Madrona Venture Labs

In this Cheat Codes post, Elizabeth Webber (with Henry Huang) delves deeper into early idea validation in startups, uncovering insights necessary for validating these concepts. Read part II here: madronavl.com/stories/early-…

Starting my 4th yr at #Harvard with a new course: Tech Ventures: From Idea to Exit. Excited to have 110 students exploring the startup journey! 🚀 linkedin.com/pulse/kicking-… Today’s session w/ @apartovi (@Neo, @Codeorg) & Mike Fridgen (@MadronaVL) covered generating #startup ideas.

YC S24's @StoriaAI is building a contextual AI pair programmer for engineering teams using all the world's code. They make it easier for teams to understand, analyze, and generate software with their codebases. ycombinator.com/launches/LhF-s… Congrats on the launch, @juliarturc + @mihail_eric!

We are excited to announce our investment in Otto - and AI Travel Agent designed to deliver managed travel benefits to the Unmanaged Travel Market. Otto is a groundbreaking solution incubated in partnership with @MadronaVL! madrona.com/meet-otto-the-…

We’re excited to announce the spinout of Otto, an AI-powered travel agent set to revolutionize business travel. Otto, led by Michael Gulmann, has raised a $6 million seed round led by @MadronaVentures, and a dream team of travel leaders. With advanced automation and personalization at its core, Otto is poised to redefine the travel experience for business travelers. Link: madronavl.com/stories/spinni…

We hosted our inaugural Leap Summer Social last night, bringing together our amazing Leap community for an evening filled with networking, lawn games, s'mores, and delightful food and drinks at Citizen Campfire. Thank you to everyone who joined us and contributed to this event's tremendous success.

In our latest Cheat Codes post, Sean Robinson discusses how prompt chaining can enhance GenAI performance. Learn how breaking down complex tasks into smaller, manageable sub-tasks can maximize model efficiency. Read more here: madronavl.com/stories/optimi…

@mfridgen sat down with @spencerrascoff, co-founder of @zillow, to discuss navigating competitive markets, democratizing industries, and Rascoff's evolving role in shaping the future of #realestate. Check it out here: madronavl.com/stories/naviga…

Discover how to benchmark effectively, experiment with open-source models, and find your ideal solution without getting lost in variables. madronavl.com/stories/naviga…

In this Founder Spotlight, MVL Partner Henry Huang speaks with enterprise automation expert Nic Surpatanu, Founder and CEO of Tektonic AI, to discuss the evolution of business operations automation in the age of Gen AI. Check it out here: madronavl.com/stories/busine…

We’re excited to announce that Elizabeth Webber has joined the MVL team as Product Lead! Elizabeth brings an extensive background in Product Management Strategy and Leadership, with expertise in Conversation Intelligence, AI/ML, and monetization. She has a proven track record of driving innovation and growth in her previous roles at Outreach, Rover.com, and Amazon. She has also served as an instructor and guest lecturer at the University of Washington, shaping the next generation of product leaders.

Today, we marked the conclusion of the 2024 Startup Seminar, a collaborative effort between MVL and the University of Washington Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering. We celebrated the seminar's finale with an exciting pitch event at the MVL offices, where over 25 student teams presented their innovative ideas to a panel of VC judges: Mia Lewin, Elisa La Cava, and Ken Horenstein. Thank you to our judges for their invaluable time and expertise in evaluating the student pitches. We also thank Kurtis Heimerl for his dedication to empowering the next generation of founders and our incredible students for their enthusiasm and hard work over these engaging ten weeks.

Check out these open roles at our early-stage (Seed+) portfolio companies: 👉 @CodifiedHq, Applied Scientist 👉 @Finpilot_AI, Head of Engineering 👉 @MagnifySoftware, Principle Software Engineer 👉 Pendulum, Strategic Partner Executive 👉 @spice_ai, Senior Software Engineer 👉 Tektonic AI, AI/ML Engineer 👉 @VouchedID, Security Engineer Check it out here: madronavl.com/opportunities #hiring #techjobs #startupjobs #openroles #recruitment

LINK: lnkd.in/gm2S2vm9 MVL’s Head of Talent, Sam Dore, recently revealed why she no longer considers Years of Experience (“YOE”) a primary qualification for candidates in the age of Gen AI. #talent #hiring #yoe #recruitment #generativeAI #talentacquisition

MVL Partner @jbartot is a creative force in the tech world. Over his career, he’s co-founded several data-centric machine-learning startups, which have been acquired by leading companies like @nielsen , @Microsoft, Alliance Health Networks, and @hulu . Discover how his journey from early computing to trailblazing #GenAI here: bit.ly/3VisZln

Discover practical strategies for navigating the complex world of Gen AI models in our latest Cheat Codes post by Sean Robinson, Ph.D. (w/Keith Rosema and Jay Bartot). As Sean advises, "Prioritize achieving functionality first, separating optimization efforts from the team's broader pipeline development, even if the team consists solely of you." Read why this approach is crucial for success here: lnkd.in/gFNnyX4Y

In our latest Cheat Codes series, Sean Robinson, Ph.D. (w/Keith Rosema and Jay Bartot) digs into the mysteries of the cost of running #GenAI models and why understanding token economics are crucial. If you’re moving from tinkering into production and suddenly wondering how to make it pencil out - you’re not alone! Discover how tokens, the fundamental units processed by LLMs, play a pivotal role in cost estimation and management. Read more here: madronavl.com/stories/unders…

@MiaLewin, a native of Finland, embodies 'sisu'—the Finnish ethos of determination and resilience. Rooted in a culture that values equality, Mia exemplifies the spirit of 'sisu' by championing equal opportunity in her startup ventures. Discover more about Mia’s journey here: bit.ly/3W1c7QX

Our latest Leap event featured a startup panel discussion with @MargaretAnnSeg1, @NancyZWang, and Harris Chalat. Topics included when to make the leap, taking strategic pivots, how to center customer learnings, and the importance of resilience, adaptability, and community support. Check out highlights from our panelists, and learn more about Leap here: bit.ly/3yhPCxt