Scott Van den Berg on LinkedIn: Bridgit Mendler went from Disney star to co-founding a Space Tech startup.… (2024)

Imagine going from Disney Channel Star to Space Startup CEO?!Well, that's exactly what Bridgit Mendler did.Mendler, known for her roles in “Good Luck Charlie” and “Lemonade Mouth,” is now the CEO of a space data startup, Northwood Space.Her new venture is diving into the challenge of building a "data highway" between Earth and space, aiming to modernise how we communicate with satellites.It's an ambitious project, backed by a solid $6.3M in funding from big names in the venture world like Andreessen Horowitz and Founders Fund.So, why should we care?Besides the obvious fact that Dr Bridgit Mendler is an icon.It’s because it's a reminder that paths in tech are as varied as the stars.Bridgit went from Disney sets and a promising musical career to MIT & Harvard Law, and then on to founding a space tech startup.It's the kind of pivot that's as inspiring as it is unexpected.For those of us in the startup universe, it's a nudge to think outside the box—or planet, in this case.Whether you're transitioning from a corporate job to dive full-time into your passion project, it's a reminder that it's never too late to reinvent yourself, even if the whole world knows you as someone else.

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💎 Why deep tech VC Driving Forces is shutting down#Venture💻 Sidney Scott decided to take himself out of the venture capital rat race and is now jokingly auctioning off his vests — starting at $500,000.The Driving Forces solo general partner announced on LinkedIn this week that he was shutting down his $5 million fintech and deep tech VC fund that he started in 2020, calling the past four years “a wild ride.”A healthy performance of his first, small fund wasn’t enough. He told TechCrunch that with increasing competition for what is, essentially, still a small number of hard tech and deep tech deals, he realized it would be a challenge for smaller funds like his.“This wasn’t easy, but it’s the right choice for the current market,” he said.💻 Scott also thanked people, like entrepreneur Julian Shapiro, neuroscientist Milad Alucozai, Intel Capital’s Aravind Bharadwaj, 500 Global’s Iris Sun and UpdateAI CEO Josh Schachter, who stood by him.During that time, he was also involved in building the first AI and deep tech investor network with Handwave, collaborating with investors at companies such as Nvidia, M12, Microsoft’s Venture Fund, Intel Capital and First Round Capital.💻 That ride included about two dozen investments into companies like SpaceX, Rain AI, xAI and Atomic Semi. The total portfolio yielded over 30% net internal rate of return, a metric measuring the annual rate of growth an investment or fund will generate, Scott told TechCrunch.💻 Thirty percent for a seed fund like this is considered solid IRR performance and it outpaces total average deep tech IRR, which is about 26%, according to Boston Consulting Group.

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Our CEO Adam Hammer sat down with Playground Global's interview series Atoms & Bits for a wide-ranging interview about the state of building deep tech, how venture studios work with VCs, the relationship between Silicon Valley and the U.S. government, and why states like New Mexico will play host to the next global hub for technology."There is a genuine hunger for what we're building. Every single day we meet with #scientists, #researchers, and #innovators to talk about their ideas for the future. And it's reaffirming when we have conversations with them and realize that what we're doing is in line with what they need to catapult to success. These scientists often bring amazing insight and technical know-how to the table but lack the business and commercial side of the equation that we provide. We specialize in coming in and saying, 'Ok, how do you scale this amazing insight you have?'"#deeptech #venturecapital #startups #future #technology

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In the last four years, at least $125 billion of venture capital has flooded into startups that build defense technology, according to data assembled for The Times by PitchBook, which tracks these investments, compared with $43 billion in the prior four years.But at least so far, the defense-tech sector has had only a few breakthrough success stories. They include Palantir, which makes artificial intelligence software and went public in 2020, and Elon Musk’s SpaceX, which has a market valuation of more than $175 billion, larger than the market capitalization of Lockheed Martin, the world’s largest military contractor.Much more frequently, it has been a continuing struggle for venture-backed defense technology companies to secure large-scale contracts.That is where the new generation of well-connected venture capitalists comes in.https://lnkd.in/gxDtg8sn

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With continued backing from its Seed and Series A investors, NEA, Elad Gil, Nat Friedman, and Databricks, as well as new #investors, NVIDIA, Jeff Bezos (through Bezos Expeditions Fund), Tobi Lutke, Bessemer Venture Partners, Naval Ravikant, Balaji Srinivasan, Guillermo Rauch, Austen Allred, Factorial Funds, and Kindred Ventures, among others, search platformPerplexity AI secured $73.6 million #led byIVP.The investment is going to be used by the #business to hire people and to construct the products.The idea behindPerplexitywas that the process of looking for information had to be uncomplicated and time-saving, and that it ought to be free from the influence of models that are driven by advertising. Because there is a clear desire for a platform that can cut through the noise of #information overload and give solutions that are accurate and user-focused in an era where time is of the essence, they have come into existence.Perplexity NVIDIA Databricks Aravind Srinivas Denis Yarats Johnny Ho IVP Bessemer Venture Partners Read more - https://lnkd.in/ddturzddTo share your startup story write us on - startup@viestories.com#perplexity #ai #searchengines #startup #funding

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A hugely positive signal for #deeptech and our future in #space and increasingly necessary #defense capabilities! According to a recent YCombinator statement (see link), as more hard tech companies focus on being #venturecapital scalable, more are likely to succeed and help solidify the case for the investing thesis. Another driver for this "what's old is new again" thesis is that many VCs are looking for differentiation and diversification away from SaaS/Software #startups that appear to be overdone and at the end of the wave. At the same time, the signal for on-shoring, advanced manufacturing, and defense continues to strengthen, and VCs want to lean into that. This will accelerate us through the back half of the current #4thindustrialrevolution and get us into the #5ir #spaceeconomy even faster 💡-GSP-MilkyWayEconomy The Space Economy

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The NATO Innovation Fund (NIF) is a $1 billion fund dedicated to advancing defense, security, and resilience. NIF has made investments in various verticals such as AI, space tech, manufacturing, transportation, and robotics. While NIF’s direct investments are limited to startups from its LPs (including Iceland), it is also a fund of funds, backing VC firms like Alpine Space Ventures and Join Capital.OTB Ventures, founded in 2017, focuses on deep tech with support from NIF and the European Investment Fund. Its investments include space tech, enterprise automation and AI, cybersecurity, and fintech infrastructure, all falling under the resilience tech category. OTB recognizes that many startups utilize dual-use technology, with the defense sector increasingly applying civilian technologies.MD One Ventures, based in the U.K., is dedicated to supporting applied deep tech innovation for the U.K., Europe, and Allies. It invests in both software- and hardware-based companies with national security, enterprise, and defense backgrounds. Its portfolio includes startups like Labrys Technologies and Materials Nexus, which utilize AI in military and materials discovery applications, respectively.

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We’re all about connections. The most recent one? For a while, no one thought it would happen: #defensetech and #siliconvalley. With Y Combinator debuting a new fund for defense, space, and robotics and investors paying attention, we’re about to see a resurgence in hard tech startups.What’s driving the hard tech renaissance? According to TechCrunch:🚀 Diversifying Portfolios: VCs seek differentiation within their portfolio, and hard tech presents new opportunities in a relatively underfunded space.🌐 Software Saturation: The exit market for SaaS companies has been decreasing, and software is reaching commodity-like returns.🛰️ Global Affairs: Increasing global tensions have drawn defense tech into the spotlight. The success of companies like SpaceX and Palantir have also proven the success of these companies, spurring an attitudinal shift and drawing generalist VCs into the mix, too.🌱 Nurturing Talent: YC's role in nurturing talent will help prepare a new generation of talent to thrive in the hard tech space. Attitudes among younger people have changed, too, with interest growing in defense as they come of age witnessing global competition.Read more TechCrunch: https://buff.ly/3UJlS5DHow do you see the connection between #SiliconValley and #defensetech shaping the future? Share your thoughts below! 👇

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Exciting shifts are happening at the intersection of defense technology and venture capital! Traditionally seen as a challenging arena for startups, defense tech is now witnessing a surge in interest from investors. Companies like Anduril are breaking barriers, securing massive funding rounds, and making strategic acquisitions, proving that defense tech and venture capital are no longer mutually exclusive.Moreover, European startup Helsing, with its groundbreaking AI technology, recently raised an impressive €209 million in a Series B funding round, highlighting the growing investor confidence in the defense tech space. The geopolitical landscape and the urgent need for innovative solutions are driving this change, making the defense tech sector more attractive to both investors and top talent.As the industry embraces AI and innovative technologies, it's crucial to consider ethical implications and ensure responsible applications. "Of course, there are still plenty of open questions on how AI in particular can be applied effectively and ethically in the defense field. But there’s a far better chance that these will be asked and answered in democracies, so it makes sense for VCs to question why they would sit this one out. " (Techcrunch)These developments signify a significant shift in how we approach defense technology. It's inspiring to witness the intersection of innovation, investment, and social responsibility in shaping the future of defense tech. Let's keep a close eye on this vertical as more VCs invest.https://lnkd.in/gGvzEs6u#DefenseTech #Innovation #VentureCapital #AIInDefense

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Sizing up the boom in defense tech, by Marina Temkin "VC's appetite for investing in defense tech isn't expected to slow down."Software-based defense systems [have come into] focus, and I imagine that will only accelerate given the recent events," said Kirsten Morin, co-head of venture capital at HighVista Strategies, an asset manager that invests in venture funds. She added that she is coming across more managers who identify the sector as an area with attractive investment opportunities.The US defense-tech market is expected to expand at a compound annual growth rate of about 16%, according to a recent PitchBook report. VC-backed companies will vie with traditional contractors such as Lockheed Martin and Raytheon for a piece of that rapid expansion. While more generalist firms are considering adding defense tech to the list of investable sectors, Philip Bilden, managing partner at Shield Capital, a firm that backs early-stage "dual-use" commercial and military-tech startups, warns that the sector is difficult to invest in without specialized experience. "

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