Celebrating Our Community's Success in Q2! ??

Although Chicago canceled its July 4th celebration, our community had enough fireworks to light up the whole season! From welcoming new founders and top-tier operators to celebrating acquisitions and major milestones, Q2 was nothing short of spectacular. Here’s a snapshot of what we’ve accomplished together:

?? TLDR

• Bionic Q2 Recap: Another incredible quarter in the books: welcomed 29 new founders, onboarded 11 top-tier operators, and launched our Collaborator HQ.
• Collaborator Roundup: From an acquisition to features on TechCrunch & Billboard to hitting over $1M in annual contracted revenue, our collaborators can’t be stopped.
• Community Chats: Check out our recent chat with Ben Rosner on mastering fundraising communication here. Don't miss our next chat with Erin Stavi on July 27, focusing on Customer Success and product-market fit—register here.
• Founders Series: This month, we spotlight Abode and its mission to simplify homeownership finances—discover more about their innovative approach here.
• Featured Fundraises: 1) Invest in Lucky Sweater's $3M Seed Round to capitalize on the booming secondhand fashion market, backed by 40%+ retention and 26,500+ active users. 2) Join Sway's $500k Pre-Seed Round to support an innovative event planning platform with $270k revenue in 2023 and $350k in secured contracts.

?? Bionic Q2 Recap

?? Welcomed 29 new founders, now over 90 strong — 50% growth, with the majority being referrals.

??♀? Onboarded 11 top-tier operators, pushing our count to 65 — a 20% growth.

?? Added 8 content pieces to The Launchpad on Substack to ignite discussion and help platform our founder community.

???? Hosted 3 Community Chats with over 230 participants.

?? Launched our Collaborator HQ featuring our community events, people directory, celebrations, and recommended tools & services.

?? Collaborator Roundup

?? Celery (Acquired by SpringLabs) got acquired by SpringLabs and now the team is full speed building AI tooling for fintechs. Anurag Vuthunuri

??♀? Gritty In Pink is featured in TechCrunch, discussing their women-focused job marketplace and its mission to ensure fair pay for live music entertainment. Shira Yevin

?? Gift 's social media and sharing platform just launched on Android, building on its iOS momentum. David Lampert

?? Overtune 's innovative music creation app is featured on Billboard.com. Sigurdur Arnason

?? Collective OS an intercompany talent exchange, surpassed 60 customers in less than 4 months since launch. Jason Flack

?? Debbie just reached $1M in contracted annual revenue as it adds its 7th Credit Union and enhances their partnerships. Frida Leibowitz ????

??? Attribe signed brands, including Container Store, totaling $400M in eCommerce sales (TAS) to launch their influencer loyalty program. Otto Braun

?? Engage IQ expands its free product offering to include a list and breakdown of 300 of the best SaaS websites. Nate Andorsky

?? Community Chat

?? Effective Storytelling to Translate Your Value

In our recent community chat with Ben Rosner , we uncovered the secrets to mastering communication for fundraising success. Ben shared invaluable strategies for founders to craft compelling stories that captivate investors and convey the true value of their startups. He emphasized the importance of becoming an expert communicator and demonstrating authority to show your ability to realize a vision and secure capital. By using compelling narratives, founders can connect emotionally with their audience and stand out among competitors.

Pro Tip: Practice is key—follow the 5x rule: for every hour of presentation, practice for five hours to ensure you deliver a captivating message.

?? Read the full summary here & watch the recording

?? Upcoming Community Chat: Customers and Finding Product-Market Fit

Join us on July 27 at 12pm CT as Erin Stavi shares her expertise on building effective Customer Success programs. Learn how to communicate your value, retain customers, and achieve product-market fit. Erin, founder of Lakeshore Success, has led Customer Success programs from Series A startups to $100M+ unicorns, achieving industry-leading renewal rates.

?? Register Here

??? Founders Series

This month, we spotlight Abode and its mission to simplify homeownership finances. CEO Tyler Bliha aims to help homeowners save money and manage their financial obligations more effectively. Abode’s innovative approach leverages data to provide actionable insights for cost savings, making it easier for homeowners to navigate the complex and often costly aspects of homeownership.

"I made $10K of financial mistakes owning my home, and most of my peers are in the same boat. That's why we're building Abode."

Discover how Abode is creating a new category in PropTech and helping homeowners optimize their finances.

?? Read the full article here

?? Featured Fundraise

Lucky Sweater is raising a $3M Seed Round.

TL;DR: Carley Lake 's Lucky Sweater is transforming secondhand fashion with a community-driven clothing swap app, aiming to become the "Reddit for commerce."

What we love: Lucky Sweater boasts a 40%+ retention rate, 26,500+ active users, and 30,000 items traded, aligning perfectly with the growing trend towards sustainable fashion and unique finds.

Why now: The secondhand apparel market is projected to reach $77 billion by 2025, and Lucky Sweater is perfectly positioned to capitalize on this growth.

Sway is raising $500k in their Pre-Seed round.

TL;DR: Adam Goldstein 's Sway simplifies event planning with a one-stop platform for booking venues and services, generating $270k in revenue in 2023.

What we love: Sway has secured $350k in signed contracts and deployed its MVP platform in May 2024, tapping into the increasing demand for seamless event planning solutions.

Why now: The event management software market is expected to grow to $14.6 billion by 2026, making now the perfect time to invest in Sway's innovative and user-friendly solution.