Founded & Funded

Scott Stephenson, Co-Founder and CEO of Deepgram, discusses his transition from particle physics to developing voice AI technology. He shares insights on building a developer-centric platform that enables speech-to-text solutions for over 500 companies, including NASA. The conversation dives into the challenges of moving from prototypes to practical applications, outsmarting larger tech giants, and the transformative impact of voice AI across industries. Stephenson also highlights how Deepgram differentiates itself with tailored accuracy for B2B applications.

Samar Abbas and Maxim Fateev, co-founders of Temporal, discuss their journey from tech giants like AWS and Microsoft to launching an open-source microservices platform. They delve into the challenges of balancing open-source goals with commercial success, emphasizing the importance of developer engagement. The duo shares insights on navigating AI advancements and the dynamics of building a startup team, including the transition of leadership roles and onboarding independent board members. It's a treasure trove for aspiring founders!

Madrona Partner, Chris Picardo, discusses the importance of cross-disciplinary skills and unique worldviews in founders. He highlights AI, biotech, and consumer verticals, sharing insights on innovative approaches and communication. An engaging episode for entrepreneurs seeking VC partnerships.

In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Venture Partner Len Jordan sits down with Sean Muller, Founder and CEO of iSpot, to talk about the company's evolution in measuring TV advertising for both conventional and streaming platforms. Sean delves into strategic partnerships, acquisitions, and the rise of ad-supported streaming. They discuss the impact of sports on advertising, challenges for marketers in balancing investments across various channels, and the innovative strides iSpot is making with AI-driven planning and real-time data. Tune in to explore the future of TV advertising and iSpot's role in shaping it. Transcript: https://www.madrona.com/transforming-tv-advertising-ispot-sean-muller-the-role-of-ai-future-of-streaming (00:00) Introduction (01:35) The Rise of Ad-Supported Streaming (02:42) Streaming vs. Traditional TV Advertising (04:43) The Impact of Sports on Advertising  (05:51) Challenges for Modern Marketers  (06:37) Audience Differences and Interactivity  (10:40) iSpot's Evolution and Strategic Moves  (12:04) Real-Time Data and Optimization  (12:36) Planning and Programmatic Buying  (17:13) Navigating the Competitive Landscape  (22:57) Acquisitions and Integration Success  (27:23) Innovation and Future Trends

In this episode of Founded & Funded, host Coral Garnick Ducken interviews Madrona Investor Sabrina Wu for the latest Investor Spotlight. These two discuss Sabrina's transition from private equity to venture capital and the learnings that translate to building successful VC-backed startups, Sabrina’s focus on intelligent applications, and the characteristics she looks for in founders — grit, authenticity, and intellectual honesty. Sabrina also shares her approach to engaging with early-stage founders and her interests outside the office. This is a great episode for entrepreneurs interested in working with VCs.   (00:00) Introduction (00:44) Sabrina Wu's Experience at Vector Capital (02:50) Transition to Venture Capital (04:26) Focus on Intelligent Applications (05:32) Aspiring for Intelligence Newsletter (06:56) Traits of Successful Founders (09:00) Responding to Cold Emails (09:53) Recommended Books and Podcasts (10:47) Interests Outside of Work

Dev Rishi and Travis Addair, co-founders of Predibase, discuss their AI platform for developers, LoRA Land collection, and commercializing open-source projects. They highlight the challenges in AI infrastructure, the importance of fine-tuning smaller AI models, and the future outlook for Predibase. They also share advice for first-time founders in the AI space.

In this episode, Madrona Managing Director Matt McIlwain hosts David Shim, founder and CEO of Read AI. These two have known each other for over two decades, having worked together at Farecast and then Placed, which David founded in 2011. They came together again in 2021, when David started Read AI, which delivers AI solutions that make meetings, emails, and messages more valuable to teams with AI-generated summaries, transcripts, and highlights. In this episode, David and Matt examine how leveraging emerging technologies, getting engagement from multiple members of your ecosystem in the early days, and learning your way into a business model have been three themes across David's startup journeys. They explore the challenges and success of implementing AI in various categories, the benefits of using AI model cocktails for more accurate and intelligent applications, and where they see the opportunity for founders well beyond productivity AI. It's a great discussion you won't want to miss. Transcript:  https://www.madrona.com/read-ai-david-shim-efficient-meetings-intelligent-agents Chapters:      (00:00) Introduction (01:51) The Genesis of Read AI: From Concept to Reality (04:26) Leveraging Emerging Technologies: The Journey of Placed and Read AI (09:10) The Evolution of Business Models: Learning from the Market (12:13) Engagement and Distribution: Partnering with Platforms (14:07) Innovating Meeting Summaries: Read AI’s Shift to Intelligent Recaps (16:06) The Power of Model Cocktails: Enhancing AI Applications (18:03) From Zero to Growth: The Momentum of Read AI (21:06) Read AI: The Future of AI Productivity & Intelligent Agents (26:12) Exploring Product-Led Growth and Market Expansion (29:56) Horizontal v. Vertical (31:46) Gen-native v. Gen-enhanced (35:45) Importance of Model Cocktails (35:55) Opportunities for Founders

In this episode of Founded & Funded, Madrona Managing Director Steve Singh and Christal Bemont, CEO of Direct Travel, Madrona's newest portfolio company, delve into the acquisition of Direct Travel and its pivotal role in revolutionizing the $1.4T corporate travel ecosystem, along with  @Spotnana , Troop, and Center.   Full Transcript: https://bit.ly/3wxBFuT   (00:00) Intro (01:19) Direct Travel: Transforming Corporate Travel Management (03:56) The Challenges of Modern Business Travel (07:43) The Perfect Trip: A Vision for Seamless Travel (10:06) Spotnana: Building the Next-Generation Travel Platform (16:27) Integrating Solutions: Center and Troop's Role in the Travel Ecosystem (20:58) Direct Travel's Strategic Vision and Integration (25:15) Realizing the Perfect Trip: Timeline and Expectations

Nikita Shamgunov, co-founder and CEO focused on enhancing database technology, shares insights on the evolving database market. He emphasizes the significance of a robust developer experience while balancing performance and reliability. Nikita is bullish on AI's potential, advocating for intelligent applications that streamline workflows. He also discusses Neon as an open-source alternative, the need for differentiation in cloud databases, and offers timeless advice for founders to act on their passions without hesitation.

In this lively discussion, Jake Graham, co-founder and CEO of Bobsled, shares his journey from tech titan roles at Neo4j, Intel, and Microsoft to leading Bobsled in transforming data accessibility. He unveils the complications of cross-cloud data sharing and its critical role in the AI era. Jake also reveals insights on encouraging enterprise adoption of new technologies, the importance of strategic partnerships, and navigating the often tricky landscape of enterprise sales. Leadership lessons round out this compelling conversation.