Mercury

Next Thursday, November 12, get ready for Software Day at the Ion: Blockchain 2.0: Innovating Across Industries! Hear from Samantha Lewis, Ian Epstein and Manolo Sánchez during an engaging conversation on how tech and tech startups are using block chain to innovate, and listen to 60-second pitches from participating startups. See you next week! Register: https://lnkd.in/gGUCYxFZ.

I had the privilege of speaking with students from Gregory LaBlanc & Mahendra R.'s class at UC Berkeley College of Engineering this week along with Marcus Bartram about venture portfolio construction. Looking forward to keeping up with the students moving forward during these dynamic times!

Yesterday, we held the second annual Mercury Halloween Party accompanied by the all-important costume contest. Heath and Samantha won Best Costume but baby Sasha the dragon definitely GoT the most attention. Blair Garrou Aziz Gilani adrian fortino Heath Butler Samantha Lewis Melissa Lutzke Turowsky Jackie Pfister Andreas R. Galliker, CFA Winston Gilpin Dan Watkins Eddie Lou Tolonye Williams Patrick Okorafor, CPA Alex Gras Lisa Roberts Aileen Allen Cameron Mejía

Can't wait to see you all at Software Day at the Ion Houston on 11/12! Manolo Sánchez, the former CEO of BBVA Compass and all-around startup and tech patron, and Ian Epstein, the Global Head of Distribution and Capital Markets at fintech unicorn Republic, are joining me on a panel called “Blockchain 2.0: Innovating Across Industries,” where we'll be discussing how tech startups are using blockchain to innovate and more. Register here for the panel and networking happy hour that follows: https://lnkd.in/gg6YNYRi

What’s the current state of the startup tech job market? I checked in with a few of our executive recruiters Vince Panozzo, Paige Robinson, Rory Verrett, and Scott Uhrig about the job market. ~ Below are some interesting observations they shared: ~ 👉  We've been in a soft white-collar recession in some sectors, especially tech with hiring being the slowest it's been since covid. 👉 However, as financial markets open up, and funding sources loosen a bit, companies will be able to access investment capital and move out of preservation mode and away from "wartime" functional leaders that specialize in budget conservation. 👉 Companies will look toward the future for proven growth-focused leaders who can once again put budgets to work in smart, effective ways. 👉 Right now we're seeing a highly competitive market for tech execs, but as financial constraints ease more opportunities will open up and give tech execs leverage in pursuing their next career move. 👉 It’ll become a great market for great talent! If a candidate has significant breadth (think strategically) and depth (individual contributor execution) to their experience, they may be well positioned as great talent. 👉 AI is at the forefront of everyone’s minds, and founders expect new hires to have significant AI skills and a vision for how AI can be applied to the business. 👉 Great talent knows their value and can run their own processes for their next career move, similar to a prudent employer. 👉 Companies are learning and accepting the reality of what it takes to acquire great talent. 👉 Although remote work remains the most prized asset in any employment offer, as larger companies require more workers to be in office, startups and small businesses may be the best option for talent that prefers to work remotely. This would be a pretty rare, balanced job market specifically for great talent and great companies, as both have high standards and believe they have the upper hand. What do you think?

MealMe, Inc. has raised an $8 million Series A to embed food ordering into your favorite apps and websites. Congratulations to 🍴 Matthew Bouchner, 📈 Will Said, and the rest of the MealMe team!   Get all the details in Lauren Forristal’s TechCrunch article! Link below in the comments.   Any company can seamlessly integrate MealMe’s technology, allowing users to order from over 1 million restaurants, grocery stores, and retailers across North America. The platform currently provides access to inventory data on more than 1 billion products, serving a growing customer base that includes notable names like Tripadvisor, Favor Delivery, and Fantuan Delivery NY.   Just as financial services POS systems have streamlined online banking transactions, MealMe is transforming the eCommerce experience, allowing companies to offer users the ability to order food and groceries, and in the future – any goods, directly from their apps and websites.   As MealMe continues to focus on restaurant and grocery delivery, it is also prioritizing expansion into new verticals within the broader eCommerce industry.   The round was led by Mercury with participation from existing investors Palm Drive Capital and Gaingels. Blair Garrou Aziz Gilani adrian fortino Heath Butler Samantha Lewis Melissa Lutzke Turowsky Jackie Pfister Andreas R. Galliker, CFA Winston Gilpin Dan Watkins Eddie Lou Tolonye Williams Patrick Okorafor, CPA Alex Gras Lisa Roberts Aileen Allen Cameron Mejía

Software Day is November 12th! Samantha Lewis is leading the panel, “Blockchain 2.0: Innovating Across Industries,” featuring Ian Epstein and Manolo Sánchez! Join us for a discussion on how advances in blockchain are driving value creation in legacy industries. A networking happy hour, sponsored by Gunderson Dettmer, and more will follow the panel. Are you looking for 1-on-1 guidance to refine your software ideas? Applications are still open for Office Hours, where software founders get a shot to talk about their ideas with the Mercury network's seasoned investors and industry experts. Important: the deadline to apply is Monday, November 4th. Apply here: https://lnkd.in/gSVhRr_q Not ready for Office Hours? Register to attend the panel and happy hour here: https://lnkd.in/gGUCYxFZ Ion Houston Brad Burke Roslynn Velasquez

Founders: before you look for funding be sure your idea is viable and valuable! Learn more this evening at the Ion Houston. The latest installment of How to Start a Startup will feature Heath Butler and Derrell Noris of Fresh Tech Solutionz. Register here: https://lnkd.in/gG3P3UGr Brad Burke Roslynn Velasquez

Voze secures $12 million in Series A funding to supercharge field sales teams in industrial, manufacturing, and construction. Congratulations to Dan Caffee, Cade Krueger, and the entire Voze team. A huge segment of the U.S. economy, gray-collar industries have long been underserved by the tech sector. With Voze, companies can see a 35% increase in revenue, driven by an AI-enabled sales enablement solution resulting in automated workflows, access to new prospects, increased visibility, and faster communication. Origin Ventures and Mercury co-led the round, joined by Album VC and Pipeline Capital Partners. Read the full story in Axios. The link is in the comments. Dan Merrill Agnes Chiao David Freeman Tom Metcalf Blair Garrou Aziz Gilani adrian fortino Heath Butler Samantha Lewis Melissa Lutzke Turowsky Jackie Pfister Andreas R. Galliker, CFA Winston Gilpin Dan Watkins Eddie Lou Tolonye Williams Patrick Okorafor, CPA Alex Gras Lisa Roberts Aileen Allen Cameron Mejía

We are super excited to formally announce that Aileen Allen has joined Mercury as a Venture Partner.    Recently, Aileen and Blair Garrou caught up with Jishnu Nair at Houston Inno to talk about Aileen’s background and what she’s up to at Mercury.   With decades of operator experience, including several years in the boardroom as a GTM executive, Aileen has worked for VC and PE-backed companies such as Atlassian, Vanta, Tailscale, Gremlin, and Granicus. At Mercury, Aileen is now moving into an investment role where she’s able to share her first-hand experience with founders and seek out great new companies.    Bringing deep go-to-market expertise, Aileen will be working with our team to help drive and prioritize exits for our portcos in addition to advising companies on operational strategies. We’re thrilled to have you on the Mercury team, Aileen! Read more in the full article: https://lnkd.in/gpJfjjQB Aziz Gilani adrian fortino Heath Butler Samantha Lewis Melissa Lutzke Turowsky Jackie Pfister Andreas R. Galliker, CFA Winston Gilpin Dan Watkins Eddie Lou Tolonye Williams Patrick Okorafor, CPA Alex Gras Lisa Roberts Cameron Mejía