First Degree

We invest in exceptional people — just like you.

Founder & General Partner

WhiteBridge.ai

Here to support the team from WhiteBridge.ai -- Paulius Taraskevicius (CEO), Tomas Martunas (COO), Irmantas Motiejunas (CTO) and Justas Burauskas (CMO).

WhiteBridge is on a mission to empower human connections with the help of AI. 

In today’s world, we’re swimming in a sea of data, and making sense of it all can feel overwhelming. WhiteBridge.ai simplifies this by making relationships and connections smarter, faster, and more intuitive. 

What Problems Do They Solve?
Whether you’re in HR, sales, finance, or any other industry, the struggle to get the right info about people is real! 

WhiteBridge.ai changes the game by pulling data from 30+ sources and packaging it into easy-to-use, actionable insights. No more data overload—just the essentials, delivered right to you.

Investor (First Degree)

✊ GodmodeHQ.com ✊

Here to help Mert and his team, wherever I can, with the right introductions.

They are doing something amazing: Building GodmodeHQ.com ✊ for AI Native Sales Brain | Hiring!

New Native

Here to help Simon, Pawel and the rest of the team, wherever I can with the right warm introductions. 

New Native, a leader in AI-driven software development, redefining the $4T+ software development industry.

NewNative´s mission: Accelerate Innovation and empower non-technical builders with their platform LabLab.ai to create, build, and deploy AI-native software products 5x faster using a plain English interface.

Their visionary leadership team, including Simon Olson, Pawel Czech, Andrea Marazzi, PhD and others, is redefining how businesses approach software development. They are building an ecosystem of autonomous software agents to unlock full-stack functionality with unparalleled speed and efficiency.

We're excited to support NewNative on their journey to transform the software development world!

lablab.ai

LabLab.ai (powered by New Native) is a Community of Makers, building with state-of-the-art, modern Artificial Intelligence. 

Join a Hackathon event today!

Sarona Ventures

I am happy to have joined TechShield, a great initiative (and opportunity) by Sarona Ventures.

👀 Check out this great post and reach out if you like to know more:
https://www.linkedin.com/posts/sarona-vc_israelitechdelivers-nomatterwhat-techshield-activity-7168565662544609280-r-JJ?utm_source=share&utm_medium=member_desktop

Investor (private)

Agga Capital

Fortis

The Present

I am proud to be a Family Member of The Present! 

This non-profit organisation connects entrepreneurs to initiatives that support the lives of refugees and newcomers, based on expertise and network. That way entrepreneurs can do what they’re best at, and support social initiatives at the same time. Curious? Join us at www.thepresent.world!

Being a Family Member means that I support The Present both financially as well as through bringing in my network and by sharing my expertise.

Family Member

RocketX

From the moment we launched in March ‘20 (right in the midst of the first lockdown), we’ve been on a mission to help extraordinary, remarkable founders and turn their dreams into reality. 

Simply because we love people who disrupt, innovate and challenge the status quo, and change our world to the better.

Let me tell you, it hasn’t always been easy and it’s been a wild ride. From time to time it’s been frustrating, but mostly it’s been fun and fulfilling. 🫶🏽

The mission we have been on from day one, is in very safe hands with the founding team and all of the people at RocketX, so my time has come.

Founding Father aka Co-founder (start, build, grow, exit)

Cooking up something new. Stay tuned!🧑🏼‍🍳🪄

👋 Hi, I’m Kaan — an entrepreneur at heart and these days an early stage investor by profession.

For over 25 years, I’ve been in the trenches as a chef, restaurant owner, recruiter, operator, multi-time founder, and master network builder.

Here’s what I’ve been up to:

🏆 Built and exited multiple successful companies, most recently RocketX (and I’m glad to see they’re sustainable). 

🌱 Started from scratch, building teams and businesses while creating a powerful network along the way.

🚀 Recruited and scaled teams from early-stage startups to unicorns, and even a few deca-corns.

Along the way, I’ve gathered invaluable insights and experience.

🔗 My deep roots in the startup ecosystem unlock incredible opportunities, allowing me to connect founders with the right experts, operators, and industry leaders to turn visions into reality.

♾️ I’m driven by the belief that meaningful connections are the backbone of success, and I’m passionate about helping others make those connections.

Now, I’m on a mission to show why relationships matter more than ever. Welcome to First Degree.

👀 Discover more at www.firstdegree.capital or connect with my personal assistant AI: https://heylibby.ai/kaananit.

🚀 𝗘𝘅𝗰𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘄𝘀: 𝗢𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗻𝗲𝗿𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲.𝗮𝗶 🚀

At First Degree, we believe that innovative solutions are the key to solving the world’s toughest challenges 🌍

That’s why we’re thrilled to announce our partnership with the brilliant team at WhiteBridge.ai — led by visionaries Paulius Taraškevičius (CEO),Tomas Martunas (COO), Irmantas Motiejūnas (CTO), and Justin Barauskas (CMO). 🙌

🔍 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗪𝗵𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗕𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗴𝗲.𝗮𝗶?  
They're on a mission to empower human connections with the help of AI. 🤖
In today’s world, we're swimming in a sea of data, and making sense of it all can feel overwhelming. 😵

WhiteBridge.ai simplifies this by making relationships and connections smarter, faster, and more intuitive. 💡

💼 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀 𝗗𝗼 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲?  
Whether you’re in HR, sales, finance, or any other industry, the struggle to get the right info about people is real! 😤 

WhiteBridge.ai changes the game by pulling data from 30+ sources and packaging it into easy-to-use, actionable insights. 📊
No more data overload—just the essentials, delivered right to you. ✅

🤖 𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝗗𝗼𝗲𝘀 𝗜𝘁 𝗪𝗼𝗿𝗸?  
WhiteBridge.ai collects Big Dat from various sources and, with the power of AI, organizes it into digestible categories. 📂

With just a few clicks, you can uncover insights about someone’s career, hobbies, media presence, and even personality traits. 🎯

It’s never been easier to connect with the right people!

💡 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗔𝗿𝗲 𝗪𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝘂𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁?  
At First Degree, we back founders with bold visions to reshape industries. 🔥 WhiteBridge.ai embodies that spirit with their goal to build a decentralized AI product that empowers businesses worldwide. 🌐

We’re beyond excited to be part of this incredible journey! 🚀

In case you want to give it a go, check the comments for the link and the 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗿𝗮𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗱𝗲 👀⤵️

#whitebridge #firstdegree #thefutureofwork #changethewaywework

Kaan Anit

We invest in exceptional people. 🤘🏽Founding Partner at First Degree. Entrepreneur turned Investor.

Great to listen to such inspiring stories from both Jose van Dalen as well as Eric Berkhof. Really remarkable... 🤩

Especially seeing Eric after 30 years was remarkable for me...

But also glad to meet some new people people. Thanks for a great evening Paul van Riessen and Quote 💪🏽 

All credits to Tim Antoni and Club Quote for the great pictures.

Helping founders build great startups, in B2B productivity & collaboration. Founding Partner at First Degree.

"Should I bootstrap or raise money?”

💡This is the question I get from founders almost every week. It's a tough decision. 🚀 

On one hand, you want to keep control, move at your own pace, and focus on product without the pressure of investors. 

On the other hand, raising capital can accelerate growth, open new doors, and help you scale faster than you thought possible.

Here’s the deal: both paths have their pros and cons. 

👉 Bootstrapping gives you freedom and forces you to be resourceful. Every dollar counts, and that breeds creativity. But you’ll have to move slower, and sometimes, you’ll feel like you're swimming against the tide.

👉 Raising money can supercharge your efforts and give you the resources to build a team, scale quickly, and seize opportunities when they arise. But it also comes with expectations, pressure, and sometimes even losing a bit of your vision.

I’ve been there - made these decisions myself and advised countless founders. 

So, how do you decide which path is right for you? Here are 3 questions to ask yourself:

1️⃣ What’s your timeline? If you need to move fast in a competitive space, raising might be your best bet. If you’ve got more runway, bootstrapping could keep you focused on the essentials.  

2️⃣ How much control do you want?
Venture capital means bringing on partners, and that often means giving up some control. Are you ready for that?  

3️⃣ What does success look like to you? Not every founder wants to build the next unicorn. If your goal is a sustainable, profitable business, bootstrapping might be your answer. But if you’re chasing high growth, you may need outside funding to fuel that vision.

💬 At the end of the day, there's no one-size-fits-all answer. You have to know yourself and your business.

👥 I’d love to hear your thoughts. Are you bootstrapping or raising? Why did you choose that path?

🔥 Let’s start a conversation. Founders, drop your experiences in the comments!

#startups #funding #entrepreneurship #venturecapital

Early stage Investor • The Future Of Work. Founding Partner at First Degree.

No alternative text description for this image

Founding Partner at First Degree. Entrepreneur turned Investor.

Data & AI Entrepreneur and Investor | Bridging Business and Engineering

I can't be the only one...

#artificialintelligence

How to predict startup success?🤔

My takeaways: 

✅ time 
✅✅ money
✅✅✅ team 

A great and insightful post from Dr. Andre Retterath (Earlybird Venture Capital). 👀⤵️

Must read I would say for any founding team (and any investor too). 

#founders #investors #firstdegree

Entrepreneur turned Investor, Founder & General Partner at First Degree.

Partner at Earlybird Venture Capital | Author Data-Driven VC

How to predict startup success?🤔

Here's what the data tells us:

New research by my friend Adam Shuaib, PhD from Episode 1 Ventures reveals the most important factors predicting Seed-stage startup outcomes.

He ranked all 50 factors from most to least predictive. Top 5 below.

 - Seed runway: The size of the initial raise is crucial. Startups with larger rounds have a higher chance of surviving long enough to achieve product-market fit

 - Founder personality traits: By using NLP to assess traits like neuroticism, agreeableness, and extraversion, founder characteristics were found to be the second most predictive factor for success

 - Incorporation-to-raise timeline: Startups that took longer than three years between incorporation and their first raise were significantly less likely to secure Series-A or Series-B funding

- Number of founders was also highly predictive, with more founders increasing the chances of future raises (although benefit is marginal beyond 3 founders)

- Prior experience at a startup was a key predictor, although this didn’t have to be in a founder role

Full story in yesterday's "Insights" episode of Data-Driven VC here: https://lnkd.in/euhaTt_B

Does it make sense to 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗨𝗦 as a founder 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗘𝘂𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲? 🤔

Short answer: YES. 🚀
Long answer: Also yes, and here’s why…

According to this insightful piece by Data Driven VC 📝, moving to the US can significantly boost your startup's unicorn potential 🦄. 

🇺🇸 is a powerhouse for networking, funding, and scaling. So if you're on the fence about making the move, it might be time to take the leap! 🌍 ➡️ 🇺🇸

Big thanks to the authors (Dr. Andre Retterath and Jérôme Jaggi) for the great insights! 🙌

Check out the full story here:

Open article: 💥Top 5 Predictors for Startup Success, Is Moving to US Worth It? Which Startups Get Acquired? Cutting Costs vs Accelerating Growth & More by newsletter.datadrivenvc.io

💥Top 5 Predictors for Startup Success, Is Moving to US Worth It? Which Startups Get Acquired? Cutting Costs vs Accelerating Growth & More

Our friends from lablab.ai (part of New Native) making waves in the AI Agents space! 🚀 Congrats to the team!

Proud to be part of their journey. 💪🏽

AI Agents Hackathon with Lablab and MindsDB - Finalist Stream

Join us today for the last day of our AI Agents Hackathon! 
We are excited to see all the projects submissions everyone has been working so hard on.
We will be welcoming Judges here in SF from  Together.ai, Upstage, AgentOps. CrewAI, Composio, Autogen, Meta and many more.
Each will bring unique insights and expertise to help us choose the winners!

Work smarter. Not harder. ☑️

As an entrepreneur, the tools I use aren’t just conveniences — they're a direct extension of why I do what I do. 

They help me stay focused, collaborate better, and get the most out of my day.

Today? Email. ✉️

Email is the backbone of most of my communications — whether I’m speaking to founders, investors, or partners. That’s why I rely on Superhuman Here’s why:

1️⃣ Speed – Every second counts, and Superhuman helps me clear my inbox faster, without losing focus.  
2️⃣ Precision – Smart filtering ensures the most important emails rise to the top, cutting through the noise.  
3️⃣ Keyboard shortcuts – Every action has a shortcut, making navigation lightning-fast.  
4️⃣ Read statuses – I know when key emails have been opened, helping me time my follow-ups perfectly.  
5️⃣  Follow-up reminders – Automated reminders ensure I never miss an opportunity to reconnect.

And the best part of everything: their ‘Get Me To Zero’ functionality 💜💜

In this fast-paced world, the future of work is now — we all want to change the way we work. It’s about maximizing productivity, fostering collaboration, and using the right tools to stay ahead. 🧠

What tools do you use to stay productive and collaborate more effectively? I’m always looking for new recommendations! 🔥

Drop them below 👇
Like what I share? Feel free to repost.♻️

#EntrepreneurLife #Productivity #Collaboration #Startups #Superhuman #FutureOfWork #FirstDegree

graphical user interface, application, Teams

I wish I had this 6 months ago... 😂 

On a serious note, this is probably one of the best posts I've read about 𝗵𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗮 𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗮𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗮𝗹 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱. 💡🤔

I've been reading a lot of posts over the last few months from the FJ Labs and, of course, from NFX. 👏👏👏

If you're thinking about starting a venture capital fund and you don't want to lose 6 months like me, start reading this. 👇

All credits to Omri Amirav-Drory and Pete Flint. 🤝

https://lnkd.in/e3cNjz2s?

#VentureCapital #Productivity #Collaboration #FutureOfWork #FirstDegree

Open article: How to Start Your Own VC Fund by nfx.com

Seems like a great opportunity for the right Head of Customer Success 👀⤵️

#sharingiscaring #firstdegree #opportunities

☀️Happy Monday from RocketPeople HQ, where we just went live the Head of Customer Success role at Packhunt in Amsterdam 🇳🇱

Recently we were able to connect Jeroen Coenders and the team to their new Head of Sales Will de Hoon and a strong SDR, and now it's time to extend the  team even further! 🚀 

We are very proud to extend this great collaboration and follow the growth of Packhunt as their Talent Acquisition partner. 

In this role you will manage a growing team of 15 people, and set the CS strategy for years to come. Laura and Maxime are now open to speak to strong candidates that bring:
☑️ Solid background in building & leading CS teams above 10 FTE
☑️ Trackrecord in SaaS
☑️ Strategic Customer Success experience
☑️ Located in The Randstad and willing to travel to the Amsterdam office 4 days per week. 

Are you looking? Or do you know someone? Contact our team! 📲

#hiring #customersuccess #headofcs #saas

"Should I bootstrap or raise money?"

This is hands-down one of the most frequently asked questions I’ve gotten in the past six months.🤔🤔

And then there is Dr. Andre Retterath  with another great post. 👀⤵️

Bootstrapping versus VC Funding.

Here's the pros and cons to consider👇

For many founders, the debate boils down to independence with higher chances of a good outcome versus dependence with lower chances for a huge outcome. 

Said differently, do you want a bigger part of a smaller cake or a smaller part of a bigger cake?🎂🎂

Full story in today's "Insights" episode of Data-Driven VC

Are you a founder raising a seed round? 🤹🏼

I’d suggest you to read this great insightful post. 👀⤵️

My 5️⃣ key takeaways:

✅ How to know if a fundraise is going well
✅ How to maximize the odds of raising a great seed round
✅ How to choose the right investors
✅ How much you should raise
✅ Should your company raise venture capital at all?

All credits to the authors (Lenny Rachitsky - Terrence Rohan - Jack Altman) 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

Open article: Raising a seed round 101 by open.substack.com

To all founders out there. 

All credits to Daniel Abrahams 📝🫶🏼

#alwaysbelearning

To all future founders out there…
Just start. ✅

All credits to Daniel Abrahams 📝🫶🏼
#alwaysbelearning

Fan-tas-tic. 

Great teams…
Great products… 👀⤵️

We just launched our new startup: Soigné!

After Formitable, this team was still very eager to work together and build beautiful software. When we discussed our options, we considered doing something with our background in marketing and reservations. But there’s just too much synergy in this team to not try something new.

Challenge ourselves.

Still true to our mission to help restaurants grow sustainably, we decided to build a tool to attract, onboard and retain the next generation of restaurant staff. With a people-first approach, we rigorously started innovating across the entire employee journey. Today, after 8 months of building, testing and updating, we’re proud to say our V1 is live.

A massive shoutout to our 100+ pilot customers who shared their feedback over the past few months. We wouldn't be here without you ❤️ 

Upwards!

team Soigné with Pepijn, Joris, Lucas, Bert, Milan, Werner and Raymond

There is end to end journeys…
There is customer excellence…

And than there is Deel 🪄

Wow… 🤩🤩

Co-Founder & CEO @Deel (We’re growing!)

🚀 Say hello to Deel IT! 

Following Hofy’s acquisition - we’ve integrated their offering into Deel’s platform to make equipping teams worldwide easier. No more worrying about shipping, offboarding, or repairs.

We’ve got it all in one place! 💻🌍 

https://lnkd.in/ddBeYUZd

SAAS or SwaS??

For many years we’ve been talking about Software As A Service aka SAAS, but in this great (!) essay Anna Piñol from NFX is talking about ‘Software With A Soul’. 🫶🏼

They’ve previously also discussed the idea that AI is creating a fusion between software and labor, which I believe we see more in more. 

A great post I’ve shared earlier from Lucia Polverino (from Playfair) gives some more insights on this topic too (for the link to that post see comments). ⤵️

Curious to see if there are other great articles, insights or essays touching on these topics. ⁉️

Feel free to share. 

https://lnkd.in/en2SxspW?

We believe that AI is creating a fusion between software and labor. You?

Grant Lee… fantastic 💪🏽

Amazing and remarkable how you have built this company, respect. 

To all founders out there… 
Do not regret…
Start…

I co-founded Gamma in 2020.

Here’s why:

The world was a different place when I started Gamma (peak pandemic).

My family had just moved to London, and we were in lockdown. My second child had just been born.

Most of my friends thought I was crazy.

"Why would you do this?"

"How can you start a company with two kids, one a newborn?

“Aren't you too old for this?"

“You’re going to take the biggest salary cut of your career. How are you going to support your family?”

Their concerns weren't unfounded. Starting a company is hard enough. Doing it during a global pandemic, in a new country, with a growing family?

That's a whole other level of challenge.

But I didn’t want to let a valuable idea go to waste just because I was an “older” founder.

The thing about being an "older" founder is that you bring something different to the table.

Sure, younger founders can pour immense energy into a business, working 24/7. That's valuable, especially when you're wearing so many hats in the early days.

But experience teaches you how to prioritize.

It helps you distinguish between what truly matters and what's just a distraction.

You learn to emphasize the importance of team earlier on, being super selective about who you bring aboard.

Parenthood, believe it or not, is excellent preparation for startup life. As a parent, you're forced to learn and adapt quickly. There's no playbook that works for every child. You're constantly dealing with uncertainty, just like in a startup.

I followed Jeff Bezos's regret minimization framework.

I asked myself:

“At this moment in time, is this something I'd regret not doing?”

I've worked at big companies, then smaller and smaller ones. But I'd never started my own. That itch was always there.

My regret would be not taking a chance on myself, not betting that I'm ready and capable of building something meaningful.

Throughout my career, I've tried to increase my "luck surface area."

I've always been eager to meet new people, learn new things, raise my hand for new projects. This approach pays off when you're starting a startup. You can tap into that network for early team members, first customers, and invaluable advice.

Most founders don't give up because they run out of time or money. They give up because they run out of energy.

That's why it's so important to work on something that genuinely excites you. Do you wake up energized by the problems you're trying to solve? Or are you just chasing a potential payout?

For me, the idea of reimagining how people create and share ideas was genuinely thrilling.

So why did I start Gamma?

1/ I saw a chance to shape the future of work

2/ I believed I had the experience and the team to do it right

3/ When I asked myself if I'd regret not trying, the answer was a resounding yes.

To all founders out there: 🚀 Always be shipping (ABS)!!!

My key takeaways:

✅ 'Not every problem should or can be solved quickly, and that's okay'
✅ 'Speed voer perfection'
✅ 'Ship value'

Credits to Adriaan Mol for this very clear summary 👀⤵️

When I started Mollie, I was alone, so I did everything myself—code, design, marketing, and support. Being able to iterate fast and see the direct impact was incredible. But as the company grew, that agility started to slip away. Now, after years of scaling, we’re getting back to those roots. Here’s why I still believe in this mindset:

1/ If you’re not shipping value, you’re not delivering anything. In tech, holding back doesn’t just slow you down—it makes you irrelevant. Your customers need solutions that solve their problems, not perfect ideas stuck in development. If you’re not consistently delivering, you’re missing out on opportunities and losing your relevance in the market.

2/ Speed isn’t the enemy of quality; it’s the catalyst for it. Shipping fast means you can take more risks, make mistakes, and learn faster. The quicker you get real feedback, the quicker you can refine and improve. Perfection is a moving target, and the only way to hit it is through continuous iteration. Fast shipping fuels better quality over time.

3/ Happiness is found in the making and the shipping. There’s a unique satisfaction in seeing your work come to life, being used, and making a difference. Shipping isn’t just the end of the journey; it’s the start of the next cycle of learning, improving, and creating. The feedback loop from shipping to iterating is what keeps the passion alive.

4/ Not every problem can or should be solved quickly, and that’s okay. Some decisions are high-stakes and require more careful consideration, thorough research, and yes, even more meetings. But for the majority of things, speed matters. The more you ship, the more you learn, and the better you get. It’s about knowing when to move fast and when to take your time.

5/ The culture of shipping needs to be ingrained in your team. If your environment doesn’t support fast iterations and quick feedback, it’s time to rethink how you operate. Success in tech hinges on delivering value, adapting swiftly, and never stopping the cycle of improvement.

🚀 Always be shipping (ABS)

Taplio

Kaan Anit's Linkedin Analytics

Who is engaging with Kaan

's Best Posts (last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Taplio

.css-1jgreyo{background-image:linear-gradient(284deg, rgba(39,43,72,1) 0%, rgba(33,47,183,1) 100%);color:transparent;-webkit-background-clip:text;background-clip:text;}Kaan Anit's Linkedin Analytics

Who is engaging with Kaan

's Best Posts .css-qqfgvy{font-size:var(--chakra-fontSizes-md);}(last 30 days)

Want to drive more opportunities from LinkedIn?

Kaan Anit's Linkedin Analytics

's Best Posts (last 30 days)