WELCOME TO ANTLER INSIGHTS

Have you ever wondered what is it like to be a tech startup founder and bring an idea to life?

‍

Founder Files is a series of conversations with founders in the earliest days of their entrepreneurial journey hosted by Antler Canada. Guests are founders of our portfolio companies and founders in residence, currently building the next big ventures. Learn about their experiences of finding a co-founder, idea validation and product-market fit.

‍

In the third episode of Antler Canada's Founder Files, Elif Hiz interviews Justin Cuaresma, a founder in residence in our third residency. Justin is a Software Developer turned entrepreneur. He believes that the future of work is joyful. He bootstrapped CrowdParty, the “Netflix of workplace games,” and is now working on Delightful, a platform made for employees to foster deeper relationships through shared hobbies and interests!  In this video, we’ll dive into Justin's experience at Antler so far and his learnings from the first 7 weeks of the program.

Insights from helping founders raise billions

Antler founder and CEO Magnus Grimeland as well as partner TC Høiseth spoke to Jacob Trumpy from Norway’s leading financial newspaper Dagens Næriningsliv, about the funding landscape and how Antler supports founders. 

Nestled in the vibrant startup hub of Nairobi, Antler in Kenya brings together founders from all walks of life to build and invest in companies, tackling some of the most ambitious challenges in Africa. Sometimes that means starting from the very beginning—by lifting up young people in our region and providing them with the tools to drive the world forward. This time, through code. Find out about the incredible work done by Code Yetu, in partnership with Alphathesis and Antler in Kenya.

‍

Antler US works with founders starting from day zero, bringing them in-house to our Residency studios in Austin, Boulder, and New York City. After investment from Antler, our portfolio companies work with the Antler US team to unlock continued growth and scale. As partners at the earliest stage, we’re proud to showcase some of our US companies who’ve matured and are ready to raise their next round of funding.

‍

InspeCity is building propulsion and in-space servicing to enable space cities in the future.

Harry Truman once said: “Not all readers are leaders, but all leaders are readers.” The source of myriad mental and physical benefits, it’s no wonder highly successful entrepreneurs and business leaders frequently credit obsessive reading as instrumental to their outperformance. In honor of UNESCO World Book Day, Antler is excited to share books every founder should read in 2023.

‍

Antler, the world's day zero investor, has launched its first program in Iberia to provide funding, mentorship, and ongoing support to the exceptional founders building companies that will shape the world of tomorrow. The first cohort of Antler’s Iberian residency, which started in January 2023, includes 60 founders from 27 different geographies with a range of backgrounds and experiences.

Have you ever wondered what is it like to be a tech startup founder and bring an idea to life?

‍

Founder Files is a series of conversations with founders in the earliest days of their entrepreneurial journey hosted by Antler Canada. Guests are founders of our portfolio companies and founders in residence, currently building the next big ventures. Learn about their experiences of finding a co-founder, idea validation and product-market fit.

‍

In this episode of Antler Canada's Founder Files, Elif Hiz interviews Zane Hengsperger, the youngest founder in residence in our third residency. Zane is currently working with 2 other founders from the cohort and building Blymp, a platform that will empower podcasters to secure relevant brand partnerships. In this article, we’ll dive into Zane’s experience at Antler so far and his learnings from the first 6 weeks of the program.

Michelle You is co-founder and CEO of Supercritical, one of the world's largest carbon removal marketplaces. But Supercritcal isn't the first startup Michelle has built and scaled. Before Supercritical, Michelle was co-founder and Chief Product Officer at Songkick, a company that helped fans discover concerts from their favorite artists. Songkick was backed by investors like YC, Index, Sequoia, Access and ultimately exited to Warner Music. 

Michelle shares how her experience at Songkick has influenced her approach to building Supercritical. We discuss the importance of user interviews, ascertaining key insights from customers, and how to structure an analytical decision making process. These are valuable, hard-earned lessons from a serial founder that you don't want to miss.

“Holidays are a way for you to enrich your own life. It's about going out and experiencing things that you otherwise wouldn't experience in your everyday life, trying new food, meeting new people, and just learning more about the world in a first-hand way.” —Sarah Hilmy, co-founder of travel platform Oddysee.

"The future is not some place we are going to, but one we are creating. The paths are not to be found, but made, and the activity of making them changes both the maker and the destination." —John H. Schaar

‍