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This week on Found, Dom and Becca talk with Haitham Eletrabi, the creator of Tennibot. They discuss his journey from civil engineering to inventing a device that he calls the "roomba for tennis". Tennibot not only picks up tennis balls autonomously but also saves players and coaches time, allowing them to focus on improving their game. Join us as we explore how this innovative product is transforming the tennis world, from its humble beginnings to becoming a game-changer in sports tech. Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Finding order in chaotic datasets is key for companies to be able to implement AI solutions that actually work. This week’s guest is Prukalpa Sanka, the co-CEO and co-founder of Atlan, a platform designed to help data teams build trust, streamline workflows, and collaborate more effectively. Atlan emerged from the challenges of managing complex data projects and is now empowering organizations to scale their data operations while maintaining transparency and trust. In this episode they discuss how Atlan has maintained a fun company culture despite the stress and how her and her co-founder have maintained a great working relationship for the past 12 years. 00:00 - Introduction02:31 - Founding story and early challenges06:19 - Overcoming high-stakes data issues08:45 - The evolution of data and AI13:31 - Building a product to solve key problems16:13 - Adapting to technological change19:21 - The growing role of AI in business21:05 - Preparing data for AI integration24:27 - Addressing bias and ethics in AI26:52 - Fundraising and fun marketing31:34 - Maintaining a strong co-founder relationship33:47 - Final thoughts and reflections Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Sylvia Kang, CEO and co-founder of Mira, a home hormonal testing company, sheds light on the critical gaps in women's hormonal healthcare. She discusses the lack of research and funding for women's health startups and the importance of FDA approval. The conversation highlights how the pandemic increased demand for remote monitoring and how AI is revolutionizing hormonal health insights. Sylvia also dives into the complexities of balancing affordability and effectiveness in fertility treatments while navigating the challenges of innovation in women's health.

Sarah Paiji Yoo, founder of Blueland, discusses her mission to combat microplastics and single-use plastics with eco-friendly cleaning supplies. She shares the alarming prevalence of microplastics in our daily lives and the health risks they pose. Sarah elaborates on the challenges of developing sustainable products, including skepticism from industry experts and the need for extensive testing. The conversation also touches on the disparities in environmental regulations between the U.S. and Europe and her company’s future aspirations in reducing plastic waste.

Eric Ly, co-founder of LinkedIn and CEO of KarmaCheck, dives into his extensive entrepreneurial journey. He shares insights on streamlining background check processes, highlighting the shift from outdated methods to modern automation. Ly discusses the evolving landscape of digital identities and online trust, while exploring the role of blockchain in identity verification. He also reflects on the challenges of building companies over the years and the importance of adapting to market demands, all while emphasizing lessons learned from his experiences.

Gavin Uberti, the co-founder and CEO of the AI chip startup Etched, dives into the transformative power of specialized chips aimed to rival Nvidia. He shares insights on betting big on transformer models and discusses how these innovations can lead to chips that operate significantly faster. The conversation also touches on the environmental impact of manufacturing, the challenges of fundraising, and his journey from dropping out of Harvard to shaping the future of AI hardware.

Parker Conrad, CEO and co-founder of Rippling, previously founded Zenefits and now leads his innovative HR company. He shares insights on building a leading HR tech firm and the competitive landscape of payroll and HR management. The discussion touches on the power dynamics between VCs and founders, as well as the importance of transparency and addressing challenges head-on. Conrad also reflects on effective marketing strategies, including unique outdoor advertising, while critiquing superficial AI applications in HR solutions.

 There is a whole marketplace for used tech, it isn’t just a good deal for the customer, but it also helps curb waste that can lead to soil contamination, non-pot able water, and dangerous living conditions.  On this week’s episode of Found, we’re talking to Thibaud Hug de Larauze from BackMarket, a global marketplace for refurbished devices.In this conversation they cover: How BackMarket has such a successful fundraise. Building customer trust as a refurbished marketplace The environmental impact of recycling electronics The Right to Repair and what will happen when everyone can fix their own phone if they choose. Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Despite the fact that water covers 71% of the Earth, there is still so much we don’t know about the ocean floor and  today’s founder is looking to change that. Joe Wolfel is the co-founder and CEO of Terradepth, the company that is working towards increasing ocean knowledge through autonomous, high resolution, scalable data collection in the deep ocean. On this week’s episode of Found, Becca is joined by guest co-host, Tim De Chant to discuss why mapping geological features at the bottom of the ocean isn’t just something worth doing for curiosity’s sake, it’s important to a variety of players from companies looking to install offshore wind farms to the Navy. They also get into who is buying this kind of data, how Wolfel’s experience as a Navy Seal prepared him for entrepreneurship, and the trend of deeptech founders needing to find revenue streams early on as they’re developing their technology.  (0:00) Introduction(2:07) Robotics role in mapping the ocean(8:49) Scaling maritime data collection(15:47) Fundraising challenges for hardware companies(21:57) Transitioning from Navy to entrepreneurship(24:13) Data-driven decision making(29:43) Finding the right customer base(35:14) Host discussion Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com

The higher education system isn’t working. Students pay way too much, professors don’t get paid enough, and many community college students that aspire to go on to get a Bachelor's degree aren't able to. But one startup thinks they have the solution. Today Becca is talking with Tade Oyerinde, the CEO and founder of Campus, a fully accredited online community college. They discuss how Tade found a school that was willing to come on board and align with his mission, the challenges of getting investors on board, and what he thinks it will take to make the higher education system more equitable. (0:00) Introduction(2:15) The current issues facing community colleges(8:28) Serving both Students and professors with Campus(11:17) Developing the curriculum(16:06) Finding VC partners(19:09) Why Tade is drawn to High Education(24:48) What inspired Tade Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcast: Equity . Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each Connect with us: On Twitter On Instagram Via email: found@techcrunch.com