STARTA part II

At the beginning of the month we shared with you the journey where it all started. Dmitri Voloshin (CEO) and Sergey Logvinenco (CTO) traveled to NY to present their start-up and learn some new tricks on how to build a business. They were guided by Starta ventures  - their program focuses on helping founders adapt to cultural and business environment in the USA; complete and define product\market fit; get traction and become part of local startup and investment ecosystem in the USA. 

After visiting every possible sightseeing in New-York, Dmitri and Sergey concentrated on Sonr. They went through a lot of demo-days and met investors who were impressed by their project and eager to find out more about it once it was launched. 

Between learning, being mentored, and brainstorming, Dmitri and Sergey have had the chance to witness the 49th New York City Marathon. The city was shut off during the event having 50.000 people participating in it. Dmitri was happy as a kid. Being a runner himself he could not believe he could witness the marathon. He itched to cross the barriers, put on some running shoes, and go for a good run.  Instead, they were cheering and waving along with others. 

It was time to get back to work and, having gained experience and connections, Dmitri and Sergey started to test Sonr in pools. They gathered feedback from swimmers and coaches, met managers and marketing experts, who helped the business grow. Our heroes were ready to pitch their product. 

Pitching to investors is a very important part of how startups raise capital. The most efficient way of raising money is considered the "Elevator Pitch." Dmitri had a one of a kind idea to do a “subway pitch”. Armed with markers and confidence they went to the subway to find their luck.

After all, everyone knows that one in every 25 New Yorkers is a millionaire. 

Well, maybe they did not find that one millionaire but gained some unique experience and made some friends. The pitch was made before the training for a demo-day which gave them good insights. 

The next days went by learning how to work with social media, distributors, IP, cust dev. The heads were exploding with information but in the evening Dmitri and Sergey could unwind in a bar having a chat with cool people and learn more about their culture. 

3 months passed by like 3 weeks and they could not believe it was time to get back. But before they set their foot on a plane, Dmitri and Sergey did what they came for: they created a company in the USA with the name Sonr Inc. Back then they did not know what was waiting ahead but hoped for the better. Who knew that an idea, which appeared during a swimming lesson could change the swimming world?

Keep up with our news and you will find out more about Sonr’s story.