Fueling Startup Success in Hardware Tech with ventureLAB
Let’s say you have a fantastic, ground-breaking, world-changing startup idea. You do all the research you can, build a team, and prepare to execute, but find that in the end, it just isn’t quite working out. Maybe you can’t find enough investors, or you can’t seem to fully flesh out your IP strategy. Where do you go for help?
Lots of folks new to the startup world find themselves in this position. Typically, while they have plenty of engineering know-how, they don’t know what they don’t know when it comes to building and scaling as a business, securing funding, or defining themselves in the startup space. That’s where startup accelerators like ventureLAB come in.
Today, Kevin Blevins speaks with Avinash Persaud, VP, Hardware Catalyst Initiative at ventureLAB, a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies. ventureLAB is part of one of the biggest and most diverse tech communities in Canada. They’re focused on helping startups with challenges like raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP and customer acquisition.
In this episode, you will learn about the challenges faced by hardware technology startups and the value of organizations like ventureLAB in supporting their growth. You will also get to hear more about the types of infrastructure and labs available to startups at ventureLAB, as well as what companies can expect in the first few months of working with the organization.
What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
- Avinash’s extensive background in engineering (2:34)
- The semiconductor industry and its future (13:31)
- The need for more diversity in the semiconductor industry supply chain (16:14)
- Why ventureLAB chose to partner with Siemens (25:11)
- The screening process at ventureLAB (22:28)
- What start-up companies can expect working with ventureLAB (28:20)
Siemens Startups Program
At Siemens, we understand the struggles of early-stage startups. Let us remove the barriers on your startup journey by helping you transform your engineering ideas into real, marketable products with industry-leading software solutions. Join the Siemens Startups Program to grow your startup to its full potential. Want to get in touch? Reach out via our lead form.
Guest: Avinash Persaud, VP, Hardware Catalyst Initiative
Avinash has decades of experience in the technology sector – in software, hardware and semiconductor development and production. He started his career at Bell Northern Research, followed by Nortel, Leitch Technologies, ATI, AMD, Fresco Microchip and most recently Spectra7 Microsystems. Most recently he has set up end-to-end semiconductor supply chains in Asia from wafer production, IC assembly and test, board assemblies and box builds. He is experienced in set up of ISO systems, NPI and PDP development process, product characterization, and qualification and many other aspects of bringing hardware products to market.
Connect with Avinash
Host: Kevin Blevins
Kevin Blevins is the Portfolio Development Executive for SMB and Startup Companies and manages the Siemens Digital Industries Software Startup Program. He works with the Siemens sales organizations as well as Siemens Partners to engage and evangelize the Siemens Startup Program in the Americas. Kevin has spent more than 35 years in the Engineering and Manufacturing software industry. Prior to this he spent seven years in the automotive design industry. Kevin has been with Siemens for 33 years. During this time, he has held positions in Technical Support, Technical Sales Support Leadership, Sales Director for the Automotive Region, Partner Sales Executive, and his current position. Kevin has a Bachelor of Science in Engineering Technology from Lawrence Technological University in Southfield, MI.
ventureLAB is a leading global founder community for hardware technology and enterprise software companies, led by seasoned entrepreneurs and business leaders with decades of industry experience. Their initiatives focused on raising capital, talent retention, commercializing technology and IP, and customer acquisition have enabled thousands of companies to create over 5,000 jobs and raise more than $340 million in investment capital. For more information, visit Home | ventureLAB
Pioneers: Startups from Dreams to Reality
Ideas alone can’t change the world. It takes grit, and serious funding. In Pioneers, host Kevin Blevins sits down with startup founders to discuss the startup lifestyle- from concept to execution- and the big ideas that fuel these pioneers. From the future of farming to autonomous flight, there’s no frontier too far.
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