Written by Lidia Vijga
This year I jumped at the opportunity to attend the highly-anticipated Startup Grind Global Conference. However, this time around, I attended with a different purpose – to cover the event as a journalist and spot some interesting startups.
One of my top priorities was to connect with the exhibiting startups, including a few AI startups I had previously covered. It was an incredible experience to meet them in person after just writing about them. Additionally, I had the opportunity to connect with fellow startup founders from Canada. It’s always valuable to catch up with fellow Canadians, exchange ideas face-to-face, and have those personal interactions that virtual meetings cannot fully replicate.
You see, us entrepreneurs have this mutual understanding. We know the grind, the sacrifices, the relentless pursuit of turning an idea into reality. And when you get a group of us together, that shared experience sparks this electric energy. That’s the magic of events like these.
The keynote sessions and awards announcements were definitely highlight worthy. Hearing straight from entrepreneurial heavyweights and witnessing those thrilling “Startup of the Year” reveals gets you totally fired up.
Whether you’re just getting started or you’re a serial entrepreneur, events like Startup Grind are a must. The connections, the insights, the motivation – it’s a perfect mix of indispensable ingredient for startup success.
Now let me tell you how I spent those exhilarating 48 hours, sharing what I learned but, more importantly, who I met. Because as they say, it’s not what you know, it’s who you know, right?
A lesson to founders from the Juice Shop Brothers
Let me begin by telling you about the delicious welcome that I received from the Juice Shop founders, who were sponsored by Mercury. It was, hands down, the best juice I have ever tasted. But beyond serving an incredibly delicious juice, there is a valuable lesson to be learned.
The founders of Juice Shop didn’t just wake up one day and decide to start a juice business. It was deeply personal. The three brothers – Charlie, Ben, and Jake Gulick – along with Charlie’s wife Lina, had seen firsthand how food could transform lives. After saving their youngest brother from a rare liver condition, they became true believers that juice packed with fresh, organic fruits and veggies was liquid nutrition that could heal and energize.
But they didn’t stop at having a powerful “why.” These founders had the entrepreneurial hustle too. They started small, juicing up batches in their own kitchen. Every drop was a labor of love using the best ingredients and extraction methods.
As the business grew, they never lost that obsession over quality and doing things the right way. And how do I know this? It’s the simple ingredients and the glass.
The Juice Shop team prioritizes sustainability by using glass bottles. Sure, it costs more upfront. But the founders know it preserves maximum flavor and nutrition without any plastic chemicals leaching in. It’s a solution that matches their principles.
As I was learning the founding story directly from one of the brothers at the juice stand, someone from the crowd made a good point:
The Juice Shop brothers essentially became the supply of their own necessity.
For startup founders reading this, the lessons are clear. Solve the problem you experience firsthand, lean into your purpose and become the solution for others. As I’ve seen, this is how you build something truly remarkable that can and will change lives.
Surprisingly enough, solving the problem firsthand was one of the biggest advice from Garry Tan, the CEO of Y Combinator.
What Garry Tan looks for in the YC application
If you are planning to apply to YC, or have applied before and are unsure why you were not accepted, then this advice from YC’s CEO Garry Tan could be incredibly useful. It’s actually quite straightforward and easy to follow:
Focus on solving a problem that you have experienced firsthand.
We all know that it’s easy to fall into the trap of following the latest tech trends or identifying a hot space and diving straight into building a solution. But successful founders have something in common, they truly understand the pain points. Why? Because they’re the ones who have experienced them firsthand.
Garry’s guidance rings so true because that firsthand experience is like a superpower. When you’ve dealt with the issue you’re trying to solve, you instantly have more credibility, deeper knowledge, and more actionable insights to draw from.
Maybe you were tackling that problem as an employee and thought, “There has to be a better way.” Or perhaps you encountered frustrations as a consumer that opened your eyes to a massive opportunity. Whatever the case, being in those front-line trenches charges you up with a level of passion and determination that’s undeniable.
And let’s be real here – the startup world is often an uphill climb. You’ll face plenty of naysayers and obstacles. But when you’ve lived the problem yourself, it becomes so much harder to be deterred. The value proposition is crystal clear because you’ve been the person craving that solution.
That firsthand connection also helps you better understand your target audience from the get-go. You speak their language, know their quirks, and can validate ideas more efficiently.
So if you’re working on that Y Combinator application or agonizing over your big idea, pause for a second. Have you truly experienced the problem you’re setting out to crush? If not, maybe it’s time to get your hands dirty and live it. After all, the finest solutions are forged in the fires of real-life experience.
Garry Tan shared a lot more wisdom during that chat, and I recommend that you watch the entire video.
Startup Spotlight
Let me introduce some of the startups I had the pleasure of meeting on the exhibition floor. These companies were showcasing their solutions across a variety of fields, including robotics, neuroscience, and age-related technology (AgeTech).
Farseer – No-code platform for financial planning and analysis
Farseer offers business planning software that makes complex planning easy and rescues users from the depths of spreadsheet hell. I mean, sure, spreadsheets have been around for 40 years, but who’s counting? It’s not like they’ve caused any problems, right? Oh wait, they have.
Farseer also connects planning departments, automates processes, and saves you a few employees along the way. CFOs and FP&A teams can get their hands on complete and accurate data on a single screen, covering everything from sales to cash planning.
And for the sales teams, Farseer offers automated forecasting and collaboration. They’ll even predict your sales based on historical data, so you can spend more time taking clients out and less time crunching numbers.
Kiv Tech – Home Safety, Decluttering, and Downsizing for Seniors
As our parents and grandparents get older, maintaining independence and feeling comfortable in the living spaces becomes increasingly important. That’s where Kiv.tech comes in – a Toronto-based startup dedicated to supporting seniors through the process of downsizing and home management.
At the heart of Kiv.tech’s offerings is the “Kept in View” (KIV) app, a user-friendly tool designed to make home transitions seamless. With KIV app, seniors could easily declutter their physical spaces, connect with trusted realtors and storage solutions, and even receive personalized safety recommendations tailored to their needs.
What sets Kiv.tech apart is their commitment to empowering seniors and their families throughout the entire process. Rather than dictating a one-size-fits-all approach, they listen to the specific needs and provide tailored solutions that prioritize comfort, safety, and independence.
EpicMeets – Using science to enhance your meetings and workshops
EpicMeets is an innovative toolset created by Visentools to enhance the way we communicate at meetings. It facilitates seamless collaboration and communication between individuals and teams through visual elements and storytelling prompts.
Are your meetings often unproductive, with some participants zoning out while others struggle to articulate their ideas? EpicMeets is here to change that. It uses neuroscience and psychology to activate visual thinking, enhance metaphor and storytelling, and boost memory capacity. But how does this translate into better meetings?
First, it empowers you to clearly define problems, find solutions, ideate, and co-develop ideas more effectively. No more confusion or misunderstandings – epicMeets ensures everyone is on the same page. Second, it fosters mutual understanding, better communication, and a more collaborative, democratic work environment. No more one-sided monologues, with EpicMeets, every voice is heard and valued.
“We are on a mission to help everyone become great communicators.”
EpicMeets Team
GITAI – Robotics Startup for Space Development
GITAI is doing impressive work in the field of space robotics. Their ambitious vision is to provide safe and affordable labor in space, reducing operational costs by a remarkable two orders of magnitude.
The company has been on quite the journey since its founding in 2016, raising funds from various investors and securing contracts with big names like JAXA and Toyota. They even completed a successful technology demonstration inside the ISS (International Space Station), which I think is remarkable!
This would be a case where a video is worth a thousand words, so allow me to share an impressive demo showing how the GITAI robot buddies work together to build a 5-meter-high communication tower in an environment simulating the lunar surface.
GovGPT / DragonFly – AI-powered threat detection for law enforcement
Envision a future where our police officers, the guardians of our communities, feel truly empowered and supported in their mission to keep us safe. That’s the vision behind DragonFly, an innovative AI-powered tactical vest designed to be a force multiplier for law enforcement.
DragonFly acts as a second pair of eyes and ears, using cutting-edge vision sensors and haptic feedback to alert officers of potential threats in their blind spots.
But DragonFly isn’t just about physical protection; it’s also a tool for fostering calm and control in high-stress situations. By reducing surprise and synchronizing vest vibrations with the heartbeat, the vest empowers officers to approach encounters with confidence, mitigating stress and promoting de-escalation tactics. This leads to safer interactions for everyone involved, strengthening the vital bond between police and community.
In the era plagued by recruitment struggles, DragonFly represents a powerful incentive for attracting top talent to law enforcement. After all, who wouldn’t want to be part of a force that prioritizes officer well-being and equips them with the most innovative technology?
Day Off – Tracker for your team’s PTO, vacations and absences
Day Off is this super handy app that takes the hassle out of managing time off for both employees and employers. It’s like a one-stop shop for anything related to leaves, PTO, and vacations.
The best part? The app is really easy to use. Employees can just fire off a leave request from their phones, and it’ll ping their manager instantly. No more back-and-forth slacks or emails. Managers can approve or deny requests with a couple of taps, keeping everyone in the loop.
But that’s not all! Day Off also comes packed with neat reporting tools that let managers keep tabs on who’s taking time off and when. They can spot patterns and make sure there’s enough coverage, so operations don’t grind to a halt when employees are out.
In a nutshell, Day Off streamlines the whole process, keeps everyone informed, and makes sure the show goes on – even when half the team is catching some rays on a beach somewhere.
Equalfeed: A New Social Network Sparking Real Change
Equalfeed is redefining how users, creators, and non-profits connect and engage on social media. At its core lies a powerful mission – harnessing collaboration to forge meaningful connections, inspire social impact, and drive positive change.
I strongly believe that we need more platforms that inspire us to be the change we wish to see. That’s why I absolutely love the execution behind Equalfeed. It makes getting involved in causes that genuinely matter super accessible for everyone.
Equalfeed is all about empowering creators to share inspiring, uplifting content that actually makes a difference. And for the users, it’s like a centralized place of awesome initiatives in which we can easily get involved.
So, whether you’re a creator looking to share your passion projects or just someone who wants to stay in the loop on awesome initiatives, Equalfeed is definitely worth checking out. It’s a social media, but with a whole lot of heart and purpose behind it.
Socialize Now, Connect Later
As I mingled with the incredible startup founders, my mind was buzzing with excitement over their vision. Amid our engaged conversations, I also met other interesting attendees who joined us for a chat. But you know how it goes – caught up in those sparking idea exchanges, the thought of swapping details completely slipped my mind. I’m sure this happened to all of us, we’re social beings after all and when we deeply engage in great conversations we often forget about anything else. Those potentially valuable connections are gone in an instant because we’re still relying on clunky conference apps and LinkedIn connects, assuming we remember to exchange contact information at all.
That’s when I met Dexus, one of Common’s co-founders, and everything clicked. His startup solves this age-old networking nightmare with a cool new solution. By leveraging proximity networking and AI, Common quietly logs your meaningful interactions at events, then serves up a neatly organized list of those new connections afterwards. No more scrolling through event apps or going over all your recent LinkedIn connections to find the person by the photo because you forgot their name. Just show up, tune in, and walk away with all those pivotal new contacts secured.
Common stands out because of its founding team. It was developed by individuals deeply entrenched in the events industry. Two of the co-founders gained extensive experience organizing large-scale events such as the Oscars and major sports tournaments. They are intimately familiar with the challenges and opportunities in the industry. The third co-founder previously managed marketing for MeetUp, a major player in the events space, providing a deep understanding of the DIY events market.
If you’re someone who runs events of any size, from local meetups to major conferences, you’ve got to check out Common. It lets you simply focus on creating awesome shared experiences. Isn’t that what events should really be about?
What founders often disregard – insights from Howie Liu, the founder of Airtable
I absolutely enjoyed the chat between Howie Liu, the founder of Airtable and Thomas Laffont, Co-Founder at Coatue Management. One critical insight struck me at my core – we founders often commit a fatal oversight in our pursuit of product and distribution. The misstep? Neglecting positioning, which is a critical vulnerability that can make or break a startup.
Don’t dismiss positioning.
Howie Liu, Airtable
Too frequently, we become so laser-focused on perfecting our product and scaling growth that we neglect to carefully craft our positioning, which is a foundation for all our sales and marketing initiatives. But as Liu’s wise words underscored, nailing that high-ground positioning is crucial for separating yourself from competitors.
The insightful dialogue was a potent wake-up call, reminding me that as a founder, I must prioritize positioning as more than an afterthought. It’s not just a tagline or elevator pitch – it’s the central narrative that teleports users into your vision and sells them on why your startup is the ultimate solution.
When it comes to mastering product positioning, two names should be at the top of every founder’s list – April Dunford and Ton Dobbe. These experts are positioning virtuosos whose teachings can utterly transform how you frame and sell your offering.
If you haven’t read April Dunford’s book on positioning, I highly recommend it. The book is titled ‘Obviously Awesome: How to Nail Product Positioning so Customers Get It, Buy It, Love It’. It’s essentially the positioning bible, packed with frameworks to craft positioning that instantly resonates with customers.
And for those in the bootstrapped B2B realm, you’d be remiss not to follow Ton Dobbe. He’s the undisputed positioning sensei for B2B founders. I absolutely love his newsletter where he generously shares insights gathered from running masterminds with B2B founders. His B2B-specific lens is pure gold.
Startups of the Year
These are the three winners of Startup Grind 2024 in the following categories: AI Startup of the Year, Hardware Startup of the Year and SaaS Startup of the Year.
AI Startup of the Year – InSilicoTrials
In the pursuit of developing new, safe, and effective drugs, pharmaceutical companies have traditionally relied on extensive animal testing and clinical trials – processes that are costly, time-consuming, and ethically fraught. InSilicoTrials is pioneering a revolutionary approach that harnesses the power of computational models and artificial intelligence (AI) to accelerate drug development while significantly cutting R&D costs, reducing the need for animal testing and minimizes the risk to human participants in clinical trials.
Our aim is to democratize the healthcare industry, making Modeling & Simulation and AI accesible to big, small and mid-sized companies.
TEAM AT InSilicoTrials
Here is how InSilicoTrials works:
At the core of Insilicotrials’ innovation is a cloud-based platform that integrates cutting-edge computational models developed by a team of professionals coming from the fields of Modeling & Simulation, AI, Healthcare, Regulatory, Simulation, IT and Cybersecurity. By leveraging computational models and AI algorithms, InSilicoTrials can simulate the behavior of potential drug, predict their efficacy and safety profiles, and get the outcomes – all before conducting physical experiments.
Hardware Startup of the Year – geCKo Materials
geCKo Materials is a pioneering hardware startup specializing in the development and application of ultra-strong Dry Adhesive. Inspired by the natural adhesive properties of gecko feet, the company has engineered a synthetic adhesive that mimics these capabilities, offering a versatile and robust solution for various industries.
The core technology behind geCKo Materials’ products is their ultra-strong dry adhesive, which does not rely on traditional sticky substances. Instead, it uses a unique microstructure that allows it to adhere to surfaces, similar to how geckos can climb walls and ceilings. This innovative approach results in an adhesive that is not only strong but also reusable and residue-free, making it ideal for applications where cleanliness and reusability are crucial.
What’s even more impressive is that geCKo Materials’ adhesive technology has a wide range of applications across different sectors. In the space industry, it can be used for securing equipment and tools in zero-gravity environments where traditional adhesives might fail. In manufacturing, it offers a reliable solution for temporary fixtures and assembly processes. The robotics field benefits from this technology by enabling robots to handle delicate objects or climb surfaces without leaving any residue. Additionally, the adhesive is useful in consumer products, medical devices, and other areas where strong, clean, and reusable adhesion is required.
SaaS Startup of the Year – SmartSuite
SmartSuite is a comprehensive SaaS platform designed to streamline and manage various aspects of work within an organization. It integrates a wide range of functionalities to support project management, workflow automation, and team collaboration, making it a versatile tool for businesses of all sizes.
One of the key features of SmartSuite is its ability to centralize work management. This platform allows users to create, track, and manage tasks and projects from a single interface. It supports customizable workflows, enabling teams to tailor processes to their specific needs. This flexibility ensures that SmartSuite can adapt to different industries and business models, providing a personalized experience for each user.
In addition to project management, SmartSuite offers robust collaboration tools. Teams can communicate in real-time, share files, and provide updates within the platform, reducing the need for external communication tools. This integrated approach helps to improve efficiency and ensures that all team members are on the same page.
SmartSuite also enhances team productivity by integrating AI into various workflows. For instance, product teams employ AI to categorize customer feedback and expedite feature development. HR and finance teams leverage AI for tasks such as creating job descriptions, categorizing spending, and drafting memos. Furthermore, risk and compliance teams utilize AI for assessing and generating reports. The potential applications of AI within SmartSuite and its workflows are limitless.
And That’s a wrap!
Thank you for reading through the entire article. The Startup Grind event was a fantastic experience, and it was all thanks to their incredible team who worked tirelessly to make the event a success.
