Startup founders shared their personal journeys to becoming entrepreneurs and strategies for scaling their businesses.
The Startup Engagement team at Comcast NBCUniversal is constantly scouting for strategically relevant startups that are innovating in key areas. Through accelerator programs, partnerships, and venture capital investments, the team collaborates with some of the world’s most promising startups.
During the second annual Meet the Disruptors showcase held at the Comcast Technology Center in Philadelphia, startup founders shared their personal journeys to becoming entrepreneurs and strategies for scaling their businesses. Here’s a look at how these trailblazers are making their mark.
Powering a Resilient Future with Haven Energy
Vinnie Campo, founder of Haven Energy, recalls Hurricane Katrina vividly. As a high school senior, his family endured months without power, relying on a gas-powered generator during a fuel shortage. The experience shaped his mission to accelerate the adoption of home energy storage.
Haven Energy offers homeowners a streamlined process for selecting and installing solar and battery systems, working with vetted electricians and guiding clients through securing government rebates. These systems lower energy bills, ensure power during outages, and help mitigate the effects of climate change.
“We fundamentally believe that to solve the climate crisis, we need to accelerate the adoption of renewable energy—and batteries are the missing piece of that puzzle,” Campo explained during his fireside chat with Michelle Chang, Partner at Comcast Ventures, which joined Haven Energy’s $7 million Series A fundraising round.
The demand for home energy storage has never been greater. Power outages have surged 64% since the early 2000s, and electricity rates have nearly doubled since 2010. Meanwhile, devices like solar panels and electric vehicles are transforming homes into power production hubs.
“We’re experiencing a generational change,” said Campo. “The home now is a place where people produce and consume their own power, and charge their vehicles. There is a tremendous opportunity to connect all those devices and assets”
Campo also shared his biggest entrepreneurial lesson: the importance of product-market fit.
“Until you truly find product-market fit, nothing else matters,” he said. “Before you overly invest in building out a solution, get it in the hands of customers. If it works, scale it. If not, quickly discard it and move on.”
Revolutionizing Legal Tech with Robin AI
Richard Robinson’s path to founding Robin AI was anything but linear. Encouraged to pursue law by his parents, Robinson soon burned out from the laborious monotony of reviewing contracts. After a series of entrepreneurial experiments—a nightclub app, a sneaker hedge fund, even a musical—Robinson found inspiration in a documentary about AI that not only played a board game but beat the world’s best players.
“If you could teach a machine to play a game, could you teach a machine to understand legal text? If you could teach a computer to understand legal text, then you might make the law easier for people to access,” Robinson said during a fireside chat with Laura Plunkett, Executive Director of Startup Engagement and Head of Comcast NBCUniversal LIFT Labs.
Robin AI is an AI co-pilot that streamlines the process of reviewing, negotiating, and querying contracts. The company says it helps attorneys review contracts 80% faster. After joining the Comcast NBCUniversal Accelerator , Robin AI began collaborating with Comcast teams to optimize the contract review process.
Enterprise adoption of Robin AI hinges on data security—a key consideration for sensitive legal data.
“From the very beginning, we set up architecture that’s like a law firm,” said Robinson. “We have always used the most robust IT infrastructure and then over time partnered with companies who helped us to engender trust in our customers.”
With $61.5M in total funding following their most recent raise announced in November 2024, Robinson has ambitious goals beyond contract reviews.
“We want to help others solve any legal problem,” he said.
Transforming Sports Engagement with nVenue
For Kelly Pracht, founder of nVenue, sports have always been a passion, but she longed for a way to engage with games on a deeper level. An engineer by trade, she began tinkering with predictive sports analytics and eventually left a successful career at a top tech firm to build an AI-powered micro-betting platform.
nVenue uses predictive analytics to offer real-time odds on play outcomes. Baseball fans can bet on the next pitch, while football fans can wager on whether the next play will be a run or pass. These second-screen experiences are redefining fan engagement.
“I wanted to connect with the game in real time but it didn’t exist,” she explained during a conversation with Jenna Kurath, VP of Startup Partnerships and Head of Comcast NBCUniversal SportsTech. “So I built it.”
After joining the SportsTech Accelerator in 2021, nVenue established partnerships with professional sports leagues and media companies. Its predictive analytics have appeared on Apple TV baseball broadcasts, providing real-time probabilities for plays. They were also featured during the 2023 NBA Finals, generating over 250,000 fan interactions.
“People who interacted stayed 65% longer,” Pracht noted. The platform’s success led to an investment from NBA Equity, complementing its earlier raises totaling $4.5 million.
Pracht, one of the few women leading a firm in sports tech and betting, shared her mission to make the industry more inclusive: “Diverse viewpoints are crucial. Sports engagement should feel like a Super Bowl party where everyone’s invited.”
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