On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, we hear from Courtney Caldwell and Dr. Tye Caldwell, the co-founders of ShearShare, which is the first on-demand salon and barbershop space rental app, which is also of the Startup of the Year Alumni company and Established Ventures portfolio company.   During the episode, we hear some interesting insights from two Black startup entrepreneurs as they navigate the COVID-19 landscape and provide their thoughts about the Black Lives Matter movement.  Courtney Caldwell was named a 2019 Inc Female Founder 100 and she was the 33rd Black Female to Raise $1m. Tye Caldwell is recognized as a tech visionary and industry pioneer, whose mission is to help beauty and barbering professionals around the world maximize their earnings potential.   Make sure to also tune-in to our online virtual event that we have coming up on Thursday, July 23 from 1 - 2:30 PM EDT. The event is the Startup of the Year Pitch Competition: Honoring U.S. Veteran Founders and is Presented by Established & Sponsored by .US.  RSVP to join us online! The event is also one of the virtual events that lead up to the 8th Annual Startup of the Year Competition & Summit which will be inline this year and take place on November 9th and 10th. The Summit will help startups elevate their brand and grow networks. The Top 100 Semi Finalists will compete for up to $20K in potential investments from Established Ventures, the championship title, and more!  Startups should apply today at startupofyear.com/application As always, please check out the Established website and subscribe to the newsletter at: www.est.us   Checkout Startup of the Year at: www.startupofyear.com/   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year Daily Deal Flow: www.startupofyear.com/daily-dealflow   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year podcast: http://startupoftheyear.libsyn.com/ Subscribe to the Established YouTube Channel: https://soty.link/ESTYouTube

On this episode of the Startup of the Year podcast, Frank Gruber talks with investor Josef Merrill about investment trends and strategies and his work at Sputnik ATX, an Austin based accelerator that funds makers and founders and helps people reach their full potential by creating an ecosystem to attract hard-working nerds, connect them with investors, and train them for success. Sputnik ATX's accelerator application deadline is June 30th, so make sure to apply now at: http://gust.com/programs/sputnik-atx-6-summer-2020 Frank also talks about the Startup of the Year online virtual event that is coming up in June.  The event is: “Startups & Government - Compatible at Last,” presented by Established, where our panel will be discussing the misconception that working with the government will kill your startup.  Find out more about the event and RSVP at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startups-government-compatible-at-last-presented-by-established-tickets-108121789182 As always, please check out the Established website and subscribe to the newsletter at: www.est.us   Checkout Startup of the Year at: www.startupofyear.com/   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year Daily Deal Flow: www.startupofyear.com/daily-dealflow   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year podcast: http://startupoftheyear.libsyn.com/ Subscribe to the Established YouTube Channel: https://soty.link/ESTYouTube boosts#toggleFormOnEscOrEnter" data-boosts-adding-class="boosts--adding" data-boosts-deleting-class="boost--deleting"> 

On this episode, we hear highlights highlights from our Virtual Office Hours, where we answered questions from multiple startups.  The office hours were hosted by Rich Maloy from our team and also included commentary from Jen Consalvo and Frank Gruber. We plan to do more of these virtual office hour events in the future so keep a lookout for upcoming events, as we look forward to continuing to offer opportunities to startups.  On another note, please join us as we celebrate female founders at an upcoming special Startup of the Year Virtual pitch competition on May 28th. Five Startup of the Year applicants with Female Founders will pitch their innovations to a panel of experts as well as our global community and there will be time for Q&A from an amazing panel of expert judges and venture capitalists. The winner will then have a Fast-track spot to the 8th Annual Startup of the Year Virtual Summit as a Top 100 Semifinalist, at which time the Top 100 will have a chance for up to $20K in potential investment from Established Ventures and curated connections with a ton of investors.   As always, please check out the Established website and subscribe to the newsletter at: www.est.us   Checkout Startup of the Year at: www.startupofyear.com/   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year Daily Deal Flow: www.startupofyear.com/daily-dealflow   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year podcast: https://www.startupofyear.com/soty-po... Subscriber to the Established YouTube Channel: https://soty.link/ESTYouTube boosts#toggleFormOnEscOrEnter" data-boosts-adding-class="boosts--adding" data-boosts-deleting-class="boost--deleting"> 

On this episode, we hear highlights from the Startup of the Year virtual event, where we learned about various efforts by startups in the Startup of the Year community that are doing great work to help during this COVID 19 pandemic.   The startups that participated in the event were involved were Aperiomics, Fiveable, Kamana, Lazarus 3D, and OneMilo.    The amazing panel of experts that were involved with the event included: Susan McPherson, CEO, McPherson Strategies. Susan’s company focuses on the intersection between brands and social impact. She is also a regular guest on NPR and CNN.  Zachary Poll,  Head of  U.S. Healthcare Partnership for Plug and Play.  Plug and Play Tech Center is the most active venture capital firm in the world, and the third most active in healthcare. David Hall, Revolution’S Rise of the Rest, Managing Partner at Revolution’s Rise of the Rest Seed Fund and is responsible for investment sourcing, execution, and oversight of the Fund’s portfolio companies. Jared Evans, Partner at AF Ventures, AFWERX, Captain Jared Evans has been in the Air Force for almost a decade. As Partner of AirForce Ventures, he focuses on the intersection of government, business, and research.   As always, please check out the Established website and subscribe to the newsletter at: www.est.us   Checkout Startup of the Year at www.startupofyear.com/   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year Daily Deal Flow: www.startupofyear.com/daily-dealflow   Subscribe to the Startup of the Year podcast: http://podcast.startupofyear.com/ Subscribe to the Established YouTube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCkm5AOWXNzF1fBq3OfE3U2Q boosts#toggleFormOnEscOrEnter" data-boosts-adding-class="boosts--adding" data-boosts-deleting-class="boost--deleting"> 

On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, Frank Gruber talks with Rafiq Ahmed and Mitul Patel about their new fund at Dipalo Ventures and about their experiences developing products.   Rafiq Ahmed is the Managing Director at DiPalo Ventures, an early-stage investment fund interested in connected hardware and hard tech. Rafiq also has experience developing mobile products expertise including design of Motorola Mobility's first apps, which was acquired by Google. Lastly, he was also the co-founder of Demibooks, the first platform for developing interactive book apps on the iPad (Demibooks was acquired by Education Development Corporation in 2015).  Mitul Patel is a Venture Partner at at Dipalo Ventures and the CEO at MP Consulting. Mitul has worked on a variety of projects in his career; from phones and wearables to innovative smart home applications and industrial sensors. He has also constantly pushed the boundaries of technology and innovation by submitting more than 10 U.S. Patents in the last decade.   Startups can contact Dipalo Ventures at [email protected] and their website is dipaloventures.com.   Frank also talks about Established's partnership with .US and suggests that veteran startup founders apply for the .US Veteran Startup of the Year award, which will be awarded in the fall of 2020 at the 8th Annual Startup of the Year Summit - apply now at: soty.link/SOTYUSVET .US is also proud to provide startups with a FREE .US domain and website builder.  Startups can obtain their free .US domain at the following link: soty.link/USdomain

On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, Frank Gruber talks with US veteran startup founders Blake Hall and Kimberly Citizen about how their military experience helped them with their roles as startup entrepreneurs. Blake Hall is the founder of ID.me, a digital identification platform where individuals can verify who they are online and receive discounts and benefits if they are part of groups like first responders, the military, students or teachers. Blake was awarded the Bronze Star with Valor for leading his men during a firefight against insurgents and credited with saving twenty American lives. Blake also obtained an MBA from Harvard Business School. Kimberly Citizen is another US veteran and an Inc. 5000 Entrepreneur. She is the CEO at Applied Development, that champions the rights of people of all abilities to work and communicate effectively through sign language interpretation, reader services, advocacy, and outreach. Frank also talks about Established's partnership with .US and suggests that veteran startup founders apply for the .US Veteran Startup of the Year, which will be awarded at the 8th Annual Startup of the Year Summit, produced by Established, will take place in the fall of 2020 (date and location to be announced soon). At least 10 of our Top 100 Semifinalists will also compete for the .US Veteran Startup of the Year (must qualify) of $10,000 non-dilutive cash from .US, in addition to the prizes from the regular Startup of the Year competition itself. Application deadlines are on our website and coming up fast - go to soty.link/SOTYUSVET .US is also proud to support the Established Community. A thriving community made up of veterans, entrepreneurs, startup teams, and industry leaders all making a difference around the world. We are proud to provide each of you a FREE .US domain and website builder. Startups can obtain their free .US domain at the following link: soty.link/USdomain Lastly, Frank talks about Established's upcoming virtual even, which is focused on showcasing a handful of startups taking on the COVID19 pandemic. The event will air live on April 17 2020 and you can join us and participate in the conversation. To learn more about the participating companies and the virtual presentation and register to attend at: soty.link/StartupsCOVID19.

In this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, Frank Gruber talks with Larry Berlin, an entrepreneur and angel investor, who teaches and mentors at The University of Chicago Booth School of Business. Larry also talk about his work with the "New Venture Challenge” every year, where 30 teams compete for a total of $1M for the tops winners. Frank also catches up with Reed Alexander the Relationship Manager, SMB Partnerships at American Airlines. The two talk about the products and travel programs that AA offers for startups and small business and the AA Business Extra program. Lastly, Frank talks about Established's partnership with .US and suggests that veteran startup founders apply for the .US Veteran Startup of the Year competition. Apply at the link: soty.link/SOTYUSVET Startups can also obtain a free .US domain at the following link: soty.link/USdomain

On this episode, Frank Gruber talks with Lakshmi Shenoy, the CEO of Embarc Collective about startup opportunities in Tampa, Florida. The two also catch up about Lakshmi's journey and how she became the CEO of a nonprofit that has the goal of helping Tampa Bay startups build bold, scalable, thriving companies. They also talk about Embarc Collective's recent launch event, which brought attention to the investment landscape of the Southeast United States, and much more.

On this episode, we hear from two of the finalists from last year's Startup of the Year Summit. First, Frank Gruber talks with Erik Maltais, the CEO & Co-Founder of Immertec, about their new approach to surgical training that transports surgeons into the surgical suite for real-time training in virtual reality. We also talk with Richard Munassi, the Cohort Director at Tampa Bay Wave, who referred Immertec to the Startup of the Year program. We also hear from Amber Hayes and Mars McClain, the co-founders of SecondKeys, about their company that helps streamline property management operations all while improving cash flow with the essential features needed to manage, organize, and track property management operations. During the interview we also hear from Katie Milligan from Start Co. about he growing tech industry in Memphis.

Kathryn Rose, the founder of wiseHer, discusses her technology platform that provides on-demand expert advice to women in business. She also tells her startup story and talks about the value of having a strong network and support system, and much more…

On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, Frank Gruber checks in with Erica Duignan, the founder of 1000 Angels and co-founder of Reign Ventures. Erica chats about her long-time involvement as a judge at the Startup of the Year pitch competitions and her work as an investor with a focus on technology, and much more...

In this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, Frank Gruber talks with Sarah Kunst of Cleo Capital. The two chat about Sarah's experience working at a startup and then her work as an investor and running an investment fund, where she raised $3.5M, which is the largest first-time fund raised by an African American woman. Sarah also talks about her team's use of Investment Scouts to find and vet potential portfolio companies. She also discusses the differences when investing in an LLC and C-Corp. Lastly, Sarah shares pointers for people looking to start companies and much more...

On this special episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast we will be looking back to some of our best investor interviews of 2019. Specifically, we catch Frank Gruber's conversation with Mark Cuban the owner of the Dallas Mavericks and one of the main "shark" investors on the ABC reality television series, Shark Tank. Frank chats with Steve Case, the AOL founder about what types of investments he likes to make, the importance of leveling the playing field for entrepreneurs, and more. Lastly, Frank talks with Tim Draper, the founder of Draper Associates and Draper University, inventor of viral marketing, early investor in startups like Skype, Twitch, and Space X.

On this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, Rich Maloy the VP Engagement at Established talks with Thor Culverhouse, CEO of Lighter Capital, and John Willard the Managing director of Silicon Valley Bank, about revenue-based financing. They also discuss alternative capital opportunities and structures and ways to finance your startup that are not tradition venture capital methods, and more…

Frank Gruber is joined by co-hosts Jen Consalvo, Rich Maloy, Lori Thiel, and John Guidos from the Established and Startup of the Year team, and they discuss the following Startups that would make great 2019 holiday gifts: Gift Guide: Pix - A first backpack which appearance can be controlled from the IOS/Android app. YogiFi - Powered by a unique digital AI platform that elevates the online yoga class experience to a whole new level. Anyware Solutions - With a mission to bring Smart Living to every home in the world as-a-Service, Anyware offers everyday "services" in the app to monitor the indoor climate of your home, prevent intrusion and notify you when you need to know. The Last Gameboard - A technology company building the world's first board game console touchscreen device that has a library of games a player can purchase or subscribe from. Smart Beat - A breath-detection-baby-monitor startup. Last Bottle Clothing - A recycled-and-recyclable-clothing startup. Pressa Bottle - Pressa Bottle’s patented technology allows you to squeeze real fruit into your water bottle throughout the day. HobbyDB - A collectibles-marketplace startup. Also discussed in this episode: OROS Apparel (Inspired by NASA) coats The 2019 goop Holiday Gift Guides Music Attributions: Jungle Juice - Wataboi Jingle Bells Ukulele - Musicphrase

Elnaz Sarraf, the CEO of artificial intelligence startup ROYBI, provides candid stories about running one of the world’s up-and-coming educational companies. ROYBI Robot is the world’s first smart toy robot designed to help children ages three through seven learn multiple languages and STEM skills. Elnaz also discusses ROYBI being featured on the cover of Time Magazine as one of the 100 Best Inventions of 2019.

Silicon Valley Bank's Vice President of Startup Banking, JP Giannini, discusses tips for startup founders to grow an early stage company. Among other topics, JP also provides insights for companies that are looking to raise strategic capital to scale their business.

On the latest episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast our co-hosts Frank Gruber and Lori Thiel provide a recap of the 2019 Startup of the Year Summit that took place in Memphis, Tennessee. They also talk about all of the festivities, best startup pitches, and interview this year’s Summit winner Samantha Snabes and talk with her about her company re:3D’s efforts to empower local change-makers by developing quality, industrial printers that can be adapted in new markets. Additionally, for every 100 Gigabots delivered, re:3D donates a Gigabot to a group dedicated to improving their community.

Each year, Silicon Valley Bank releases an invaluable compendium of insights about the current state of the industry and thoughtful projections for the year ahead. Looking at trends that range from hiring, to raising capital, to general building conditions, the survey is a result of meticulous reporting, dedicated analysis, and, most importantly, observations from founders, investors, and partners in the space. For this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, host Rich Maloy sits down with Lewis Hower, Managing Director, Early Stage Practice at Silicon Valley Bank, to delve into both last year’s report as well as the 2020 edition. The SOTY Podcast touches on everything from the changing attitudes around IPOs and acquisitions to the tremendous growth opportunities for lesser-known regions, both in the country and around the world. This year’s survey is now open, so make sure to head over to soty.link/svbs20, and help Silicon Valley Bank continue to help startup ecosystems worldwide. Thank you in advance for sharing your valuable thoughts and opinions.

Most of the Startup of the Year podcast team is already Walkin’ in Memphis in advance of the 2019 Startup of the Year Summit — which is less than a week away — but two of our co-hosts, Frank Gruber and Lori Thiel, are still on hand and on mic to discuss all the exhilarating things attendees can expect at the event; from the raucous kickoff reception at the Hu. Hotel to the awarding of the $100,000 grand prize. They're also proud to announce that over 40% of the founders/co-founders competing this year are women, over 48% are minority, 11% are veterans, and 6% identify as LGBTQ. Then, Frank shares his interview with beloved VC Arlan Hamilton of Backstage Capital from last year’s Startup of the Year Summit. During their conversation, they discuss how someone with no financial background was able to grow a firm into one that has invested in more than 100 companies — all of which (minus one) is run by a woman, a person of color, or an LGBTQ founder — the importance of having intimate conversations in order to learn more about what you didn’t even know you didn't know, and how Twitter can be a true source of catharsis. Put on your blue suede shoes and check it out! And don’t forget to join us in Memphis October 14-16 for the 2019 Startup of the Year Summit & Finals!

For the first time in a long time the expected lifespan of American adults is going in the wrong direction, which is why our co-hosts Frank Gruber, Jen Consalvo, Rich Maloy and Lori Thiel have dedicated this 11th episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast to discussing the booming health tech movement and some of the startups attacking this problem in innovative ways. Specifically, Jessie, an on-demand digital clinic for women; Phylomics, which uses routine blood draws to detect multiple types of cancers before symptoms even appear; NeuroFlow, which enables behavioral health access and engagement across the continuum of care; and Etta Epidermis, an artificially intelligent skin cancer detection software program. Frank was able to recently connect with Crystal Icenhour, Ph.D., the CEO and co-founder of 2018 Startup of the Year winner Aperiomics, which provides a service that identifies every single known bacteria, virus, parasite, and fungus from clinical samples in order to give health care providers the best possible information so that they in turn can give better patient care. Over the course of their conversation, they touch on everything from the importance of understanding the science of how our bodies work, the future of personalized medicine, the vital role gut bacteria plays in our overall health, how to deal with bad actors, and why she never wears black turtlenecks. Grab a kombucha and check it out! And don’t forget to join us in Memphis October 14-16 for the 2019 Startup of the Year Competition & Summit!

For this tenth installment of the Startup of the Year podcast, host Frank Gruber interviews a very special guest: Tim Draper, founder of Draper Associates and Draper University, inventor of viral marketing, early investor in startups like Skype, Twitch, and Space X, and author of How to be The Startup Hero: A Guide and Textbook for Entrepreneurs and Aspiring Entrepreneurs. Over the course of the episode, they touch on everything from the consequences of decentralization, the importance of emotional training, and why “ten years from now versus today is going to be like night and day.” Photo By: JD Lasica

In this episode of the Startup of the Year podcast, hosts Frank Gruber, Jen Consalvo, Rich Maloy and Lori Thiel — fueled by turmeric ginger and mushroom teas — discuss their experience at INNOConf in New Orleans. Specifically, the event they held there that showcased 36 startups from around the globe and which hosted an exhilarating live pitch competition that saw the five Startup Night NOLA finalists vie for one of two fast-track spots to the Startup of the Year Summit taking place in Memphis this fall. And while only two of those five were able to win the coveted fast-track spots, the team takes the time to specifically highlight all five of the Startup Night NOLA finalists, as they are all more than deserving of some SotY podcast love: Enlivity — a medical nutrition company whose goal is to help make cancer treatment side effects better by providing patients with affordable, easy-to-use, over-the-counter products MyStrongHome — a benefit corporation that strengthens communities in coastal areas by providing home upgrades that are independently certified and secure financing for those improvements based on future insurance savings EnrichHER — a debt investment platform that connects female entrepreneurs with up to $250k from lenders who want to earn 15% return on their investment while fueling the growth of women-led businesses Hacware — a startup that identifies a company’s employees who are most likely to be hacked (based on their habits) and trains those vulnerable employees to combat email hacking TrayAway — a startup founded by a hospitality industry veteran that saves hotels time and money by automating the room service tray retrieval process Artunity — a mobile app that lets individuals both donate to up-and-coming artists and possibly win a highly-valuable work of an already established artist.

The Startup of the Year team is back from a whirlwind week that saw them popping up everywhere from the inaugural InnoConf in New Orleans to Las Vegas’ SALT Conference to Florida and Puerto Rico for Revolution's Rise of the Rest Road Trip with Steve Case. In this episode, host Frank Gruber talks with the AOL founder about what he gleaned from those latest tour stops, as well as Rise of the Rest’s overall mission to be a catalyst for those entrepreneurs and startups that aren’t getting attention from mainstream media and coastal venture capitalists. Or, as Steve put it, “to throw a little more kerosene on those fires, so they burn a little brighter and a little faster than they might have otherwise done." Then, Frank is joined by his co-hosts Jen Consalvo, Rich Maloy, and Lori Thiel to discuss the respective winners of the Orlando, Space Coast, Tampa, Miami, and Puerto Rico pitch competitions: AireHealth, Atomos, Immertec, Xendoo, and Abartys Health. As always, please let us know how you like the show by dropping us a review on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts, and don't forget to follow us @Startupofyear to stay up to date on all things SoTY. While our 2019 Startup of the Year program application window has closed we're already starting to collect more applications for the next year and we're always showcasing startups that are doing exciting things on our podcast and in our daily email called Daily Dealflow. To get in the mix for these opportunities have your startup apply here. Also, make sure to save the date for the Startup of the Year Summit, taking place October 14-16 in Memphis Tennessee!

For this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast, hosts Frank Gruber, Lori Thiel, and Rich Maloy of the Established team are joined by Silicon Valley Bank’s Theron McCollough to share some insights about SVB’s Startup Outlook Report for 2019, which details how technology and life science founders and executives in the U.S., the UK, China and Canada are growing their companies, and planning for future growth, amid our current state of economic uncertainty. Touching on everything from demographic shifts, to the doubling-downs by microfunds, to the loud ringing of IPO bells, Theron helped lead an illuminating discussion on the latest industry trends and what signals to keep an eye out for in the near future. Then, as always, the team highlights a handful of their favorite startups. This episode, they examine Knack, out of Tampa Bay; Rent Check, from New Orleans; Atlanta’s Qoins; and WattBuy, from Washington, D.C. Remember to come say hi to us on Instagram and Twitter at @startupofyear, and pretty please let us know how you like the show by dropping us a review on Apple Podcasts or Google Podcasts. We’d love to hear how you feel about the Startup of the Year Podcast and what you’d like to hear more of.

In just over two weeks the Established team will be be heading down to the Big Easy for Startup of the Year New Orleans taking place at INNO Conf, so our hosts Frank Gruber, Jen Consalvo, Lori Thiel, Rich Maloy, and Joe Corbett are dedicating this episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast to showcasing companies from the greater Gulf Region; many of which have actually competed — and won — past Startup of the Year competitions. Dig Dates - New Orleans, L Fade - Austin, TX Flat Out of Heels - Miami, FL Lazarus 3D - Houston TX One Milo - Miami, FL From furry friends to furry men, personalized 3D-printed medical training models to smartphone-connected at-home lab tests, these startups are not only raising the profile of their oft-overlooked locales but changing the way the tech industry views — and invests in — this area of the county. Frank also had a chance to talk with Gerard Ramos, founder and CEO of Revelry Labs, about what the New Orleans startup scene is like, as well as what we can expect from the INNO Conf event (which just so happens to be tucked in between the two weekends of Jazz Fest!). If you’re attending — or even just in the area that weekend — make sure to block off April 30th, when we’ll be hosting Startup of the Year New Orleans at the Ace Hotel for a night of live pitching and festivities.

We just got back from Austin, Texas, and South by Southwest (SXSW), where we hosted an all-day Startup of the Year House — for our 10th year running — and what a weekend it was! In this fifth installment of the Startup of the Year Podcast, the Established team of Frank Gruber, Jen Consalvo, Lori Thiel, Rich Maloy, and Joe Corbett revisit the 24 inspiring startups that pitched and were showcased at the event, the gripping conversation on innovation with Andre Heeg from Sandoz and 15-time author Guy Kawasaki, and a special fireside chat with Carol Lynch, President of Sandoz US, and, of course, the top 5 finalists — Easy Expunctions, Gravy, Medsaf, runner-up Hera Health Solutions, and our ultimate champion, Proov Test, who’ve earned themselves a fast-track to the Startup of the Year Semi-Finals. We also share some of our favorite SXSW takeaways, ranging from the meteorological, to the technological, to the chiropteran, before discussing the upcoming INNO CONF; where we'll have 50 startups from the Startup of the Year pitching for a shot at a fast-track to our Startup of the Year Summit in… drumroll… MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE! So, if you have a startup, or know an early-stage startup, in your area, be sure to apply/have them apply now at StartupofYear.com!

In this fourth installment of the Startup of the Year podcast, Established’s Frank Gruber, Jen Consalvo, Lori Thiel, and Rich Maloy discuss the man who’s been a true Maverick in every sense of the word, Mark Cuban, beginning with a dexterous exploration of his impressively curated and notably diverse portfolio. Companies we discuss include the following: Dropbox, Magnolia Pictures, IFTTT, Grypmat, Zoba, Combat Flip Flops, Monkey Mat, Veggie Mama, uBeam, ilumi, and My Croft AI. But first the gang checks out the recent SVB Startup Outlook Report for 2019 as it has some interesting findings and trends related startups. Then, Frank speaks with the self-professed lifelong learner about everything from his excitement over machine learning and neural networks, to the pitfalls startups can fall into, to his 2024 political aspirations. A quick teaser... Here’s the first thing Mark looks for when potentially investing in a company: “It’s always the same. I want something that’s unique/differentiated. Something that makes you say, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?' or 'It makes perfect sense, I’m shocked no one’s done it before.’ That’s first." Also, here’s his advice for aspiring NBA team owners: “Make a lot of money.”

Our third episode of the Startup of the Year Podcast was produced following Super Bowl LII where the New England Patriots defeated the LA Rams 13 to 3 in what was one of the most boring Super Bowls ever. That said, in this episode we discuss some of the Super Bowl advertising spends and our thoughts on the overall program before we dive into five fresh startups that tackle the following areas: safer medication supply chains to save lives, reducing the $160B in crops wasted each year, improving recycling processes with magnets, making the immigration process more efficient (and empathetic), and an expressive backpack offering unlimited personal expression and marketing potential. Host Frank Gruber is joined by co-hosts Rich Maloy, Lori Thiel, and Jen Consalvo from the Established /Startup of the Year team. The five startups discussed were all companies that came through our startup newsletter, Daily Dealflow. ToMarket - Denver, CO Magnomer - Boston, MA Pix, Ukraine & China Formally, Providence, RI Medsaf, Nago, Nigeria Listen in as these five growing, early-stage companies are discussed with insights and thoughts from our startup and product experts, diving deeper into what’s interesting about the company, the team, and the industry. Also mentioned are upcoming Startup of the Year opportunities at the SXSW interactive festival in Austin, Texas on March 10th. Learn more here: www.startupofyear.com/sxsw