Last month closed off with some welcome positives for the startup community. For one, Crunchbase reported that 11 startups reached unicorn status in the last month, suggesting more favorable growth conditions in future.
In addition, it’s no surprise that two of these new unicorns were AI companies, the one industry that remained relatively immune to the impacts of the funding downturn, with both early- and late-stage AI companies far outpacing those in other verticals.
However, while AI may be the hottest ticket with investors at the moment, in a few years down the line these tools will be as standard as the internet. This means there is always space for new ideas that genuinely support a user base to disrupt the markets once again.
Nobody Studios is a high-velocity studio on a mission to build 100 new companies in just 5 years with the support of almost a thousand global micro investors.
The team not only looks at where new market creation opportunities might lie but also how to change how venture is funded and companies are built.
Guiding startups with a close hand
For startups, securing funding is just half the battle. Building a business is always challenging which makes advice and support a critical success factor. This is why Nobody Studios guides startups through the foundational stages, building companies from concept to market, with a focus not on funding goals and high valuations, but on profitability and proven business models.
For example, Barry O Reilly, Chief Incubation Officer at Nobody Studios, highlights that creating new markets can be an exhilarating yet daunting endeavor. Typical challenges include identifying the right niche that differentiates your business from the competition. Regulatory hurdles and cultural differences are also important points to consider when branching into new industries or geographies.
In addition, when a product or service is truly disruptive, founders need to be aware that consumer education will be highly important. When Airbnb first launched, the biggest challenge was convincing travelers to the idea of staying in a stranger’s home rather than a hotel.
With this approach, Nobody Studios already has startups including Evalify, Thought Forma and Ovations in the portfolio.
A globally distributed venture studio
Nobody Studios is also unique thanks to way the funds are raised behind the scenes. In 2023 the fund ran an equity crowdfunding campaign that was open for 100 days. The campaign raised $772,000 USD from 905 new venture investors in 55 countries around the world.
For Nobody Studios, they don’t believe in gatekeeping investment opportunities. In addition to changing how companies are being built, they also want to create a new future for venture that changes how funding is raised, creating a global community in the process.
O’Reilly commented “Our goals were to raise capital, increase influence and attract talent. By raising awareness of the Studio, growing our network, credibility and creating another proof point on our journey we have shown the world we’re a force to be reckoned with.”
With this network, the team are able to source ideas, talent, funding, and product feedback from the crowd. It also means they can leverage the power of influencers to turn up the volume on our companies at an unmatchable scale and speed.
The team behind the scenes
Nobody Studios was founded by a handful of executives including CEO Mark McNally.
Helping McNally bring this mission into reality is a collaborative community of technologists and marketers. Greg Lovett acts as Chief Financial Officer while the rest of the executive team includes Connie Kwan, Chief Product Officer; Tiffany Hansen, Chief of Staff & VP of Operations; Eyal Shavit, Chief Technology Officer; Sejal Thakkar, Chief Culture Officer; and Kyle Kane, Chief Marketing Officer.
