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    Business

    The StartUp to ScaleUp Game Plan

    Insights from successful entrepreneurs & VCs: how to globally scale innovative technology ventures

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    Latest Episodes:
    Thinking big - aiming to change the world! Sep 30, 2022

    William Tunstall-Pedoe's claims to fame include, in his first startup, Evi – which he sold to Amazon - creating the AI technology that now powers Alexa in 100s of millions of devices globally, coding the AI software behind the anagrams in the Da Vinci Code, and calculating that April 11th 1954 was the most boring day in history!

    William’s latest venture – Unlikely AI – who’ve recently raised a $20m seed round led by Amadeus & Octopus - is his most ambitious venture yet & could radically change the future of software & AI development

    We explored:

    • why does the world need a contrarian approach to AI?
    • thinking big - aiming to change the world
    • creating magical products that delight customers
    • codifying the company's culture
    • mentoring & investing in dozens of startups

    For more insights into Unlikely AI head over to https://unlikely.ai/ & for advice on recruiting exceptional leaders for startups & scale-ups check out https://alpinasearch.com/


    Blockchain: game-changing technology or marketing hype? Sep 26, 2022

    Ambre Soubiran is the CEO at Kaiko – a cryptocurrency market data provider who in June ‘22 raised a $55m Series B led by Eight Roads. Kaiko aims to become the Bloomberg of the blockchain & cryptocurrency worlds!

    We explored:

    • Why Ambre gave up a successful banking career to build a blockchain startup
    • How blockchain data services will empower decision-makers across many industries
    • Why being too early can become a competitive advantage in a data-centric market
    • Why successful entrepreneurs should obsess less about fundraising- it's not how about raising money, it's how you spend it!
    • How to ensure a diverse international culture from Day 1
    • How Ambre handled closing a Series B & giving birth to her baby on the same evening!

    For more insights into Kaiko head over to https://www.kaiko.com/ & for advice on hiring leaders for B2B SaaS scale-up heads over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Building a European SaaS unicorn Sep 08, 2022

    Bastian Karweg is the Group CEO at Echobot & Leadfeeder – these 2 saas ventures were recently acquired & merged by Great Hill Partners to create a ground-breaking sales intelligence & go-to-market platform & appointed Zoominfo's former CEO, Derek Schoettle, as their Chairman.

    We explored:

    • the strategic thinking & ambition behind the Echobot & Leadfeeder "arranged marriage"
    • the opportunity to combine PLG with sales-led growth in an impactful go-to-market strategy
    • key challenges & opportunities of unifying the 2 brands & the platforms
    • the "unfair advantage" of having Zoominfo's former CEO as your Chairman!
    • how to build a culture of trust throughout your business
    • the ways in which the pandemic has super-accelerated digital adoption in Europe

    For more insights into Echobot & Leadfeeder check out https://www.echobot.com/ & https://www.leadfeeder.com/

    And for advice on recruiting exceptional leadership talent for B2B Saas scale-ups check out https://alpinasearch.com/


    The future of software & the future of work! Aug 22, 2022

    Tariq Rauf is the Founder & CEO at Qatalog - backed by $18.5 million in funding from VCs like Atomico, Mosaic & Salesforce Ventures - whose digital work hub enables organisations to scale fast with transparency, automated knowledge flow, & tightly aligned teams & projects.

    We explored:

    • How Tariq started coding when he was 6, built his 1st software business when he was 12, developed software for major corporations throughout his teenage years & then chose to re-train as an architect!
    • How architects learn to anticipate, & accommodate in their designs, rapid growth in user numbers unlike software designers who typically fail to plan for this
    • The "productivity paradox" - why are productivity tools destroying productivity?
    • Why Covid has, by accident, enabled us to find the ideal working environment for knowledge workers
    • Will the latest generation of employees ever embrace 9-5 working practices & daily commutes?

    For more insights into Qatalog check out https://qatalog.com/ & for guidance on recruiting exceptional leaders for B2B software scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Stravito: building a winning enterprise Saas business Aug 03, 2022

    Thor Olof Philogène is the Co-Founder & CEO at Stravito who've sold their AI-driven saas research & insights platform directly to blue chips like Mcdonalds, Electrolux & Pepsi Lipton.

    We explored:

    • Applying the Eric Ries concept of “validated learnings” when launching a SaaS business
    • How a small European venture can sell enterprise SaaS directly to blue chips like McDonalds
    • Why focus is your best friend - and how to retain that focus as your business grows
    • The advantages of front-load your hiring
    • How to build an effective autonomous culture

    For more Stravito insights check out https://www.stravito.com/ and for advice on hiring exceptional leaders for B2B Saas scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    How to go as fast as possible without the wheels coming off! Jul 27, 2022

    Alex Mifsud is the CEO & Founder at embedded finance disruptor Weavr – who recently raised a $40m Series A led by Tiger Global. Other investors include QED, Anthemis, LocalGlobe, Mubadala Capital and Seedcamp.

    Alex walked me through his:

    • journey from academia to tech entrepreneurship
    • learnings - including "how to go as fast as possible without the wheels coming off"!
    • product philosophy: "put yourself in the shoes of customers and start designing the solution you would love to have if you were them"
    • views on hiring & diversity: “the danger of cloning versus the danger of lone wolves”
    • perspectives on the challenges of being a tech entrepreneur: “if it were a very straight line it would be a really boring job”!

    For more insights into Weavr check out https://www.weavr.io/ and for guidance on hiring leaders for B2B SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    DeepStream – the saas startup helping companies handle supply chain disruption Jul 12, 2022

    Jack Macfarlane is the CEO at DeepStream Technologies.

    DeepStream's SaaS solution delivers a seamless, visible & automated procurement experience to clients like Maersk and BritishVolt.

    DeepStream was originally backed by TechStars and angel investors - before raising a Series A, led by Beringea, in 2021

    Jack discussed:

    • Switching from investment banking to become a tech entrepreneur
    • Ensuring your employees develop a shared winning mentality & contribute to the company's vision
    • Navigating the path from your startup dream to the reality of scaling your business
    • Diversity – building an eclectic mix of people from the outset
    • Why Procurement is changing from a cost centre to a profit-generation centre

    For more insights into DeepStream check out https://www.deep.stream/ and for advice on recruiting leaders for your SaaS scale-up head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Buddy: SaaS startup helping hospitals to improve the patient experience Jul 04, 2022

    Jussi Maatta is CEO & Founder at the Finnish health tech disruptor, Buddy Healthcare.

    Buddy's platform helps healthcare providers reduce their huge waiting lists & enhance the patient experience.

    We explored:

    • implementing agile processes right the way across your organisation
    • how a company's name can encapsulate the company's culture and ethos
    • the pandemic's impact on the demand for virtual care solutions and better patient experiences
    • how Russia's invasion impacted the team's Ukrainian developers
    • staying fit & healthy to cope with the stresses & strains of leading a SaaS startup
    • hiring a dynamic team of diverse individuals to help shape & deliver the company's vision

    For more insights into Buddy Healthcare check out https://www.buddyhealthcare.com/en/

    And for guidance on hiring leadership talent for B2B saas scale-ups, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Sastrify: how to hyperscale & have a lot of fun at the same time! Jun 18, 2022

    Sven Lackinger is the co-founder & CEO at Sastrify - a rapidly scaling SaaS venture who’ve raised $23m dollars from major VCs like HV Capital and FirstMark for their SaaS procurement solution.

    We explored:

    • Why 4 co-founders is too many - you're better off with 2 co-founders who then hire “experts” for the other c-suite roles
    • The benefits of hiring world class talent anywhere in the world & how to build a completely remote team & culture
    • Why Sastrify has launched so many virtual cultural initiatives like Friday Checkouts – where people thank a colleague for something they’ve done and share their weekend plans - and global online chess tournaments to build friendships across timezones and countries
    • How Sastrify are creating a new product category to enable large enterprises to procure and operate their software

    N.B. This episode was recorded in early March 2022 - shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine
    For more insights into Sastrify check out https://www.sastrify.com/ & for advice on hiring leaders to scale your B2B SaaS venture head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Transforming customer engagement & loyalty Apr 04, 2022

    Sampo Parkkinen is the CEO & founder at Revieve whose SaaS platform uses AI, AR & computer-vision to help brands and retailers like Number 7, Superdrug & JC Penney personalise the customer experience and build long term customer relationships.
    We explored:

    • Why scaling yourself - as a leader - is the hardest thing to do as an entrepreneur
    • “The Power Focus” – learning not to chase every opportunity and not to try to put out every fire
    • How & when to transition your SaaS business from focusing on SMBs to winning large enterprise clients
    • Why e-commerce is moving from transaction driven to relationship driven - shaking up the entire consumer brand experience


    For more insights into Revieve check out https://www.revieve.com/ & for guidance on recruiting leaders talent for B2B SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    How to develop a utopian culture in a rapidly scaling SaaS venture? Mar 22, 2022

    Jonas Thordal is the Co-founder & CEO at Weld – funded by VCs like Frontline Ventures & Cherry Ventures
    Weld aims to build the world's most customer-centric data company - empowering customers to unlock the full potential of their data.

    We explored:

    • Building a utopian culture – how to eliminate politics, tedious decision process & hierarchies
    • Why one of your earliest hires should be a People Ops person to prioritise your cultural values
    • Recognising that, even if you've a great product, people are what will make or break your company
    • Developing a company-wide mindset of getting product out there, failing fast, learning & iterating
    • Minimising stress & burnout in a fast-paced startup - including the benefits of meditation to help each individual achieve focus, prioritisation & clarity of purpose

    For more insights into Weld, head over to https://weld.app/

    And for advice on recruiting exceptional leadership for B2B SaaS ventures, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Can algorithms remove bias & improve quality in recruitment? Mar 11, 2022

    Malcolm Burenstam Linder is the Founder & CEO at Series A funded Alva Labs whose digital hiring platform helps organisations improve the quality & diversity of the talent they recruit.

    We explored:

    • why combining data-driven AI & machine learning with psychometrics helps companies improve the quality and diversity of the talent they hire
    • as we struggle with a global pandemic & a horrific European war, should companies behave like elite sports teams & provide their employees with personal coaches & therapists?
    • the challenges of transitioning from being a hands-on but chaotic entrepreneur - who tries to wear every hat - to a confident business leader who delegates to a highly effective leadership team

    For more insights into Alva Labs check out https://www.alvalabs.io/ & for advice on recruiting world class leaders for B2B SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Nethone - Polish scale-up disrupting the global enterprise cybersecurity market Mar 09, 2022

    Hubert Rachwalski is the CEOat Nethone who in 2021 were named Poland’s fastest-growing company in the Deloitte Technology Fast 50

    Nethone provides machine learning-based fraud prevention solutions to online retailers and financial institutions

    We explored:

    • the arms race that pushes software innovators like Nethone to continue to develop advanced technologies and AI to keep pace with the criminals
    • the importance of educating banks & merchants on the risks they face from fraud
    • how a European SaaS startup can sell to international enterprise clients from Day 1
    • how Nethone has successfully hired strong senior talent remotely but faces increased competition in their home market, due to the pandemic, from overseas employers

    For more insights into Nethone head over to https://nethone.com/ and for advice on recruiting stellar leaders for B2B Saas ventures head over to https://alpinasearch.com/

    Please note, this interview was recorded over 2 weeks before Russia invaded Ukraine - hence we did not discuss the implications of the invasion during the podcast


    Investing in start-ups helps you learn how to launch & lead your own business! Feb 28, 2022

    Simon Bird is the CEO & co-founder at RevLifter who combine AI, hyper-personalization, data, algorithms, and cutting-edge UX and design to enable retailers to personalise their online offers.

    Revlifter raised their Series A from Gresham House Ventures & Maven Capital Partners - they’ve rapidly scaled to $10m ARR and sold to online businesses of all shapes & sizes including blue chips like New Balance, Harvey Nichols, Staples and AT&T.

    Simon discussed:

    • How he formulated a successful SaaS business concept on the back of a napkin in a London café!
    • Learning the good, the bad and the ugly of startup leadership by investing in start-ups before you launch your own business
    • Lessons for European Saas businesses looking to replicate their success & their culture in The States
    • “If you’re gonna hire people, they should really be telling you what to do rather than the other way round”
    • The dangers of being too hands-on as a CEO in terms of your mental & physical health – learning how to let go!

    For more Revlifter insights head over to https://www.revlifter.com/ and for guidance on recruiting exceptional B2B SaaS startup & scale-up leaders check out https://alpinasearch.com/


    To become a unicorn, you’ll need multiple product-market fits! Feb 17, 2022

    Arthur Nobel is a Principal at Knight Capital, having previously worked at Rocket Internet & co-founded Flexpat where he went through both the startup hype and the trough of disillusionment!

    Arthur wrote the best-selling book “Leaders of Growth” and hosts the Leaders of Growth Podcast.

    We explored why:

    • The concept of a single product-market fit needs to be re-configured as a continuous journey of multiple product-market fits
    • Arthur's goal - as a VC - is not to make money but to help others succeed & achieve their vision
    • Market-timing is crucial - pre-pandemic, Arthur launched a company to help businesses hire remote workers – but companies did not at that time want remote workforces so the business failed
    • The character of your ideal employee should change significantly at each stage of a company's evolution
    • Entrepreneurs need to quantify their competitive advantage and optimise for this across their entire business

    For more insights into Knight Capital head over to https://www.knight.capital/

    And for guidance on recruiting exceptional leaders for B2B SaaS scale-ups, check out https://alpinasearch.com/


    Gain.Pro: SaaS start-up with a clear path to profitability! Jan 31, 2022

    Nicola Ebmeyer is the co-founder at Gain.Pro - a 3 year old European SaaS fintech looking to become the Bloomberg of the private finance market!

    Gain.Pro already has a stellar list of loyal clients like Bain, Mckinsey, 3i and BCG - their ARR has consistently grown at well over 100% YoY and they've delivered exceptional NRR & NPS

    Nicola explained how Gain.Pro was established from the get-go with a clear understanding of unit economics & a clear path towards profitability.

    We also explored:

    • how a large consultancy like McKinsey provides an excellent career foundation for wannabe entrepreneurs
    • how to ensure you only build products your clients truly need
    • why customer feedback should be treated as a "gift" & never as a problem
    • focusing every employee - whether they be commercial or technical - on a common set of KPIs

    For more Gain.Pro insights check out https://www.gain.pro/ & for guidance on recruiting leadership talent for European B2B SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Can an AI startup help get 1 million people back to work? Jan 24, 2022

    Dr Shay David is the CEO at retrain.ai – a startup developing the world’s leading AI talent intelligence platform to unlock talent insights and optimize the hiring, retention, & upskilling of their employees.

    Shay’s previous venture was Kaltura which he took from inception to $100m+ in revenue – Kaltura ipo’d in 2021.

    Shay discussed:

    • why he wanted to build a software venture to address a global societal problem
    • how retrain.ai will solve the generational skills gap & help get 1 million people back to work
    • key tenets of building a successful software startup: customer centricity, data centricity & focusing on the fundamentals
    • why the US is becoming less of a priority for international software ventures

    For more insights into retrain.ai head over to https://www.retrain.ai/ and for advice on hiring exceptional leadership talent for SaaS scale-ups check out https://alpinasearch.com/


    Teenage entrepreneur shaking up the world of AI & ecommerce! Jan 04, 2022

    Oliver Edholm is a teenage entrepreneur shaking up the world of AI & ecommerce!

    Oliver launched the ecommerce SaaS startup "Depict" - funded by Northzone & EQT - after a spell at Klarna

    Depict uses AI to deliver Amazon-quality product recommendations for any e-commerce store enabling small & medium-sized retailers to compete on a level playing field with their largest competitors.

    Oliver explains how he:

    • dropped out of school after having his worldview transformed by Nick Bostrom's book “Super Intelligence”
    • became the youngest AI researcher in the world at age 15!
    • 1st met his co-founder Anton, & seeded the idea for Depict, at “Effective Altruism”
    • began his entrepreneurial journey, despite a lack of retail relationships or startup experience, at the start of the covid pandemic & joined Y Combinator

    He outlined some key Y Combinator learnings including aim for 100% clarity - even if you're only 80% accurate - in all your communications

    And he explained how meditation can "change the operating system of your mind" - could meditation be a tool that would help other entrepreneurs handle their scale-up challenges more effectively?

    For more insights into Depict check out https://depict.ai/

    And for advice on hiring exceptional leadership talent to scale your B2B SaaS venture, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Founder’s privilege: surround yourself with wonderful human beings! Dec 27, 2021

    Neta Meidav is the CEO of Vault Platform. In 2017, inspired by the #MeToo movement and her own experiences with harassment, Neta left her job as a climate adviser to found Vault.

    Vault is a Series A scale-up pioneering TrustTech - a new category of ethics-enabling workplace technology helping companies address compliance, risk, and HR challenges.

    Neta explained how Vault helps with a range of work issues - including ethics, bullying, racism & sexual harassment. By giving people a voice, "you help them to speak up...you automatically create a more diverse environment".

    We discussed the challenges of being a female tech entrepreneur in a male-dominated sector - studies have shown that female founders face different funding criteria & are actually asked different questions by VCs!

    We explored the founder's privilege of surrounding themselves with great minds & wonderful human beings - and experiencing how "the magic happens" when exceptional people get together.

    Neta also explained why she believes hybrid working is an inferior model - hence Vault, due to the pandemic, has switched from WFO to WFH - and we discussed how companies can ensure the magic still happens when teams are working remotely.

    For more insights into Vault check out https://vaultplatform.com/

    And for advice on hiring global leadership talent for B2B SaaS startups & scale-ups, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Who gives a damn about TAM?! Dec 06, 2021

    Jan Andriessen & Mick Mackaay are Partners at HenQ - a Dutch-based VC investing in European B2B software startups addressing "unexplored problems" & "defining their own markets".
    They've an exceptional track record backing unproven leadership teams who've subsequently scaled massively e.g. SendCloud - who now have 400 employees, 23,000 ecommerce clients & in September 2021 raised a follow-on round of $177m!

    We explored HenQ's refreshing approach to VC investing. For example, HenQ:

    • are dismissive of the metrics that VCs & startups typically obsess over - who gives a damn about TAM?!
    • are a fully remote VC firm - deal-sourcing is almost entirely outbound and digital
    • use advanced algorithms to identify very early stage businesses to invest in
    • typically invest in younger founders who lack a proven track record yet demonstrate the personal traits - e.g. obsessiveness & attention to detail - HenQ believe determine startup success
    • are dismissive of the excessive emphasis VCs traditionally place on charm & charisma
    • aim to ensure every one of their portfolio companies will be successful - this contrasts sharply with the traditional VC model that assumes 1 in 10 portfolio companies will generate huge returns hence the fate of the other 9 matters less


    For more insights into HenQ and their stable of successful B2B Saas scale-ups check out https://henq.vc/ & for guidance on hiring exceptional leaders for B2B Saas ventures head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Migration – a powerful driver of sustainable growth? Nov 17, 2021

    Judith Dada is a General Partner at La Famiglia - a European VC investing in early stage digital disruptors like buynomics and y42.

    We explored a wide-range of topics including:

    • “Learning the craft of VC” is more important than a business school education
    • Migration should be viewed as a powerful driver of growth - hence society's perceptions need to change
    • Migration and remote working can help startups overcome some of their talent scarcity & diversity challenges
    • Augmentation may have more long-term impact on productivity than automation technologies
    • Ethical & philosophical considerations are important for the future of AI - the research of experts like Oxford University’s Luciano Floridi provides thought-provoking insights

    For more information on La Famiglia check out https://lafamiglia.vc/ & for advice on hiring leadership talent at software ventures head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Can AI overcome human bias in VC decisions? Nov 07, 2021

    Eva-Valerie Gfrerer is the founding CEO at MorphAIs - the pioneer in AI-driven VC investment.

    MorphAIs uses a data and technology driven approach to reduce human error & bias & make investments more accurate, transparent and inclusive.
    Eva discussed many data-driven VC topics including:
    ❇️ entrepreneurial talent is equally distributed – it’s the access to capital that isn’t
    ❇️ AI-led decisions can drive more inclusive VC investments and enhanced returns
    ❇️ data-driven behavioural science may help investors evaluate even subtle criteria like passion & perseverance

    For more insights into Morphais head over to https://morphais.com/

    And for guidance on recruiting world class leaders for B2B startups & scaleups, check out https://alpinasearch.com/


    Creating a culture where people will have the best 5 years of their working lives! Oct 29, 2021

    Niels Brochner is a co-founder at Contractbook who provide document & contract automation to 150,000 users across more than 100 countries.
    Contractbook, based out of Copenhagen and now also NYC, have raised $43m – mostly from US VCs Tiger Global, Gradient & Bessemer Venture Partners

    Niels discussed:

    • How to create a culture where people actually want to come to work – where they’ll have the best 5 years of their working life!
    • Why US VCs are more supportive & impactful than European VCs
    • How to identify talent with “StartUp IQ” even if they are not proven rockstars!
    • The lessons business leaders can learn from exceptional sports champions like the NBA’s Steve Kerr

    For more insights into Contractbook check out https://contractbook.com/ & head over to https://alpinasearch.com/ for advice on recruiting exceptional start-up & scale-up leaders


    Camels versus unicorns - which type of scale-up are you?! Sep 24, 2021

    Henry Alty, Investment Director at Gresham House Ventures, invests in process & workflow automation software, digital transformation, & scale-ups looking to improve the use of data & analytics

    We explored:

    • the opportunity to build profitable, sustainable, scale-ups - "camels" - that many investors overlook in their search for unicorns
    • how to scale from 3m-5m ARR to 10m-20m+ ARR - founders must be prepared to invest in expensive leadership talent, & to relinquish control of key functions, to build a genuine scale-up
    • how Gresham's combined PE & VC expertise delivers value to growth companies seeking investors in an increasingly crowded market
    • why founders should take extensive references & really dig into the approach & track record of prospective investors - just as they should do when hiring senior talent

    • why companies who embrace ESG criteria are well-positioned for the challenges of the next decade

    For more insights into Gresham House Ventures check out https://greshamhouseventures.com/

    And for guidance on recruiting leadership talent for growth ventures, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Workvivo: speed + creativity = global success Sep 02, 2021

    John Goulding is the CEO at Workvivo - an employee engagement and communication platform venture he co-founded in 2017 to create an engaging virtual workplace & replace the intranet.

    Workvivo’s growing 200% year-on-year & has over half a million users across more than 80 countries with 100% customer retention!

    Workvivo is backed by Zoom founder Eric Yuan, Frontline Ventures & Tiger Global.

    We explored how:

    • effective CS & strong customer retention fuels great product ideas & makes companies a better, more enjoyable, place to work in
    • a culture that focuses on speed enables you to outmanoeuvre much larger competitors
    • creative employee backgrounds, typically under-valued in the tech sector, are becoming increasingly crucial in shaping successful tech ventures
    • virtual teams and remote working has improved employee creativity during the pandemic
    • young European SaaS ventures can achieve huge success in The States

    For more insights into Workvivo check out https://www.workvivo.com/

    And for advice on scaling B2B software ventures, head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Purpose-driven culture & brand: vital for future market leaders? Aug 31, 2021

    Gary Brotman is the CEO at Secondmind - a UK start-up who've raised $51m from VCs like Amadeus, Atlantic Bridge & Passion Capital to help companies achieve sustainability through machine learning.

    We explored:

    Is building a purpose-driven culture and brand crucial for any business looking to become a market leader?

    How does Secondmind leverage ML to help automotive innovators meet future environmental and regulatory challenges?

    How can you find the signal in the noise to solve business problems?

    Why are usability and trust top priorities for any SaaS venture?

    How can SaaS ventures overcome the challenge of scaling products from research “magic” to impactful commercial products?

    For more insights into Secondmind check out https://www.secondmind.ai/

    For advice on successfully scaling B2B software ventures head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    How can we help startup founders & investors resolve their mental health challenges? Feb 24, 2021

    Yusuf Ozdalga is a Partner at QED Investors and a Board member at Fidel API, Wayflyer, GetGround, Capitalise, Weavr, and Rest Less. He’s also a Jiu Jitsu bronze medalist!
    During our interview we delved into mental health and addiction issues and the Operation Lighthouse initiative:

    • After 1 of their Partners, Greg Mazanec, died from opiate addiction, QED researched the mental health challenges faced by startup investors and founders. They discovered that – due to the huge pressure founders and startup investors are exposed to, they are many times more likely than most to suffer from depression, suicidal thoughts, ADHD or bipolar disorder.
    • So QED and Greg's family together launched Operation Lighthouse to destigmatise mental health and addiction and provide resources to enable people to overcome these challenges tps://theoperationlighthouse.org/

    We also explored Yusuf's learnings from Jiu jitsu - and how these might help us in our professional lives - including how to handle unexpected developments and how to remain resilient in the face of powerful opposing forces.

    And we discussed how people need to be more open-minded about paths so success - in life, in investment, and in business - there are always diverse approaches and perspectives you can leverage and deploy.

    Yusuf explained how QED are leading by example on diversity issues and pushing their portfolio companies to measure and improve their progress with D&I

    We also explored some of QED's major success stories like Wagestream - which is a superbly performing scale-up and a strong legacy that Greg Mazanec has left behind.

    For more insights into QED check out https://qedinvestors.com/ and for support on mental health and addiction challenges head over to https://theoperationlighthouse.org/


    For start-up and scale-up leadership advice - take a look at https://alpinasearch.com/


    Why scalable culture & strong ESG standards will drive post-pandemic success stories Feb 20, 2021

    Emil Gigov, Partner at Albion VC, has been involved in 30 early stage & growth investments during his 2 decades as a VC. We explored:

    • How Europe's VC ecosystem has evolved in the past 2 decades
    • The metrics Albion use to track the ESG (environmental, social, governance) performance of their investments
    • The 3 long-term growth themes that underpin Albion's investment decisions: technology, education and demographics
    • How scalable culture and people processes impact on a startup's ability to grow and raise further rounds of funding
    • Why the VC sector must better communicate the important role they can play in bringing back post-pandemic prosperity

    For more insights into Albion VC check out https://www.albion.vc & for guidance on hiring stellar leadership teams for b2b start-ups & scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    If your message sucks - you’re just farting in the wind! Feb 14, 2021

    Parry Malm is the co-founder and CEO at Phrasee – a scaleup who combine natural language techniques with AI and deep learning to optimize marketing across all digital channels in over 20 languages.

    Funded by Albion VC, Galvanize Capital and Next 15 Communications, Phrasee’s solution is truly revolutionary and delivers major ROI for blue chip clients like Ebay, Virgin Atlantic and Superdry.

    We explored the underlying problem that Phrasee set out to address - lots of companies focus on optimizing the operational efficiency of a marketing campaign: "You click a button and a million messages go out to a million people. But what if that message sucks?!”

    We discussed how Phrasee has placed ethics front and centre – in terms of the way the company is run, the solutions they offer and the clients they work with - for example, Phrasee recently rejected the opportunity to work with a US client who sold guns and ammunition.
    And we critically examined the VC ecosystem:

    • “For all that VCs say about backing innovators – what they are actually doing is backing incrementors!”
    • Many entrepreneurs are obsessed with the meaningless paper valuations of their private VC rounds - what ultimately matters is what you can do to capitalise your value for founders, employee option holders and investors

    Parry explained how startups like Phrasee can begin by dominating a narrow market and then expand into complementary areas.

    And we discussed why it's so crucial for founders to ensure "you have a killer management team at the top", set them guidelines and boundaries, and then "get the f*** out of there and let them get on with it!"

    We also discussed how Phrasee responded proactively to the pandemic and Parry's view that the winners in every global crisis are always the ones who adapt and don’t suffer from institutional inertia preventing them from moving forward.

    Finally we discussed Phrasee's brilliant naming taxonomy for each product component and each project team - based on the characters in The Simpsons!

    For more insights into Phrasee's digital marketing AI solutions check out https://phrasee.co and for guidance on recruiting rockstar executive talent for B2B SaaS start-ups and scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    Forever changing how organisations succeed - scientifically! Feb 07, 2021

    Pierre Lindmark is the CEO at Winningtemp – 1 of Europe’s fastest growing B2B SaaS scale-ups

    Winningtemp’s vision is to provide the science behind successful organisations - to forever change how organisations succeed!

    The company serves 700 clients in 23 countries leveraging advanced AI and providing science-based insights to dramatically reduce employee turnover and sick leave.

    We explored:

    • Why founders and entrepreneurs need to train themselves to sell from Day 1 – even if they don’t feel comfortable selling
    • How to create the mentality in your organisation to ensure that everyone is selling
    • Why early employees tend to be gladiators who, as the organisation scales, must evolve into laser-focused soldiers
    • How CEOs can use weekly vision boards to tap into the dreams and strengths of every employee - to ensure they're up to speed with their emerging talent
    • Why the pandemic's impact on employee motivation and emotional well-being demonstrates the need for leaders to introduce more empathetic communication - and some specific tips on how to do this

    For more insights into Winningtemp check out https://winningtemp.com and for guidance on recruiting exceptional leaders for B2B SaaS scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    Creating a billion dollar story for your investors! Jan 10, 2021

    Eugene Kruglov is co-founder at AppFollow – a European scaleup who help businesses review and analyse their mobile app user sentiment, streamline customer support, and automate competitor and customer analysis to strengthen product roadmaps.

    Appfollow have more than 70,000 global clients — from small and medium-sized businesses to blue chips like McDonald’s, Disney, Sky and Sony – and they recently raised a Series A led by Nauta Capital.

    We explored:

    • How AppFollow's founders switched from their initial idea of a quick profitable exit to creating a new market category and a billion dollar global story for their investors
    • Why and how they established a truly remote culture from the company’s earliest days - the lessons they've learned that could help companies who've been forced to switch to remote working due to the pandemic
    • The benefits of an exceptionally open communication policy - AppFollow encourage every employee to ask and share business questions & insights online and key company metrics are shared company wide e.g. MRR, churn and upsell are shared with every single employee

    For more insights into AppFollow check out https://appfollow.io and for guidance on recruiting stellar leadership talent for B2B Saas startups and scaleups check out https://alpinasearch.com


    Tookitaki: creating a new product category in financial & regulatory compliance Jan 06, 2021

    Abhishek Chatterjee is the CEO at Tookitaki – a disruptive AI scaleup looking to shake up the world of financial and regulatory compliance.

    Tookitaki raised $20m in funding from the likes of Viola, Nomura and Illuminate Financial - and they’ve deployed their solution at a number of Tier 1 banks in Asia, Europe and North America.

    In 2019, The World Economic Forum recognised Tookitaki as a Technology Pioneer for its ability to shape the industry and society in new and exciting ways.

    We explored how Tookitaki is creating a modular "compliance-as-a-service" category along with an ecosystem of partners leveraging their open APIs
    And we discussed the important role Tookitaki's culture had played in the growth of the company and their successful engagement with demanding clients.
    Some of the key learnings Abhishek highlighted were:

    • You must set-up metrics from the earliest stages in a company’s evolution so you can track, measure and improve
    • Product-market fit is not fixed - it's a continuous journey, hence you need to keep talking to your customers and evolve your products over time as your customer needs evolve
    • It's crucial to focus on a winnable segment – define and build your beachhead, then double down

    For more insights into Tookitaki check out https://www.tookitaki.ai and for guidance on recruiting stellar leaders for B2B startups and scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com



    How Emburse are creating a culture of inclusion and diversity Dec 26, 2020

    Eric Friedrichsen is the CEO at Emburse - who humanize work by empowering business travelers, finance professionals and CFOs to eliminate manual, time-consuming tasks. Emburse has 14,000 customers for their AP and expense management solutions - from start-ups to global blue chips like Grant Thornton, Telefónica, Lufthansa and Toyota.

    We explored Emburse's determination to create a culture of inclusion and diversity: "If we aren’t part of solving the problem we are perpetuating the problem!"

    We discussed their core values "SEEIT": Sincerity, Empowerment, Empathy, Individuality, Teamwork and some of their specific D&I initiatives. For example, Emburse gave all employees a vacation & "personal reflection" day on Juneteenth – prompted by the George Floyd killing and concerns about systemic racism in society.

    We also examined what it means to be a “customer-led” company – rather than a sales-led or product-led company.

    And we discussed how Emburse was helping its employees cope with the stresses of 2020 - with an unlimited PTO policy and the rollout of Emburse Unplugged Days which are compulsory 1x a month for every employee and have even led to the growing reputation of their house band “The Bad Receipts”!
    For more insights into Emburse check out https://www.emburse.com and for guidance on hiring world class leaders for B2B Saas startups and scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    How to build a data-driven SaaS scaleup, a learning culture, & a new product category Dec 14, 2020

    Roope Heinila is the CEO at Smarp – a saas scaleup disrupting the global market for employee engagement and communications.

    We explored Roope's learnings during a difficult first 18 months as an entrepreneur a decade ago, when only his Granny's loan enabled the company to survive!
    We examined the rationale for Smarp's pivot from edtech to employee engagement and advocacy.

    And we discussed how Smarp has developed and prioritised a learning culture across the entire organisation.

    Finally, we discussed the dramatic changes resulting from the covid pandemic - with organisations needing to find an effective and targeted way to communicate with globally dispersed workforces in a targeted manner - which have massively increased demand for Smarp's solution from large international enterprises like Amazon and the "Big Four" consulting firms.

    For more insights into Smarp check out https://smarp.com/ and for guidance on hiring stellar executive talent for saas startups and scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    Is Europe's VC Ecosystem Closing The Gap on The States? Nov 29, 2020

    Erin Platts heads up Silicon Valley Bank (SVB) in EMEA and she’s led their growth across the region for over a decade.
    We discussed the huge transformation in the European ecosystem in last 5-6 years in terms of:

    • Number of repeat entrepreneurs
    • Depth and sophistication of capital
    • Local aspiration & skillset to create global category leaders
    • Diversification of business sectors being served by startups

    We also explored Erin's concerns that Europe's B2B saas ventures - many of whom appear robust despite the pandemic - may be over-optimistic especially if churn in Q4 2020 and Q1 2021 is higher than expected

    And we evaluated the shift to WFH both for SVB and for the VC-backed tech community:

    • Zoom has evened up the playing field for companies who no longer need to be located in London, Cambridge or Berlin to have access to Europe’s best funding and networking opportunities
    • Efficiency has in many businesses, including SVB, improved - however Erin feels that effectiveness may tail off if we continue to operate 100% virtually for many more months
    • The tactical measures SVB has introduced to support employees mental health and wellbeing and "improve the bifurcation between work & home life”

    For more insights into SVB head over to https://www.svb.com/uk and for advice on hiring leadership talent for B2B SaaS ventures check out https://alpinasearch.com


    CEO's - Do You Really Understand The Difference Between a CRO & a VP Sales?! Nov 20, 2020

    Pete Crosby is Chair of the Manchester Revenue Collective, founding member of the London Revenue Collective, and non-exec at Kluster, a revenue analytics platform.

    Previously Pete led revenue growth at Ometria and Triptease – 2 successful B2B SaaS scaleups – and he drove commercial operations at Viadeo from Series A to IPO.

    In a hard-hitting interview, we explored:

    DIVERSITY

    • "Leaders should lead – even when it’s difficult to do so"
    • Diversity is one of the tough challenges business leaders are failing to tackle
    • Putting a black square on your linkedin profile does not demonstrate you’re dealing with diversity challenges!
    • The “Unbiased Playbook” is a comprehensive diversity hiring playbook recently launched by the Revenue Collective
    • The playbook suggests, for example, that you need to “pump prime it early on" to encourage people of diverse backgrounds to come and work for your business

    CEO FAILINGS WITH SALES LEADERSHIP HIRING DECISIONS

    • Founders and CEOs are advised by VCs and "well-meaning but stupid books" that you should hire someone to lead revenue for 18 months then get rid of them
    • When sales are not happening - as company leaders and investors expect - they focus on the symptom not the cause
    • The underlying problem is typically product or positioning - firing your sales leader will not resolve this
    • Few CEOs understand the differences between the tactical leadership you get with a VP Sales and the strategic leadership you get with a CRO - and when and why you should hire either profile

    For more information on the Revenue Collective check out https://www.revenuecollective.com and for advice on recruiting exceptional leaders for B2B Saas startups and scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    Nikola Mrksic: 1st-time CEO challenges & learnings Nov 08, 2020

    Nikola Mrksic is CEO at PolyAI – a Cambridge University spinout who raised $14m in VC funding for their automated customer service solutions

    We explored why:

    • society will be so much better off once fully automated CS solutions replace tedious customer service roles
    • true conversational AI is so much more impactful than the "glorified chatbots" most organisations deploy
    • being a 1st-time CEO with a technical background is such a joyful experience of personal growth
    • recruiting your initial senior hires is so tricky - yet so crucial for business success and CEO sanity!
    • the US market is so far ahead of Europe in terms of technology adoption & product management expertise

    For more insights into the future of work & customer service automation check out https://www.polyai.com and for guidance on recruiting stellar leadership & senior executive talent for B2B SaaS startups & scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    Dawn Capital: Evaluating CEOs on Their Ability to Build a Kick Arse Team! Nov 02, 2020

    Mina Mutafchieva is a VC at Dawn Capital – 1 of Europe’s largest venture capital firms who recently raised their 4th fund - a $400m fund investing in Europe’s most promising early stage B2B Saas ventures

    We explored why:

    • Dawn Capital's #1 criteria in evaluating a CEO is "can they build a great team around them – can they inspire & attract talent they do not yet deserve?"
    • resilience is becoming the #1 personality trait you need as an entrepreneur
    • business leaders need to realise they are there to build a company & not to try to fix everything themselves
    • it was a “piece of cake” to raise a $400m VC fund in Europe in 2020!
    We also discussed the most challenging aspects of being a VC including "you’re only as good as the entrepreneurs you invest in" and how Mina's role has expanded during the pandemic to incorporate emotional counselling
    For more Dawn Capital insights check out http://dawncapital.com & for guidance on recruiting exceptional leaders for B2B SaaS ventures head over to https://alpinasearch.com

    Nihal Mehta, Eniac Ventures - you learn the most from epic failures! Oct 18, 2020

    Nihal Mehta, General Partner at Eniac Ventures, experienced the pain of building a tech venture that failed during the dotcom collapse. He's subsequently founded & exited several successful tech ventures - Nihal was also an early investor in the likes of Uber and Admob – so he’s got a pretty strong track record spotting disruptive companies with unicorn potential!

    We explored:

    • the resilience of New York city - despite covid
    • lessons learnt from the dotcom collapse that today’s tech entrepreneurs can leverage
    • the need for tech founders to be able to answer this question: “Are you 1 of the very few teams in the world that could pull off this mission?”
    • how to use Twitter and LinkedIn to engage with enterprise prospects & clients
    • the mental health issues facing entrepreneurs and tech leaders during the pandemic
    • why Eniac's portfolio has been actively hiring ethnic & gender diversity board members & employees

    For more insights into Eniac Ventures, head over to https://eniac.vc & for gudiance on recruiting leadership talent for tech startups & scaleups check out https://alpinasearch.com


    Tech scaleups: making a difference to society & to the environment Oct 16, 2020

    Emily Bremner heads up operations & scaling at Signal – a UK scaleup who’ve raised $52m in funding from the likes of Redline Capital, MMC Ventures, Hearst Ventures, GMG Ventures & Frontline Ventures. Signal’s solution uses machine learning to help their clients track the competitive landscape & monitor their reputation & key regulatory changes — empowering them to make smarter, faster, business decisions.

    We explored:

    • Why ESG - Environmental, Social and Governance - objectives are crucial for tech ventures & for society
    • How Signal's solutions help their clients embrace ESG
    • The initiatives Signal has implemented to strengthen diversity & inclusivity including:
      • diversity shortlist quotas
      • prioritising candidate abilities rather than focusing on “markers of prestige”
      • recalibrating their Board and Advisory Board to better reflect and lead their D&I aspirations
    • How Signal has changed - in terms of structure and hiring practices - to handle rapid growth in revenues & headcount
    • Since "businesses grow exponentially and people often grow linearly" – ideas for supporting employees who cannot grow with the business
    • Why startups & scaleups need to be careful not to be seduced large blue chip employers on candidates' CVs
    • Tools & techniques Signal have implemented to build a harmonious & highly effective global team that performs effectively in a WFH environment

    We also discussed how Emily's inspirations come not from the Tech/VC community - but from the likes of Dave Chapelle (stand-up comedian) & Neil deGrasse Tyson (US astrophysicist) who's advice includes: “if you're good at bullshitting people, you're not hanging out with the right people”!

    And Emily recommended all startups and scaleups can learn valuable lessons from these 2 books: The 5 Dysfunctions of a Team (Patrick Lencioni) and The Lean Startup (Eric Ries)

    For more insights into Signal check out https://www.signal-ai.com/ and for guidance on recruiting stellar senior talent at B2B tech startups & scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com/


    How can founders prove to investors they'll be hiring machines? Oct 05, 2020

    Ricardo Sequerra is a Partner at Point 9 Capital in Berlin. Point 9 invests in early stage b2b SaaS ventures & they’ve backed several unicorns including Zendesk and Typeform!

    We explored how & why early stage venture founders should:

    • convince VCs of potential product market fit
    • prove to investors they'll be hiring machines
    • hire a Head of People long before they start scaling rapidly
    • expand into The States to access proven scaleup leadership talent

    We also chatted about Ricardo's most amusing investment pitch experience - when a Brazilian entrepreneur pitched Ricardo moments after he'd finished praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem!

    For more insights into Point 9 Capital check out http://pointnine.com & for advice on hiring stellar startup & scaleup leaders head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    How to fund your Saas startup with superstars like Thierry Henry instead of VCs! Sep 28, 2020

    Gareth Capon is the CEO & Founder at Grabyo – a cloud-based video platform working with over 70 premium broadcasters, sports properties & digital publishers including FOX Sports, The Premier League, FC Barcelona, BT Sport and Sky.

    We explored how Grabyo:

    • raised their funding from soccer stars Robin Van Persie, Thierry Henry & Cesc Fabregas and NBA star Tony Parker
    • have maintained better control of destiny during the pandemic than many of their VC-funded peers
    • are lowering their clients' carbon footprint – & helping them during lockdowns - as content can now be created from events without the need to be physically present

    We also discussed the future of the broadcast/video sector as it shifts rapidly to a streaming-led model

    For more insights into Grabyo check out https://about.grabyo.com/uk/ & for advice on hiring stellar talent to scale B2B saas ventures head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    How to launch your own VC fund & shake up the old boys networks! Sep 20, 2020

    Matt Penneycard is co-Founder at Ada Ventures, a $34m London-based venture capital fund investing in overlooked founders. Ada Ventures launched in December 2019 to shake up the “old boys networks” & unconscious biases that dominate the VC world

    With humility & candour, Matt describes:

    • Ada's desire to invest in founders who are consumed by the need to effect change and create massive ROI
    • How true early stage VC investing in the UK trails other markets especially the US
    • The lack funding for under-served markets e.g. female-led companies
    • The challenges of raising and running your 1st VC fund
    • How Ada drives dealflow through a unique network of scouts – these are leaders of diverse tech/startup communities who source deals & receive differentiated incentives

    At the end of the podcast Matt proposed Ada Ventures as anchor investor in "Headhunter Ventures" if Gary were to launch his own VC fund;)

    For more insights into Ada Ventures check out https://www.adaventures.com & https://medium.com/ada-ventures

    And for guidance on hiring leadership talent for startups & scaleups head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    Will AI make us all superhuman? Sep 14, 2020

    Dennis Kayser is the founding CEO at Forecast who raised $5.5m in 2019 for their SaaS solution which leverages artificial intelligence to transform project management & professional services.

    We explored:

    • Having launched the business in Copenhagen, why Dennis chose London for Forecast’s commercial HQ
    • Overcoming Covid’s challenges through flat structures & autonomous teams used to working remotely
    • How Forecast, from its inception, was created with a diverse workforce reflecting their diverse target customers - their 60 employees comprise 18 nationalities and a 50-50 gender split
    • How and why AI will make all of us superhuman!
    • Why Dennis decided to accept funding from a VC who valued Forecast 3x less than other VCs had valued the business
    • Why founders should not get starstruck just because a high profile VC reaches out to them

    For more insights into Forecast head over to https://www.forecast.app & for advice on hiring stellar B2B SaaS scale-up talent check out https://alpinasearch.com


    Brad Feld: helping CEOs overcome covid's psychological challenges & build diverse leadership teams Sep 06, 2020

    Brad Feld has been an early stage investor & entrepreneur for 30 years. He co-founded Foundry Group, Mobius Venture Capital, Intensity Ventures & Techstars. Brad’s also a published author & a long-distance runner who’s completed dozens of marathons!
    We discussed:

    • Brad's new book - "The StartUp Community Way" - and explored why the theory of complex systems is so crucial for startup & scaleup leaders
    • The psychological challenges Brad has faced during his career as an entrepreneur and investor
    • The importance of regular emotional, physical and intellectual resets
    • The steps Brad has taken to help his portfolio CEOs overcome the psychological/emotional challenges they've faced in 2020
    • Why Brad recently committed to getting at least one non-white board member - and preferably at least one female AND one non-white board member - on every board he serves, even if it means giving up his board seat
    • The other actions Brad's encouraging to improve diversity within his portfolio

    For more insights into startup communities check out https://startupcw.com & for guidance on hiring & retaining stellar tech startup & scaleup leadership talent head over to https://alpinasearch.com





    The Infinite Era of Marketing: how to outperform your competitors Sep 03, 2020

    Mathew Sweezey, Director of Market Strategy at Salesforce, has developed a radical view of the Future of Marketing with huge implications for ambitious tech ventures. We explored:

    • the crucial differences between the "Infinite Era of Marketing" and the Digital Era
    • why purpose-driven businesses have significant competitive advantages in the Infinite Era
    • why B2B ventures who create experiences will outperform those who merely create messages
    • the increasing importance of AR, VR & "XR" for B2B marketers
    • why companies need to create a new C Suite leadership role, & change their structure, to optimise for customer experience across the entire customer journey


    For more insights into the Future of Marketing head over to https://mathewsweezey.com/future-of-marketing-2019/ & for advice on successfully scaling your B2B software venture check out https://alpinasearch.com


    The downside of accepting TOO MUCH funding from VCs! Aug 27, 2020

    Marlon Nichols is Managing General Partner at MaC Venture Capital – a West Coast VC investing in technology companies that create infectious products benefiting from shifts in cultural trends & behaviours in an increasingly diverse global marketplace. Marlon’s also on the Board of Directors of Kauffman Fellows, is an Adjunct Professor at Cornell, and was previously Director of Investments at Intel Capital.

    We discussed:

    • The challenges facing BAME VCs & BAME entrepreneurs trying to raise funding for their funds & their startups
    • Why it is a financial as well as a moral imperative to invest in diversity: “even if you’re not a decent human being - at least be a selfish & fiduciary human being”
    • The risk that startups who raise too much capital too early will lose focus & struggle to gain traction

    For more insights into MaC Ventures head over to https://macventurecapital.com & for advice on recruiting exceptional talent to scale your software venture check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Entrepreneurs: Please Do Not Stalk VCs Via Their AirBnb Listings! Aug 19, 2020

    William McQuillan was the youngest Partner of a European VC fund when he co-founded Frontline Ventures in 2012. An early stage venture capital fund with €110m under management, Frontline has made over 40 investments across Europe.

    We explored:

    • Frontline Ventures “platform” offering - the 1st to be launched by a European VC firm
    • How the platform enables Frontline to track everything they do to add value to their portfolio
    • The shocking stats Frontline uncovered on gender & ethnicity in dealflow
    • The specific steps VCs can take to improve their ability to support diverse businesses
    • The criteria Frontline evaluate when investing in companies with no products & no revenues
    • How an entrepreneur tracked William down on AirBnb then rented a room so he could pitch him!

    For more insights into Frontline Ventures head over to https://www.frontline.vc & for advice on hiring stellar leadership talent for your enterprise software scale-up check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Faisal Galaria: How to Innovate Your Way Out Of A Crisis! Aug 18, 2020

    Faisal Galaria is the CEO at Blippar – a high profile augmented reality venture. Faisal previously held leadership positions at some of the world’s most disruptive technology companies including Spotify, Kayak & Skype.


    We explored how:

    • Blippar is innovating its way out of the pandemic
    • Faisal decided to join Blippar after the formerly high profile AR scaleup was rescued from administration
    • Technology adoption trends and covid's impact on society are generating huge opportunities for augmented reality
    • Blippar created a truly revolutionary product launch for OnePlus when their Nord 5G smartphone was launched entirely via AR & livestreamed globally to 0.5m people

    For more insights into Blippar and augmented reality head over to https://www.blippar.com & for advice on hiring stellar leadership talent for tech startups & scaleups check out https://alpinasearch.com


    Oyster: The Tech Venture Determined to Reduce Inequality Aug 14, 2020

    Tony Jamous is the CEO at Oyster - a talent platform that enables companies to hire great people anywhere on the planet. Previously Tony co-founded Nexmo – a cloud communications platform – & led them to a $230m exit!


    We explored:

    • How Nexmo grew from 10m to 100m ARR in 6 years & how leadership style & organisational structure evolved at each stage of growth
    • Why Nexmo chose to exit via M&A in preference to the IPO route chosen by their US competitor Twilio
    • How Oyster reduces inequality by lowering the barrier for companies in any country to hire talent in any country
    • How virtual organisations reduce the differentials between extroverts & introverts and improve employees' mental health
    • Why Oyster partnered with Connect Ventures as an investor who shared their goals for “Impact 2.0” in preference to other VCs who's interest was purely ROI

    For more insights into Oyster's platform check out https://www.oysterhr.com/ & for advice on hiring diverse, high impact, B2B software scaleup leaders head over to https://alpinasearch.com


    This is The Perfect Time To Be Bold & Disruptive! Aug 10, 2020

    Pontus Noren pioneered the "cloud-native" approach as CEO at Cloudreach, the scaleup he founded in 2009 – just after Lehman Brothers collapsed - & led to an exit in 2017.

    By the time Blackstone acquired the business, Cloudreach was a Leader in the Gartner Magic Quadrant, ranked top 25 in The Sunday Times Hiscox Tech 100, & ranked by the FT as one of Europe’s fastest growing companies

    Pontus is now the Chair of Tyk – an opensource API platform startup - & an advisor to several tech startups & scaleups

    We explored:

    • The huge opportunity for startups to sell to large companies who need to shake everything up due to the pandemic
    • The mantra: “What you don’t do is as important as what you do do!”
    • The learning: “I’ve often recruited people too fast but I’ve never fired someone too fast!”
    • The devastating consequences of senior mis-hires
    • To avoid panic hires: how to plan your organisational design based on your expectations of future market opportunities & challenges

    For more insights into Tyk head over to https://tyk.io & for guidance on hiring & retaining senior talent in B2B startups & scaleups check out https://alpinasearch.com


    A model for diversity & inclusion in VC & tech Aug 02, 2020

    Janneke Niessen is a serial entrepreneur, investor, board member & mentor for startups and the co-founder of CapitalT, a VC fund investing in software startups using proprietary technology to evaluate entrepreneurial teams.

    She’s also the co-initiator of InspiringFifty - which aims to increase diversity in tech by making female role models more visible.

    Janneke’s won many awards for her contribution to tech and society including EY Entrepreneur of the Year in 2014 & Harper’s Bazaar Women of the Year in 2019


    We explored:

    • Why VCs need to be more diverse if they are to invest in diverse startups - & why this is also important for ROI
    • The mental health struggles most entrepreneurs experience & the support networks to help them cope
    • How the entrepreneurial bug drives us forward despite the pain we all go through!
    • CapitalT's proprietary platform "VCVolt" which - based on 5 years of deep research into the performance of a thousand entrepreneurial teams - helps Janneke & her colleagues evaluate leadership teams, select which companies to invest in, & provide ongoing support to help portfolio companies fine-tune their teams

    For more insights into CapitalT head over to https://www.capitaltvc.com & for advice on successfully scaling your enterprise software venture check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Don’t Hire Someone from IBM to Ramp Your Startup Revenues! Jul 26, 2020

    Bethany Ayers, CCO at Peak.ai, has a track record leading high-growth SaaS businesses in GTM strategy, rapidly scaling their sales organisations, delivering profitable partnerships & fundraising from VCs.

    Peak - who raised a $19m Series A from MMC & Praetura - have deployed their enterprise AI solution at bluechips like PepsiCo & Asos to accelerate growth, profitability & sustainability.

    We discussed:

    • hiring proven scale-up sales talent to ramp ARR from $1m to $10m!
    • changing organisational structures & incentives to align outcomes in sales, marketing & customer success
    • implementing ideas from brilliant thinkers like Patrick Lencioni to create high performance organisations
    • avoiding vanity metrics & over-engineered KPIs
    • overcoming imposter syndrome
    • the challenges of diversity hiring - especially in senior roles & key functions like enterprise sales

    Bethany recommends these books for any scale-up business leader:

    • Patrick Lencioni's "Overcoming the Five Dysfunctions of a Team" - especially the Manga version!
    • Verne Harnish's "Scaling Up"
    • "Tribal Leadership" by Dave Logan, John King, Halee Fischer-Wright

    For more insights into Peak head over to https://peak.ai & for advice on hiring proven scale-up talent check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Hussein Kanji: don't waste time with VCs unless you're a hyperscale startup! Jul 24, 2020

    Hussein Kanji - Hoxton Ventures co-founder - is a US-born, London-based VC who's funded scaleups like Deliveroo, Darktrace & Behavox & was named by The Daily Telegraph as Europe’s most influential technology investor!

    Hussein explains why:

    • Entrepreneurs should only approach VCs if they've a hyper-scale startup!
    • Lack of talent with genuine scale-up credentials cripples the growth of European tech ventures
    • European startups should quickly scale their sales & marketing teams in The States
    • VCs, despite their high-achieving backgrounds, must learn how to be the dumbest person in the room!
    • Partners at small VC firms must be prepared to tread a lonely path - they'll have negligible access to mentors & coaches

    For more insights into venture investing head over to https://www.hoxtonventures.com & for advice on scaling software ventures check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Leanne Kemp: How will blockchain make the world a better place by 2030? Jul 13, 2020

    How will the blockchain & the "circular economy" create a better world by 2030?

    Leanne Kemp is the CEO @ Everledger – an award-winning scale-up who use blockchain, artificial intelligence, intelligent labelling & IOT to increase transparency in global supply chains. Leanne is also Chief Entrepreneur at The Office of Queensland Australia and an Advisor to the OECD and the World Economic Forum
    We explore:

    • Why blockchain technologies are a force for the good in terms of supply chain transparency & trust
    • How blockchain will transform the World Wide Web into the World Wide Ledger
    • The circular economy & why will this change the world for the better by 2030!
    • Sustainability: how to use web 4.0 technologies to convert waste into value
    • How regional collaboration between government, academia & startups can produce many successful “zebras” as opposed to rare, hyper-successful, unicorns!
    • Why the innovation delivered by “quiet achievers” should inspire us more than the hyperbole of iconic entrepreneurs who make it to the front page of Time Magazine

    For more insights into blockchain & the circular economy head over to https://www.everledger.io & for advice on successfully scaling B2B software ventures check out https://alpinasearch.com


    Sakari Pihlava: have 18 months runway when you pivot - or your business is doomed! Jul 10, 2020

    Sakari Pihlava is a General Partner @ Vendep Capital investing in European B2B SaaS ventures. We explored:

    The advantages of product-led growth strategies versus marketing-led strategies

    How to identify consumer-like customer segments who can help generate hockey stick growth for B2B Saas ventures

    How to pivot effectively:

    • Pivots should never be incremental - they must be significant strategic shifts

    • Whenever you pivot, you must ensure you've 18 months runway - otherwise your business is doomed!

    For more insights into Vendep Capital head over to https://www.vendep.com & for advice on hiring stellar senior talent for your B2B SaaS venture check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Mark McDermott - would you like to deliver 6x revenue ramp & transition from SME to blue chip clients? Jul 07, 2020

    Mark McDermott is Co-Founder & CEO at ScreenCloud, funded by Point 9 Capital, who supercharge the way companies display, interact with, & act upon key news & insights. We explored:

    • How to deliver a full platform rebuild whilst ramping your revenues 6x!
    • How to recruit a distributed team across 3 continents & how to flex the culture locally without sacrificing your core organisational values
    • Why scale-ups must hire leaders who’ve rapidly scaled small businesses previously: neither early stage startup nor blue chip experience prepare you for the unique challenges of a scale-up
    • How teaching fitness & gym classes has grown Mark's confidence in public speaking as well as his physical & mental health
    • Why the pandemic requires leaders to be more empathetic & more open in their internal communications
    • How ScreenCloud's pre-emptive action to offer to credit their clients - before CV19 lockdowns became widespread - has built trust & alignment with their customers

    For more insights into ScreenCloud head over to https://screen.cloud & for advice on successfully scaling your enterprise software venture check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Andre Francois: How to effectively evaluate WFH employee engagement & motivation Jul 05, 2020

    Andre Francois is the CEO & co-founder at Happy at Work who's digital solution helps organisations measure & monitor their well-being and create sustainable work environments - rather pertinent in 2020 when people, businesses and society are suffering immense health and wellness challenges!

    This episode was recorded in late April 2020: Andre was in lockdown in Budapest – where he relocated before the COVID19 pandemic to join Design Terminalʼs startup accelerator


    Key insights from our conversation include:

    • How to evaluate employee engagement levels & motivation in remote work environments
    • Routines are crucial for remote teams - how to get the best out of your WFH teams
    • How to ascertain if your business is ready to relocate to join a startup accelerator
    • Creating a strong culture & replicating it overseas is challenging - Andre outlines his tips for overcoming these challenges

    To find out more about employee engagement & well-being head over to http://bit.ly/happy_at_work_io and for guidance on hiring talent for B2B SaaS scale-ups check out https://alpinasearch.com


    Rav Dhaliwal - there's no such thing as post-sales! Jul 01, 2020

    Rav Dhaliwal, now a Venture Partner @ Crane Venture Partners, has 20 years of leadership positions in hypergrowth enterprise software ventures like Slack, Zendesk & Yammer.

    We explored why enterprise technology CEOs & leadership teams must:

    • ensure customer success is everyone's priority - hence there is (or should be) no such thing as post-sales!
    • change their hiring processes to ensure they hire for customer-success behaviours
    • update remuneration models to incentivise customer success behaviours
    • prioritise change management expertise across all leadership roles
    • implement hiring processes that enable them holistically to understand the behaviour of candidates before they are hired

    For more insights into Crane Ventures head over to https://crane.vc & for advice on recruiting & retaining senior talent to scale-up your enterprise SaaS venture check out https://alpinasearch.com



    Mark Roberge - The Science of Re-establishing Growth: Where, When & How? Jun 21, 2020

    Mark Roberge is the MD @ Stage 2 Capital, Prof @ HarvardHBS, former CRO @ HubSpot & author of best seller "The Sales Acceleration Formula"

    We explored:

    • Lessons from the 2008/2009 crisis & the bold decisions business leaders must make in 2020
    • The premature obsession with revenue growth versus go-to-market fit & customer retention
    • How to hire a CRO with the ability to deliver SUSTAINABLE revenue growth
    • The data required to ascertain if you truly have go-to-market fit
    • How “group film reviews” can help businesses uncover strategies to navigate the COVID19 crisis
    • How to deliver sustainable differentiation through network effects, algorithmic differentiation & an ecosystem of deeply embedded partners

    For more insights into Stage 2 Capital check out https://www.stage2.capital & for advice on hiring world class talent for B2B start-ups & scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com



    Alun Baker - disrupting the cybersecurity market @ Clario Tech Jun 16, 2020

    Alun Baker, CEO of Clario Tech – a disruptive cybersecurity venture - has decades of experience building & leading to exit tech ventures across a diverse range of industries including cybersecurity, ERP & IT infrastructure.

    We discussed:

      • Why the COVID19 pandemic has massively increased our vulnerability to another pandemic: cybercrime threatens each and every one of us!
      • Why the cybersecurity industry is not delivering on its promises - and how Clario is radically disrupting this industry
      • Remote working strategies to ensure effective collaboration, productivity & strong team spirit
      • Top tips for hiring virtually
      • Why and how business leaders should aim to utterly disrupt business models and industries
      • How technology entrepreneurs & marketers should engage with, and create genuine value for, their customers

    For more insights into Clario Tech check out https://clario.co & for advice on recruiting world class leaders for tech scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Alston Zecha at Eight Roads: building a funding roadmap & using capital as a competitive advantage May 13, 2020

    Alston Zecha is a Director at Eight Roads - a global VC who’ve invested $6bn in the past 12 years.

    Formerly with Apax Partners, Alston also founded & led the mobile payments venture Payleven who merged with SumUp 5 years ago.

    Alston reflected on:

    • The resilience & focus he's seen from experienced entrepreneurs in the portfolio who’ve taken tough decisions during the COVID19 pandemic to support subsequent growth
    • The importance of being human & remaining "in the moment" - especially during such troubling times
    • Why capital as a competitive advantage was a blindspot for Alston when he was an entrepreneur and why he feels this continues to hold back many technical founders
    • The importance of having a funding “roadmap” as well as a product roadmap
    • His view that tech founders rarely create truly unique solutions - they rarely create a category from scratch

    For more insights into Eight Roads check out https://eightroads.com/en/ & for advice on hiring exceptional leaders for B2B scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com



    Alexandre Pelletier, Cap Horn VC: Why profitable will become sexy again Apr 22, 2020

    Alexandre Pelletier is a Partner at the French B2B VC fund Cap Horn. He invests in enterprise software & SaaS ventures like Powell Software, Reach Five & Saagie

    Prior to becoming a VC, Alexandre had leadership roles at Tata Communications and Microsoft.

    We discussed:

    • The advice Cap Horn is giving to their portfolio to help them survive the COVID19 pandemic
    • The vitality of unit economics - too often overlooked by startups
    • Why "partnering with influencers” is a vital go2market strategy for enterprise software startups & scaleups
    • Why Cap Horn don’t believe in unicorns, they believe in champion horses
    • Why profitable will become sexy again!
    • Why this is a superb time to start a business - or to rethink your business

    For more insights into Cap Horn check out https://caphorn.vc & for advice on hiring world class talent for B2B scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com



    Mikael Johnsson, Oxx VC - intense focus to scale-up enterprise SaaS winners Mar 11, 2020

    Mikael Johnsson co-founded Oxx VC in 2016 to help bridge the gap for European B2B software companies who have great traction but need capital to scale up. On 11 Feb 2020 Oxx closed a further $133m in funding to back Europe’s most promising SaaS ventures. Mikael's completed over 30 equity transactions and sits on several boards including the potential unicorn - Funnel.io.

    We discuss:

    • Too much VC investment going into B2C startups hence many potential B2B ventures are left behind
    • The viability of creating successful B2B ventures with slower initial revenue growth - typically overlooked by VCs
    • Intense focus as a recipe for success both for VC funds & B2B startups
    • Why Oxx encourages portfolio companies to take a breather & assess some of the things they may have overlooked in the early stages to build a stronger foundation for sustained growth
    • The dynamic progress of funnel.io - a strong contender for future unicorn status - a team of smart, passionate, dedicated individuals hell-bent on solving a very large, high impact, problem

    For more insights into enterprise SaaS venture funding check out https://www.oxx.vc & for advice on hiring world class talent for B2B SaaS start-ups and scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com




    Eyal Malinger: Investing in Rhinos – the unicorn’s ugly, but real, cousin🦏 Feb 04, 2020

    Eyal Malinger, Investment Director at Beringea - a transatlantic early stage tech VC - invests in B2B Saas, VR/AR & blockchain. He sits on the boards of Poq, Zoovu, Festicket, Aistemos, Papier & MPB.com.

    We discussed:

    • Why VCs should consider investing in rhinos - the unicorn’s ugly, but real, cousin🦏
    • The potential environmental benefits of the next wave of enterprise AR/VR solutions🌊
    • Why startups should aim to polarise investors rather than please everyone they pitch to😄🙁
    • Brexit's impact on tech talent & investment in London👨‍💻

    For more insights into Beringea's portfolio check out https://www.beringea.com and for advice on hiring world class talent for B2B start-ups & scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com




    Martin Adams, CEO @ CODEC - The Hero's Journey Jan 12, 2020

    Martin Adams is the CEO & Co-Founder at Codec who’s Audience Intelligence Platform enables marketing decisions to be driven by data & evidence, rather than instinct.

    Codec were the winners of the Best Artificial Intelligence Product in Marketing at CognitionX 2019 and they’re backed by some of the world's largest investors including 500 Startups & Telefonica.

    Martin discusses:

    • Leaving his 1st startup to immerse himself in IP law & social networking at Harvard, the birthplace of Facebook
    • His obsession for using social data to drive creative and strategic decisions
    • Consistently taking a contrarian approach to the market - even when this initially puzzled many potential investors
    • Being highly selective in bringing in investors who support Codec's vision & are able to contribute strategically as well as financially

    For more insights into next generation audience intelligence check out https://www.codec.ai & for advice on hiring exceptional executive talent for B2B software & SaaS scale-ups head over to https://alpinasearch.com



    Paul Coggins, CEO @ Adludio - Sunday Times Tech Track "Ones to Watch" Dec 10, 2019

    Paul Coggins is the CEO at Adludio who's revolutionary 'Sensory Ad Science' technology delivers 10x results for blue chip clients - like Unilever, Nestle & PayPal - compared to traditional mobile advertising solutions.

    Adludio is 1 of the UK's fastest-growing B2B software scale-ups: having quickly launched in 3 continents, delivered ad campaigns in 70+ countries, & grown revenues 40% month on month, Adludio qualified for the Sunday Times 2019 Tech Track "Ones to Watch".

    In a candid wide-ranging discussion, Paul explains:

    • that Adludio's founders were inspired by the lack of memorable mobile ad campaigns to create a unique solution to engage mobile device users
    • how Adludio uses kinaesthetic learning to develop ads that are brilliantly creative & engaging on mobile devices
    • why Brexit uncertainty prompted Adludio to rapidly expand - much earlier than planned - into overseas markets like the US, France, Hong Kong & Singapore
    • the challenges of transitioning to a SaaS commercial model to help deliver a significantly higher exit valuation

    Head over to https://www.adludio.com for more details on Adludio's "Sensory Ad Science" & check out https://alpinasearch.com for advice on attracting senior talent to scale your B2B software venture.



    Thomas Davies: The CEO Decathlete - building a team of Olympians! Dec 08, 2019

    After 20 years in the tech sector - including running Google’s European Enterprise Business Thomas - Thomas Davies founded Temporall to disrupt cultural analytics & help businesses unlock & measure the true value of their people. Since launching in 2017, Temporall have deployed their solution at dozens of blue chips including Rakuten, Google, Dyson & Arup.

    In this episode, we explore:

    • The role of an entrepreneur - the CEO decathlete building a team of Olympians
    • The behaviours & values you, as a leader, need to consistently demonstrate to attract employees who’ll make a real difference to your organisation & to your clients
    • The importance of simple messaging for business success - especially when you're trying to create a new product category
    • Why digital transformation without insightful organisational intelligence is very risky
    • The challenges of building a brand identity & an entirely new product category

    Check out https://temporall.com for more insights into organisational intelligence & www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on building a team of Olympians!




    Sampo Hietanen - Creating a Revolutionary New Product Category Dec 02, 2019

    Sampo Hietanen - the founding CEO at MaaS Global - is delivering a revolution in transportation!

    MaaS Global - who’ve raised €50m in funding from various VCs and corporate investors including Nordic Ninja, Mitsubishi & Toyota - are the world’s first “mobility as a service company” offering a paradigm change in transport services.

    Sampo discusses

    • The challenges of creating a category from scratch - especially when your product is dependent on your partners
    • How MaaS Global is overcoming resistance from powerful incumbents
    • Why persuading people to give up their car is the biggest question for our planet’s sustainable economic growth in the next few decades
    • The mistakes he’s made in hanging onto some employees for too long - especially as the company began to scale and some individuals struggled to cope
    • The fun and challenge of a truly diverse culture: 24 nationalities in a single office!
    • Why “trust is the new oil”

    For more insights into mobility as a service check out https://whimapp.com/about-us/ & for advice on hiring world class talent for start-ups and scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Sonal Puri, CEO @ Webscale - disrupting the market for cloud hosting & cloud services Aug 19, 2019

    Sonal Puri is the CEO of Webscale – her 4th B2B SaaS startup. Webscale is disrupting the multi billion dollar market for cloud hosting & cloud services.

    Sonal talks about:

    • Using deep tech to turn the cloud into a utility
    • Replacing her talented, humble & self-aware founding CEO
    • The potential dangers of pursuing a freemium pricing model
    • How she learns each & every day from other startup CEOs & mentors
    • Webscale's impact on $billion clients like Puma, Unilever & Tommy Hilfiger

    For more insights into Webscale check out https://www.webscale.com & for advice on hiring world class talent for B2B software scale-ups check out http://alpinasearch.com


    Mark Roberge, Stage 2 Ventures Jul 22, 2019

    Mark Roberge is a senior lecturer at Harvard Business School, former CRO at Hubspot, Author of Best Seller "The Sales Acceleration Formula" and Founding Partner at Stage 2 Ventures – a new VC fund leveraging go-to-market expertise from the world's most successful software/SaaS ventures to support sustainable revenue growth in B2B start-ups.

    Mark’s also a regular on the conference circuit - his session was the highest-rated talk at SaaStr 2019!

    Mark discusses in detail:

    • His framework to drive sustainable SaaS revenue growth comprising 3 stages: product-market fit, go-to-market fit and – finally – “growth and moat”
    • His belief that the headlong pursuit of revenue growth – ignoring customer value creation, churn, and revenue retention – damages many tech ventures
    • How to ensure you have trueproduct–market fit and continuing customer success - month after month, quarter after quarter!
    • Why churn is a “silent killer” and why business leaders must quickly identify, and track, leading indicators for churn and customer success

    For more insights into Stage 2 Ventures check out https://www.stage2.capital & for advice on talent for B2B software start-ups & scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Amar Hanspal, CEO at Bright Machines - 1 of the hottest AI/robotics start-ups in the world! Jan 03, 2019

    Amar Hanspal is the founding CEO at Bright Machines - a startup combining intelligent software with flexible factory robots & machine learning to meet the demands of the next generation of manufacturing - who recently closed a $179 million Series A.

    Amar discusses:

    • The “happy collision” that brought the Bright Machines founding team together to address a $60bn-$100bn market opportunity
    • The adventurous & disruptive profile of Bright Machines’ employees: “missionaries & mountaineers”
    • How Bright Machines' exceptional leadership team - addressing a huge market opportunity with an aggressive business plan - raised their impressive Series A

    For more insights into Bright Machines check out https://www.brightmachines.com & for advice on hiring world class talent for start-ups and scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Christian Owens, CEO @ Paddle - The UK's fastest growing software scale-up Dec 12, 2018

    Christian Owens is the founding CEO at Paddle - the UK’s fastest growing software startup - who've raised $25m in VC funding, tripled revenue every year for 6 years & tripled headcount in the past 9 months.

    Christian discusses:

    • How to scale your team from 50 to 150 people in 9 months
    • How to ensure your company is the employer of choice
    • The CEO’s day2day challenge: keeping 150+ bosses happy
    • How to raise smart VCfunding

    For more insights into Paddle check out https://paddle.com & for advice on hiring world class talent for start-ups and scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Angelique Mohring - how GainX raised funding & prospered in the male-dominated tech startup sector Nov 26, 2018

    Angelique Mohring is the founding CEO at GainX: a machine learning platform that helps corporates accelerate global restructuring, transformation & growth.

    Angelique explains

    • The challenges she’s faced as a female founder/CEO raising money in a male-dominated industry
    • Why she chose to launch her global HQ in the UK - despite Brexit...
    • How to conceive & launch your business during a strategic retreat at a 5* resort!
    • How she reduced the GainX sales cycle from 18 months to 3 days

    For more insights into GainX check out https://www.gainx.com & for advice on hiring world class talent for software start-ups & scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com



    Viviana Faga & Doug Landis, Emergence Capital Nov 07, 2018

    Emergence Capital is one of the world’s leading enterprise Saas VC funds – with 7 exits in excess of $500m including Salesforce, SuccessFactors & Box.

    Doug and Viv joined Emergence - as Growth Partner and Operating Partner respectively - to share their expertise in delivering successful go-to-market and growth strategies at companies like Salesforce and Box.

    They discuss:

    • How to prioritise & dominate your target verticals
    • Why you should hire a marketing lead before you invest in sales expertise
    • How to create a new software category for your business
    • How to build harmony & efficiency between your sales & marketing teams
    • Customer Success teams: why they're as important as sales/marketing yet often undervalued at startups

    For more insights into Emergence Capital check out https://www.emcap.com & for advice on hiring world class talent for startups & scaleups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Carles Ferrer - Nauta Capital investing in capital-efficient disruptors Oct 25, 2018

    Carles Ferrer is a General Partner at Nauta Capital – a European enterprise software VC fund - and he’s invested in companies like BeMyEye, Brandwatch and ChannelSight.

    Carles discusses:

    • Nauta's philosophy of investing in capital efficient disruptors
    • How Nauta’s regional hub focus within Europe, combined with their sector focus, differentiates them from other VC funds
    • When expanding from Europe to The States – how to get the timing & the talent right!
    • Future themes Nauta are prioritising including the massive disruption of the Retail sector both online and offline

    For more insights into Nauta's investments in capital efficient disruptors check out https://www.nautacapital.com & for advice on hiring world class talent for start-ups and scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Scott Belsky: insights from his new book "The Messy Middle" Oct 02, 2018

    Scott Belsky is an entrepreneur, author, and investor, and currently serves as Adobe’s Chief Product Officer.

    Scott’s also a Venture Partner with Benchmark and an early advisor and investor in a number of fast-growing companies like Pinterest, Uber, and Periscope.

    He is the author of "Making Ideas Happen" and in early October 2018 published his new book "The Messy Middle": The product or company launch gets cheered, the finish line gets celebrated, but the rocky terrain in between is woefully underestimated and misunderstood!

    Scott discusses his research & provides business & product leaders with tangible suggestions to help them navigate the journey from volatile startup to mature successful business:

    • How to endure the extreme volatility of a new venture
    • Optimization – how to make your team & decision-making more effective
    • The importance of “killing your darlings” (not as shocking as it sounds!)
    • How we falsely attribute our own expertise, or lack of expertise, to both our successes and our failures – how to stay grounded when you and your business are being successful

    For more insights from the Messy Middle check out https://medium.com/positiveslope/navigating-the-messy-middle-7ca6fff11966 and for advice on hiring world class talent for start-ups and scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com





    Eamonn Carey - Managing Director, Techstars UK Jun 21, 2018

    Eamonn Carey – once upon a time a TV producer and presenter - is now the Managing Director at Techstars London. He’s also founded and exited 2 startups and invested in over 25 companies globally.
    Eamonn discusses:

    • The path he took from media exec to entrepreneur to investor
    • Why enterprise software companies need to build character & mischief into their products to mimic the user engagement of B2C products
    • Some of the key societal & technology trends he’s excited about - and believes could have huge potential for future Techstars cohorts

    For more insights into Techstars check out https://www.techstars.com and for advice on hiring world class talent for start-ups & scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Usman Shuja @ SparkCognition - AI, IOT & Moneyball 2.0 Jun 04, 2018

    Usman Shuja is the GM & Head of Industiral IOT at SparkCognition – the leading provider of AI solutions for IOT - who recently closed a $57m Series B with Verizon Ventures, Boeing, CME Ventures, Brevan Howard Investment Holdings and Invenergy Future Fund.

    Usman is a thought leader in machine learning, cognitive computing, security, and industrial IoT – he sits on Forbes Technology Council - andalso an international cricketer.

    Usman discusses

    • how he made the journey from international cricketer to GM at a leading AI scale-up
    • using AI to create the mind of a data scientist
    • the “Moneyball 2.0” approach to sports science & sports talent: “Moneyball on steroids”

    For more insights into AI and IOT check out https://www.sparkcognition.com and for advice on hiring world class talent for start-ups & scale-ups head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    David Ratner, CEO @ Realm: “the enemy of best is not worst…the enemy of best is good enough” May 22, 2018

    David Ratner is the CEO at Realm - the data management platform and solution that seamlessly handles connectivity, latency, transport and other backend details for mobile, IOT, and other connected apps.David’s previously had successful exits at Carrier Access and Openwave. Realm has a roster of high profile investors including Andreesen Horowitz, Greylock Partners, Khosla Ventures and Y Combinator.

    David discusses:

    • Why “the enemy of best is not worst...the enemy of best is good enough”
    • How and when to launch a 2nd product - when your initial product is a big success - and how to balance resources between the 2 products
    • The challenges of getting messaging on-point for enterprise software businesses
    • Why hiring for cultural fit is way more important than hiring for the exact skillset

    For more insigts into Realm's technology head over to https://realm.io and for advice on hiring world class start-up & scale-up talent check out http://alpinasearch.com


    Kjartan Rist - Founding Partner at Concentric Partners Apr 12, 2018

    Kjartan Rist, Founding Partner at Concentric Partners, has spent the last 18 years focusing on the technology start-ups and scale-ups as a founder, advisor, Board member and investor. He’s been involved in over 50 transactions and founded or co-founded 2 successful VC funds and a merchant bank.
    Kjartan discusses:

    • The valuable lessons he learned in his early days in VC from experienced investors - like Nenad Marovac & Steve Schlenker at DN Capital - and also Steve Papa, the founder-CEO at Endeca
    • The value a local VC firm can provide to a tech venture developing an international footprint – in terms of strategic business development and local go2market strategy
    • A very candid analysis of the challenges faced by 1 of his enterprise software investments - including the dangers of relying too much on a single route to market - and the steps they are now taking to overcome those challenges
    • The crucial role played by advisory boards to augment the CEO and his/her skills

    For more VC insights check out http://concentricteam.com and for advice on hiring executive talent to scale your enterprise software venture head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Steve King - DJ turned enterprise software CEO Apr 04, 2018

    Steve King is the co-founder & CEO at Black Swan Data. Funded by Mitsui, Blackstone & Albion Capital - Black Swan Data creates better outcomes through technology, prediction & data science.

    Steve discusses:

    • his journey from DJ to enterprise software CEO
    • Black Swan’s preference for talent “approximately 10% crazy”!
    • Black Swan Data’s failed US strategy – the lessons they learned and the turnaround...The US now contributes 50% to Black Swan’s revenues
    • the story behind the data science insights that diagnosed Steve’s sister’s rare illness & led to Steve establishing The White Swan charity

      For more insights into Black Swan Data check out https://www.blackswan.com & for guidance on scaling up your enterprise software venture head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Magnus Gaarder - Co-Founder @ Cidron Ventures Mar 30, 2018

    Magnus Gaarder is a co-founder at early stage tech VC fund, Cidron Ventures, having previously spearheaded Nauta Capital's investment initiatives in Northern Europe.

    Magnus discusses

    • How and when enterprise software ventures should embark on international expansion
    • Building a winning sales/marketing team in international markets
    • Capital efficiencies for start-ups: B2B versus B2C
    • Why integrity & "ESG" are key criteria for Cidron in choosing which start-up teams to invest in

    For more insights on Cidron Venturs, head over to http://cidronventures.com - and for guidance on scaling enterprise software ventures, check out http://alpinasearch.com


    Christian Hernandez, Managing Partner @ White Star Capital Mar 12, 2018

    Christian Hernandez is a co-founder & Managing Partner at White Star Capital, where he draws on his extensive experience in developing and scaling products and platforms internationally.

    Prior to co-founding White Star Capital, Christian worked at Facebook and led the led the international expansion of the company’s Business Development, Platform and Gaming Partnerships groups. He previously held leadership roles at Google & Microsoft having started his career at MicroStrategy, a start-up he joined prior to their 1999 IPO.
    Christian discusses:

    • How regulation and regulators, rather than being a challenge to overcome, can be a huge opportunity for start-ups to create differentiators and barriers to entry
    • How to co-develop enterprise technology solutions with clients – helps with funding, customer feedback, etc
    • How to effectively price innovative enterprise software & Saas products
    • “Re-cycling”: the single largest driver of outperformance in VC funds

    Head over to https://whitestarvc.com for more details on White Star Capital and check out www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on globally scaling your enterprise software venture


    Pietro Bezza, Connect Ventures – "perpetual learnability" is vital to the success of any scale-up Feb 22, 2018

    Pietro Bezza is a tech founder turned venture capitalist. Pietro co-founded Connect Ventures, an early stage VC fund, in 2011 and the fund has invested in companies like Citymapper, Typeform and Soldo.

    Pietro discusses:

    • Why he decided to invest in Typeform after having become a delighted user of their product
    • How Typeform decided the time was right to expand into the States
    • The vital role “perpetual learnability” plays in a company’s ability to scale-up
    • The unique challenges of hiring talent during the scale-up stage in terms of both cultural & skillset diversity

    Head over to http://www.connectventures.co for more details on Connect Ventures and check out www.alpinasearch.com for advice on globally scaling your B2B software venture


    Zack Urlocker: ZenDesk, Duo Security & MySQL - successfully scaling your US enterprise software venture into Europe Feb 19, 2018

    Zack Urlocker helped grow a number of software companies to billion dollar exits - including Active Software, MySQL, Zendesk and most recently Duo Security. And he’s been an advisor and board member for many other successful venture-backed software companies including HubSpot and SugarCRM. He’s also written a rock opera!
    Zack’s worked with many Tier 1 VCs including Benchmark Capital, CRV, Index Ventures and Matrix Partners and he now lectures at the University of Michigan on Entrepreneurial Leadership.

    Zack discusses:

    • Why product management is a great career path for any budding enterprise sofrtware entrepeneur
    • The importance of focusing on great customer service when you expand internationally
    • How and why you should avoiding micro-managing local decisions from an overseas HQ
    • The importance of transferring your culture and cloning your successful DNA as you expand internationally
    • The mis-step Duo Security took in failing to hire sufficient local domain expertise when they initially expanded into Europe
    • His focus on developing entrepreneurs in the Mid-West: a US region historically starved of entrepreneurial development & learning opportunities

    Head over to www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on globally scaling your enterprise software venture


    Steve Hoffmann, Captain & CEO @ Founders Space discusses an innovation toolkit for your start-up Feb 13, 2018

    Steve Hoffmann AKA “Captain Hoff” is a serial entrepreneur, angel investor, partner at Founders Fund, An LP in August Capital, and author of the book "Make Elephants Fly". Steve is also the Captain & CEO of Founders Space, one of the world’s leading incubators and accelerators, with over 50 partners in 22 countries. Steve's trained hundreds of startup founders and corporate executives in the art of innovation.

    Steve discusses:

    • His long and winding road into the world of technology accelerators and incubators
    • The traits he believes, even in really early stage businesses, signpost a likely unicorn
    • The toolkit of processes he's developed to ensure startups can effectively differentiate and innovate

    Head over to https://www.foundersspace.com for more details on Founders Space and check out www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on globally scaling your enterprise software venture


    Steve Collins – Partner at Frontline Ventures Feb 11, 2018

    Steve Collins is a Partner at Frontline Ventures - a VC fund investing in early stage B2B software ventures across Europe. Prior to becoming a VC, Steve founded Havok, an animation middleware company for console game development, Kore, developer of the Kore Virtual Machine, and most recently Swrve, the mobile marketing automation platform used by some of the world’s leading brands including Disney, Conde Nast and Ryanair.

    Steve discusses:

    • How and why he switched from the life an entrepreneur to being a VC
    • The importance of instinct and gut feel when VCs evaluate early stage investment opportunities
    • The lessons he’s learned from founding in Europe then - within just a few months of launching - rapidly scaling 3 successful software ventures in The States
    • The challenges of replacing - or being replaced as - a Company Founder by a "Scale-Up" CEO
    • Steve’s enduring passion for designing and coding computer games – and the impact of online gaming innovations & technologies on other industries

    Head over to http://frontline.vc for more details on Frontline Ventures and check out www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on globally scaling your enterprise software venture.


    Frederic Halley, NextWorld Capital: How to ensure success when your software venture expands internationally Feb 07, 2018

    Frederic Halley is a London-based Partner at NextWorld Capital, a leading Venture Capital fund from Silicon Valley focusing on early revenue investments across the US and Europe. He has a long track record of success in the technology sector both as a senior manager/executive and as an advisor/NED.

    Frederic discusses:

    • How and why he switched from an executive leadership career into the world of venture capital
    • How US software scale-ups can effectively expand into Europe
      • Which countries/regions to prioritise for your sales & biz dev strategy
      • The ideal talent profile you need to hire to scale your business internationally
    • The crucial differences between the European and US start-up ecosystems
    • How to effectively scale an AI start-up

    Head over to https://www.nextworldcap.com for more details on NextWorld Capital's portfolio and check out www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on globally scaling your enterprise software venture.


    Jan Quant, CEO at Screendragon - how to scale your UK software venture & crack the US market...with zero VC funding! Feb 06, 2018

    Jan Quant is the Co-Founder and CEO of Screendragon a UK headquartered enterprise software scale-up who, soon after inception, successfully entered the US market and have continued to expand internationally despite having zero VC funding.

    Jan explains

    • How he transitioned from a financial and operational background in the music sector to becoming an enterprise software CEO
    • Why and how UK and European software startups should quickly and effectively target US markets
    • The importance of customer centricity – how to delight your customers and leverage customer revenues instead of VC funding to scale your business
    • How corporate procurement practices have become increasingly sophisticated and the steps software ventures need to take to establish referenceable relationships with blue chip clients

    Head over to http://www.screendragon.com for more details on Screendragon and check out www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on globally scaling your enterprise software venture.


    Neil Ryland, CRO @ Peakon - StartUp, GrowUp, ScaleUp Jan 16, 2018

    Neil Ryland is the CRO at Peakon - funded by EQT Ventures, Sunstone Capital, IDInvest and Tommy Ahlers – who's SaaS platform helps companies maximise their employee engagement, retention and productivity. Prior to Peakon, Neil was the Chief Revenue Officer at Huddle, one of Britain’s most successful VC funded enterprise software ventures - Neil re-located to San Francisco to spearhead Huddle’s US market entry.

    Neil explains:

    • How he’s overcome a sense of “impostor syndrome” at various stages during his career
    • Why it’s crucial, for any European enterprise software business expanding to The States, to relocate a key individual from the leadership team to establish and lead the US business
    • His definition of the 3 stages of venture businesses: startup, growup, scaleup – and the characteristics that define success in each of those 3 phase
    • The sales academies he’s developed at both Huddle and Peakon to replicate the approach, to training and nurturing talent, deployed by many of the world’s most successful blue chip IT companies

    Head over to https://peakon.com for more details on Peakon and check out www.alpinasearch.com for more advice on globally scaling your enterprise software venture.


    Alex Dunsdon - Partner at SAATCHiNVEST, Co-Founder at The Bakery Dec 31, 2017

    Alex Dunsdon has a portfolio of different roles – he’s a partner at early stage investor Saatchinvest where he’s invested in successful startups like Citymapper and also a co-founder at The Bakery who describe themselves as “a pioneer in accelerating open innovation”

    Alex explains:

    • the fundamental requirement for any enterprise software venture to demonstrate that their solution addresses clearly defined user needs
    • how The Bakery helps start-ups solve fundamental problems for, and close multi-million dollar deals with, global blue chips
    • how Saatchinvest assesses the DNA of CEOs pitching for investment
    • how founder-CEOs need to evolve their behaviour and leadership style as their company grows
    • the hype around AI: most “AI” implementations, thus far, comprise a few simple automated processes
    • why the quality of enterprise sales talent in Europe falls so far behind the US
    • how shocked he was by the VC mantra “growth at any cost” and why he'd be bored if he was purely a startup investor/VC!

    For more insights into startups and innovation check out http://www.saatchinvest.com and https://www.thebakery.com and for advice on scaling software ventures head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Jon Prideaux, CEO @ Boku scaling a UK enterprise software venture globally to a £125m valuation at IPO Dec 13, 2017

    Jon Prideaux is the CEO at BOKU who, on 20 November 2017, went public on AIM at an initial £125m valuation and quickly popped to £160m.

    Boku’s platform brings merchants and mobile operators together to transform 5 billion mobile phone subscribers into the world’s largest pool of customers. That's more users than Visa and Mastercard combined!

    Jon provides the following insights:

    • How to smoothly transition out of - or indeed into - the role of CEO
    • How to plan and execute an IPO
    • Why he believes company leaders need to view their IPO as an “entrance” not an “exit”!
    • How Boku developed a consistent culture across the globe even when they acquired local businesses
    • How Jon is motivating Boku’s senior team to drive the business forward rather than resting on their laurels after the IPO

    Head over to https://www.boku.com for more details on Boku and check out www.alpinasearch.com for advice on globally scaling your software venture.


    How to raise $20m for your blockchain startup: with the co-founders @ Aventus Systems Dec 03, 2017

    Alan Vey & Annika Monari are the Co-Founders at Aventus Systems, a pioneer in blockchain technology that’s been dubbed “the bitcoin of ticketing”. They closed one of the largest cryptocurrency funding rounds outside of The States just over 12 months after Aventus was founded: their $20m “Initial Token Offering” - led by Global Advisors Bitcoin Investment Fund - was sold out in just 7 minutes!

    Alan and Annika discuss:

    • Which types of business can best leverage blockchain technology
    • How to go about raising a cryptocurrency funding round
    • How a company funded with cryptocurrency engages with employees and suppliers who might prefer to receive payments in a traditional currency
    • The differences between Ether – the cyptocurrency that was used to fund Aventus - and Bitcoin
    • Their perspective on the Bitcoin “bubble” and how they've ensured business contacts and employees are confident about the stability, and the growth potential, of the Aventus business model

    For more insights into Aventus Systems head over to https://www.aventus.io and for expert advice on startups and scale-ups check out http://alpinasearch.com/market-insights/


    Luca Pagano - CEO @ BeMyEye Nov 28, 2017

    Luca Pagano is the CEO at BeMyEye, Europe’s leading crowdsourced in-store data as a service provider who closed a $10.5m Series C funding round in late November 2017. Previously Luca held leadership roles at Glamoo, Electronic Arts and Buongiorno.

    Luca discusses:

    • The tricky challenge of replacing both the founder-CEO and his co-CEO at BeMyEye
    • Successfully leading Buongiorno into a diversity of mature and emerging markets and aggressively launching BeMyEye in 20 new countries
    • As a soccer aficionado, how he recruits “passionate employees who wear the jersey with honour”
    • Why you'll never be an exceptional company or an exceptional leader unless you understand “why” you do what you do
    • How being a chameleon has put him in good stead when dealing with diverse business cultures and personas

    Head over to https://www.bemyeye.com for more details on BeMyEye and check out http://alpinasearch.com for advice on scaling your enterprise software venture.


    Tom Bradley - Partner & Head of Ventures at Oxford Capital Nov 20, 2017

    Tom Bradley is Head of the Ventures Team at Oxford Capital. Tom, previously a partner at both DFJ Esprit and DN Capital, has been involved with successful scale-ups like Performance Horizon, Shazam and Neteconomy. The Oxford Capital Ventures portfolio includes promising startups and scale-ups like import.io, Ultrasoc and Redsift.

    In this week’s episode you’ll hear about:

    • The mindset that the founders of European enterprise software startups must have if they are to succeed globally
    • Tom’s key criteria for investing in enterprise software ventures
    • Advice for pre-product and pre-revenue start-ups on how to engage with investors and VCs
    • How European entrepreneurs can leverage US VCs to successfully break into The States

    Head over to https://www.oxcp.com/investments/venture-capital/ for more details on Oxford Capital's venture portfolio and check out www.alpinasearch.com for advice on globally scaling your software venture.


    Wolfgang Allisat - CCO @ Unbabel Nov 13, 2017

    Wolfgang Allisat is the Chief Commercial Officer at Unbabel - "The World's Translation Layer". Unbabel - funded by the Notion Capital, Google Ventures, Faber Ventures, Matrix Partners, Schilling Capital and Caixa Capital - utilizes artificial intelligence to enable translations between companies and their customers.

    Wolf has previously held international sales leadership positions at a number of successful software scaleups including Omniture where he was the first international employee and grew the European business to more than 1,100 customers and 200 employees.

    Wolf discusses how enterprise software ventures can successfully expand their sales and marketing teams internationally including:

    • The research and planning required to support successful overseas expansion
    • How to recruit your initial sales hires with the characteristics to evangelise your offering and drive customer successes in new markets
    • How to adapt your business culture to succeed in each local market

    Wolf also discusses the way Unbabel have created a unique culture to resonate with the millennials they typically hire - including weekly company-wide surfing sessions!

    For more information on Unbabel's AI-powered translation solutions head over to https://unbabel.com and check out http://alpinasearch.com/clients/ for advice on recruiting A-players to globally scale your software/SaaS venture


    Joshua Wohle - Co-Founder @ SuperAwesome Nov 05, 2017

    Joshua Wohle is the Co-Founder & Chief Product Officer at Series B funded SuperAwesome backed by Mayfair Equity Partners, IBIS TMT, Hoxton Ventures and a host of other VCs.

    SuperAwesome's technology powers the kids digital media ecosystem. Their products are used by hundreds of kids content companies and brands to provide kid-safe digital functionality, authentication and advertising.

    Joshua is a serial entrepreneur having founded several tech start-ups - since starting his 1st venture whilst at school - including Targetz: a mobile, real-time, location-based community marketplace for services.

    In today’s episode you will learn:

    1. How Joshua launched his first startup as a 16 year old at school – even as a teenage entrepreneur he was selling to large enterprise clients like the private Swiss banks
    2. How he was introduced to his co-founder at SuperAwesome…by an algorithm!
    3. About the need for founders and entrepreneurs to have the resilience to bounce back from failure and to dig really deep, emotionally and mentally
    4. How, as your software venture evolves, you must also evolve to ensure you’ve the skills to continue to drive the business forward
    5. How to find and engage with mentors with valuable insights to help you handle the challenges of scaling-up a business

    For more background on SuperAwesome, check out https://www.superawesome.tv and head over to http://alpinasearch.com for advice on scaling your software venture.


    How to scale sales & marketing in your deeptech software venture and deliver an $85m exit, Shirin Dehghan - Arieso & OpenSignal Oct 26, 2017

    Shirin Dehghan was the Founder CEO at Arieso and is currently Chairwoman at OpenSignal.

    Arieso provided subscriber experience geo-location and network optimization solutions for wireless operators and service providers. Funded by Qualcomm Ventures and Oxford Capital Partners, Arieso expanded across EMEA, Asia Pacific and The Americas before being acquired by JDSU for $85m in 2013.

    Shirin now Chairs the board at OpenSignal, Funded by Passion Capital, O’Reilly AlphaTech and Qualcomm Ventures. OpenSignal crowd-source data on the performance and coverage of wireless networks around the world and use that data to produce independent and unbiased coverage maps for any network around the world. Since launch, their mobile app has been downloaded over 20 million times and billions of data points have been collected in over 200 countries.

    In this week's episode we’re focusing on the importance of sales and marketing for technical founders and the challenges of international expansion for startups and scaleups. You will learn:

    • The lesson that all technical founders must learn – sometimes the hard way - about the importance of creating a strong sales and marketing machine
    • About a blueprint for international expansion for enterprise software ventures
    • How Shirin resurrected her start-up from “near death” to achieve a 6x exit just a few years later
    • About the need to treat VCs like customers when you’re approaching them for funding

    For more insights into OpenSignal check out https://opensignal.com and for advice on successfully scaling your software venture head over to http://alpinasearch.com


    Rory Stirling - BGF Ventures Oct 16, 2017

    Rory Stirling is an early stage investor with BGF ventures who’s invested in high growth UK technology companies like NewVoiceMedia, Masabi and Reevoo.

    BGF Ventures invests in early-stage entrepreneurs with bold ambitions and is an influential new entrant to the VC market with a $200m debut fund. In just 2 years BGF have concluded over 18 investments building a portfolio that includes the likes of Triptease, Aimbrain and NewVoiceMedia.

    In this week’s episode you will learn:

    • Which types of company, and indeed which types of people, VC funding is most appropriate for
    • How to go about raising venture capital for your start-up or scale-up
    • How value in a technology start-up can be created - or potentially destroyed – depending on the synergy between the investors and the company’s leadership team
    • About the character, drive and vision required of successful enterprise technology venture founders

    For more insights into venture investing head over to www.bgf.co.uk/ventures/ and for advice on successfully scaling your enterprise software start-up check out alpinasearch.com/market-insights/


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