Ilayda Samilgil

We’re excited to announce that Pyka has raised $40M in Series B funding to accelerate the commercialization of their autonomous electric aircraft! Led by Obvious Ventures, with support from Piva Capital, Prelude Ventures, Metaplanet, and Y Combinator, this investment will expand Pyka’s impact in sectors like agriculture, cargo transport, and defense logistics. With commercial operations already underway across multiple continents and partners like Dole and Embraer, Pyka is transforming aviation while driving sustainability and decarbonization. ⚡✈️ More here from TechCrunch: https://lnkd.in/gGYfc824

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I'm so excited to continue supporting Prolific Machines, Inc., and the incredible Deniz Kent, PhD ,Max Huisman, and Declan Jones. Today's cellular biology processes are incredibly expensive, inefficient, imprecise, and sometimes purely ineffective. These processes are used from everything from making antibodies to treat diseases, to fermentation used to make high-value nutritional proteins in baby formula, to whole cuts of cultured meat. Prolific has developed a biology platform that leverages light to guide cell behavior and optimize performance over time using AI. By combining light, bioengineering, hardware, and AI in fundamentally new ways, Prolific can help pharmaceutical, nutritional, and therapeutics companies get to market faster, less expensively, and more efficiently — ultimately in hopes of helping improve outcomes — a mission any of us can get behind. Mark Cuban Peter T. Frederick Blackford Cooper Rinzler David Adelman Darco Capital Breakthrough Energy Michael Schulson Kevin Love Tobias Harris Breyer Capital Charles Besser Brennan Besser Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants https://lnkd.in/ea2TqdQk

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🔍 Whether you're a founder, investor, or tech enthusiast, our latest report offers insights into the 70 startups 🚀 providing the building blocks of robotics... take a look! #Robotics #MMC #ResearchLed

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𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 I first met Stefano about three years ago at a pitching competition when Podeo | بوديو was just getting started. His journey and ambition stood out—he captured the room’s full attention. Though it was too early for us to join their journey at that time (pre Oraseya), I made a strong mental note: there was something remarkable about this team—Stefano Fallaha, Ramzi Farah, Mario Hayek, and Anthony Essaye. They were onto something. Since then, Stefano and I have stayed in regular touch, exchanging thoughts on both the challenges and opportunities that came their way. Leading up to this round, our long voice notes became “mini-podcasts,” as he likes to call them—dedication in his DNA. Who knows, maybe one day we’ll release some of them on Podeo. What’s impressed us most about Podeo is their ability to adapt quickly, execute swiftly, drive product development, and always keep their focus on the goal—empowering creators. That kind of discipline is rare, and it is striking to see it firsthand. This Series-A round felt like the right milestone for Oraseya Capital to step in, and we’re thrilled to finally be part of Podeo’s journey as they begin their next chapter. As a side note, sometimes a “not yet” becomes a “let’s do this” and there is nothing more exciting. (thank you TechCrunch for picking this up!) #venturecapital #techcrunch #dubai #podcast

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A new era of deep tech has emerged. First time funds will raise “unheard of” amounts of capital to fuel next gen deep tech startups - producing outsized, superior returns for LP’s compared to the rest. Prudent investors will act on this data and shift investment strategy as LP’s or risk being left behind savvy wealth managers and CIO’s / FO’s who saw this trend begin 4 years ago.

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I’m excited to share that I’ve decided to document my journey as I build FinchTech AI into a successful startup. I’ll be sharing what I’ve done so far, my weekly goals, the challenges I face, and the successes I achieve along the way; the good, the bad, and the ugly. So far, I’ve built my initial website from scratch, established the FinchTech AI brand, and begun developing the MVP for my first AI tool, CalculAI. This tool is designed to assist engineers in selecting the best materials and manufacturing processes. It’s already functional, with a conversational interface that can handle basic material selection tasks, though there’s still work to do. What I’ve Accomplished: • Trained and integrated a RandomForestClassifier model for material recommendations. • Built a conversational interface for user interaction. • Improved the AI’s ability to handle different scenarios and make better recommendations. This Week’s Focus: • Enhancing the AI’s decision-making with a decision tree structure. • Improving scenario recognition to make the AI more intuitive. • Implementing a hybrid approach to better guide users through complex decision-making. • Start the build of website 2.0. Long-Term Goals: My vision is to launch CalculAI as a valuable tool for the engineering industry, secure funding to expand my team, and develop additional AI tools to address other engineering challenges. Challenges: With no technical background in software development and experience as a project manager in the engineering industry, I’ve self-taught myself web design and AI development. The journey has been filled with obstacles; many times I’ve wanted to quit, but each day I pushed a little further. Today, I’m proud to say I have a working AI tool, even if it’s just the bare minimum right now (Plan to show a demo later this week) 🚀 . I’m inviting you all to join me on this journey. If you have advice, I’m all ears, and if you have questions, I’m happy to answer. Let’s connect, share insights, and support each other as we navigate the startup world. #AI #Startup #Engineering #MachineLearning #TechInnovation #Entrepreneurship #ProductDevelopment #Resilience #Leadership #Innovation

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I'm excited to share my recent feature on the @CleanTechies Podcast with @Somil Aggarwal, where we dive deep into my journey at @Zacua Ventures and our approach to investing in the built environment. We discussed our focus on decarbonization, productivity, and resilience within the industry, as well as the challenges and opportunities we see in construction tech, robotics, and innovative materials. Here are some of my favorite takeaways: 🏗️ The importance of addressing the complex challenges in the construction industry with "gentle disruption." 🤖 Why investing in early-stage startups allows us to make a significant impact on their trajectory. 🌍 The global approach we take to investing, ensuring we find the best entrepreneurs and learn from different markets. 🛠️ How understanding the workflows and go-to-market strategies is crucial for success in construction tech. 💡 The role of continuous learning and agility in founders as key traits for success. & More!  Check it out ‼️👇 🔗 https://lnkd.in/gbQMHyX6 #BuiltEnvironment #ClimateTech #ConstructionTech #Innovation #startups #venturecapital #robotics

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Looking beyond #VC funding for your #startup? Aakash Shah of Wyndly (YC W21) reveals how he built a multi-million dollar #healthtech company using creative capital strategies. Learn how he leveraged Y Combinator's network and alternative funding methods to revolutionize allergy treatment. In case you missed it, you can watch the #FundraisingDemystified #podcast here: https://lnkd.in/eZT63YS4

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Who doesn't love chatting about the frontier of Space?! Loved getting this insiders look from Epsilon3 CEO Laura Crabtree (ex-SpaceX, Northrop Grumman) as the industry reshapes into a lightening fast startup ecosystem for us to marvel. Small teams are lowering the cost to access space. Homegrown automation software is dramatically reducing team size -- as Laura puts it: "You won’t see 50 people in a control room for launch…you’ll see 5 controlling 50 different assets and a couple of 100 assets that are mostly operating on their own." Personally i'm keeping a close eye on the new interconnectedness between space and the broader economy will spark a flywheel of innovation. 🎙️ Listen in to our discussion (link in comments) as we release today -- 5YF#16: Space command reimagined, automating mission control, new deep tech hubs, interstellar missions, and the future of space operations w/ Epsilon3 CEO Laura Crabtree To infinity!

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Autonomous Vehicle (AV) funding is surging, according to PitchBook with Q2 2024 seeing $2.9 billion invested in AV startups - the highest since Q3 2021. While self-driving cars grab headlines, innovative startups are finding unique applications beyond passenger vehicles. Key developments: - Supply chain optimization: Outrider is revolutionizing yard operations with autonomous electric vehicles, addressing a $60 billion market. - Specialized transport: Pyka's autonomous planes for cargo and Gatik's local distribution trucks are gaining traction. - Safety & efficiency: Evitado Technologies automates airside operations, mitigating airport collision risks. Of course, more established companies such as Lyft & Uber are working on AV rideshare integration via partnerships with Waymo, BYD, Zoox, and others. The AV sector is focusing on gradual integration and specific use cases. While concerns about job displacement exist, proponents argue that automation could shift human capital to higher-value roles. What those roles are remains to be seen. As the AV landscape evolves, it's clear that the future of transportation extends far beyond just self-driving cars on city streets. Check out the full article by Nadine Manske here: https://lnkd.in/g3HJXZHc? And access the PitchBook Mobility Tech Report here: https://lnkd.in/g4_xP5pr #VentureCapital #AutonomousDriving #FrontierTech #FutureMobility

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Proud to be an entrepreneur! 🌟 A startup isn’t just how it looks from the outside. It’s about passion, endurance, sacrifice, teamwork, culture, and the willpower to create something unique. At Soaron, I’ve truly experienced what entrepreneurship means. I’ve learned how startups operate, how to build and manage a team, how to make critical decisions, and most importantly, how to fight for your passion. Today marks my 1-year journey with Soaron, and I’m incredibly happy to have had the opportunity to #buildSoaron. 🚀 This is a shoutout to all the entrepreneurs out there, whether you’re running your own startup or supporting one. Keep grinding, and you’ll be fortunate enough to see the results. 💪 #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #KeepGrinding #TeamSoaron

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SpaceTech, Disrupting Every Industry on the Planet: ICEYE with Steve Young and Stephen Lathrope 🛰 In this episode, we are thrilled to host two esteemed guests from ICEYE. Joining the podcast is Steve Young, President of Satellite Missions, and Steve Lathrope, Senior Vice President of Solutions. ICEYE operates the world's largest constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) satellites. In this episode, we delve into the fascinating world of SAR data and its transformative real-world applications. 🌎 Our conversation explores how SAR technology is disrupting various industries and addressing some of humanity's most pressing challenges. We examine how ICEYE's technology is not only crucial for defence and security but also revolutionises industries like insurance with its capabilities in risk assessment, claims processing, underwriting, and fraud detection. Tune in for an enlightening discussion on how cutting-edge SAR technology paves the way for a more resilient and informed world 👉 https://lnkd.in/eabNC8WB

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