Oct. 29, 2024

Mission Minded Founder

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Investing in Web3

As many of our listeners and readers know, I lead the Techstars Web3 accelerator, investing in entrepreneurs building in web3 and enabling the next wave of growth in the decentralized internet and in tokenized economies. Applications are now open for our Spring 2025 class, so check out our thesis update for 2025 and apply here if you’re an early-stage founder building in web3. For everyone else, please share with friends who might fit the bill!

👉Follow Techstars Web3 for updates: X (Twitter) | Farcaster | LinkedIn

Next up, I’ll be heading to DevCon in Bangkok to meet web3 builders and investors, so let me know if you’ll be there too and we can meet up!

One of the places I’ll be is the Builder and Investor Meetup alongside folks from bitsCrunch, Blockchain Founders Capital, Biconomy, 1inch and Covalent on Wednesday, November 13th. Register in the link above if you’re building or investing in web3 and you’ll be at DevCon.

This Week’s Podcast

Listen to the podcast

Unleashing Impact: The Journey of AID:Tech with Niall Dennehy

The digital universe demands innovation, and for those of us living in the dynamic crossroads of web3, digital identity, and humanitarian aid, it's not just about keeping up—it's about leading the charge.

I was thrilled to bring our #1 MoneyNeverSleeps Superfan Niall Dennehy, co-founder of AID:Tech, back onto the show for the first time since episode 11 in 2018, sharing an inspiring story of perseverance and impact-driven innovation. In prepping for this interview, I listened back to episode 11 which we recorded on a hot summer day in Dublin (the irony!) in the offices of Top Tier Recruitment, our podcast sponsor at the time. I also traced things forward to the current day with how AID:Tech’s journey had progressed through the news.

My ‘wow’ moment came when I was struck by just how consistent their messaging has been since I first went down the AID:Tech rabbit hole with Niall that day in 2018. Surviving for 2 years as a startup is hard enough, but AID:Tech are now at 9 years and running (founded in 2015). I’ve kept my eye on them as Niall has been so helpful to the podcast with guest intros and other helpful network connections, and I’ve seen what they’ve been through. Even though the AID:Tech story is still being written, what they’ve achieved against the pushback and naysayers is nothing short of remarkable.

Let's dive into the key discussions from Niall's update and see how AID:Tech continues to bridge gaps in identity and payments across the globe.

AID:Tech's Mission: Building Trust in Identity

AID:Tech stands at the forefront of technological evolution with a firm belief: fix identity, and you fix payments (h/t Simon Taylor). Since its inception, AID:Tech has aimed to create traceability in the flow of funds for NGOs, governments, and charities - this chat completely reaffirmed their dedication to this vision. AID:Tech has harnessed the potential of blockchain to provide digital identities, enabling rapid financial assistance to disaster-stricken individuals in the U.S. The Kare Survivor Wallet, a brilliant iteration of their platform, is not just a technological marvel—it exemplifies real-world application with its ability to restrict the purchase of certain goods through program-specific wallets.

Navigating Challenges with Consistency

AID:Tech's journey is marked by consistency and an unwavering mission. Since we last heard from Niall in 2018, AID:Tech's focus hasn't drifted. Anyone in the startup world knows how rare and refreshing it is to see such steadfast commitment. They have proven their doubters wrong and have navigated the complexities of multiple bear markets by holding onto their core vision. A mission that respects identity as the heart of payments continues to transcend borders, highlighting similar identity challenges in developed and developing nations alike.

Financial Longevity with Strategic Fundraising

For any mission-driven organization, the challenge is balancing impact with financial sustainability. AID:Tech has mastered this balancing act by being strategic in its fundraising efforts. Attracting patient capital that supports their mission has been a priority. By winning impactful grants and forging partnerships with credible institutions like the Algorand Foundation, AID:Tech has effectively leveraged non-dilutive capital, staying afloat without diluting ownership excessively.

The Flywheel of Impact: A Mission-Driven Startup

The true genius of AID:Tech's model lies in its ability to create a flywheel of impact—where each success fuels further growth. With each iteration, the Kare platform becomes more sophisticated, proving its mettle through impactful real-world use cases. New team members are drawn to AID:Tech's mission, perpetuating a cycle of enhanced product development and, in turn, more extensive reach.

Key Takeaways

Just Keep Pushing: The AID:Tech team have built the bridge between web3 and humanitarian aid, offering innovative solutions like the Kare Survivor Wallet to solve real-world problems.

Consistent Mission: With a steadfast focus on identity as the core of payments, AID:Tech addresses global identity challenges consistently.

Strategic Fundraising: By capturing both non-dilutive capital and mission-driven investors, AID:Techremains financially sustainable while nurturing growth.

Impact-Focused: The concept of a mission-driven flywheel drives AID:Tech, allowing them to continually expand their outreach and improve community impact.

In conclusion, AID:Tech’s unyielding commitment to their mission has not only fueled their growth but has also inspired others in the web3 space to dream bigger and aim higher. With the ongoing evolution of identity and payments, Joe Thmpson, Niall Dennehy and their team remain true to their roots, consistently driven by core values that aim to fix humanitarian relief through digital identity.

Listen to the podcast

Timestamps

01:48 AID:Tech's Impact and Innovations

03:19 The Evolution of AID:Tech

04:22 The Core Mission: Identity and Payments

07:44 Real-World Applications and Success Stories

11:18 Challenges and Perseverance in the Startup World

13:08 Future of Payments and Digital Identity

14:19 The Kare Survivor Wallet in Action

20:02 Community Impact and Personal Stories

24:55 The Flywheel of a Mission-Driven Startup

26:02 Philosophical Insights and Team Alignment

27:36 Navigating Fundraising for Impact Ventures

30:56 The Importance of Non-Dilutive Capital

33:50 Personal Growth and Mindset

36:37 The Five H's for Founders: Happy, Helpful, Humble, Hungry & Healthy

39:27 Final Thoughts and Gratitude

Don’t forget to follow MoneyNeverSleeps on Spotify or Apple Podcasts to get each episode freshly delivered to your podcast queue!

Reference Links

👉Follow Niall Dennehy on X/(Twitter) and LinkedIn

👉Learn more about:

AID:Tech
Kare Survivor Wallet
Post on the Kare Survivor Wallet’s deployment for hurricane relief aid
Episode 11 of MoneyNeverSleeps from August 2018:
Matt Keller’s X/(Twitter) post on Algorand and the Kare Survivor Wallet

X-Post (Tweet!) of the Week

Sharing Dealflow

Many of the alumni from the Techstars Web3 Class of 2024 are currently fundraising, and you can check out the Airtable here for details on all of the companies/projects. If you’re investing in early-stage web3 companies/projects, let me know which of the Techstars Web3 grads look interesting to you!