The Importance of “Supercharging” in Startup Success

In today’s dynamic and competitive startup landscape, the need for a network enablers is ever more apparent. Entrepreneurs need more than just business acumen and a groundbreaking idea to carve out their success —they need superchargers. Superchargers are investors and operators that can supercharge a business rapidly through strategic advice, network introductions, and capital. They […]

NeonVest Podcast #6 • Joe Zhao

In this episode, we are interviewing Joe Zhao, Managing Partner at Millennia Capital. Millennia Capital is a New York based venture fund focused on high-tech sector investments across financial services, enterprise, and internet-enabled businesses. Millennia’s investments include Palantir, Digital Ocean, Robinhood, Marqeta, and SpaceX among others. Joe Zhao is a member of the World Economic […]

9 Underrated Cities to Build a Unicorn

In the world of start-ups, achieving ‘unicorn’ status, a privately held start-up valued at over $1 billion, is a symbol of remarkable success and innovation. While Silicon Valley, New York, and London are often considered the birthplaces of these entities, numerous underrated cities worldwide also have impressive start-up ecosystems. These emerging tech hotspots offer an […]

The Demise of Newchip “Accelerator” and its Controversial Model

The startup ecosystem is built on the foundation of accelerators, which provide crucial support and investment for early-stage ventures. However, the case of Newchip “Accelerator” stands as a cautionary tale, as it deviated from the traditional accelerator model and ultimately faced a harsh downfall. This article delves into the rise and subsequent bankruptcy of Newchip, […]

NeonVest Podcast #4 • Lara Druyan

In this episode, we are interviewing Lara Druyan, Managing Director at Silicon Valley Data Capital! Lara is a Managing Director at Silicon Valley Data Capital, a venture capital fund dedicated to investing in fintech, software, artificial intelligence, and analytics. Previously, she was the Head of Innovation for Royal Bank of Canada where she built a […]

NeonVest Podcast #3 • Dan Ciporin

In this episode, we are interviewing Dan Ciporin, former General Partner at Canaan Partners! Dan was a general partner at Canaan Partners, an early-stage institutional venture capital firm, until late 2020. While at Canaan he focused on financial technology (over 50% of his portfolio, including early-stage investments in Lending Club and Shopkeep), e-commerce, and marketplaces. […]

The Power of Referrals

As a start-up founder, you might be familiar with networking. In businesses especially, what we have doesn’t matter as much as who we know. Because who we know helps people take a chance on us first. As most of our professional opportunities are the result of our connections, it is wise to bank on the […]

500 Strong!

We just crossed 500 Superchargers on neonVest! This is a major milestone and we couldn’t be more proud for what we’ve accomplished, and couldn’t be more excited for what’s coming next! What is a supercharger on NeonVest, and why are they so important? If you’re a startup founder, you must be familiar with the somewhat […]

Starta + neonVest in NYC!

What a night! We had a blast co-hosting a panel with Starta about corporate Venture Capital. The event was completely sold out and it was a really fun time. Panelists included: Starta is a venture ecosystem that finds, fosters, and funds early-stage talent in tech. Starta’s ecosystem includes an early-stage VC fund, an accelerator program in […]

NeonVest Podcast #2 • Tom Sheahan

In this episode, we are interviewing Tom Sheahan, CEO of Red Oxygen! Tom Sheahan is the CEO of Red Oxygen. He is a long-time business owner with 23 years of experience, and faced a unique challenge when he decided to expand his well-established and profitable company. Unlike most startups seeking funding, he needed a way […]