Ed Sim’s Post

I spent 3 months closing a $500k pre-seed deal with investors, when we started Onegen.ai there were no plans of raising any capital but we understood that the pace we needed to pick to win required capital The good thing is we bootstrapped our first company Eden Solutions so we have the experience of building something from scratch. In the case of Onegen.ai, our initial goal was to create multiple AI products and sell them to enterprises, and with capital in hand we could launch products faster But soon it became clear that the AI products market is changing so fast and probably not the most stable market to be in at the moment Instead of simply chasing speed, we needed to adapt and pivot to remain competitive. Then came the final meeting with the investors. One of them requested full access and control over critical decisions. For us, that was a turning point. It’s not uncommon for investors to want a say, but when it threatens your vision and autonomy, it’s a red flag. That’s when we made the tough decision to walk away from the deal. It wasn’t easy—we had already invested time and energy into securing the funds. But looking back, it was the right call. Fast forward five months, and we’re still growing at a pace we didn't expect, we’ve had further interest from other investors, but now we’re clear on our terms.

We just made the list. 🎉 Street Insider’s “6 AI Startups That Dominated Q3” featured FINQ, and we couldn’t be prouder. Our mission? Give investors clear, bias-free stock insights to navigate the market with confidence. Thanks to The VentureCation for the shoutout. 🚀📈 Check out the full article here: https://hubs.ly/Q02WJyRS0 #AI #DataDriven #investing #stocks

I’ll be in SF this December. People ask me: Sid, what’s your game plan? I’ll tell you: First, I’ll buy a Stanford hat and t-shirt from their online store. Then, I’ll skip shower for 2 days, and watch videos on how to be socially awkward. On the third day, I’ll show up at a private VC event. When the security tries to check my invitation, I’ll point to the white powder on my nose. Even they know what “founder mode” looks like, there will be no further questions. Once inside I’ll talk about my product: Building agents for ai with ai, at onlyagents.ai Exit strategy: SPAC in 5 years for 20B$ As 10M$ checks come flying at my face, I’ll laugh at these other founders in my network, who have taken more than a week to raise pre-seed. Don’t even know what they’re doing. Working 80 hours a week, talking with customers, generating traction.. pfft! This is a skill issue. Guys, the only thing that matters is the size of your VC check. Not the pocket change your customers give you every month. #founderadvice #secretlessonsYCdoesntwantyoutoknow

Two product founders obsessed with user-centricity. A giant market category dominated by unloved legacy products. A core technology shift in the data infrastructure. BI is the only layer in the new modern stack without a new multi-billion leader and Steep is building the product to win it. We're thrilled to partner with Johan Baltzar and Nino Höglund, leading a $4m seed round, with existing investor Rebecka Löthman Rydå at Inventure and participation from Alliance VC, Antler and Greens. Read Pietro's post on how Steep are building the future of business intelligence here - https://lnkd.in/e_5V5iKE

With 2024 coming to an end, it’s time to dive into the key Venture Capital trends of Q1 2025 🚀 AI led the trends last quarter, but we want your vote on what you think the top trends for Q1 2025 will be! 🗳️ Cast your vote on the link in the comments: choose your top three trends, and hit submit!

It's Not Just Making Money - It's Keeping and Growing It 🎯 Here's a fascinating story: A startup just raised $4M right after graduating Y Combinator in September. And with today's AI tech, their platform isn't even that complex! What's the secret? They found a sweet spot that's absolutely on fire right now. 🚀 Their platform helps financial advisors connect with clients faster and easier. Here's why this is genius: The reality is, making money is only half the battle - you need to know how to preserve and grow it. And let's be honest, in these turbulent times, doing that without solid financial advice is like trying to navigate a storm without a compass! 😅 But here's what makes this really interesting... [Want me to continue with what makes this particularly interesting?] #FinTech #StartupSuccess #WealthManagement Tag someone who needs a good financial advisor! 💰

Everyone wants to know about a firm's tech moat. Investors ask. Founders stress over it. But the truth? It’s not what you think. Jumping on the DeepSeek/OpenAI bandwagon to challenge the Defensibility Myth – and why the strongest moats are rarely where you'd expect. Read more: https://lnkd.in/gzr-r2H9

We are so back! Maybe? Mixed signals in the data. Global VC funding hit $314B in 2024, up 3% YoY and above pre-pandemic 2019 levels – but still below 2021 highs. Q4 posted the strongest funding since Q3 2022, with AI driving momentum. Early-stage funding stayed flat, and Carta reported 20% of US startup deals (722) were down rounds. Time will tell. I try not to get too wrapped up in the noise. Great founders build in any funding environment, and many are thriving today. My focus remains on controlling the controllable and playing the game on the field. As always, just my take – not tied to any company I’m part of. See you out there. Data sources: Crunchbase: https://lnkd.in/esGXnv5F Peter Walker Carta: https://lnkd.in/eD5pP888

Goldman Sachs CEO says that AI can draft 95% of an IPO prospectus in minutes. I believe I paid upwards of $50,000 USD in 1999 to get my startup's prospectus prepared for a Nasdaq listing. Upgrade yourself before AI eats your lunch. Do you think there are areas AI won't affect?

Excited to announce that our latest investment, Sendspark set a new CS Angel Angel investing record! What is this ✨Sendspark magic anyway and why am I so excited about it? Bethany Stachenfeld and Brandon Escalante co-founded an amazing AI powered video tech to drive customer engagement at scale. It's the easiest to use AI powered video tool on the market, allowing CS and Post Sales GTM teams to reach more customers with proactive, personalized recommendations. Read on to learn how Sendspark is changing the game for Customer Success at scale. https://lnkd.in/eB_C-mCG