Jason Malki

AUGUST 8, 2025

I started Aether when I was invited to pitch an app at BlackRock last summer to investors and corporate officials. You don’t have a college brand or VC introductions to fall back on. How can our readers follow you on social media? The best part is proving all of that wrong and putting a smile on your father and mother’s face.

opportunity

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 18, 2011

I hope you’ll excuse me when I do the latter in combination with the former to try and explain how I see macro trends and help you think about the mind of a VC. Despite working for one of the top 2 talent agencies in LA, despite having had VC experience, Dustin chose another route. He wanted to be an entrepreneur.

investment

Startup Grind

AUGUST 15, 2018

He has worked with several startups, invested in companies like Mayvenn, Gimlet Media, Blavity, Airspace Technologies, Codeverse, and many others Pitch your startup for a chance to meet with Cross Culture VC Q&A: What is your / your fund's mission? I honestly believe that you should watch all of them and their companies.

culture

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2011

I took the opportunity this past week to publish summary notes of some of the VCs and entrepreneurs I had interviewed on This Week in VC. One of my goals in doing the show was not only to educate entrepreneurs but also to put a human face on many of the VCs in our industry as VCs can be hard to get to know. Thank you. (if

capital

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 24, 2014

Not every potentially good VC previously worked for Fred Wilson and Josh Kopelman. Not every VC used to get pitched by VC funds for a living and has seen hundreds and hundreds of VC pitch decks. So what about a Techstars-like program for new VCs? But what about investors?

accelerator

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 15, 2013

When he pitched, he was the proverbial "guy with an idea." Most VC funds wouldn''t touch a pre-product app company. Raul is a 46-year-old dad, experienced in entertainment, media, and startups. About 10 minutes into our meeting, however, I realized Tinybop was so much more than that and I committed to participating.

creativity

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 21, 2021

She was pitching for a pre-seed round of $400k. Founders hit the street with their pitch deck, some make it, and some don’t, but nearly all of them ascribe a lot more human influence over the process than there probably is. I’m a female founder. I don’t have a technical co-founder. I don’t have enough traction.

advice

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In my previous post, The VC Ice Age is Thawing (for now) I wrote about the reasons why the VC market came to a screeching halt in September 2008 and remained largely shut until at least April 2009. There are now signs the VC market has gathered pace meaning it’s a great time to be fund raising.

VC

Jason Malki

MARCH 9, 2023

Then, I stumbled upon PE/VC after chatting with a good college buddy of mine. VC is a patient capital asset class — you won’t know how good of an investor you are until several years down the road. How can our readers follow you on social media? Shortly after, I started making small angel investments — that was 3 years ago.

VC

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 4, 2022

Improve your pitch: Startup Battlefield isn’t just thrilling to watch; it’s a masterclass in how investors think. All right, here are the final five business Brahmins who will help judge the Startup Battlefield pitch competition. Mar Hershenson , co-founder and managing partner at Pear VC. in operating roles.

disruption

StartupNation

MAY 24, 2021

Part of this could be the result of the pitch. That pitch needs to be on point, with a clear and concise executive summary, a detailed business plan and a killer pitch deck that makes a compelling case to invest. While we’ve been strongly supported by our VC backers during the pandemic, the same can’t be said for every startup.

VC

This is going to be BIG.

AUGUST 8, 2011

How about as a VC? Fred has basically always been a VC, Mike was a reporter, and Jim worked in product marketing and management consulting. Surely--but then I realize how difficult it is to be an early stage VC in NYC. Really never managed anything of significant or built anything major.". what has this guy done? What did I do?

VC

David Teten VC

JULY 27, 2021

We have collected a wide range of freebies, contests, accelerators, online communities, and VCs designed for student tech founders. I have been researching this both to support Versatile VC ’s portfolio companies and also as part of research for my new book, To University and Beyond: Launch Your Career in High Gear. 1) Your school.

founder

TechCrunch

JULY 7, 2022

No TechCrunch event is complete without a pitch-off showcasing early-stage startups from around the globe. Who will you be pitching to? The pitch-off will consist of three startup companies presenting for four seconds on the virtual stage, in front of the entire TC Sessions audience and our expert panel of judges.

pitching

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 25, 2013

Not only did I want it to include people working on the future of digital media at ABC, but I also had in mind the roll that other types of creative people have in the inspiration of a city. Three companies from the Studiomates community-- Sherpaa , Tinybop , and Editorially --received VC dollars in 2012. via Brownstoner.

communities

TechCrunch

APRIL 24, 2023

Sarah writes that the social media giant is seeing a spike in one-star reviews, which include calling for its removal. Last impressions matter : Over on TC+, Haje argues that for your pitch deck, last impressions count almost as much as first impressions. Ivan has more on that. Even dropping Stripe to do so. Kirsten has more.

media

TechCrunch

JUNE 10, 2022

As I’ve said previously, if your name doesn’t appear on the team slide of your company’s pitch deck, this is a time to be cautious: Update your resume, dial back your summer vacation plans and start adding more to your rainy day fund. Pitch Deck Teardown: Lunchbox’s $50 million Series B deck.

VC

TechCrunch

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

But most venture-backed startups are “still overwhelmingly white, male, Ivy-League-educated and based in Silicon Valley,” according to a study conducted by RateMyInvestor and Diversity VC. Or will we have to repeat the same conversations about representation failings within VC funds? It is all possible, but patience is key.

startup ecosystem

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 8, 2021

I’ve seen some founders — as a VC, this is gonna sound self-serving me saying this — but I’ve seen some founders that raise way too little capital in their pre-seed round or their seed round. Stephanie Zhan walks through the Rec Room pitch deck that won Sequoia’s investment. Getting the details right in your pitch deck.

pitching

Entrepreneur's Handbook

MARCH 30, 2023

Why You Can’t Raise VC Money Photo by Jp Valery on Unsplash Many entrepreneurs have experienced the keen sting of rejection when venture capital firms refuse to invest in or otherwise respond to their exciting new startups. Zhu seems to be a talented founder with a knack for garnering attention on social media (and, it seems, closing deals).

VC

TechCrunch

AUGUST 27, 2021

Corporate venture capital follows the same trend as other VC markets: Up. After parsing data from CB Insights and Stryber and chatting with a handful of investors, Alex and Anna concluded that the corporate venture capital market looks a lot like other VC markets. Forbes jumps into hot media liquidity summer with a SPAC combo.

pitching

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

And more recently he has turned that into a fund called CrossCulture VC such that many in Silicon Valley and beyond now know Troy as well. So Troy and Lady Gaga were amongst the earliest artists that turned to social media and tech platforms to break out. It’s the same story.

venture capital

TechCrunch

APRIL 19, 2022

Baseball has come a long way since 1897, when a Princeton math professor designed a pitching machine that ran on gunpowder. Today, baseball is a technology-driven enterprise where team owners, players, media organizations and individual fans have access to reams of raw statistics. Image Credits: Alex Trautwig / Getty Images.

VC

StartupNation

FEBRUARY 14, 2021

You’ve got to pitch investors, target the right customer, hone your business model and raise critical funding just in time. Find testimonials, gauge their social media presence, and seek feedback from peers. We try to assess whether the founder is coachable or not,” Luigi Congedo of the VC firm BootstrapLabs , said. “We

peer-to-peer

Startup Catalyst

MARCH 27, 2018

The meetings included co-working spaces, accelerators, investor groups, tech giants, University startup hubs, maker groups, and pitch events. Doing startups, Angel and VC investing is mainstream. Startups need to refer to US customers and competitors in their pitch wherever possible. Entrepreneurs are a cultural norm in the US.

communities

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 27, 2020

For IndieBio, a science and biotech accelerator run by VC firm SOSV, this unprecedented year offered high stakes and new challenges. Multus Media: CEO Cai Linton is producing an ingredient that hopes to make cultivated meat production affordable and accessible. Image Credits: Getty Images.

pitching

TechCrunch

MAY 20, 2021

As the list illustrates, Johnson, an ex-Googler (and TC battlefield alum ), isn’t short of contacts to tap up for his new startup — having pulled so much VC into Lystable/Kalo. It’s announcing a $3.5 But (thankfully) it looks like users have controls to set whether or not they’re open to receiving such requests or not.

networking

Hunter Walk

AUGUST 23, 2023

Specifically I’ve had the chance to spend meaningful time over the years with Michael Mignano as he went from startup CEO to Executive/Angel Investor and now VC Partner at Lightspeed. I can vouch for his genuine optimism Hunter Walk: You got to work with a number of different VCs on your cap table for Anchor.

VC

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 24, 2023

But when you’re running a VC firm, especially as an emerging manager, how do you know which investors and limited partners (LPs) to target? We often have to explain the white space: Women of child-bearing age weren’t allowed to participate in clinical trials, even for products meant for women, until 1993.

funders

David Teten VC

APRIL 1, 2021

I’ve recently advised a number of emerging private equity and VC funds who are wrestling with the question: What are the highest impact steps they can take to support their portfolio companies? . VC Platform community has grown approximately 120% in the last 3 years. Alpaca VC shares their Master Agency List. Fundraising.

venture capital

TechCrunch

OCTOBER 1, 2022

We have an outstanding cohort of VCs ready to hear their pitches and follow up with tough Q&As — and we’re thrilled to add three more to the slate. Did you miss the other Startup Battlefield VC judges? You can find them in groups one , two , three , four and five. Did you know?

capital

David Teten VC

DECEMBER 3, 2019

“We’re using … TinyLetter for our “Content Newsletter” … and Buffer to schedule social media posts. Point Nine Capital uses Mention for media monitoring. I use Hootsuite to coordinate my social media activity, which consists of Teten.com, PEVCTech.com , Linkedin , AngelList , and (passively) Twitter and Facebook. Her answer? ‘I

technology

AsiaTechDaily

NOVEMBER 16, 2022

As the team is not from a VC background, the typical investment strategy for seed or early-stage fund on diversifying into a portfolio of companies and then follow-on investments into potential winners is simply not in our DNA who came from corporate finance and business advisory background.

ventures

TechCrunch

MAY 18, 2021

Perfect pitch: All competing startups get weeks of free training with the TC Startup Battlefield training squad. You’ll hone your presentations skills, polish your business model and pitch with cool, calm confidence come game day. Of course, you’ll make your pitch to, and then answer questions from, panels of expert judges.

disruption

TechCrunch

FEBRUARY 24, 2023

Ukraine’s startup ecosystem was thriving before the war and making great progress, with Ukrainian startups raising $832 Million in VC funding in 2021. VC Funding was steadily growing before the war and there are more than 50 VC firms continuing to operating in the country. Secured seed finding from SMRK VC.

startup

David Teten VC

DECEMBER 4, 2019

Haystack VC runs almost entirely on Notion. We’re using … TinyLetter for our “Content Newsletter” … and Buffer to schedule social media posts. Point Nine Capital uses Mention for media monitoring. A tool like Quuu identifies relevant, shareable content to keep your social media channels active. .

technology

TechCrunch

DECEMBER 8, 2020

Delve a little deeper, however, and it becomes clear that the company’s business model can be misunderstood and that the arguments playing out in the media for and against buy now, pay later is only one part of the Klarna story. Pitch perfect, you might think.

investment