#74 From Public Policy to Entrepreneurship, Starting SparkLabs, Investing, Networking, Views and Opinions on AI with Bernard Moon @ SparkLabs
December 13, 2023
Bernard Moon has been at the heart of the startup universe globally. He is the co-founder and partner at SparkLabs Group, a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds known for energizing startup scenes. He's not just playing the game; he's changing it, with investments in over 500 startups worldwide.
We talk about his journey, the startup world and expansion into multiple geographies, what investors look for, AI and product.
Bernard Moon has been at the heart of the startup universe globally. He is the co-founder and partner at SparkLabs Group, a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds known for energizing startup scenes. He's not just playing the game; he's changing it, with investments in over 500 startups worldwide.
We talk about his journey, the startup world and expansion into multiple geographies, what investors look for, AI and product.
We talk about his journey, the startup world and expansion into multiple geographies, what investors look for, AI and product.
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Where to find Bernard
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/bernardmoon
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bernardmoon/
Website: https://bernardmoon.com/
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GGUTT GPT [WIP] https://go.ggutt.com/gpt
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In this episode with Bernard, we discuss
00:00 Intro
02:03 Being in the venture space for a decade
02:43 What is SparkLabs Group?
03:34 From public policy to entrepreneurship
05:03 The interconnection between your upbringing and entrepreneurial mindset
08:03 Koreans are creative
08:45 The humble beginnings of SparkLabs
11:40 Challenges of starting-up in South Korea
14:14 Risk-taking and practicalities in global entrepreneurship
15:43 Investing in 500 startups
16:10 Adapting and improving their model across geographies
19:46 Bernard on the expansion model
20:38 A funny story
23:09 The criteria for selecting founders
25:47 Bernard on his GGUTT feeling and assessing people
28:29 Startup application process
29:53 AI application process?
31:00 Networking and relationships
33:21 The right time to start, stop, pivot
36:47 Co-founder, technical co-founder
37:33 Generalist investors globally, industry-specific on the accelerator side
39:06 Bernard’s view on the investment landscape
41:59 It’s not the investor’s fault
42:40 The Future is Data
44:03 How AI is changing the way that we work
45:24 The impact of launching multiple startup hubs and sharing
48:05 Setting up the latest hub in Riyadh and interest from the UAE
51:46 The drive and competitiveness in Saudi Arabia
53:15 What keeps Bernard excited
54:19 Staying up to date
55:16 Are we in an AI bubble?
For enquiries, email maria [at] ggutt [dot] com with subject line: gguttalks ask
00:00 Intro
02:03 Being in the venture space for a decade
02:43 What is SparkLabs Group?
03:34 From public policy to entrepreneurship
05:03 The interconnection between your upbringing and entrepreneurial mindset
08:03 Koreans are creative
08:45 The humble beginnings of SparkLabs
11:40 Challenges of starting-up in South Korea
14:14 Risk-taking and practicalities in global entrepreneurship
15:43 Investing in 500 startups
16:10 Adapting and improving their model across geographies
19:46 Bernard on the expansion model
20:38 A funny story
23:09 The criteria for selecting founders
25:47 Bernard on his GGUTT feeling and assessing people
28:29 Startup application process
29:53 AI application process?
31:00 Networking and relationships
33:21 The right time to start, stop, pivot
36:47 Co-founder, technical co-founder
37:33 Generalist investors globally, industry-specific on the accelerator side
39:06 Bernard’s view on the investment landscape
41:59 It’s not the investor’s fault
42:40 The Future is Data
44:03 How AI is changing the way that we work
45:24 The impact of launching multiple startup hubs and sharing
48:05 Setting up the latest hub in Riyadh and interest from the UAE
51:46 The drive and competitiveness in Saudi Arabia
53:15 What keeps Bernard excited
54:19 Staying up to date
55:16 Are we in an AI bubble?
For enquiries, email maria [at] ggutt [dot] com with subject line: gguttalks ask
For enquiries, email maria [at] ggutt [dot] com with subject line: gguttalks ask
Mentioned in this episode: