About
I have been an investor in early stage technology companies since 1998, backing 150+…
Articles by Matt
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BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOT TO BE FEARED, BUT LEVERAGED
BOARD MEETINGS ARE NOT TO BE FEARED, BUT LEVERAGED
The general role of a board is to provide oversight, guidance, feedback, governance and accountability. With board…
6 Comments -
WHO WILL BUY YOUR EMERGING SOFTWARE COMPANY?
WHO WILL BUY YOUR EMERGING SOFTWARE COMPANY?
As entrepreneurs who have been through the fund raising process know, this question is one they should be prepared for…
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VC DUE DILIGENCE IS A TWO WAY STREET
VC DUE DILIGENCE IS A TWO WAY STREET
Borrowing an enterprise sales term, the “funnel” for startup opportunities at a venture firm starts very wide and ends…
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HOW TO RAISE YOUR SERIES A
HOW TO RAISE YOUR SERIES A
Early stage investing has remained exciting and seen healthy, even increasing, capital flows since 2010. While it is…
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Announcing our newest Investment: Connected2Fiber
Announcing our newest Investment: Connected2Fiber
Boston area-based Connected2Fiber just announced a new round of funding, which we lead along with Osage Ventures and…
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IN 2018, TELECOM AND NETWORKING ARE VITAL (AGAIN)
IN 2018, TELECOM AND NETWORKING ARE VITAL (AGAIN)
Our collective nostalgia for the 1990s is a thing that is either currently happening, or already passed, depending on…
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Demystifying the “black box”: a look at hiring in the VC world
Demystifying the “black box”: a look at hiring in the VC world
Last month, we announced that Baiyin Zhou joined Ascent Venture Partners as our newest senior associate. This is…
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The Combination of Cloud & Mobile and its Grip on B2B Automation
The Combination of Cloud & Mobile and its Grip on B2B Automation
Mention the words “cloud computing” to anyone outside the tech industry just five years ago and chances are you’d have…
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Call to Action: Pounding the Table for Security Budgets
Call to Action: Pounding the Table for Security Budgets
The vicious cyberattacks on major organizations like Target, Home Depot, eBay, JP Morgan Chase and recently, Anthem…
Activity
8K followers
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Matt Fates shared thisGreat atmosphere, fun crowd - well done #VentureLane.Matt Fates shared thisLast night, we hosted a conversation with Prepare 4 VC that's been a long time coming. The New Funding Playbook for the AI Age brought together two VCs, two founders, and one honest question: does the fundraising playbook from three years ago still work? Here's what our panelists had to say about it: - The old playbook is dead. Incumbents now have the data and the distribution advantage. The "out-innovate the big players" story that worked in 2022 is a much harder sell today. - Relationships beat everything else. Every founder who raised successfully did it through personal relationships built over months, not cold outreach. This came up unprompted from every single panelist. - Get to market and charge. Stop waiting for the product to be ready. Your customers validate your business far more reliably than any investor check does. Thank you to Maia Heymann, Matt Fates, David Chang, and Erin Dawicki for the open conversation. And thank you to our sponsor, UBS, for making the night possible. #VentureLane #StartupBoston #Fundraising #AIAge
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Matt Fates shared thisExciting news from the team at ZETA SURGICALMatt Fates shared thisBig news: Zeta has received FDA 510(k) clearance that expands its access to brain tumor biopsies, hydrocephalus, and trigeminal neuralgia. Interventions such as brain biopsies, ventriculostomies, and trigeminal rhizotomies are critical for treating millions of patients globally affected by conditions like brain tumors, hydrocephalus, and trigeminal neuralgia. However, bringing standard neuronavigation to these interventions has historically been a challenge due to workflow bottlenecks. Zeta's use of computer vision and artificial intelligence provides millimeter-level navigation at virtually any point-of-care within minutes, unlocking unprecedented precision and expanding access to less invasive care for these critical procedures. Read the full announcement here: https://lnkd.in/escrmt_eZETA SURGICAL® Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance Expanding Access to Brain Tumor Biopsies, Hydrocephalus, and Trigeminal NeuralgiaZETA SURGICAL® Receives FDA 510(k) Clearance Expanding Access to Brain Tumor Biopsies, Hydrocephalus, and Trigeminal Neuralgia
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Matt Fates shared thisOne of the jewels of Boston is the Charles River waterfront - come enjoy with great company!Matt Fates shared thisStart your day the Boston way ☀️🏃♂️ We’re kicking off #BOSTechWeek with a wakeup run along the Charles River—bringing together entrepreneurs, investors, students, and operators from across the Boston tech ecosystem. Hosted at the Hatch Shell, this is your chance to connect while moving—no panels, no pitches, just good people and fresh air. This run is hosted in partnership by Jason Burke, Daniel Wolchonok, HYBRD, Ray, WHOOP, Innospark Ventures, PYNRS Performance Streetwear and Visible Hands. RSVP today and join us as we kick off Boston Tech Week! 📅 Tuesday, May 26 ⏰ 7:30am RSVP here: https://lnkd.in/eW89quge?
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Matt Fates shared thisLooking forward to sharing perspectives on the ever shifting fund raise journey with Maia, David and Erin.Matt Fates shared thisThe fundraising environment has shifted, and most founders are still using the old playbook. Join Venture Lane | Startup Hub and Prepare 4 VC on May 6th for an evening built around one question: what does it actually take to raise in 2026? You'll hear directly from early-stage investors and founders who've recently been through it: what's changed, what still matters, and what they're seeing from the other side of the table. The evening includes a live diagnostic moment powered by Prepare 4 VC's Compass tool, giving you a real-time read on where you stand as a fundable company, and what to prioritize next. Meet the panel: Matt Fates - Innospark Ventures Maia Heymann - Converge VC David Chang - Via AI, Inc. Erin Dawicki - LymeAlert™ Register at https://luma.com/aupneusd
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Matt Fates shared thisLooking forward joining SVB and Massachusetts AI Coalition for Time to Fundraise on Wednesday, 4/29 from 5-8pm! Link to apply here: https://luma.com/86vi99zy
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Matt Fates reposted thisMatt Fates reposted thisI'm on a mission to make Boston the global capital of Physical AI. TL;DR sign up for the first event here: https://luma.com/elebmd85 I've been working with City of Boston Mayor Wu's team + City CIO Santiago G. and Massachusetts Executive Office of Economic Development (EOED) Secretary Eric Paley + team on something I care deeply about — keeping founders here and building the ecosystem that wins the next wave of AI. The one that touches the real, physical world. So instead of complaining about Boston's startup ecosystem, we're doing something about it. Starting this month, CYVL is hosting monthly Physical AI Happy Hours at our HQ in Somerville. First one is April 23rd. What to expect: 🔩 Tour our machine shop, prototype and build in realtime 🧠 Talk ML with our spatial AI team 🎯 Live demos of what founders are shipping 🍻 Cold drinks, great people, zero panels This is for startup founders building in robotics, infrastructure, construction, climate, logistics, defense — students who want to start companies — VCs writing early checks — and city + state partners working on the tech and policy side. We're capping the first one at 50 people so it stays intimate. Sign up quick. This is just the start. Hackathons, demo nights, build sessions all coming this spring and summer. And I'm looking for other dope founders and orgs who want to co-host future ones with us. Boston has MIT, Harvard, Northeastern, 400+ robotics companies, and some of the most ambitious builders in the world. We just need to keep them here and give them a reason to stay. That reason is community. Let's go 🚀 RSVP link in comments 👇
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Matt Fates shared thisAn inspiring example from Sensorum Health and Intermountain Health of how healthcare should work - keep people healthier so they do not need to go to the hospital!Matt Fates shared thisExciting news — Sensorum Health is expanding our partnership with Intermountain Health into Southern Nevada. 🎉 Two years ago, we set out to prove that proactive, technology-driven care could keep older adults with multiple chronic conditions healthier and out of the hospital. The early results from our work with Dr. Nathan Starr and his Intermountain House Calls team in Utah speak for themselves: 📉 34% reduction in hospital admissions 📉 28% reduction in ED visits How? By combining Sensorum’s fully-passive sensor technology & ED-trained RNs with Intermountain’s dedicated clinical teams & resources. Sensorum serves as the connective tissue between the home environment and a patient’s existing clinical network, routing them to familiar faces like their PCP or complex care team with no missed handoffs. Another major aspect that sets our model apart- we sign value-based contracts with fees-at-risk. We do not bill fee-for-service RPM, RTM, or CCM codes. Our incentives are fully aligned with the risk-bearing entities we serve — transparent, sustainable, and built to scale complex care at a fraction of the cost. Now we’re bringing this to Southern Nevada alongside Intermountain, including to rural communities where timely access to care is one of the hardest problems in healthcare. Proud to work alongside partners like Intermountain Health who share this vision of proactive care, and of the Sensorum Team making it happen every day. If you’re a health system, health plan, or risk-bearing medical group looking for a better way to care for your most complex members - and tired of legacy FFS RPM/CCM programs not delivering - let’s talk. https://lnkd.in/d2KMGtdD #HealthcareInnovation #ValueBasedCare #SeniorCare #AgingInPlaceSensorum Health Partners with Intermountain Health to Enhance Care Access and Improve Outcomes for Older Adults Across Southern NevadaSensorum Health Partners with Intermountain Health to Enhance Care Access and Improve Outcomes for Older Adults Across Southern Nevada
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Matt Fates shared thisLooking for examples of AI deployed in real high value enterprise settings (healthcare nonetheless!)...Cleveland Clinic & Dyania Health showing the way!Matt Fates shared thisNew research from Cleveland Clinic and Dyania Health is now published in the Journal of Cardiac Failure. The study evaluated how a medically trained AI system embedded within Cleveland Clinic’s EMR identified patients eligible for a Phase 3 heart failure trial in ATTR-CM. In one week, the system reviewed 1,476 records and identified 46 potential matches — 29 of 30 confirmed candidates had not been found through traditional recruitment. The system achieved 96.2% accuracy across 7,700 eligibility questions and 99% negative predictive value. AI-driven screening also surfaced a more diverse patient population — 36.6% of AI-identified patients were Black, compared to 7.1% through routine methods, and only 60% were previously connected to a heart failure specialist. We’re grateful for the continued collaboration with Cleveland Clinic’s research team. 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gPad59d8 #ClinicalTrials #HealthcareAI #HeartFailure #SynapsisAI
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Matt Fates shared thisTerrific news from Antiverse🚀Matt Fates shared this🚀 We've just closed a $9.3M Series A – and we're not wasting any time putting it to work! Led by Soulmates Ventures, with participation from Cardiff Capital Region, Innovation Investment Capital, DOMiNO Ventures and existing investors Development Bank of Wales, Kadmos Capital Ltd and i&i Biotech Fund, the raise brings our total capital to over $20M. Funds will go towards the expansion of our proprietary AI antibody design platform and accelerate our internal pipeline – with wholly-owned candidates targeting later-stage preclinical development by 2027. We're also proud to announce Antiverse has entered into a research agreement with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation to design novel antibodies against CFTR. CFTR is notoriously difficult to target using conventional antibody discovery technologies – which makes it exactly the kind of challenge our AI-driven, lab-in-the-loop platform was built for. If you're interested in learning more about our antibody design platform or partnership opportunities, get in touch with Michael Mahdavi, Associate Director, Business Development, on LinkedIn or contact us at partnerships@antiverse.io Read more: https://lnkd.in/eHKU5Vr2 Axios: https://lnkd.in/eBDAy9TG BioXconomy: https://lnkd.in/eDHAnXd8
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Matt Fates liked thisMatt Fates liked thisDo you want to angel invest in companies being built in Massachusetts? Take The Angel Pledge via the Massachusetts AI Coalition. $50k committment over 5 years. And you're welcome to pledge more. 😉 I had my first kid last week. Walter Durkin. He's a little angel. And guess what? YOU TOO CAN BE AN ANGEL. That's right. An angel to founders. We'd like all accredited investors interested in putting dollars to work in Massachusetts companies to take The Angel Pledge, sign up on the Massachusetts AI Coalition website (in the comments), and repeat after me: "I pledge to invest $50K+ over 5 years into founders building in Massachusetts." That's right. It's time for us all to band together and put our monies where our mouths are. Many of you are already doing this, but it's time to crank this shit up to 1000. Fun fact: We've already had our first $1M pledge. I think there will be many more to follow. Get in the game.
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Matt Fates reacted on thisMatt Fates reacted on thisPathAI acquired for $1B+! Go team go! Another $1B+ outcome in Boston. Congrats to Andrew Beck Ben Glass Elizabeth Storti, CPA and the whole team at PathAI. Amazing! Roche announced on Wednesday that it has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire PathAI, the Boston-based digital pathology and AI diagnostics company co-founded by Andy Beck. The deal — USD 750 million upfront with up to USD 300 million in additional milestone payments — values the transaction at as much as USD 1.05 billion and is expected to close in the second half of 2026. For Massachusetts, it is another marker that the state's AI ecosystem is producing companies the rest of the world wants to buy. Congrats to the team! Source: the Boston News Network.
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Matt Fates liked thisMatt Fates liked thisLast night, we hosted a conversation with Prepare 4 VC that's been a long time coming. The New Funding Playbook for the AI Age brought together two VCs, two founders, and one honest question: does the fundraising playbook from three years ago still work? Here's what our panelists had to say about it: - The old playbook is dead. Incumbents now have the data and the distribution advantage. The "out-innovate the big players" story that worked in 2022 is a much harder sell today. - Relationships beat everything else. Every founder who raised successfully did it through personal relationships built over months, not cold outreach. This came up unprompted from every single panelist. - Get to market and charge. Stop waiting for the product to be ready. Your customers validate your business far more reliably than any investor check does. Thank you to Maia Heymann, Matt Fates, David Chang, and Erin Dawicki for the open conversation. And thank you to our sponsor, UBS, for making the night possible. #VentureLane #StartupBoston #Fundraising #AIAge
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Matt Fates reacted on thisWe're thrilled to announce that PathAI has entered into a definitive merger agreement to be acquired by Roche accelerating our leadership in digital pathology and AI-driven companion diagnostics. PathAI's Image Management System, AISight, will complement Roche's digital pathology portfolio to drive laboratory efficiency. Together, combining Roche's strong position in companion diagnostics and PathAI's advanced AI platform we will help accelerate clinical therapy development, foster the discovery of new biomarkers, and create novel diagnostic tools. Joining forces with Roche marks a new era for PathAI, enabling us to realize our mission of improving patient outcomes through AI-powered pathology at unprecedented scale and speed. These integrated capabilities will accelerate the shift from broad intervention toward personalized healthcare for patients. We couldn't be more excited about what's ahead. Read the full announcement: https://spkl.io/6045A7u6l #PathAI #Roche #DigitalPathology #AIinHealthcare #PrecisionMedicine #CompanionDiagnosticsMatt Fates reacted on thisWe are excited to announce that Roche has entered into a definitive merger agreement to acquire PathAI, a pioneer in AI-powered digital pathology. This is more than a business milestone, it is a leap forward for #PersonalisedHealthcare. By adding PathAI’s best-in-class Image Management System (IMS) to our diagnostic portfolio upon closing, we will: • Increasing Efficiency: Streamlining workflows through AI-driven automation to deliver faster, more consistent results for patients. • Accelerating Discovery: Using advanced AI to find new biomarkers and develop novel diagnostic tools. • Empowering Physicians: Providing deeper insights to help doctors tailor cancer treatments to the individual patient. We look forward to bringing together our capabilities and experience to improve patient outcomes worldwide. Read the full announcement: https://spkl.io/6045A7u6l #Roche #DigitalPathology #Diagnostics
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Matt Fates liked thisMatt Fates liked thisTonight's Ditch the Deck NYC featured some incredible AI innovations. 5 founders live demo'd their products. Here's what they're building + how you can help 👇 1️⃣ Ally Tam Tumasova at Vesna Health: Metabolic health app optimized for female biology. 👉 Ask: Connect with founders and builders within the women’s health space. 2️⃣ Bradley Hunter at HUNTfor: Conversational layer empowering creators to scale engagement and revenue. 👉 Ask: Looking for content creators to test and give product feedback. 3️⃣ Ray Liao at Inkbox: Give AI agents their own email, phone, and Internet address. 👉 Ask: Intros to companies building AI agents that communicate across multiple channels (voice, email, SMS) for industries like freight, CRM, and e-commerce. 4️⃣ Jason Shatsky at Dibs: AI-powered ranking system that helps consumers save time and money on live event tickets. 👉 Ask: Beta users willing to download Dibs and provide feedback. 5️⃣ Adam Roman at Cosyra: AI-assisted development from your phone. 👉 Ask: Developer perspective on what devs want when using agents from their mobile devices today. Comment below if you can help one of these founders! 👇 A huge thank you to our partners that made tonight possible. Reach out if you're a startup needing legal or GPU support! 👩⚖️ Hilary Adams with Gunderson Dettmer: startup legal 🏦 Justin Mongroo with Runpod: AI infrastructure developers trust Already excited for our next Ditch the Deck. RSVP for Ditch the Deck during Boston Tech Week on Wednesday, May 27. Free RSVP: https://lnkd.in/daSKUHHD If you're building at the intersection of AI and user experience, pitch us at FoundersEdge. We review every pitch submitted on our website, no warm intro needed!
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Matt Fates liked thisMatt Fates liked thisUne Femme Wines is partnering with iHeartMedia, the largest audio company in America, reaching 9 out of 10 Americans every month and serving as the world’s #1 podcast publisher. Together, we’ll be launching national campaigns across their full ecosystem: broadcast radio, podcasts, and live events. Host-read endorsements. Branded storytelling. Culturally relevant moments. The wine industry still largely markets like it’s 2010 - display ads, print, influencer posts. Meanwhile, audio has become one of the most intimate, high-trust media channels that exists. People listen while cooking dinner, commuting, working out. The attention is deep, the connection is real, and that’s how brands actually shape what people feel. Une Femme has grown to ~300,000 cases and 70%+ YoY growth by approaching the category differently: partnerships with Delta, Virgin Voyages, the Met, and Levy stadiums. This feels like the next chapter of that same conviction. I’m incredibly grateful to build this alongside my sister and co-founder, Jen Pelka, who has created one of the most distinctive brand voices in wine. Introducing that voice to millions of new listeners feels exactly right. Huge thanks to Joe Robinson, Michael Biondo and the iHeartMedia team for believing in this with us. Big things ahead. 🎙️🥂 https://lnkd.in/gqVFM9K9Une Femme Wines Announces Strategic Partnership with iHeartMedia to Accelerate National GrowthUne Femme Wines Announces Strategic Partnership with iHeartMedia to Accelerate National Growth
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Matt Fates liked thisMatt Fates liked thisConcept-guided embedding manipulation — a project Shivam Raval and I worked on and recently presented at #CHI2026. Semantic embedding maps can be powerful tools, but they usually show one fixed view: whatever the model finds most salient. We built a way for users to steer those maps around concepts they care about. With a few contrastive examples, users define a direction in embedding space, then dial it up or down with a slider. No retraining required. In case studies on CHI papers and literary texts, this surfaced methodological and narrative patterns that were muted in the default projections. Paper & demo: https://lnkd.in/eNYuF5ep MIT Media Lab
Experience
Volunteer Experience
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Board Member & Vice Chair
KIPP Massachusetts
- Present 16 years 3 months
Education
KIPP:MA is part of a national network of free, open-enrollment, public charter schools with a track record of preparing students in underserved communities for success to and through college and in life. Everyone deserves the opportunity to get a great education, and KIPP is making that more of a reality in the U.S..
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EIR
Yale Ventures
- Present 1 year 8 months
Education
Advise potential founders from within the Yale University faculty and graduate programs.
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Overseer
Museum of Science, Boston
- 11 years 10 months
Science and Technology
The Museum's mission is to play a leading role in transforming the nation's relationship with science and technology. This role becomes ever more important as science and technology shape and reshape our lives and world.
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STEM Ambassador
The DIGITS Project
- 3 years 4 months
Science and Technology
DIGITS was formed to take on the challenge of getting more middle school students interested and engaged in science, technology, engineering and math (STEM).
Honors & Awards
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40 under 40 Honoree
Boston Business Journal
The Boston Business Journal today announced the 2011 class of 40-under-40 honorees â business and civic leaders who collectively represent the next wave of talent and commitment in the Boston economy. Judges reviewed more than 500 nominations, considering not just professional accomplishments but also community involvement. "These are young executives who play important roles at some of the most important and innovative companies and organizations in the region," Boston Business Journal…
The Boston Business Journal today announced the 2011 class of 40-under-40 honorees â business and civic leaders who collectively represent the next wave of talent and commitment in the Boston economy. Judges reviewed more than 500 nominations, considering not just professional accomplishments but also community involvement. "These are young executives who play important roles at some of the most important and innovative companies and organizations in the region," Boston Business Journal Publisher Christopher McIntosh said in announcing the winners. http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/print-edition/2011/10/07/matt-fates.html
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Spanish
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Matt Wachter
I’m lucky to work alongside colleagues like Richard Fruehauf, who constantly push my thinking. His latest piece unpacks why U.S. robotics and drone manufacturing faces uphill economics, and how public policy can help turn the tide. One key takeaway: 232 tariffs on robotics imports could help reset the economics that are holding back U.S. investment and production. It’s a sharp perspective on how policy can shape the future of advanced tech here at home. Well worth a read: https://lnkd.in/edMPTQPQ Richard Fruehauf, Robert J. Szczerba, Michael Lutzky, Edward Ovando, Karl Sanchack, Herman Herman, Jeff Legault, Phil English, Richard Fruehauf, Ryan Aument, Michael Guido, Sheila Fitzgerald Sterrett, David McCormick
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Benjamin Gordon
AI isn't just powering software. BrightAI just raised $51 million to automate inspection and other hardware-based AI capabilities. As Alexa von Tobel, co-founder of Inspired Capital put it: “So many people are so focused on the future of digital AI, but we’re excited about this new layer of AI: the physical world AI.” We are in the early innings of a series of AI-fueled innovations! https://lnkd.in/enhmafvH
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Scott MacDonald
😧It appears the public markets fear of AI has done a 180 - from fear of excessive investment to AI's ability to obliterate long incumbent software companies. I have a feeling we are going to hear the new riff "software is eating software" more times than the famous 2011 op-ed statement from Andreessen that "software is eating the world". Another 180 - long hardware, short (trad) software 🤯. AI infrastructure is literally eating memory. The global memory-ship shortage is expected to last another few years! 💽 Shout out to our pals at Inovia Capital for their State of Canadian Software Report. Thanks for the Miovision mention regarding the massive partnership potential for Canadian companies in the Middle East. 👉 https://lnkd.in/dyB8JkEh
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Gordon Ritter
Layer is tackling one of the most overlooked pain points for SMBs: accounting. They’re gaining real traction doing so. Emergence is leading their seed round to bring embedded, AI-powered accounting to the SMB software stack. Kevin Spain highlights what makes this team and product so compelling.
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