Fund
- Genially (FI Andalusia), a visual content production software tool, Wins EdTech Award for Best Presentation Tool of 2021
- PaketConcierge (FI Berlin), a last-mile shipping solution for localized parcel pickup points, wins Logitech Startup Partner Award
- Endiatx (FI Silicon Valley) wins Connect: Healthtech & Wellness pitch-off for vision to revolutionize medicine using robotic pills
- Kangarootime (FI Los Angeles), an all-in-one platform for childcare providers, is among three 43North prize winners each getting another $300k investment
- HandyMama (FI Dhaka), a marketplace for independent services providers, among 4 Bangladeshi Startups to Make it to the Latest Cohort of Accelerating Asia
- Dada (FI New York), a pioneer in the field of crypto-art, early collections Creeps & Weirdos, Descontrol sell out in 1 day, scooped by NFT collectors
- Atomos Nuclear & Space Corporation (FI Denver), a startup developing orbital transfer and propulsion technology, among 8 companies to selected to Catalyst Accelerator's On-Orbit Servicing, Assembly, and Manufacturing Cohort
- Worddio (FI Sofia), a vocabulary-building app for language learners, establishes US-based company, attracts new investors and continues international expansion
- Esusu (FI San Francisco), a credit-building fintech for renters, announces partnership with Goldman Sachs to take aim at inequality in the U.S., video interview with Bloomberg News
- UNITEable founder Brittany Burke (FI Austin) Champions ‘Radical Inclusivity’ With Her Adaptive Fashion Brand
- Naanu (FI Zurich) founder wants to replace pills with cookies: Julia Devecchi and her startup have developed biscuits intended to replace dietary supplement pills
- PetHub (FI Seattle), a pet recovery technology, among Flywheel Finalists - the 6 selected companies will compete for up to $200k in investment during the annual Flywheel Investment Conference
Are you a pre-seed stage entrepreneur working to achieve startup traction or funding? Apply here to join a 100% virtual Founder Institute accelerator nearest you.
April Featured Webinars: 20th Global Founder Showcase
On April 28, 2021 the Founder Institute hosted the 20th Global Founder Showcase, Silicon Valley's leading international startup pitch event. We were pleased to welcome Global Accelerator Network CEO & Managing Director of GAN Ventures, Patrick Riley, as the Founder Showcase keynote speaker, who gave a presentation on creating entrepreneurial impact in an age of abundance - watch the full video below:
Nearly 150 startups from 19 countries applied to pitch in our April Showcase event, but after several rounds of intense evaluation and feedback, only 10 were chosen to present live. These companies are all showing promising early traction, and hail from 9 different cities, 7 countries, and 3 continents. You can see their individual pitch videos here and the full event replay including the investor feedback and Q&A below:
How to Build a Customer Centric Startup, with Leaders from Brex & Freshworks:
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Investing in a Future for Everyone: AMA with Investors & Startup Experts from ICA Fund
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Making Impact Work For Startups: How Founders Can Make Progress on the SDGs
***If you're an impact startup founder, enter your 1-minute pitch video at PitchForProgress.com by May 28th for a chance to pitch live to impact investors in the July online Demo Day event + win prizes!
April 2021 Founder & Investor Interviews:
Jason Merrick of LearnCdo (FI San Francisco):
Michael Warshall of Emotion Wedding Photography (FI Silicon Valley):
Sunil Sharma, Ryan Micheletti, and Janet Todorova on How to Create a Venture Portfolio:
Join us at a May 2021 Free Online Startup Event:
- May 12th - Live AMA + Founder Institute Info Session with Co-Founder Jonathan Greechan
- May 18th - The Future of Leadership, with General Stanley McChrystal (McChrystal Group)
- May 19th - Startup Idea Fest: Build and Share Ideas with Potential Customers Online
- May 26th - Online Startup Office Hours: Get Feedback from Experienced Entrepreneurs
Social & Environmental Impact Entrepreneurs: Submit your no-frills-required 1-minute elevator pitch video at PitchForProgress.com by the May 28th deadline for a chance to present live to impact investors in the th 'Pitch For Progress' online Demo Day event + win prizes!
Are you a pre-seed stage entrepreneur working to achieve startup traction or funding? Apply here to join a 100% virtual Founder Institute accelerator nearest you.
Graduates of the Founder Institute are creating some of the world's fastest growing startups, having raised over $1.85BN in funding, and building products people love across over 200 cities worldwide.
See the most recent news from our Grads at FI.co/news, or learn more about their stories at FI.co/journey.
