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Contrary

@contrary

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We back the bold // Publishing research on private tech companies @contrary_res

San Francisco, CA
Joined June 2016
Don't wanna be here? Send us removal request.
@contrary
Contrary
2 years
The next Xerox PARC won’t be built over zoom. Today, we're excited to unveil Contrary NYC – a creative workspace for the city’s top builders and technologists, located in the heart of Flatiron. Read on to see how you can get access:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We’re excited to launch Contrary Sabbatical! Over the past couple years, we’ve invested in people who want to take time off and build something great; it’s birthed some of the fastest-growing startups we’ve seen. This year, we’re upping the stakes.
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Today we're announcing investments of up to $100k in students taking a gap year to work on a company during the pandemic. Learn more and apply here:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Calling all builders, engineers, designers & investors: Venture Partner applications for 2022 are now open! If you're excited about investing in outstanding startups, talking to smart people working on cool things, and being a part of an awesome community, read on!
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
Today, we’re excited to announce the launch of Foundations & Frontiers. A written series by @annasofialesiv that explains how the technologies that govern our world were built, and what solutions startups are working on now to address the challenges of the future!
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Today, we're opening applications for the Contrary Fellowship, a selective community of exceptional future founders. Join us for an exclusive network of talented peers, events, career and company formation help, and so much more.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
We started Contrary five years ago with one simple premise: that exceptional talent could come from anywhere. Today, we’re thrilled to announce that we’ve raised $20M for our second fund.
@etarczynski
Eric Tarczynski
3 years
Hello, World!
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Today we're launching Startup Fair, the best place for undergrad and new grad builders to meet and get hired by breakout startups. Apply now to meet @figmadesign , @tryramp , @stytchauth , @viseinc , and more on July 15th:
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@contrary
Contrary
6 years
Grateful as we officially announce the close of Fund I, backed by founding members from @facebook , @Tesla , @reddit , and so many others.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
1/ Contrary’s mission is to identify the brightest, scrappiest, and most talented builders in the world, and support them for life. We do this with our community - and for the past 6 years, our Venture Partner (VP) program has been its heart.
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@contrary
Contrary
7 months
Thrilled to welcome our newest cohort of Venture Partners to the Contrary family! With nearly 1300 applications, this year was our most competitive yet. We’re excited to work with you all to meet and invest in the next generation of exceptional founders and companies. We also
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We started Contrary five years ago to identify and invest in the world's top talent. Today, we're thrilled to announce we've raised $75M for our third fund to double down on identifying, investing, and relentlessly supporting the world's brightest for life.
@etarczynski
Eric Tarczynski
2 years
We raised $75M to continue building a lifelong platform that invests in the person before the idea. The next decade of venture will be focused on people, and we’re excited to lead the way.
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
We mapped out the entrepreneurial ecosystems at dozens of campuses across North America. Check out our How To Start A Startup guides at your campus here, and drop your email for updates:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Get your first check from Contrary to quit your job, skip an internship, or take time off of school. We're announcing our First Check Program, where 5 founders will receive up to $100k as an uncapped note to build companies. Apply here!
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Today we're announcing Contrary Talent, a program for the brightest builders nationwide. Through Contrary Talent, access mentorship from successful founders, get help landing the best startup roles, and raise funding for whatever you do next.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Calling all builders, engineers, designers, investors - Venture Partner applications for 2021 are now open! If you're excited by investing in university startups, having an excuse to talk to smart people working on cool things, and being a part of an awesome community, read on!
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
Today, we're excited to officially launch Foundations & Frontiers, an essay series by Contrary. Due to the tremendous reader response to the early entries in the series, we're breaking it out into its own media publication.
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Every year, we search the country for the few dozen most talented and entrepreneurial students to join our team out of thousands of applicants. We're excited to announce this year's class of Venture Partners!
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
We gathered 1k new grad & internship roles & are dropping them on our new platform, @StartupSearch Apply. Find every job you want in one place — APM programs, engineering, & more from companies like Stripe, Google, & Ramp. Sign up at to get first access!
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Each year, we’re honored to welcome the most entrepreneurial students from across the continent as Venture Partners. Meet the 34 hackers, writers, and doers joining our class of 2022!
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Contrary's Venture Partners are core to our mission of supporting the brightest early founders across the country. This year, we received 1,000+ applications to join our VPs at 40+ universities. We are ecstatic to announce the 42 VPs in our newest class!
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We’re excited to share that @annasofialesiv has joined Contrary as a Writer! Anna’s talent lies in her diversity of interests. Growing up, she wanted to be a journalist. But her adventure into startups took her all over: Bridgewater, Founders Fund, 8VC.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Last week, we had our team offsite in Lake Tahoe. The team has doubled in size over the last 6 months, and we have a lot of irons in the fire. Stay tuned -- exciting things coming.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
We're excited to release our annual University Report, where we rank America's universities by their entrepreneurial ecosystems. Here's what's new in this year's addition:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Every company is a story of people and products tackling hard problems. To better tell those stories we're excited to launch Contrary Research @Contrary_Res and share that Abdullah Al Rezwan @borrowed_ideas & Francis Odum @investianalyst have joined the team!
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@contrary
Contrary
4 months
Last night's Foundations & Frontiers dinner brought together world-class pioneers working in deep tech. Thanks to @Astranis for co-hosting an evening of discussion on emerging technologies that will shape the future.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
. @benjlaufer and @LukePiette are two of the most unique doers and thinkers around. They've spent the past several years working on new kinds of educational institutions, and we're excited to formally welcome them into the fold at @contrarycapital today!
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
We're excited to announce three special people joining the Contrary HQ team! Read on 👇
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Today, we're kicking off the search for our second cohort of the most talented early-career builders, investors, and operators. Is that you?
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
We're recruiting our next class of Venture Partners. Learn more about how you can get involved here!
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@contrary
Contrary
5 years
We’re excited to announce Contrary Radio, a podcast that tells the stories of world-class founders who got their start at a university! Visit for episodes with @nathanblec of Airbnb, @macklindan of SoFi, and @samyagan of SparkNotes and OkCupid!
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@contrary
Contrary
9 months
Calling all builders, engineers, designers, investors, and everything in between - Contrary Venture Partner applications for 2023 are now open!
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We’re thrilled to share that Kyle Harrison @kwharrison13 has joined the team as General Partner from Index. After 7 years at Index, Coatue and TCV, we’re beyond excited to have Kyle lead our later stage practice.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
DeepTech startups are tackling massive opportunities like space mining, quantum computing, & climate change The funding ecosystem for these ventures is fragmented between grants, a few VCs, accelerators, etc. So, we put together this guide:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We're continuing to build the most sophisticated tech stack for VC & Talent in existence. Today, we’re excited to share that Judith Lao has joined the engineering team! Judith joins us from Bloomberg and studied neuroscience at Brown.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Finding, landing and retaining talent for your startup has never been as challenging as it is today. We polled our network to see where the brightest young minds want to work in 2021 and these were the results.
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@contrary
Contrary
6 months
The Foundations & Frontiers dinner last night in SF brought together some of the most brilliant builders working on the frontiers of tech. Thanks to @mattparlmer for co-hosting and @solarCTO @NickPinkston @meawoppl @sdamico @k2pilot @Ben_Reinhardt @loewenkc @ErikSchluntz
@mattparlmer
mattparlmer 🪐 🌷
6 months
Cheers to @contrary for bringing together such an impressive group of people tonight at the @genfabco SFO lab to discuss rebuilding the industrial base, I had some very fruitful discussions and enjoyed it immensely
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Every year, we partner with a dozen startups and work with them heads-down over the summer. Today, we're announcing our 2020 Accelerator Program. Learn more and apply here:
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Today we’re launching Home(work), a virtual community for the brightest engineers, designers, and product builders to collaborate on projects remotely. Learn more about the perks of Home(work) and apply here:
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@contrary
Contrary
10 months
A few moments from Retreat 2023, our annual event dedicated to bringing our community together. Continue to be grateful for and inspired by this community that traveled from near and far to spend the weekend growing with old and new friends. #retreat2023
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
We're hiring for three new roles at Contrary HQ! Thread on each role and a link to apply: 👇👇👇
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
1/ NY Tech Week is just around the corner and we’re thrilled to announce our lineup of events at Contrary NYC. Read on below for more details on each event and how to register — we can’t wait to meet so many of the city’s best builders next week!
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Each year we bring the entire Contrary community together for Retreat. It's a time to catch up with old friends, make new friends, and grow together. This year was no different. Energized to continue supporting and building for this group of talented builders.
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
. @Replit is bringing the next billion software creators online, and they’re just getting started. We’re excited to invest in their new $97M round alongside @a16z and @khoslaventures Read the story here:
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
Today, Contrary turns five. @etarczynski wrote some reflections on the milestone, and what's ahead. We're incredibly grateful for the partnership that our founders, community, and LPs have entrusted us with.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Read more here:
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@contrary
Contrary
26 days
We're thrilled to announce the launch of the Foundations & Frontiers Vol. 2 Zine! Join us in SF on June 26 as we bring together the sharpest minds working across science, tech and business to celebrate over 2 years of Foundations & Frontiers sparking discussions on the history
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Congratulations to @samir_vasavada and @RunikM for announcing @viseinc 's Series C! We're incredibly excited for everything ahead that will continue empowering financial advisors.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
With no formal list to pull from, respondents chose a slew of companies they'd like to join. These 10 came out on top: 1. @figmadesign 2. @anduriltech 3. @retool 4. @NotionHQ 5. @tryramp 6. @stripe 7. @OpenAI 8. @pipe 9. @scale_AI 10. @RobinhoodApp
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Welcome to the Contrary team, Jess and Bonnie!
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@contrary
Contrary
5 years
This summer we're working with a dozen of the top university-started companies nationwide. Learn more and apply here!
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@contrary
Contrary
7 years
We're incredibly excited to announce Contrary Capital!
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We also select one VP each year to serve as our Chief of Staff. This year, we’re excited to announce that @straightupjac has joined us in this role. She is an exceptional builder with a strong commitment to community, and we are thrilled to work alongside her this year.
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@contrary
Contrary
5 years
We're recruiting our next class of Venture Partners. Learn more about how you can get involved here!
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
We’re thrilled to announce that we will be hosting an in-person Design Week event series at Contrary NYC starting May 16th — join us throughout the week to mingle and learn from leading designers in tech.
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Congrats to Contrary alumni @gw_smiles @indysofian @wesleysamples ! @soraschools is a startup to watch, and they're hiring!
@rebeccakaden
Rebecca Kaden
4 years
"Sora is a bold swing towards a new type of school: a network-driven learning platform that is individualized to each student." @usv is excited to lead the seed round in @soraschools as they tackle reinventing high school. More here:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
‼️ Multiple Venture Roles Open ‼️ We’re hiring on both the investment and platform teams. High agency, high ownership - optimizing for hands-on learning. All roles are US-based and remote friendly. 3 $ETH referral bonus if they join unless otherwise specified.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
The Contrary Venture Partner experience isn't just about what you do, but who you do it with Join us on Sept 7th to learn more about the VP role and to meet our community and HQ team members
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
The first piece is a deep dive into the past and future of metallurgy. Metals are so crucial to the modern world, the more we learned about their properties, the more kinds of technologies we were able to make.
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@contrary
Contrary
9 months
Although about 71% of the Earth is covered in water, only a small portion of it is freshwater which we can use to drink and irrigate crops. In the upcoming decades, population growth and the increased frequency of droughts could put pressure on that limited supply.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
VCs who don’t operate like startups won’t be around in a decade. We’ve scoured the country for the right leader to build the most sophisticated tech stack in existence. @Jenyangwong is that person, and we’re thrilled to welcome her to the team.
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
We're looking to hire an Associate on the investing team at Contrary! We've hired people from all walks of life. If you're scrappy and love to build, consider joining us:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We’re excited to share that @ryanlyma has joined as our very first designer from Stripe! Ryan brings with him extensive design experience and we’re excited to see many of our initiatives come to life under Ryan’s leadership.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Since Contrary's inception, we’ve grounded everything we do in the belief that people matter most. And people are at the heart of NYC’s energy, which is undergoing a rebirth as a stomping ground for some of the brightest builders in tech. 40% of our community is now NYC-based.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Just wrapped up our summer Contrary women’s dinner series across SF, NYC and Boston. Lots more to come as we continue supporting these incredible women in their careers and beyond.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Last year, in the height of the pandemic, we launched Gap Year 2020. It was a call to action to the next generation to build – to take that idea that had been germinating in the back of their minds and put it on full display. So this year, we’re back for round 2.
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
This week, Foundations & Frontiers investigates what a post-Moore’s Law world might look like.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Venture Partner applications for 2022 are open! If you’re a student in undergrad or business school, love to build, talk to smart people and learn about startups, this is for you.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We're excited to share that our investing team is growing! Megan Kao is joining us after spending the last few years at Doordash. She's ambitious and curious, and we can't wait to have her work with future Contrary founders.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Last month, we announced Contrary NYC, a place for the city’s best technologists, thinkers, and builders. This month, we took Insider behind the scenes and into what Contrary NYC really is: why it exists, what it looks like, and the people behind it.
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@contrary
Contrary
11 months
Congrats to Brandon Duderstadt, @Andriy_Mulyar , and the entire @Nomic_ai team on raising their Series A and continuing on their journey to democratize access to AI.
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
First, @ninarstepanov is joining as our head of platform! We're known Nina for several years, and are super excited to finally work with her. Drawing from her experience building @Acceleprise , she'll be growing Contrary's platform side from the ground up.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
We're excited to announce @joinLeland 's pre-seed round! @JohnKoelliker has been a part of the Contrary family from the very start. We're both grateful for his friendship, and proud to support such a kind and ambitious person. Read more:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We’re excited to share that James Hennessy, @jrhennessy , has joined Contrary as a Writer! James comes from Business Insider, is one of the most talented writers we know, and has covered everything from the politics of facial recognition to gaming, and everything in-between.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We’re investing up to $250,000 in up to 5 companies. Anyone can apply - no caps or restrictions on work experience. Tech employees, quit your job. Students, take a gap year. Read more here:
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
We're incredibly excited to welcome @DanielleFrider to the Contrary HQ Team! Joining as our 1st Head of Community, Danielle brings a wealth of community-building & marketing exp. to our platform team Learn more about Danielle & the growth of Contrary HQ:
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
Many forget that advancements in battery tech are what made our world of portable and powerful electronic devices possible in the first place. That’s why this week on Foundations & Frontiers, we’re investigating the frontier of battery tech!
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@contrary
Contrary
5 years
🎉 We're excited to welcome @whrobbins to the full-time team at Contrary! Over the past two years, Will has stood out as a quick builder, thoughtful investor, and most importantly, a great friend to everyone in the Contrary family:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
Contrary is providing a workspace for NYC’s top builders to create something new in Web3. For 4 weeks, work alongside a curated group in a beautiful space; for those who build something incredible, a chance to join our community & receive funding. Apply:
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@contrary
Contrary
5 years
Three years after Contrary was founded, our community is better than ever. Thanks to all of Contrary's venture partners and alumni for a great Retreat Weekend filled with laughter and inspiration!
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We're excited to partner with @MisraTushar , @vignanv8 , @aroraharshita33 and the AtoB team. Starting with fuel cards, AtoB is building the financial layer for the transportation industry — the vital logistics platform that powers the rest of our economy.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Today, we had the privilege of hosting 100 top early-career builders and 15 incredible breakout startups for a day of 1:1 meetings, founder-led fireside chats, and virtual booths.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
2022 Fellowship Applications close November 30th. If you’re a builder tinkering on projects and soon want to build a category-defining company, the Fellowship is for you.
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We’re excited to share that Hiroki Hayama has joined us from Uber Eats to lead Data Science. Hiroki spent the past 8 years building Uber’s ride sharing and food delivery businesses, and has touched nearly every facet of Eats.
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Today we're launching Startup Search, a newsletter curated with the best job opportunities at startups. Subscribe at !
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@contrary
Contrary
1 year
We're excited to share that Sachin Maini ( @sachinmaini ) has joined the team as Editor! Sachin spent the bulk of the past decade in tech & venture, previously serving as content lead at NFX. At Contrary, he's working across Contrary Research, Foundations & Frontiers and more.
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@contrary
Contrary
6 years
Applications to join Contrary are now open! We're looking for student investors, engineers, designers, and marketers to help build the definitive platform for university entrepreneurship.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
We're excited to share that @ZeptoNow has come out of stealth and announced their $60M raise! It's been an honor to work with such an exceptional team from the very start. Read more about Aadit, Kaivalya, and the Zepto story here:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
If you're based in NYC and are a builder at your core, get referred by an existing member or apply here
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@contrary
Contrary
4 years
Next, @zackabaker is joining as our head of operations. In past lives, Zack started a SaaS company, worked in product strategy, and studied philosophy. He'll be wearing every hat within the fund and Contrary Talent.
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
Announcing @anduriltech 's Series D! Some of the most ambitious and talented builders in the Contrary network were inspired by their vision and challenging problems ahead. That's why we're excited to continue helping the best talent develop a safer society with Anduril.
@anduriltech
Anduril Industries
3 years
Announcing our Series D, led by @eladgil :
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@contrary
Contrary
3 years
How To Start a Startup is live on @ProductHunt ! How To Start a Startup is the most comprehensive list of resources for student founders at 35+ universities. We've curated funding sources, classes to take, clubs to join, and a lot more. Check it out:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
The world will always run on spreadsheets. @oneschema_co is making CSV data effortlessly manageable, so we're excited to invest in their $6.3M seed alongside @generalcatalyst , @sequoia , @ycombinator , and @eladgil . Read the story here:
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@contrary
Contrary
2 years
We're excited to support @saidwithcandor in their mission to build a humanity-filled product for people who care about knowing their colleagues on a personal level, all while improving themselves as teammates.
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@contrary
Contrary
11 months
Today we're launching How We Work, an essay and interview series by James Hennessy dedicated to surfacing insights about the economy and the people who help make it work.
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@contrary
Contrary
5 years
Our 2019 University Report ranks university startup ecosystems and lays out what schools do right and wrong. Check it out here!
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