From SDSU ZIP Launchpad to Shark Tank: Watching a Founder’s Breakout Moment
SDSU’s ZIP Launchpad hosted a watch party as alum Sarah Fox appeared on Shark Tank, securing a $250,000 investment for 20% of her hair‑tie startup Rip Tie. The company reported $2.7 million lifetime sales, $1.5 million revenue last year and a projected $3.5 million this year with 92% gross margins. Months before filming, ZIP ran a mock Shark Tank that drilled unit economics, acquisition strategy and valuation. The deal sparked excitement among students, mentors and investors, highlighting the tangible payoff of campus‑based entrepreneurship programs.
Company Creation as a Commodity
In this episode of the AI Builders Roundtable, the hosts experiment with Polsia's AI-driven business creation platform, launching micro‑ventures like a curated matchmaking service and an AI procurement agent. They discuss the ease of spinning up companies, the shifting valuation...
Logistics Wins Wars
In this episode, host Neil Bloom talks with Peter Goldsboro, co‑founder and CTO of Rune, about the critical role of logistics in modern military operations and how Rune is modernizing it with digital tools and sensors. Goldsboro explains his journey...
Shipping with AI
In this AI Builders Roundtable episode, founders Craig, Greg, and Derek discuss how AI agents are reshaping product development and operations. Derek shares his rapid adoption of Claude's Co‑Work and Cursor to build internal tools, a blockchain‑based API licensing system,...
Cultivated Seafood Is Getting Real
San Diego‑based BlueNalu has raised $11 million in insider‑led financing to accelerate production of cultivated bluefin tuna toro, targeting a commercial launch in 2026. The funding will support scale‑up of bioreactor facilities and advance regulatory approval, with FDA clearance expected soon....