⚡ How a Trip to Japan Helped one of the Most Popular Workplace Apps Go from the Brink of Disaster to Global Success

Morning Innovators ⚡ This week (in less than 5 minutes!) we’ll explore…

🥳 The best funding opportunities, events and jobs in the start-up world
📰 The biggest news stories in the start-up world
💼 How a trip to Japan helped one of the most popular workplace apps go from the brink of disaster to global success
😎 How a bit of creative self-deprecation can go a long way in getting you in front of a LOT of potential customers
👀 Our 3 favourite start-ups to keep an eye on this week
🎨 A tool that helps you easily create beautiful websites

✨ Want to discover more start-ups before they become big news? PreSeed Now profiles an early-stage B2B or deep tech start-up in depth, straight to your inbox every Tuesday and Thursday.

They specialise in going deep and being super-early to high-potential start-ups. For example, they caught UK-based AI unicorn ElevenLabs before their seed round. From the latest business software to cutting-edge biotech, you'll discover something new in every edition. Give it a try 👀

Happy hustling,
Rich & Gary

🎤 Events/Opportunities

💰 Early-stage European VC firm Episode 1 has closed its third fund at £76m.

🌿 There are accelerator opportunities available with Founders Institute, including their pre-seed accelerator which starts in April.

🌩️ Founder + Lightning have announced they’re currently building their third investment vehicle - an EIS fund. We’ll keep you updated on when this drops! If you run an early stage B2B company and you’re looking for investment check them out - this year they’re investing up to £300k in start-ups looking to validate, build and iterate early stage B2B products.

💼 Job opportunities

🖥️ Senior Revenue Operations Analyst, Pinpoint
🛠️ Growth Marketer, Supabase
💷 Visual Designer, GiveMatch

💰 London-based identity verification company Onfido, is in talks with US payments firm Entrust about an acquisition. UKTN

🚚 The UK arm of electric van manufacturer Arrival has gone into administration, just three years after being valued at more than £9bn. UKTN

🎮 Epic and Disney have joined forces on a new games and entertainment universe, bringing Disney’s characters to Fortnite in exchange for a $1.5bn equity stake in Epic games. TechCrunch

🐤 Twitter’s (X’s) demise is creating a gap in the social media market which is being rapidly filled by a number of start-ups trying to fight for attention in the social world. TechCrunch

💊 Here’s a crazy story to finish on. The CEO of a company who manages the trademark of the infamous Pablo Escobar, and previously tried to sue Klarna, is now facing legal troubles of his own, being suspected of fraud and money laundering (amongst other things). Sifted

Join the Fratelli Family: Where E-Commerce Growth Knows No Bounds!

Elevate your start-up with Fratelli, the digital growth powerhouse for e-commerce brands. Since 2013, we've been more than an ad agency; we're your family in the digital space. Our focus? Skyrocketing transactions with our expertise in Paid Ads, SEO, E-Com Management, and Web Design.

Say goodbye to high acquisition costs and hello to growth, as we make scaling effortless and enjoyable. With glowing testimonials from industry leaders, our proven track record assures you're in capable hands. Ready for tangible results? Join the pack at Fratelli and let’s achieve greatness together.

💼 The Notion Odyssey – From Near-Death to a $10 Billion Valuation

In the tumultuous seas of tech start-ups, where the unforgiving waves of competition and innovation constantly threaten to capsize dreams, one vessel not only weathered the storm but emerged as a leviathan: Notion.

Picture this: 2015, the brink of collapse, a vision teetering on the edge of oblivion. The founders, battered by the tempest of a failed launch, did something unthinkable. They retreated from the bustling innovation hub of San Francisco to the serene, ancient city of Kyoto, Japan. No distractions, no English chatter, just two relentless minds coding their way to redemption in their underwear. Fast forward, and this phoenix-like tale of revival isn't just a story of survival; it's a masterclass in hitting a $10 billion valuation with a product that's become the digital Swiss Army knife for the modern workspace.

In 2013, amidst the fervour of Silicon Valley's relentless pursuit of the next big thing, Notion was born from a simple yet profound vision: to democratise the creation of tools, allowing the non-technical masses to craft their digital destiny without writing a single line of code. Zhao and Last, armed with their unique blend of cognitive science, design, and a dash of philosophy, set out to build a platform that was not just a tool but a canvas for creativity and innovation.

The initial prototype was promising, a web page builder that hinted at the vast potential of their idea. It was a time of boundless optimism, with the founders envisioning a digital ecosystem where entrepreneurs, creatives, and everyday users could seamlessly construct their own digital workflows.

However, the harsh realities of the tech landscape soon came crashing down. The launch of Notion's beta in 2015 was met with a sobering chill instead of the warm embrace they had hoped for. The platform, ambitious in its scope, was plagued by technical instabilities, leading to frequent crashes that eroded user trust. Feedback was brutal; the user base, non-existent.

The situation was dire. Financial reserves dwindled at an alarming rate, casting a long shadow over Notion's future. The dream that had once seemed so vivid was now a fading mirage, with the founders facing the gut-wrenching possibility of their venture's demise.

Faced with the spectre of failure, Zhao and Last made a decision that was as unconventional as it was desperate: they laid off their small team, shuttered their San Francisco office, and retreated to the serene ancient city of Kyoto, Japan. This was not an act of surrender but a strategic retreat, a chance to strip away the noise and distractions and return to the core of their mission.

Kyoto, with its tranquil temples and timeless streets, offered a stark contrast to the frenetic pace of Silicon Valley. Here, in this cultural heartland where neither spoke the language, Zhao and Last found the peace and clarity they needed to reimagine Notion. They delved deep into the essence of their vision, coding and iterating with a monk-like focus. This period of intense introspection and relentless work laid the foundation for what would become Notion 1.0.

In 2018, Notion 1.0 was unveiled to the world, not with a whisper but a resounding roar. The platform, reimagined and refined, captivated users with its elegant simplicity, its intuitive design, and its boundless versatility. It wasn't just a tool; it was a revelation, a new way of interacting with the digital world that felt intuitive and empowering.

Word of Notion's transformative potential spread like wildfire. The platform's user-centric design and the sheer breadth of its capabilities resonated with a wide audience, from entrepreneurs to creatives, from small teams to large corporations. Notion was no longer just a product; it was a movement, a community of passionate users who evangelised its virtues across forums, social media, and workplaces.

Notion's ascendancy was fuelled not just by its product excellence but by a strategic masterstroke: leveraging the power of its community. The team recognised the passion of their user base and doubled down on engaging with them, not just as customers but as collaborators and champions of the Notion cause.

The ambassador program, community forums, and social media engagement created a vibrant ecosystem where users shared tips, templates, and use cases. This grassroots movement was amplified by viral user-generated content on platforms like TikTok and YouTube, propelling Notion into the cultural zeitgeist and driving exponential growth.

Notion's journey from the precipice of failure to a $10 billion valuation is more than a success story; it's a blueprint for resilience, innovation, and community engagement. It's a testament to the fact that even in the darkest hours, a focused vision and an unwavering commitment to user experience can pave the way for remarkable achievements.

As we stand in awe of Notion's monumental rise, one can't help but ponder: What's the next frontier for this digital titan, and what lessons can the next generation of innovators draw from this extraordinary odyssey?

It’s so easy to think that you have to be serious 24/7 for anyone to take you seriously in business, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. Roshan Patel has proved that with this single tweet.

Knowing that his Start-Up’s name has absolutely nothing to do with the industry in which he works, and has huge significance in a completely different industry, he decided to have a joke about it.

Now, we don’t know if these emails are legitimate or if he’s written them himself. But what we do know is, this bit of self-deprecation got him and his company in front of over 573,000 potential new customers for free.

Are you able to make a joke about your company? Maybe a confusing name, like ‘Walnut’, or a slightly difficult to understand logo? It might just be your ticket to virality.

This week we’re spotlighting a few start-ups who are currently or imminently raising money via Crowdcube…

🥛 Up first is Mimica. A company on a mission to radically reduce unnecessary food waste with their award-winning label, Bump. Inclusive to all, it turns bumpy when food starts to spoil. Bump works on most packed perishable foods, with 200+ food companies on their waiting list. The future of waste reduction is Bump.

🦾 Open Bionics are developing affordable, assistive devices that enhance the human body. They’ve started by introducing the Hero Arm, a clinically approved 3D printed stylish multi-grip bionic hand. Current upper limb prostheses exist as hooks, grippers, or expensive bionic hands. Open Bionics on a mission to make 3D prosthetics beautiful, functional and more accessible. They’ve also partnered with Disney, Marvel and Lucasfilm to produce Hero Arm covers inspired by your favourite characters.

🛞 The Tyre Collective is a clean-tech company tackling the complex problem of tyre wear. Tyre wear is the second-largest source of microplastics in our oceans, toxic to marine life, and air particulate pollution. It gets into our waterways, the air we breathe and there is nothing to stop it! The Tyre Collective spearheads the capture and monitoring of tyre wear, accelerating the shift towards zero-emission mobility.

Each week we’ll be highlighting our favourite tools - either something we’ve been using in our businesses, or tools that our innovator community have recommended.

TidyCal is a user-friendly calendar management and booking solution designed to simplify the way individuals and businesses schedule their meetings. Offering a seamless integration with tools like Zoom, TidyCal provides a variety of features including unlimited booking types, custom availability, and the ability to personalise with your colours. With a focus on affordability, it offers a lifetime deal for a one-time purchase, alongside a forever-free plan, making it an attractive option for users seeking a cost-effective scheduling solution.

Next week we’ll be looking at how a start-up founder rejected 148 times for investment, finally secured funding to grow the world’s biggest millennial focused career site. We’ll also show you how a little sibling rivalry can go a long way, along with showing you more cool start-ups, funding opportunities, and plenty of awesome tips, tricks and tools.

P.S. Connect with us on LinkedIn…