GSD Venture Studios in 2021

2021- what a year! We owe much of our growth at GSD Venture Studios to all of you- the changemakers, entrepreneurs, startups, companies, and leaders who have joined our #GoGlobal movement.

GSD Venture Studios supported 70+ startups with roots in 35+countries

We began 2021 with the launch of our second accelerator cohort, and are closing out the year with the launch of our sixth, for a total of 61 companies in our accelerator portfolio. Simultaneously, we were hard at work with the expansion of 10 companies in our venture studio portfolio.

Five companies making an impact:

• Xcoop, helping the unbanked in Latin America easily send and receive payments. Grew 600% in 2021.
• I2PURE, a Bio-safety company that is redefining the way we kill and protect against germs and infections in over a dozen industries from COVID to skincare to surgery. Millions in sales.
• eezy, changing how AI, psychology, and search are used to help people live their best life. Hundreds of thousands of users.
• SplitByte, the first truly quantum-proof, keyless safe harbor in data security.

Gary’s three live shows were shown all over the world

GSD created 350,000 hours of video content. Gary led the charge with his show “Silicon Valley Tech & AI”, hosting industry legends like Guy Kawasaki, David Yang, John Sung Kim, and more, achieving over 150,000 views.

Nigeria, South Africa, The UN, and Tel Aviv

Derek traveled the world in search of resilient entrepreneurs bold enough to #GoGlobal. We expanded GSD’s footprint to Nigeria, South Africa, and most recently, an expansion to Tel Aviv. Along these travels, GSD discovered, and subsequently accelerated several extraordinary companies, like Nigerian fintech Aladdin and Kite Financial as well as South African IoT Q-Hop.

Gary also did some globetrotting with speeches at the UN, in India, Germany, and Silicon Valley, even sharing the stage with Steve Wozniak for a speech at the Startup World Cup.

Venture Studio as a Service

We launched our venture studio as a service for major corporations looking for strategic partnerships or to acquire technologies that will redefine industries.

Syndicates

GSD launched GSD Syndicates, which will allow us to broaden access to VC investment for family, friends, and the general public. To further provide access to these types of investments, we have partnered with Alto, a self-directed IRA platform that allows members to invest their retirement fund into alternative investments like real estate, cryptocurrency, and of course, venture capital.

Great support with GSD Network

On the first Thursday of each month at 10 am PT, we will bring together current and present portfolio/accelerator companies for a value-add meeting with a special guest. The first guest will be Peter Loukianoff.

Much more to come

Stay tuned for exciting developments in 2022 with GSD Syndicates, our continued global expansion, many more innovative accelerator and portfolio companies, as well as a few more surprises we are working on.

Happy New Year and we look forward to a prosperous 2022!

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About GSD Venture Studios:

We travel the world investing in resilient teams bold enough to #GoGlobal.
For too long, self-motivated entrepreneurs have navigated the minefield of challenges to launching a global company with very little support. The last thing you should bet on in this situation is an unproven team that you don’t trust. GSD Venture Studios travels to every corner of the globe inviting resilient teams to establish partnerships that ensure organizations grow the right way, without games or gimmicks. You can learn more about GSD Ventures Studios here: https://www.gsdvs.com/post/interview-with-derek-everything-you-need-to-know-about-gsd

About Derek Distenfield:
Known for both bringing revolutionary new ideas to organizations that deliver explosive growth and for displaying a high tolerance for ambiguity and complexity. For over 15 years, Derek has blazed high impact careers in startups, corporations, governments, and nonprofit organizations that range from $0 to $2 billion.
He is the operational mastermind, COO and Co-founder behind the success of GSD Venture Studios. Derek brings a variety of resources together to deliver explosive growth for GSD’s portfolio companies. Additionally, he lectures on startup growth at leading universities and writes for Forbes.com. Analytic Insight Magazine honored Derek as a 40 under 40 Innovator for his work in redefining the future of tech through cutting edge innovation. Yahoo.com called Derek as one of 2020s most influential people.
Derek is a frequent keynote speaker, advisor, and mentor. Silicon Valley is home, and he travels the world frequently to work with GSD’s portfolio companies.
More information can be found at: https://www.gsdvs.com/post/meet-derek-distenfield