🤓Startup Mentor
I'm mentoring idea and early-stage startup founders in accelerators, corporate incubators, and private sessions. It’s my way to give, learn, sharpen, and stay human.
Background
I have 25 years in tech, with 3 exits and 10 failures.
In 2010, I founded dvhb, a startup R&D studio where I work with entrepreneurs and executives across Europe, the US, and Asia. This made me global and industry-agnostic.
Over the last two years, I trained at VC Lab with distinction, got hands-on at Func Ventures, made angel bets, and published a MondayVC for 1,200+ readers.
I know how founders think, how investors assess, and how to bridge the two.
Topics
Business Model: Idea validation and projecting profitable unit economics.
Product Strategy: From lean MVP to state-of-the-art AI tech.
Traction & GTM: Growth hacking from the first sale to $1M+ ARR.
Fundraising: Mastering the pitch, data room, and strategy for closing rounds.

Why I mentor?
Giving back: I believe in collective good. Many have supported me in ways I can't directly repay, so I pay it forward.
Learn: I guide founders across industries and geo. It feeds my curiosity and widens my lens.
Mental Fitness: Solving real business puzzles keeps me sharp. Trained in conceptual math, I find paths around obstacles.
Improving: Guiding others helps me retrieve and refine my own knowledge. Each mentoring session is mutual growth.
Ready to Collaborate
👉 If you're seeking mentorship for your program or startup, let's connect.

Mentoring & Talks Logbook
Jul'24–Present — 500 Global (remote) Mentor (1:1s) — Founder support
May'25 — ACE.SG Saudi Founder Program, Singapore (remote) Guest Mentor (1:1s) — Market expansion, Fundraising, Founder support
April-May'25 — Founder Institute Australia & New Zealand Summer 2025 (remote) Global Mentor (Pitch Sessions, 1:1s) — Idea & Investor pitch review, Founder support
Feb'25 — Founder Institute Vietnam Spring 2025 (remote) Global Mentor (Pitch Session) — Investor pitch review
Jan'25 — Founder Institute Pakistan @ National Incubation Centre, Islamabad (remote) Featured Mentor (Pitch Session) — Investor pitch review
Dec'24 — 500 Global in Eurasia (remote) Mentor (Workshop, 1:1s) — Networking strategy
Sep–Nov'24 — Huawei Spark Incubator Cohort 3, Singapore (in-person & remote) Resident Mentor (Workshops, 1:1s) — Fundraising strategy, Founder support
Sep–Nov'24 — Founder Institute Vietnam 2024 (remote) Global Mentor (Talks & Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Investor pitch review, Funding
Nov'24 — Data-Driven Fundraising Workshop (remote) Workshop Host — Early-stage funding strategy, Investor targeting, Raise planning
Jun–Sep'24 — Founder Institute Hong Kong Summer 2024 (remote) Global Mentor (Talks & Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Growth, Funding, Investor pitch review
Sep'24 — Apple Developer Academy Indonesia, Bali (in-person) Guest Speaker (Talk) — Funding MVP development at idea stage
Sep'24 — Founder Institute Australia & New Zealand Spring 2024 (remote) Global Mentor (Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Investor pitch review, Founder support
Sep'24 — MonJa Accelerator, Mongolia (remote) External Mentor (Talk & Pitch Session) — Fundraising strategy, Investor pitch review
Jul–Aug'24 — Founder Institute Bali, Indonesia (remote) Resident Mentor (Pitch Sessions) — Idea review, Product development, Investor pitch review
Jun'24 — 500 Global in Eurasia Batch 6, Georgia (in-person) Visiting Mentor (Workshops, 1:1s, Demo Day) — Fundraising, Pitch review, Founder Support
Feb–May'24 — Founder Institute Australia & New Zealand Winter 2024 (remote) Mentor Global Mentor (Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Idea & Investor pitch review, Founder support
Nov'23–Feb'24 — Founder Institute Malaysia 2023, Kuala Lumpur (in-person & remote) Global Mentor (Talks & Sessions, 1:1s) — GTM, Investor pitch review, Founder support
Dec'23 — Founder Institute Singapore (remote) Guest Mentor (Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Investor pitch review, Founder support
Oct–Nov'23 — ICP Disruptives Accelerator Indonesia, Bali (in-person & remote) Resident Mentor (Talks & Pitch Session) — Market research, Sales strategy, Pitch review
Sep'23 — Founder Institute Bali, Indonesia (remote) Guest Mentor (Pitch Session) — Investor pitch review
Jul'20 — SkillFactory Online School, Russia (remote) Guest Lecturer (Webinar & Video) — Remote collaboration and distributed team management
Feb'16 — Atlassian User Group Meetup at Yandex, Moscow, Russia (in-person) Guest Speaker (Talk) — Managing outsourced dev teams with JIRA: automation, sales & HR
May'16 — Higher School of Economics (HSE), Moscow, Russia (in-person) Guest Lecturer (Talk) — Project & team management
Jan'16 — IKRA School of Innovation, Moscow, Russia (in-person) Workshop Facilitator — Project & team management
2015–2016 — Territory of Meanings Youth Forum, Vladimir, Russia (in-person) IT Jury Expert & Guest Speaker (Talk) — Dream team building, Startup evaluations
2010 — InSales eCommerce Workshop Series, Moscow & St. Petersburg, Russia (in-person) Guest Speaker (Talks) — Assortment strategy, Pricing, Online store operations
Sep'10 — SalesJump Masterclass @ HSE Business Incubator, Moscow, Russia (in-person) Panelist & Mentor (Roundtable & Workshop) — eCommerce case reviews, Online store strategy
Mar'10 — Internet Liga Business Conference, Kyiv, Ukraine (in-person) Guest Speaker (Conference Talk) — Assortment strategy & pricing in eCommerce
Feb'10 — Online Retail Russia 2010 Forum, Moscow (in-person) Panelist & Speaker (Plenary & Breakout Sessions) — eCommerce logistics, Assortment strategy, Pricing, Multichannel retail trends
Aug'09 — Electronic Commerce 2009 Conference, Moscow, Russia (in-person) Speaker (Conference & Expert Council) — Outsourced logistics in eCommerce

Startup Mentor in Accelerators
If you're a founder from any of the accelerators listed below — including alumni — you're welcome to book a free online session with me.
If you're considering joining one of these programs, I’m happy to walk you through the pros and cons based on your specific stage, market, or team.
500 Global Mentor


500 Global is a top early-stage venture capital firm and seed accelerator with over $2.3B in AUM. It has invested in over 2,600 companies across 80 countries, including 25 unicorns like Canva, Grab, Udemy, Intercom, and Gitlab.
Founder Institute Mentor

The Founder Institute is an Silicon Valley idea and early-stage startup accelerator with chapters across 100 countries. Since 2009, it has helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs raise over $1.75 billion in funding and operates in 200+ cities globally.
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