Today's Entrepreneurship Pulse
LoopFeedback launches to close AI feedback gap with $12M seed round
Former Google and Apple researchers Dr. Maya Patel and Dr. Alex Liu have founded LoopFeedback, a startup building a real‑time human‑in‑the‑loop feedback system for large language models. The company announced a $12 million seed round led by Andrees, aiming to improve model alignment and safety.
Also developing:
By the numbers: abcoffee raises $7.35M in pre‑Series B
Startmate’s Heading Back to Silicon Valley with Its Founders
Australian accelerator Startmate is reviving its pre‑pandemic tradition by taking its May 2026 cohort to Silicon Valley. The trip follows a Sydney Demo Day and will culminate in a first‑ever San Francisco Demo Day, giving founders direct access to US venture capitalists and potential customers. Startmate cites past alumni such as Bugcrowd, whose early Valley exposure led to a local office and ongoing mentorship. The move reflects growing investor interest in ANZ startups, exemplified by Melbourne‑based Fluency raising a US$6 million seed round and relocating to San Francisco.
Sell the Buyer’s Personal ROI, Not Just Business Metrics
One of the biggest things B2B startups miss is underselling the "personal ROI" to the buyer or user of your technology. I spent time with a leadership team of a B2B startup yesterday and the topic of demonstrating ROI came up. We...
Clients Discover They're Financially Better Off Than Expected
One of the quickest things that becomes obvious when I start working with someone new is that they're almost always doing better than they thought. They come to me convinced they can't afford to pay themselves or that things just aren't...
One Billion Lost Packages
In September 2024 Hurricane Helene flooded Baxter International’s Marion, NC plant, halting 60% of U.S. IV‑fluid output and triggering nationwide shortages. The same month, 85 million U.S. packages arrived damaged—a 30% jump that cost roughly $4 billion. To address the chronic fragmentation...
Founder Friends Fireside Chat Hits San Francisco March 23
Founder Friends is coming to San Francisco on March 23, 2026! This will be a great one. We'll hear from @alexmodon and @willsclips_ for a fireside chat. Learn more >> https://t.co/LIsjwWgOJW
Great Entrepreneurs Fire Incompetence, Not Fear
The difference between successful business owners and shitty business owners: They know how to get rid of incompetent people. If you are too afraid to fire people, you will never be a good entrepreneur. 50% of humans are incompetent.
He Maxed Out $50K in Credit Cards to Start His First Business. Now It’s Worth $1.8 Billion.
Henry Schuck launched DiscoverOrg in law school by maxing out $50,000 in credit cards and working double shifts. The bootstrapped firm grew to $30 million in revenue before taking its first venture capital in 2014. A 2019 merger with ZoomInfo combined...
Founders Overwhelmed? Overcommitment, Not Poor Time Management
65% of founders report feeling overwhelmed regularly. You’re not bad at time management. You’re overcommitted. Here’s a 5-step fix: https://t.co/NSN09jpDaQ
Viktor's Replit Startup Poised for Multimillion Success
Viktor is one of my favorite Replit entrepreneurs. They’re on track to build a multimillion dollar business — he shares his journey here:
NanoTess Lands Embecta Deal to Put Its Tech in 14,000 Canadian Pharmacies
Calgary‑based NanoTess has signed a distribution agreement with diabetes‑care company Embecta to place its NanoSALV Catalytic gel in more than 14,000 Canadian pharmacies. NanoSALV, authorized by Health Canada in 2022, uses micron‑scale catalytic particles to speed cellular reactions, reduce inflammation...
Female Founders Unite, Sharing Wisdom and Inspiration
Day 1 of Made to Scale in Nashville 🤠 @louisecarmenparis journals on the table, wisdom from @roryvaden in the room, powerful conversations with female founders building businesses that matter… and some of the best Made to Scale babies in the room....
Hard Seasons Become Future Pride and Success
The most taxing life chapters yield the most long-term nostalgia. The harder something is, the more you'll appreciate it later. So reframe whatever you "hate" right now as something you will love & cherish later. For me: Building my $180K/month ghostwriting agency...
Is Congress Finally Reauthorizing SBIR/STTR—And What’s Changing?
On March 3, 2026 the Senate passed the Small Business Innovation and Economic Security Act (S. 3971), reauthorizing the SBIR/STTR programs through September 2031. The legislation adds a new Strategic Breakthrough Award that can fund up to $30 million over 48 months for...
Data‑Driven Strategy, Not Features, Fuels Startup Growth
Dear Founders, As you build with AI, remember this: Analytics → drives insights Insights → drive growth strategy Growth strategy → drives startup growth. Features don’t grow startups. Growth strategy does. AI can help you build faster. But data is what tells you what to build,...
Sara’s List Returns: Targeting 5‑Year 5x Winners
sara’s list is back the rules are simple, the company must.. - have product market fit - be funded, be growing (and probably has oat milk in the company fridge) - be able to 5x in 5 years, i.e $200k in stock can become...
Handle Raises $6M Seed Round Led by Andreessen Horowitz
Handle, a San Francisco AI platform that unifies enterprise tools, closed a $6 million seed round led by Andreessen Horowitz. The company’s Signal engine links email, WhatsApp, CRMs, ERPs and supplier portals, enabling autonomous agents to handle quoting, claims registration and...
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...
With Newpress, Iz and Johnny Harris Incubate Video Journalism for the Creator Era
Johnny and Iz Harris have launched Newpress, a production company and community platform designed to incubate creator‑journalists. The venture, built on the success of Johnny Harris’s 7.5 million‑subscriber YouTube channel, already backs three flagship shows that blend deep‑dive reporting with high‑production...
Iconic Butterball® Farms Celebrates 70th Anniversary
Butterball® Farms, a second‑generation family business founded by Leo Peters, marks its 70th anniversary in 2026, celebrating seven decades of butter and flavor innovation from Grand Rapids, Michigan. The company pioneered large‑scale embossed butter, securing early contracts with chains like...
Building a Competition Website in the UK: What to Look for and How to Get Started
The UK prize‑draw market has matured into a mainstream, high‑growth sector, but launching a competition website demands more than a generic site builder. Operators must comply with the Gambling Act 2005, provide a legally compliant free‑entry route, and integrate specialist...
Build Systems After You’ve Done It, Not Before
You wrote an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) for something you’ve never done. That’s not a system. That’s a guess. You haven’t onboarded a single client yet, but you have a 12-step onboarding document. You haven’t hired anyone, but you’ve got a...
Why Smart Founders Think About an Exit Long Before They Plan to Sell
Founders who adopt an exit mindset early treat today’s decisions as levers for future liquidity, rather than waiting to hire bankers or market a sale. By building systems, leadership depth, and transferable value, they keep options open and avoid being...
New Dev Tool Startups Put Founders Directly on Social Media
One very interesting change in “the new guard” of innovative dev tools startups: Many of their founders + lots of their devs are on social media, responding to their customers (devs), sharing new features / bugfixes etc Stark contrast to past ones...
Selling Too Early Costs More Than Lost Deal
Someone asked this question in Hampton’s Slack: “what’s the most expensive lesson you’ve learned?” - My cofounder Joe lost a $100M deal when Facebook changed the algo mid-acquisition. - Another took a company from $9M EBITDA to -$5M in one year. - A third...
Women Entrepreneurs Reshape Canada’s Franchise Industry
Women entrepreneurs are rapidly reshaping Canada’s franchise landscape, moving into traditionally male‑dominated sectors such as construction, automotive, and skilled trades. The Canadian Franchise Association reports that women now own about 20% of Canadian businesses, a 17.6% rise, generating over $90 billion...
Mistral AI, Pigment, Ekimetrics: How French Scale-Ups Have Successfully Expanded Into the UK
French AI‑focused scale‑ups Ekimetrics, Pigment and Mistral AI are using London as a launchpad for European expansion, citing the UK’s $1.2 trillion market and deep talent pool. The United Kingdom’s aggressive AI investment—over £44 bn in private capital since 2024 and a...
Manufact Raises $6.3M as MCP Becomes the ‘USB-C for AI’ Powering ChatGPT and Claude Apps
Manufact, a YC‑backed startup, announced a $6.3 million seed round led by Peak XV to build infrastructure for the Model Context Protocol (MCP), the emerging “USB‑C” standard for AI agents. The company’s open‑source mcp‑use SDK has already logged five million downloads and...
AI Era Fuels Solo VC-Backed Startups
I've met several VC-funded one-person startups in the past few months - another sign of the AI coding age.
JEC Composites Startup Booster: Discover the 2026 Winners
The JEC Composites Startup Booster 2026 announced its winners at JEC World, after receiving more than 160 applications and selecting 20 finalists to pitch. Grand Winner Soarce showcased nanofiber composites that are eight times stronger than steel, while runner‑up nebumind...
NutraWomen Wednesday: Jess Haghani, Founder and CEO, Lucille Health
Jess Haghani founded Lucille Health after discovering that nutritional shakes for seniors have remained unchanged since the 1970s. The startup creates high‑protein, clean‑ingredient shakes enriched with five grams of fiber and 23 vitamins and minerals. Packaging is designed as easy‑open...
AI Podcast Start-Up Rebel Audio Comes Out of Stealth Mode, Taps Mark Burnett as Adviser (EXCLUSIVE)
Rebel Audio, a Nashville‑based AI podcasting start‑up, has emerged from stealth mode with a $3.8 million seed round and the addition of TV legend Mark Burnett as its first adviser. The company unveiled an invitation‑only beta of its AI‑driven platform at SXSW,...
Test Investor Commitment Now, Not Just Bank Diversification
Founders: the real lesson from the SVB collapse three years ago wasn’t “diversify your bank.” It was this: find out now -- in good times -- whether your investor will wire money with no strings when everything breaks. Most won’t....
Layne’s Chicken Fingers Thinks It Has What It Takes to Go National
Layne’s Chicken Fingers, a premium chicken‑tender chain, expanded from 10 units in 2023 to 41 locations across nine states by 2025. The company has signed franchising agreements for 68 new restaurants, including a 44‑store deal in Texas, and aims to...
Why Your Offers Aren't Earning What They Should
In 2021 the author realized revenue gaps stemmed from a scattered offer stack rather than a lack of products. By auditing each product’s information, access, and implementation levels, he reorganized his portfolio into a free email course, a cheap impulse...
Success Requires Years of Unseen Struggle and Persistence
The “overnight success” you admire? It took: – 2 years of unpaid learning – 17 rejected applications – Countless unfinished projects We see the launch. We don’t see the loneliness. Stay long enough. Your time will come.
Century AI Hits Product-Market Fit, Signals Success
Bright green flags Century AI reached "Product Market Fit" 🙌 Yesterday someone left this comment; (btw @whoop you can still buy us for €1m)
Dr. Phone Fix Reports over 50% Same-Store Growth and Productivity Improvements Following Geebo Acquisition
Dr. Phone Fix Canada Corp. reported over 50% same‑store sales growth YoY in Jan‑Feb 2026, driven by higher repair volumes and new insurance repair programs. The recent acquisition of Geebo Device Repair added $175,000 in revenue, a 12% increase, and...
PayPay IPO Priced Below Target, Signaling Market Caution
🇯🇵📍🇺🇸 Update: PayPay’s US IPO • Priced at $16/share • Below the $17–$20 target range • Raised $880M • Valuation: $10.7B The softer pricing highlights continued caution in the IPO market. via Reuters https://t.co/N76UYrg8Dt
Pick Equity or Token, Not Both, to Avoid Conflict
"We kept a single capital structure and I will encourage new startups to go in that direction. You can choose equity or token but you can't have both. You end up with conflicting priorities" @syrupsid https://t.co/Cc4ufu0Lcr
From ‘Plant Daddy’ to Plant Retailer: How Kossi Tchenawou Turned Social Media Influence Into a Community-Driven Business
Kossi Tchenawou, a former RE/MAX franchise consultant, turned his TikTok hobby of houseplants into a 400,000‑plus follower creator brand known as “Plant Daddy.” Leveraging a three‑E framework—education, engagement, entertainment—he launched OnlyPlants, a Denver storefront that opened in just 14 days...
Scaling Up: From 10 ICs to 10 Managers
If you don't have this problem, you're falling behind: OH: "I used to manage 10 IC engineers. Now I manage 10 engineers that each manage 10 agents. So now I'm a manager of managers... I've had to build an entire pipeline...
Teen-Founded AI Startup Hits $1B, Draws Major Brands
A startup founded by teenagers is already valued at over $1 billion. Aaru is betting that AI bots can predict human behavior more accurately than traditional analytics. Major brands like McDonald’s and EY are already paying attention. https://t.co/49wjGtcmnE @VranicaWSJ @wsj
Gold Studios: Founder Eddie Gold on Blending Entertainment, Creators, and Brands
Gold Studios, founded by former ad‑agency exec Eddie Gold in 2020, now supports over 400 comedy and sports creators across London and New York. The company operates five divisions—Talent, Live, Originals, a creative agency, and the newly added Arena—blending talent...
Rebel Audio Debuts Invite-Only AI Podcast App, Adds Mark Burnett
AI Podcast Start-Up Rebel Audio Launches App With Invite-Only Access, Taps Mark Burnett as Adviser (EXCLUSIVE) https://t.co/C0nR4IG3VQ
Pitch Night for Data Center Startup Founders, March 15
are you a founder building something for the data center economy? hosting a "pitch night" on sunday, march 15, in downtown SF before GTC with trillions deployed into compute infrastructure, generational companies will be built here details + apply here: https://t.co/HjvMRSg43a
Trade Tensions and Tariffs: What They Mean for Europe’s Startups
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned President Trump’s global tariff framework, leaving the 15% EU‑US tariff rate in limbo and prompting the European Parliament to pause ratification of the new trade pact. EU exports to the United States fell 25% in...
From Marathon to Sprint: Scale Software Fast
Building a software company was a marathon and now it requires sprinting the entire marathon distance.
Influencer Kay Dudley Launches Plant-Based Protein Bar Brand HEYNU
Influencer Kay Dudley, half of the Kay & Tay duo, has launched HEYNU, a plant‑based nutrition brand debuting with the HEYBAR protein bar. The bar delivers 14 g protein, 6 g fiber, 5 g sugar, and is gluten‑free and free of nine major...
IHatch Cohort 5 Is Looking for 37 Innovation Hubs to Power Nigeria’s Next Wave of Startups
iHatch Cohort 5 has opened applications for 37 state‑level Innovation Hub Managers across Nigeria, targeting one hub per state and the Federal Capital Territory. The programme, run by the Office for Nigerian Digital Innovation under NITDA in partnership with JICA, seeks...
Former Stanford Athletes Launch Tampon Startup for Booming Market
Stories You Won't Find Anywhere Else 👇 Ex-Stanford Athletes’ Tampon Startup Takes on Growing Market https://t.co/6PmYKk2qgF via @sportico @LuisaRBeltran