Startup Boston

What does it take to back startups at the earliest stage—before there’s even a product or a single line of code? boldstart ventures calls it “inception investing,” and Ellen Chisa, Partner at Boldstart and a proud Somerville, MA resident, is right at the center of this exciting approach. In our latest Startup Boston blog, Randall W. chats with Ellen as she shares her fascinating journey from engineering school to f#ounder, #investor, and beyond. She dives into: 🔍 How Boldstart identifies and supports #founders at the idea stage 🛠️ The value of her hands-on experience at Kickstarter, Microsoft, and Darklang 🌐 How trends like #AI are shaping enterprise investing 📈 Her outlook for venture capital in 2025, and why inception investing thrives in uncertain markets If you’re curious about early-stage investing, what makes a great founder, or how VC firms like Boldstart work to shape the future of tech, this is a must-read! 👉 Check out the full interview here: https://lnkd.in/eJ-xQ9wv

Caught up with Ellen Chisa from boldstart ventures, to discuss her path to the VC world, "inception investing"—even before founders write a line of code—and her outlook on tech and startups in 2025. Some of my favorite quotes: * "Usually, if someone announces on LinkedIn that they’re starting a company, it’s already too late for us. The conventional signals that other VCs might use—like raising a seed round—often come after we’ve already engaged with a founder.." * "We’re mindful of companies that include AI as a buzzword. Some founders focus on solving customer problems first, with AI being just one part of their implementation. That’s the approach we prefer—AI as a means to an end, rather than the sole focus." * "Inception investing tends to be more insulated from market fluctuations since it involves the earliest stages of company building. We have the longest timeline before needing a public market event or acquisition, so there’s time to adapt to changing conditions." Thanks to Startup Boston for publishing the article! https://lnkd.in/eiUn7Mj3

🎉 Start 2025 by finding your people in Boston's startup scene! Looking for the perfect community to dive into this year? Join Startup Boston and the City of Boston | Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Cabinet for a networking bash that’ll connect you with the groups shaping #Boston’s innovation ecosystem. ✨ When: Wed, Jan 29th @ 5:30pm 📍 Where: Suffolk University (right near Boston Common) This event is your chance to explore Boston’s vibrant startup communities and figure out where you truly belong in 2025. Whether you’re a founder, investor, mentor, or just startup-curious, there’s a place for you here. Come connect, collaborate, and discover the communities that will help you thrive. Let’s make 2025 the year you dive deep and build something amazing. 👉 RSVP Now: https://lu.ma/5bu0e1fp

Over 100 folks registered in the first three hours... ...Who are excited to kick off 2025 building their network AND learning more about the incredible networking groups located right here in the Greater #Boston Area! I hope you'll join myself, Startup Boston and City of Boston | Economic Opportunity and Inclusion Cabinet on January 29th at Suffolk University Register here: https://lu.ma/5bu0e1fp

What an incredible year, 2024! 🎉 We couldn’t resist the classic end-of-year LinkedIn snapshot (brace yourself for some milestones!), but it’s all because we’re so grateful for you. Your time and attention mean the world to us—thank you for being part of our journey! Here are a few highlights we’re celebrating as we wrap up the year: ✨ Recognized as BostInno’s Fire Award Blazer! We were honored to win in the “Ecosystem Support” category this year. It’s humbling to play a role in this vibrant startup ecosystem—thank you for trusting us to help build it! ✨ 10,300 attendees at Startup Boston events You showed up in full force for Startup Boston Week, our collaborations with the City of Boston and multiple other events. We already have exciting plans for 2025 (including SBW2025!) and can’t wait to see you there. ✨ 450,000 LinkedIn impressions Your engagement is everything to us! Got ideas for resources or topics? Slide into our DMs—our inbox is always open, and we read every message. ✨ Launched the Startup Directory We kicked things off with the Accelerator Directory and Investors Directory, and there’s more on the way. Stay tuned—2025 is going to be 🔥 for startups seeking resources! ✨ The Startup Community Bulletin: A newsletter favorite This year, our weekly bulletin became a go-to for 23,000+ readers, featuring calls for mentors, speaker opportunities, pitch competitions, grants, and more. Keep those submissions coming—we love amplifying your voices! ✨ 142 Community Award nominations Our third annual awards were especially meaningful because the community drives them. YOU nominated and voted for the movers and shakers shaping the ecosystem. What an inspiring group to celebrate! ✨ 334 volunteers made it all happen From our 43 organizing team members to 291 on-site volunteers—your time, talent, and passion power everything we do. This is a community-built organization, and we couldn’t do it without you. 💙 ✨ 277 speakers, 50% women, 38% people of color You shared your stories and expertise across Startup Boston Week and other events, enriching the startup community with diverse perspectives. Thank you for stepping up and making our events extraordinary! 2024 was a blast, and 2025 is already shaping up to be even better. Thank you for being part of this incredible ecosystem. Let’s keep building together! 🚀 #YearInReview #StartupCommunity #Boston #Massachusetts #NewEngland #Startups

Founders: Ready to build your dream team? Recruiting the right talent is one of the most critical steps in scaling your startup. Whether it’s assembling an AI/ML team, crafting an internship program, or hiring your first salesperson, building a dynamic and high-performing team takes strategy, insight, and the right resources. To help you navigate this journey, we’ve compiled a series of expert-led sessions covering every aspect of startup team building. What’s Inside? ✅ Structuring an AI/ML team aligned with your business goals ✅ Balancing in-house vs. outsourced development ✅ Creating a winning employer brand to attract and retain top talent ✅ Designing impactful internship programs ✅ Hiring and onboarding your first salesperson ✅ Leveraging fractional talent for leadership roles ✅ Building pre-sales and product teams to scale with your growth Each session is packed with actionable insights from seasoned #founders, #recruiters, and #startup experts, empowering you to make informed decisions as you scale. Ready to dive in? Check it out: https://lnkd.in/en_i9xmY #Startups #TeamBuilding #Hiring #TalentStrategy #Entrepreneurship

I am looking for people to help me 0-5 or so hours a month with the Boston Generative AI Meetup in 2025. So far for the last 2 years, 11 events, 50 speakers, and 4000 people served, I have done it all. Here's what I am looking for: 1) Coordinate speakers, catering, day of event set-up with me (easy) 2) Use my cameras and AV equipment to record the event + post across social (net new for 2025) 3) Help me acknowledge people who attend across social (need to expand) 4) Follow-up postings post-event (need to do) 5) Various tasks - as we take the event across the country in 2025 to at least one of three new locations (Redmond/Seattle, SF, DC, NYC) with Maven AGI. Requirements: 1) You live in Boston or Massachusetts, ideally near Cambridge 2) You are in AI/technology - bonus points if you are a Founder or Maker 3) You have proven experience creating community 4) You believe yourself to be kind, charismatic, fun, and smart. This means no dark triad at all nor using people to play games with other people. 5) You have a a graduate degree 6) You have social-media presence that is net positive/neutral and includes absolutely no hate toward other people, disdain for law and order, religious intolerance, cultural intolerance/xenophobia, respect for women (and men), love for and would defend the United States and the melting pot of people within it - and have a paid X account. If that's you, please DM me.

These are the startup events you should check out this week (December 16 - 21) 👇 🍻 Celebrate the holiday season at the "Boston DAO Holiday Meetup" with 186 Ventures (Sophie Panarese) 🎄Health2Tech is hosting their "Digital Health Events: Christmas/Hanukkah Edition" Tuesday evening (Amir Lahav) 🖥️ Participate in an "AI Workshop for Data Leaders" with C10 Labs and Chief Data Officer Magazine Wednesday afternoon 🎨 "UX Meetup" is happening with IxDF - Interaction Design Foundation Boston Chapter (Ciarán Crawley) 🍷 SecureLayer7 is hosting their "Holiday Connect" for clients, partners and security leaders (and yes, you can bring a family member) on Friday evening (Sandeep Kamble) 👟 Squeeze in one of your last runs of 2024 with the "Founders Running Club" Saturday morning (Alisa Abashyna) For registration links - and to view even MORE events - visit this link ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dCaeGGU #startups #networking #Boston #NewEngland

Calling all startup founders and small business professionals! Suffolk University Center for Career Equity, Development & Success, Suffolk University Center for Entrepreneurship and Startup Boston invite YOU to be part of Startup in Residence Day on March 24th & 25th What’s in it for you? ✨Share your entrepreneurial journey, connect with the next generation of innovators, and inspire students at this unique roundtable networking event. Here’s what we’re looking for: ✅ Start-Up Founders, Board Members, Small Business Professionals, or Business Owners. ✅ Willingness to share your elevator pitch and answer questions about your career and entrepreneurial story. ✅ Availability for one or multiple sessions across the two days. Why join? 💡 Your insights could spark the next great idea and inspire future leaders! Plus, it's a fantastic way to grow your network within Boston's startup community. 📅 Interested? Fill out this form to participate: https://lnkd.in/e_7QxRWe Let’s build connections, share stories, and empower the next generation together. #Entrepreneurship #Networking #Boston

What do I love about #Boston's startup community? The incredible number of experts in their fields who are ready and eager to give back to the ecosystem. They generously share their knowledge with #founders and #startup operators who are in the trenches, building their startups. To help founders on their journey, I’ve compiled a list of on-demand content that you can watch at your convenience. This specific playlist is designed to guide you through the process of raising your first round of funding for your startup and includes panels, workshops and presentations from past Startup Boston Weeks and Startup Boston events. Here’s what’s on the docket: ✅ When and how to work with lawyers - Benjamin Hron ✅ Key considerations before allocating equity - 👋 Clement Cazalot, Sid Desai, Jason Furtado ✅ Building a winning pitch deck (and exploring alternative funding options) - David Chang ✅ Pitching frameworks tailored to different audiences - Nadia Shalaby 🚀, Vasilios Roussos, Kosta Ligris, Brandon Oliver ✅ Creating a comprehensive fundraising strategy - Allison Byers ✅ Understanding term sheets - Jeff Knox ✅ Understanding startup valuation cycles - Ross Palley, Stephen Dow, Ashley Nagle Eknaian ✅ Cap table best practices to accelerate closing - Kristen Craft, Ellen Chisa, Richard Rabbat, Michael Jabbawy ✅ Navigating your first financing round - Alicia Dorner, Paige Moscow Click play here: https://lnkd.in/grrYBnxT #startups #fundraising