Specter Monitor #106 ⛰️

Specter Monitor is a data-driven newsletter for investors interested in learning about the latest market trends, signals, and opportunities. Our audience includes some of the most legendary VC investors in the world. We’ll work hard to bring you actionable insights into what’s happening in today’s markets while celebrating data-driven wins and predictions. ✨

Bob Ross’ First On-Air Painting, A Walk in the Woods

🔮 Talents of the Week

Specter tracks real-time top talents movements across the world to detect actionable investment opportunities before anyone else.

🪄 Predicted:

Guillaume Verdon (US, 2023): Founder & CEO at Extropic.

Featured by Specter on: 2022 - Week 29.

Advantage on Latest Funding Round: 502 Days.

Description: Extropic is developing a new computing paradigm that leverages out-of-equilibrium thermodynamics for generative AI in the physical world.

Prev. Experience: Research Scientist & Quantum ML lead at X @ Alphabet Inc., Graduate Researcher @ Institute for Quantum Computing, Graduate Researcher @ University of Waterloo, Graduate Researcher @ Perimeter Institute, Chief Scientific Officer @ Everettian Technologies, Lecturer - Quantum Machine Learning Stream @ Creative Destruction Lab, Undergraduate Researcher @ McGill University.

Total Funding: $14.1M / $14.1M Latest Seed Round in 12/2023.

Notable Investors: Kindred Ventures, Buckley Ventures, HOF Capital, Julian Capital, Marque VC, OSS Capital, Valor Equity Partners, Weekend Fund, Steve Jang.

👻 Opportunity:

Kevin Van Gundy (US, 2023): Chief Executive Officer & Founder at Hypermode.

Featured by Specter on: 2023 - Week 29 as Stealth Signal.

Description: Hypermode is a AI-driven platform for frontend developers, providing the speed and reliability innovators need to create at the moment of inspiration.

Prev. Experience: Chief Operating Officer @ Vercel, Chief Revenue Officer @ Vercel, Vice President, Business Development @ Domino Data Lab, Head of Enterprise Sales, Business Development, and Operations @ tray.io.

🎱 Strategic Intelligence

Inspired by Michael Lewis’ Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game - Strategic Intelligence is a stealth engine that tracks online and social behaviour of corporate insiders and leading investors.

🪄 Predicted:

AssemblyAI (US, 2023) - Featured by Specter on: 2023 - Week 20.

Advantage on Latest Funding Round: 199 Days.

Description: AssemblyAI is an AI-driven company building a platform of APIs to transcribe and understand audio data.

Total Funding: $163.1M / $50M Latest Series C Round in 12/2023.

Notable Investors: Accel, Insight Partners, Y Combinator, Daniel Gross, Nat Friedman, Smith Point Capital.

👻 Opportunity:

John Hoegger (US, 2023): Founder at Stealth Startup.

Featured by Specter on: 2023 - Week 48.

Prev. Experience: Senior Director, Machine Learning Science @ Microsoft.

Signal: Increased VC Interest in 12/2023.

🍒 Cherry-Picked Companies

Specter tracks the alternative data performance of millions of companies and, on a monthly basis, flags the ones who are likely to increase in valuation.