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Sweat,Tears and Equity
Welcome to Sweat, Tears and Equity, a podcast by Fortech Investments, where we discuss the untold truths of founding and funding start-ups. Our guests are founders, investors, and other players from the ecosystem who learned these valuable lessons the hard way. They share the things they wish they knew earlier about the challenges that lie in this journey, the things that no one prepared them for, so you and other founders can navigate this bumpy road successfully.
Sweat,Tears and Equity
Ep.08 - "You cannot put a price on vision or dreams"- Mihai Raneti, CyberSwarm
In this episode of "Sweat, Tears and Equity", our host Sorin Bădulescu sits down with Mihai Raneti, founder and CEO of Cyber Swarm - a hardware startup developing neuromorphic computing solutions that challenge tech giants. From their Romanian R&D hub, they're exporting advanced chip technology to the US, turning geographical constraints into competitive advantages.
Drawing from his experience as a founder, Mihai shares candid insights about:
👉 Why hardware startups are harder to scale but more sustainable long-term
👉 How being outside Silicon Valley's radar gave them space to innovate
👉 The reality of choosing investors and why Eastern European founders should look westward
👉 Why current AI is "just statistics" and how neuromorphic computing might change that
👉 The lonely road of deep tech entrepreneurship and why your close ones might not understand
Whether you're a founder considering the hardware space, an investor interested in deep tech, or simply curious about building globally competitive startups from Eastern Europe, this episode offers rare insights into the intersection of cutting-edge technology and entrepreneurship.