Tomorrow is TechStars NYC Demo Day, which, among other things, means the program is coming to an end. I initially came up with the idea for Bondsy five years ago, and though I quit my job to work on it full-time last year, I’ve made substantially more progress over the past three months than at any time prior to that.
The TechStars program has given me access to a wide variety of mentors who have helped me clarify Bondsy’s product vision. I’m especially grateful for the contributions from people including Alex Rainert, Jennifer Hyman, James Cooper, Andy Weissman, Geoffrey Cook, Vin Vacanti, etc. I’ve definitely forgotten about some key folks (I’ve been up for days working on product and my demo!), so apologies for that. You know who you are though.
I’m also so appreciative of the help I’ve received from David, Adam, Nicole, Alex and the rest of the TechStars crew, associates and HackStars. Like many passionate people, I can be a lot to deal with sometimes, but they were always in my corner and helped me evolve, not only the company, but me as a founder.
Aside from mentors in the program, I’ve had the support of some of the most notable people in the New York tech community. I met Josh Stylman and Peter Hershberg last year and we hit it off immediately. They agreed to make a seed investment in Bondsy shortly after that. And they also introduced me to some amazing entrepreneurs and investors that have welcomed me with open arms.
Josh and Peter are very special to me. In the last three months we have spent a lot of time together, and I can’t describe in words how important their contributions to Bondsy have been. I’m a better person and founder today because of them, and it’s just the beginning. So thank you, guys!
Today, I’m proud to announce that Bondsy has closed a new round of financing that was led by Thrive Capital with participation from Betaworks, Chris Dixon, Patrick Keane, Jared Hecht and Steve Martocci. It’s evident that these people didn’t just want to write a check for an economic return - each one of them has rolled up their sleeves and has been extraordinary helpful as I’ve worked to take Bondsy from a concept to a full-fledged company. As a first time founder, it’s nice to surround yourself with people who are philosophically aligned. I consider them all friends too.
Bondsy’s TechStars chapter is coming to a close, but this is just the beginning for us. We have big plans, a hungry team, with more on the way and we can’t wait to share them with all of you.
