Revolutionizing Memory with Sentience Technology

Most founders look like they’ve got it all together. Last night reminded me how far that is from the truth. I was at an event speaking with a bunch of founders. Most conversations at these type of events follow a similar pattern: ”We’ve got a tonne of momentum”. ”We’re chasing lots of new opportunities”. ”Things are going well” But anyone who has built a company knows what sits underneath that. Even the best companies (especially the ones growing quickly) are usually a bit on fire on the inside. At one point, one of the founders I was speaking to opened up a bit more. They’d just gone through a breakup. Had run out of runway and now needed to find $25K this week just to keep things going. The energy of our chat shifted to finding out how I could best support them through intros etc I could make to get them out of a messy situation. It made me realise how many founders feel like they need to wear armour 24/7 But that armour comes at a cost. It creates distance and it cuts you off from the one thing that actually helps: people who want to help, but can't because they don't know you need it. I shared a video yesterday where one of our The Komo Club members and WINGMAVEN Co-founder, Laura Wilson said something similar. She talked about building this “bulletproof outer layer”… and how things only really shifted when she started asking for help. This is where founder capacity actually shows up. Not just in how hard you work. But in how you operate. Your ability to be honest about where you’re at and lean on the right people at the right time. In elite sport, this is normal. They have a team of coaches, specialists and experts around them. No one expect athletes to carry it all alone...but Founders are expected to have the same output without that support layer. I dug into this a bit deeper in our latest Life Systems HQ newsletter. I'll drop a link in the comments. We’re also unpacking this properly in a small session today at 12pm where we will be joined by pro-cricketer and The Komo Club member, Peter H. to talk about how athletes approach their systems of high performance and what Founders can learn from it. If this resonates, you’re welcome to join!

Critical Tech Investor Events Shape Mid-Atlantic Innovation on March 26. Pitch Events and Business Forums Accelerate Sector Growth At a glance: Maryland's tech ecosystem converges for investor pitches while Washington DC hosts banking and marketing conferences, signaling heightened VC activity and business strategy sessions critical for software and clean tech financing in the next 48 hours. Technology advance: Howard County Economic Development Authority hosts the Pitch and Mingle Series: Investor Showcase on Thursday, March 26, in Columbia, Maryland, bringing together tech entrepreneurs, ecosystem support organizations, and investors from across Maryland's innovation landscape. This evening event offers key players a platform for meaningful connections, insights into the region's fastest-growing companies, and visibility that could unlock funding for emerging software platforms and AI-driven tools. Read full brief: https://lnkd.in/gQxv9zZt

Had a wonderful session with Nikon and Rashmi at the Better Founders monthly event. Something interesting happens when founders sit together. The conversations are very different from what you see online. No polished stories. No “everything is going great” narratives. Just honest discussions about what it actually feels like to build something. And you quickly realize that many founders are dealing with the same challenges. → Managing cash flow → Dealing with uncertainty → Trying to move fast without breaking everything → Figuring things out with limited resources One thing that came up during our wondering exercise was something many founders rarely talk about openly. Loneliness. Building a company can feel very isolating. Most people only see the outside version of the journey. The launches. The growth. The announcements. But behind the scenes, every founder is navigating doubts, pressure, and decisions that no one else fully understands. That is why communities like Better Founders matter so much. → You learn from other founders’ mistakes → You hear real stories, not curated ones → You gain perspective on your own challenges → Sometimes one conversation can save you months of wrong decisions Grateful to Nikon J. Gormley for organizing this and bringing together such a thoughtful group of founders. Looking forward to the next one.

𝗛𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗼, 𝗜 𝗵𝗮𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗮... That is how the greatest inventions and discoveries in history began. Unconfirmed reports suggest that even Isaac Newton said something along those lines just before he took a closer look at gravity (and that one famous apple). 🍎 That is exactly what my job is about: I want to hear those ideas. It doesn't matter if they are just a spark or already taking shape. Together, we can see if there is something world-changing in them or we can just grab a drink and have a relaxed chat about it. 😉

Many of us are heading to DC next week for two important events. The Hill & Valley Forum will connect key leaders from tech, venture capital, and government, and Satellite 2026 (SATShow Week) will bring together the best in the space industry. Excited to see what’s next and connect with great people!

Human Intelligence Venture Building Meet‑up 1.0 at Gdański Park Naukowo-Technologiczny was a powerful reminder of how fast our perspective on AI collaboration is changing. In our panel together with Andrzej Burgs / Sygnis SA, Michal Lasocki / EEC Ventures, Tomasz Wozniak / Balnord, we went from early‑days experimentation and hype through real adoption lessons, all the way to today’s very concrete challenges around education, skills, and responsibility. We talked about why this feels like an ongoing AI tour for educators, founders, and investors, and how human judgment, values, and trust are becoming the real differentiators in business – not just the algorithms. The energy, exchange of ideas, and pace of the discussion were fantastic – lots of different perspectives, healthy disagreements, and many threads that could each be a separate meetup. The corridor conversations afterwards were even better. It was great to connect and talk more deeply with my fellow panellists before and after the session, and to feel how complementary our experiences are. Huge thanks to Aleksandra Krogulec and SPACE HIVE for the invitation and for creating such a space for tech conversations, and to Radosław Wika, Wojciech Leonowicz, and the GPNT team for hosting and pushing this ecosystem forward one event at a time.

In the Defense Tech Investor Playbook series, a special project produced by the Defender Media team in partnership with and with the support of OPPND, we explore how to start investing in defense startups, who can help, and which investment models exist. In the second article, OPPND lead analyst Pavlo Odnokoz explores Arctic defence technologies investors should watch. Read more: https://lnkd.in/dTPX5RmN #QuoteoftheWeek

A little founder honesty for your timeline: This morning, I found out the AZ Tech Week kickoff is scheduled at the same time as my AZ Tech Week event, and I instantly started doubting everything. I went from logistics to worthiness in about 30 seconds. 🫠 But instead of letting the spiral win, I reached out, asked for guidance, and got the encouragement I needed to keep going. That is the lesson I keep learning and want to leave here: When doubt shows up, do not disappear. Reach out. Get support. Adjust if needed. Keep building. Sometimes the reminder you need is simple: the right people will come. The people meant for your room will find it. Thank you for this encouragement and for sharing my event Melissa Lamson! It means a lot, especially coming from someone who has helped build and champion Arizona’s innovation ecosystem. If you are a founder who wants more clarity around your idea, positioning, and market opportunity, join me: 📍 Stop Building Blind. Find the Gap. Own the Market. 🗓 Monday, April 6 | 6 PM | Mesa Business Builder @ The Studios This 90-minute interactive workshop uses AI-powered prompts and Fortune 500-level strategy frameworks to help you find your white space, nail your positioning, and leave with a validated concept, a one-page business model, and a 30-second pitch. RSVP: https://lnkd.in/gPCd7hau #AZTechWeek #Entrepreneurship #Founders #FindYourWhiteSpace

Most deep tech breakthroughs die in the gap between “brilliant science” and “backable business” — not because the tech is weak, but because the investor network around it is thin and slow to move. On March 31, you get a rare chance to compress months of intros, conferences, and cold outreach into one high-signal virtual day. I’m currently working with a client set to disrupt the wireless communications market by delivering high-speed, secure signals underwater and through underground pipelines — exactly the kind of frontier problem set this event is built for. Why deep tech investors should care If you’re a US-based deep tech, dual-use, or frontier tech investor, you’re likely facing: 💠 Deal flow that’s too generic or not technical enough. 💠 Syndicates that don’t understand long R&D cycles or regulatory drag. 💠 Founders who can build frontier tech but can’t structure capital-efficient, milestone-driven rounds. This event is designed to directly attack those problems. What you get in one day: ✅ 6+ hours of content showing how top funds are actually underwriting risk and structuring rounds in 2026. ✅ 30+ speakers across VCs, angels, LPs, and family offices sharing what’s working right now. ✅ 70+ Zoom breakout rooms hosted by 170+ active investors so you can quickly find people who truly “get” deep tech, dual-use, and industrial innovation. ✅ A session with Foundersuite CEO Nathan Beckord on “Going International Day 1” — ideal for cross-border deep tech and defense plays that must be global from the start. All upside. Zero ticket cost. Zero travel friction. The invite 🔹 Event: Virtual VC Conf (for investors and startups) 🔹 Date: March 31, 2026 🔹 Format: Free, fully virtual on Zoom with structured breakout rooms If you’re a serious investor (GP) or funder (Fund Manager) ready to turn capital deployment into US-based deep tech, dual-use, industrial, or frontier tech a real competitive advantage, let's connect. 👇 Conference link is in the comments. ➕ Follow Byond for more actionable tips for investors on sourcing, evaluating, and backing deep tech founders who can actually ship. #VCCONF #DeepTechVC #DualUseTech #FrontierTech #VentureCapital #DefenseTech #IndustrialTech #AIInvesting #LPInsights #FamilyOffice #AngelInvesting #ByondSolutions

Few conversations here today were more practical or more honest than this investor panel. Moderated by JoJo (Jo Ann) Platt, Senior Contributing Editor, Neurotech Reports, the session pulled back the curtain on what early-stage neurotech investors are actually looking for, and where they think the field is getting ahead of itself. Frank Stonebanks, Founder and Managing Partner of Blackcomb Advisors LLC, Samantha Rector, Partner at XEIA Venture Partners, and Edward Ruppel III, General Partner at Ground Effect and Senior Associate at Nexus NeuroTech Ventures, each brought a distinct investment lens to the table. The conversation ranged from team dynamics and scientific de-risking to the over-saturation of certain sub-segments, with pointed observations about AI platforms collecting data without defensible business models and a focused ultrasound space beginning to look crowded. The panel was equally direct about what moves the needle: founders who know their technology readiness level, can articulate a minimum viable product, and understand how their company fits within a specific fund's portfolio strategy. For the founders in the room, the takeaways were clear. Persistence matters more than a perfect pitch. Knowing your investor's thesis before you reach out matters just as much. And in a field this complex, the line between a moonshot and science fiction comes down to one thing: line of sight to a product.