Discovering the next wave of game-changing startups is one of the most exciting parts of working in VC. Every week, I come across founders who are tackling massive problems with fresh ideas and relentless ambition. This time, I found three early-stage startups on Space Slice platform that are worth watching. From AI-powered sales prospecting to a solution for the billion-dollar problem of online shoe sizing, and even a sovereign AI company backed by top investors, these teams are pushing boundaries in their respective markets. One is even backed by a16z! Let’s dive into what they’re building and why their industries are primed for disruption. AI Fit – Revolutionizing Online Shoe Fitting (SEIS Pre-Seed) AI Fit → Tackles $50B return problem with computer vision vs legacy sizing charts Market Opportunity: The global online footwear market is projected to reach $680B by 2030, with a growing demand for personalized shopping experiences. Returns are a massive issue—about 30% of all online footwear purchases get sent back, costing retailers billions annually. Reducing returns directly impacts margins and sustainability. Recent Industry Moves: D2C footwear startup CHK raised $2.5M from Accel/Bluestone for its "Concept to Creation" manufacturing model Culture Circle ($2M) and Yoho ($3.2M) recently secured funding in premium footwear tech 30% return rates cost retailers $50B+ annually - comfort remains #1 purchase driver What They’re Building: AI Fit has developed an app that integrates into retailer websites, allowing customers to scan their feet with their phones and get precise size recommendations. This tech could transform online shoe shopping, lowering return rates while improving customer satisfaction. Radr – Perplexity for Sales Teams ($35K ARR) Radr → Democratizes sales ops for SMBs amidst enterprise tool consolidation Market Opportunity: The global CRM and sales automation market is worth $48B, expected to grow at 12.5% CAGR. Founders and small teams struggle with lead generation, making automation a must-have. Recent Industry Moves: Sales automation market surges with Building Radar ($7.2M) using AI to boost construction sales pipelines Rad AI secured $60M Series C at $525M valuation for healthcare sales automation Top sales tools now prioritize AI-driven prospecting (Sembly, HubSpot) and mobile-first collaboration CRM market expected to hit $30B+ in 2025 with AI features becoming table stakes 33 What They’re Building: Radr simplifies B2B sales prospecting with an AI-driven tool that finds leads, sets up calls, and preps sales teams—all from a single prompt. It’s particularly valuable for non-sales founders who lack time for manual lead gen. OpenBabylon – Sovereign AI Infrastructure (a16z-backed) OpenBabylon → Capitalizes on geopolitical AI race with cultural localization at scale Market Opportunity: Large language models (LLMs) are largely built for English-speaking users, but 3.9 billion people globally don’t speak English. The demand for localized AI infrastructure is surging, with governments and enterprises looking for non-Western AI solutions. Recent Industry Moves: Stargate Initiative: $500B private investment from OpenAI/Oracle/SoftBank for US AI infrastructure UAE's MGX committing $100B+ to data centers through BlackRock/Microsoft partnership Saudi Arabia planning $100B AI fund to rival UAE's tech dominance EU struggling to compete with $2B AI Factory initiative vs US/Asia investments What They’re Building: OpenBabylon fine-tunes LLMs with custom tokenizers and cultural alignment, removing Silicon Valley bias. They’re focused on government and enterprise applications, particularly in MENA and Eastern Europe. Each of these startups is making a bold move in a high-growth sector, and I’ll be keeping an eye on their progress. Disclaimer: I am not associated with any of the startups mentioned, nor do I hold any shares or financial interest in them. My goal is simply to highlight interesting early-stage companies I’ve come across on Space Slice. Discovering the next wave of game-changing startups is one of the most exciting parts of working in VC. Every week, I come across founders who are tackling massive problems with fresh ideas and relentless ambition. This time, I found three early-stage startups on Space Slice platform that are worth watching. From AI-powered sales prospecting to a solution for the billion-dollar problem of online shoe sizing, and even a sovereign AI company backed by top investors, these teams are pushing boundaries in their respective markets. One is even backed by a16z! Let’s dive into what they’re building and why their industries are primed for disruption. AI Fit – Revolutionizing Online Shoe Fitting (SEIS Pre-Seed) AI Fit – Revolutionizing Online Shoe Fitting (SEIS Pre-Seed) AI Fit – Revolutionizing Online Shoe Fitting (SEIS Pre-Seed) AI Fit → Tackles $50B return problem with computer vision vs legacy sizing charts Market Opportunity: The global online footwear market is projected to reach $680B by 2030 , with a growing demand for personalized shopping experiences. Returns are a massive issue—about 30% of all online footwear purchases get sent back, costing retailers billions annually. Reducing returns directly impacts margins and sustainability. Market Opportunity: $680B by 2030 30% of all online footwear purchases Recent Industry Moves: Recent Industry Moves: Recent Industry Moves: D2C footwear startup CHK raised $2.5M from Accel/Bluestone for its "Concept to Creation" manufacturing model Culture Circle ($2M) and Yoho ($3.2M) recently secured funding in premium footwear tech 30% return rates cost retailers $50B+ annually - comfort remains #1 purchase driver D2C footwear startup CHK raised $2.5M from Accel/Bluestone for its "Concept to Creation" manufacturing model CHK CHK raised $2.5M Culture Circle ($2M) and Yoho ($3.2M) recently secured funding in premium footwear tech Culture Circle Yoho 30% return rates cost retailers $50B+ annually - comfort remains #1 purchase driver 30% return rates cost retailers $50B+ annually What They’re Building: AI Fit has developed an app that integrates into retailer websites, allowing customers to scan their feet with their phones and get precise size recommendations. This tech could transform online shoe shopping, lowering return rates while improving customer satisfaction. What They’re Building: Radr – Perplexity for Sales Teams ($35K ARR) Radr – Perplexity for Sales Teams ($35K ARR) Radr – Perplexity for Sales Teams ($35K ARR) Radr – Perplexity for Sales Teams ($35K ARR) Radr → Democratizes sales ops for SMBs amidst enterprise tool consolidation Market Opportunity: The global CRM and sales automation market is worth $48B , expected to grow at 12.5% CAGR . Founders and small teams struggle with lead generation, making automation a must-have. Market Opportunity: $48B 12.5% CAGR Recent Industry Moves: Recent Industry Moves: Recent Industry Moves: Sales automation market surges with Building Radar ($7.2M) using AI to boost construction sales pipelines Rad AI secured $60M Series C at $525M valuation for healthcare sales automation Top sales tools now prioritize AI-driven prospecting (Sembly, HubSpot) and mobile-first collaboration CRM market expected to hit $30B+ in 2025 with AI features becoming table stakes 33 Sales automation market surges with Building Radar ($7.2M) using AI to boost construction sales pipelines Building Radar Building Radar ($7.2M) Rad AI secured $60M Series C at $525M valuation for healthcare sales automation Rad AI Rad AI secured $60M Top sales tools now prioritize AI-driven prospecting ( Sembly , HubSpot) and mobile-first collaboration Sembly mobile-first collaboration CRM market expected to hit $30B+ in 2025 with AI features becoming table stakes 33 CRM market expected to hit $30B+ in 2025 33 What They’re Building: Radr simplifies B2B sales prospecting with an AI-driven tool that finds leads, sets up calls, and preps sales teams—all from a single prompt. It’s particularly valuable for non-sales founders who lack time for manual lead gen. What They’re Building: OpenBabylon – Sovereign AI Infrastructure (a16z-backed) OpenBabylon – Sovereign AI Infrastructure (a16z-backed) OpenBabylon – Sovereign AI Infrastructure (a16z-backed) OpenBabylon – Sovereign AI Infrastructure (a16z-backed) OpenBabylon → Capitalizes on geopolitical AI race with cultural localization at scale Market Opportunity: Large language models (LLMs) are largely built for English-speaking users, but 3.9 billion people globally don’t speak English. The demand for localized AI infrastructure is surging, with governments and enterprises looking for non-Western AI solutions. Market Opportunity: 3.9 billion people Recent Industry Moves: Recent Industry Moves: Recent Industry Moves: Stargate Initiative: $500B private investment from OpenAI/Oracle/SoftBank for US AI infrastructure UAE's MGX committing $100B+ to data centers through BlackRock/Microsoft partnership Saudi Arabia planning $100B AI fund to rival UAE's tech dominance EU struggling to compete with $2B AI Factory initiative vs US/Asia investments Stargate Initiative: $500B private investment from OpenAI/Oracle/SoftBank for US AI infrastructure Stargate Initiative : $500B private investment from OpenAI / Oracle /SoftBank for US AI infrastructure Stargate Initiative $500B private investment from OpenAI Oracle UAE's MGX committing $100B+ to data centers through BlackRock/Microsoft partnership UAE's MGX committing $100B+ to data centers through BlackRock/Microsoft partnership MGX partnership Saudi Arabia planning $100B AI fund to rival UAE's tech dominance Saudi Arabia planning $100B AI fund to rival UAE's tech dominance dominance EU struggling to compete with $2B AI Factory initiative vs US/Asia investments EU struggling to compete with $2B AI Factory initiative vs US/Asia investments investments What They’re Building: OpenBabylon fine-tunes LLMs with custom tokenizers and cultural alignment, removing Silicon Valley bias. They’re focused on government and enterprise applications, particularly in MENA and Eastern Europe. What They’re Building: Each of these startups is making a bold move in a high-growth sector, and I’ll be keeping an eye on their progress. Disclaimer: I am not associated with any of the startups mentioned, nor do I hold any shares or financial interest in them. My goal is simply to highlight interesting early-stage companies I’ve come across on Space Slice. Disclaimer: I am not associated with any of the startups mentioned, nor do I hold any shares or financial interest in them. My goal is simply to highlight interesting early-stage companies I’ve come across on Space Slice.
