January Capital

For Carla Penn-Kahn of Profit Peak, unwavering focus on their core market has been a key driver of sustainable growth. When approached by three major Australian brands, Carla prioritized Profit Peak's strategic roadmap—choosing to maintain laser focus on their target segment rather than diverting resources to opportunities outside their current scope. This disciplined approach to customer selection demonstrates exceptional strategic clarity. By concentrating exclusively on clients where they deliver maximum value today, Profit Peak strengthens their foundation for scaling to thousands of customers tomorrow, while keeping communication channels open for future partnerships. Join us Wednesday for our full conversation with Carla on maintaining strategic discipline during rapid growth.

Mind-blowing news from our portfolio company, Cortical Labs, who just unveiled CL1 – the world's first "Synthetic Biological Intelligence". This isn't just another incremental step forward – it's a complete paradigm shift. Imagine an ever-evolving organic computer that learns with such speed and flexibility that it leaves traditional silicon-based AI chips in the dust – yes, the same chips powering ChatGPT and other LLMs. What makes CL1 revolutionary? ?? More dynamic – adapting and evolving organically ?? More sustainable – dramatically reducing environmental impact ? More efficient – slashing energy consumption while boosting performance We are proud to be backing the visionaries at Cortical Labs as they lead us into an entirely new chapter of intelligent computing. The future isn't coming. It's already here. Read more: https://lnkd.in/ebedzdKp #SyntheticBiologicalIntelligence #AIRevolution #CorticalLabs #FutureTech

For Carla Penn-Kahn of Profit Peak, her non-technical background has proven to be a strategic advantage in her entrepreneurial journey. While technical founders often dive immediately into building, Carla's approach required deeper consideration of customer needs and thorough problem space analysis before development began. This methodical approach forced her to validate the business model with exceptional clarity. Rather than coding first and asking questions later, she ensured the solution addressed genuine market demands. Carla's success also stems from leveraging existing relationships - bringing in trusted developers from her e-commerce business who were already familiar with her vision. This combination of market understanding and technical capability created a powerful foundation for Profit Peak. Her story demonstrates that founding teams benefit from diverse perspectives, and that perceived limitations often become unexpected strengths when building customer-centered solutions. Join us for our full conversation with Carla, releasing next Wednesday.

For Carla Penn-Kahn of Profit Peak, building for scale requires strategic foresight and continuous evolution. Her team recently undertook a complete database rebuild after recognizing their initial architecture wouldn't support their ambitious growth targets. This decision highlights the critical infrastructure planning required when collecting vast amounts of granular data required for e-commerce businesses to run efficiently. This extensive data collection strategy differentiates Profit Peak from competitors. While challenging to manage, it provides significantly richer learning opportunities compared to most operational software in e-commerce. Carla approaches this complexity with disciplined incrementalism: pushing boundaries one day at a time, closing each day's challenges, and advancing again tomorrow. This methodical persistence drives sustainable growth amid technical complexity. Join us next Wednesday for our full conversation with Carla on balancing technical scalability with entrepreneurial vision.

At January Capital, we celebrate the visionary women entrepreneurs who are redefining industries and creating meaningful change every day. International Women's Day is not just a date on our calendar – it's a reflection of our ongoing commitment to supporting diverse leadership in innovation. We're privileged to partner with remarkable female-founded companies across our portfolio. Here's a spotlight on just a few that exemplify this spirit: ?? Profit Peak: Revolutionizing e-commerce profitability through advanced analytics, challenging industry standards and delivering transformative results for businesses. ?? HealthMatch : Building the future of medicine by connecting patients worldwide with groundbreaking treatments, ensuring healthcare innovation reaches those who need it most. ?? Inflow: Vietnam's pioneering on-demand fashion platform that empowers partners through AI-driven trend forecasting and a digitalized supply chain, bringing sustainability and efficiency to an evolving industry. These founders represent the brilliance, determination and vision that drive our investment philosophy. Their success reminds us that innovation knows no boundaries – but recognizing those who break barriers is how we build a better future together. We also honor the exceptional women within our January Capital team, whose expertise and dedication not only shape our firm but push the entire industry forward. Their perspectives and leadership are invaluable to our success. Today and every day, we remain committed to fostering an ecosystem where every entrepreneur can thrive, innovate and shape the future. #InternationalWomensDay #WomenInTech #FemaleFounders

Episode 2 of The First Podcast – Out Now In this episode, we sit down with Abhishek Gupta, co-founder of Circles, the world’s first digital telco. Ab’s journey is anything but conventional. From nearly pursuing a career in acting to then studying engineering, jumping into consulting at McKinsey, transitioning to private equity, he ultimately took the leap into entrepreneurship. He shares the challenges of breaking into telecom, building a strong co-founding team, and navigating early fundraising struggles. We also dive into Circles’ international expansion, the shift into SaaS, and the mindset needed to scale in high-growth industries. With insights on startup culture, hiring, and first-principles thinking, this conversation is one founders won’t want to miss. Watch Episode 2 now and subscribe for more: https://lnkd.in/giaMMT9Q

For Abhishek Gupta of Circles.Life, aligning on values as co-founders wasn’t automatic—it was a process. Each founder brought their own perspective, but through thoughtful discussions, they merged their principles to create a strong foundation. Ownership, learning, hierarchy, boldness—these were the values they committed to. And as Circles.Life grew, they sought people who aligned with them. Looking back, Abhishek reflects on the challenge of maintaining this alignment at scale, wishing they had been even more steadfast in upholding these values. Want to hear more about how company values shape long-term success? Stay tuned for our next episode with Abhishek, coming this Wednesday.

How can you effectively tackle market segmentation and global expansion? Join Abhishek Gupta from Circles as he reveals key insights on how focusing on digital-native customers has been crucial to their success. He will delve into the importance of grasping consumer behavior, especially how convenience influences decisions, along with the strategies that have facilitated their successful entry into international markets. Don’t miss this chance to learn from one of this regions most seasoned operators. The episode launches next Wednesday.

Join us as Abhishek Gupta from Circles explains how identifying a specific, digital-native customer segment transformed their strategy. By targeting a niche market, those willing to pay extra for convenience, allowed them to incrementally expand and capitalise over time. Abhishek shares how excelling in serving this niche led to strong product validation and growth. Discover why focusing narrowly can be more effective than attempting to cater to everyone. Our episode with Abhishek is out next Wednesday.

In our next episode we are fortunate enough to feature one of the regions most visionary thinkers and ambitious innovators, Abhishek Gupta from Circles. Having targeted the archaic telecommunications industry over a decade ago, he and his team approached the industry's challenges methodically, building technology at every juncture to better improve the experience for customers in this region. In this upcoming episode, Abhishek Gupta of Circles discusses why choosing co-founders you trust deeply is essential for navigating the startup journey. Discover how working with individuals who align with your vision and values, rather than just having the right skills, can transform your founding experience. Trust in your team’s abilities and intentions often trumps having rigid roles or specific expertise. The next episode launches next Wednesday.