Boston Startup Ecosystem - Liaoyuan & Harvard China Forum

johnmayer664
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Lubna Nawaz
Good info!.... STARTUPS...Send your pitchdeck to thousands of VC's and Angel's with just 1 click. Visit: Angelvisioninvestors.com
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Art Buckland , CEO RPP Corp; Chairman EAM Ltd;Trustee Harbor Towers; Adviser The Gem Group at The Gem Group
David, great pitch, One of my rules in presenting to VCs when asking for money is never more than 15 slides and usually come in at a maximum of 12 slides. This is a lot of slides. I also believe in each slide having a clear message- give the audience some credit for knowing something about the subject material. Jeff's cluster slide left out the Boston-centric Water Cluster (NEWIN). It is not clear your target audience.
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About me
Boston tech startup/entrepreneurial ecosystem – players & resources
Doing business in Boston

Title: Boston Startup Ecosystem - Liaoyuan & Harvard China Forum
Description: Overview of the Boston tech/startup ecosystem, including resources for startups, tips on doing business in Boston and how to reach influencers, and ways to get plugged in.
Tags: startups, entrepreneurship, boston, business, accelerator, university, investor

Born in Taiwan
Surreal for me to be an advocate of Boston
Full circle - so much activity between US/China

First 10 years of professional life in NY
Came to New England (like you), thinking a great place to go to school

…but never left
Next 15 years
Dumb luck: 1000+ amazing people, 5 startups/5 acquisitions
My startup perspective shaped by where I’ve been

Past 5 years – lucky to invest in other people
Small checks - very early/seed level
Focus: software, ONE THIRD in women

Walkable city – different vibes
Different clusters
Density
Boston today (credit Jay – TechScene)

So much so, I’ve traded planes for bikes
Neighborhoods: Back Bay, Seaport, Innovation District, etc.

Density (talent – vets & startups)
Here’s a real example: actual day (Wanderu, CO, Robyn, CIC)

New talent – students: 400 years vs 40 years (SV)
I’m just one person (hopefully I’ve had an impact) – how about 10, 100, 1000, 10000

…To help focus, what are your top obstacles?
Columbia startups
How to sell in the U.S.? Want to manufacture in Mexico and form distribution partners in the U.S. / buying
How to form commercial alliances / brand awareness for materials distributors (e.g., architects, design firms). Already exporting
How to find partners (including tech transfer) for medical devices/biotech? Both big (e.g., Medtronic, Genzyme) and small players
How to find partners in VR?
How to find mentors (retail)?
How to find coaching in farming (e.g., Freight Farms)? How to expand in the U.S.? Investors
Surprised to see so many software startups here (assumed valley was the place). How to choose location for software companies? Already selling in the U.S. / corp dev

Korea startups
How to do I get my first customers? (for artist JPG marketplace)
There’s lots of expertise in robotics in MA. How do I meet them?

3 kinds of resources/capital: 1) financial, 2) human, 3) real estate
Get them from 3 types of places
Lines blurring on both axes

…let’s start with resources closest to you
Huge assets: look for ways to connect with universities
If you’re a student
Money: for students: business plan competitions, seed funds
Programs
Other students
If not
Recruiting
Mentor on campus

Explosion of accelerators
Lines blurred:
Corp – left (independent - DCU) to right (strategic – AthenaHealth)
Bolt more venture fund
Staples, Launch Lab

https://bostonstartupsguide.com/guide/boston-coworking-spaces-roundup/

Lines blurred:
human – network model: pillar, underscore
space – p11, nextview, accomplice

Meeting customers, partners, business people, tech veterans, experienced operators

Leverage veterans
2,000 mentors

In all this time, resisted silicon valley (all my acquirers there)
Carried a business card from some of these companies (except Hooli)

Things you can do by yourself
Lots of industry trade publications as well
Blog
Podcasts
Journalists

Find experts and movers/shakers in your industry
World's foremost influencers in these verticals
Either at big company or startup themselves

Horizontal functional experts (unlike verticals)
People – advisors, board members, co-founder, freelancers, employees
Shops / agencies (e.g. web/mobile dev shops)
https://www.evernote.com/l/ACRarcLgBDZPgqU0fj0jZcGuEFpj_HTr63U
www.bostontechguide.com

Everyone is 1 degree away
Don’t be shy: Investors need you as much

…Best way is to get out there
So many events

Trouble is too many events – how to pick
Greenhorn Connect is a great resource
http://www.starthub.org/events
BostInno weekly events
VentureFizz weekly events

Credit to NextView

Contents:
Tech Companies – big/small customers
Investors
Development shops
Universities
Accelerators / Incubators / Co-working Spaces
Govt
Media/Pubs
Events

You are in a special place. 3 key ingredients:
Talent density: students (250K), veterans / startups (350+ mobile), corp leaders
Capital: angel/VC, $37B funding (seed exploding, A trouble)
Ecosystem: customers/partners (e.g. Mullen down the street), accelerators, schools, orgs

Boston Startup Ecosystem - Liaoyuan & Harvard China Forum

David Chang

Boston Startup Ecosystem - Liaoyuan & Harvard China Forum