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Jason Mok delivers in-depth look at the current startup environment

At Startup Grind Redwood City 4/23

Author

Michael Morgenstern
April 23, 2024

Happy Tuesday Brex community,

We're excited to be onsite at Startup Grind this week where we'll be hosting a fireside chat with Jason Mok, Head of Startups & Strategic Partnerships at Brex, and Sasha Orloff, Co-founder and CEO of Puzzle.

This discussion will offer an in-depth look at the current startup environment, guiding you through the complexities of today’s macroeconomic challenges. Our speakers will also reflect on the lessons from the SVB banking crisis a year later and highlight the critical role of strategic partnerships in the startup ecosystem.

Remember, having a stellar product and marketing strategy is crucial, but the right connections can make or break your success, particularly in tough times. Join us to gain invaluable insights into navigating these waters effectively.

Growing together, Michael Morgenstern

Upcoming Events:

  • Startup Grind Founder & VC Happy Hour 4/23 (Today!) in Redwood City

    Designed as a happy hour post Startup Grind to debrief the day's content and learnings. For anyone attending the conference, stop by our Founder Lounge in the networking tent!

    Apply Here: Brex Host: Jason Mok

  • Brex Founder & VC Mixer 4/24 in SF

    Designed as a mixer for founders and VCs overlooking one of the cities best views

    Apply Here Brex Host: Anshul Shah

  • 43North x Brex Female VC Happy Hour 4/24 in NYC

    Designed to be an intimate and focused session

    Apply Here Brex Host: Erica Wenger

  • Founder and VC Happy Hour 4/25 in Boston

    Designed as a curated group of Founders and VCs.

    Apply Here Brex Host: Shai Goldman

Startup of the Week 🤩 

Kalyani Ramadurgam is the Co-founder and CEO of Kobalt Labs

Kobalt Labs uses AI to automate third party diligence and vendor risk review for fintechs and banks. Upload third party documentation and instantly surface gaps and conflicts against internal policies and external regulation, as well as relevant negative news and suggested improvements to internal policies. Kobalt enables your team to accelerate diligence, identify problems early on, and scale operations without scaling headcount. We’re currently working with fintechs and small to medium financial institutions, including credit unions, community banks, regional banks, and partner banks.

Ambassadors Perspective: Kobalt Labs, led by compelling founders, enhances compliance in fintech with its AI-driven platform that automates third-party diligence and risk assessments. As part of fintech's next wave, Kobalt is embraced by crucial market players like credit unions and regional banks, indicating strong scalability and growth potential. This positions it as a notable investment for those focusing on innovative compliance solutions.

Venture Capitalist Spotlight 🤩 

Jenny He is the Founder and General Partner at Position Ventures

Position Ventures invests in early stage startups and positions them for success by helping founders nail their positioning and communications strategy. They help you tell your story so you can hire, fundraise, and partner with the best talent in the world.

Investing at the pre-seed, Jenny was honored as one of the top 14 VCs focused on the creator economy. Not to mention, she joined our first Brex Supper Club-in-Resident cohort. Jenny is based in SF and you can find her portfolio here.

Connect with us

The financial stack that scales with you. 🤩 Trusted by 1 in 3 US startups, Brex allows you to manage your spend from MVP to IPO. Interested? Sign up here using the referral code NEWSLETTER and get 25,000 bonus points, $5K AWS credits, $2.5K OpenAI credits and up to $150K in SaaS discounts.

Don’t hesitate to reach out,🦾!

Startups Team @ Brex