Two of our portfolio companies closed rounds this week. The next five years asks for: 1) Tens of thousands of spacecraft overhead2) Data centers, power plants, and new factories below Both of these companies exist to make those buildouts move faster by clearing constraints. Juno Propulsion — $1.4M pre-seed The basic physics behind most rocket…
Read articleFrom Teenage Web Developer to Multi-Million Dollar Exit with Matt Cimino What does it take to build, scale, and successfully exit a software company? In this episode of Amplified CEO, Richard Stroupe sits down with Matt Cimino, Managing Partner of Amped Ventures and former founder of Amped, a Wilmington-based software company acquired by Intuit. Matt's…
Read articleWhat happens when a CPA stops playing it safe and builds something of his own? In this episode, Chris Capone joins Richard Stroupe to share the journey from Deloitte and international finance roles in Switzerland and Bulgaria to launching Capone & Associates in Wilmington. They discuss entrepreneurship, leadership, company culture, financial discipline, and how AI…
Read articleIn this episode of Amplified CEO, Richard Stroupe sits down with Tully Ryan, CEO of IQExit and Managing Director at Murphy Business, as well as a contributor to the Wilmington Business Journal. Tully shares his journey from launching a tech company during the dot-com era to advising founder-led businesses on growth, transition planning, and successful…
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Airbus, Thales, and Leonardo have admitted they can’t compete alone. “Project Bromo” sounds like a startup name. It’s actually three legacy aerospace empires merging their space divisions into one entity, trying to match what American commercial players built from scratch. Last October, the three signed an MoU to combine their satellite and space systems businesses…
Read articleWhat does it really take to lead under pressure—and why do most people avoid it? In this episode of Amplified CEO, Richard Stroupe sits down with former Navy SEAL Commander and Warrior Poet founder Andrew Sridhar to explore high-performance leadership, decision-making under pressure, and the mindset shift required to move from comfort to growth. From…
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Your business will demand multiple versions of you. And each stage requires releasing the previous identity. • Early-stage founder• Scaling operator• Strategic CEO These escalating transformations aren’t optional, nor are they gentle. Growth demands you leave behind the person who got you here… to become the person who can take you there. Some people will…
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