VCs at Freestyle, Plexo Capital and Sequoia be a part of Startup Battlefield judges • TechCrunch

Are you able to rumble, TechCrunch model? Twenty of probably the most promising and artistic early-stage startups — chosen from the elite Startup Battlefield 200 — will deliver the warmth for $100,000 within the world-renown Startup Battlefield competitors at TechCrunch Disrupt on October 18–20 in San Francisco.

We’ve an impressive cohort of VCs prepared to listen to their pitches and observe up with powerful Q&As — and we’re thrilled so as to add three extra to the slate. Did you miss the opposite Startup Battlefield VC judges? You’ll find them in teams one, two, three, 4 and 5.

Do you know? Startup Battlefield isn’t simply thrilling to observe; it’s a masterclass in how traders suppose. The judges’ suggestions supplies perception into the factors they use to find out whether or not an organization is viable or not. Watch and be taught what traders search for, what motivates them and what pushes them to schedule a gathering. 

Buckle up, people, listed here are the following three judges prepared to assist crown the following Startup Battlefield champion:

Josephine Chen, a accomplice at Sequoia

Josephine Chen focuses on seed and Sequence A firms in enterprise software program, fintech and crypto. She works with firms reminiscent of Discovered, Magic Eden, Benchling and Anrok. Previous to becoming a member of Sequoia, Chen labored at Emergence Capital and McKinsey.

Dave Samuel, the co-founder of Freestyle.vc

An skilled government, serial entrepreneur and web pioneer in software program and media, Dave Samuel is co-founder of Freestyle.vc. The seed-stage enterprise capital agency holds greater than $565 million belongings underneath administration and investments in over 150 startups. Freestyle led the seed rounds in Airtable, Patreon, BetterUp, Narvar and Snapdocs.

In 2004, Samuel co-founded Crackle, an web video platform acquired by Sony for $65 million in 2006. Earlier in his profession, he based Spinner, the primary web radio service, which AOL acquired for $320 million in 1999. Samuel graduated from MIT with a level in electrical engineering.

Lo Toney, the founding managing accomplice at Plexo Capital

Lo Toney incubated and spun out Plexo Capital from GV with a method to extend entry to early-stage deal circulation. The corporate invests in rising seed-stage VCs (led by numerous managers) and invests immediately in firms sourced from the portfolios of VCs the place Plexo Capital has an funding. 

Buyers in Plexo Capital funds embrace Alphabet/Google, Intel Capital, Cisco Investments, RBC, Southern New Hampshire College, House Depot, Hearst Company, Hampton College Endowment, JIMCO and the Ford Basis. 

Toney’s investing experience contains enterprise infrastructure, cybersecurity, monetary know-how, marketplaces, e-commerce, gaming and technology-enabled customers. As an everyday CNBC contributor, he supplies commentary on monetary markets and know-how firms. 

Previous to founding Plexo Capital, Toney was a accomplice on the GV investing workforce the place he targeted on marketplaces, cellular and client merchandise. Toney acquired his MBA from the Haas College of Enterprise (College of California at Berkeley) and his BS from Hampton College in Virginia.

TechCrunch Disrupt takes place on October 18–20. Purchase your move right this moment, and discover out why Disrupt is the place startup founders go to develop.

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