Ohad Shaked's Speaker Profile
Investor-Turned-Founder Solving Pre-Seed Clarity
Meet Ohad Shaked, a Founder & CEO whoâs sat on both sides of the table – backing startups as an investor and building them from the ground up.
He helps ideation-stage founders turn raw ideas into validated, fundable businesses before they waste months chasing the wrong path.
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Biography
Who is Ohad Shaked?
Ohad Shaked is a third-generation entrepreneur with over 20 years in high-growth tech, yet his edge comes from a moment when âbusinessâ stopped being theory. After his father passed away, Ohad found himself carrying the full weight of a complex family business almost overnight: partners, legal pressure, financial decisions, and the emotional reality of leading without a playbook. That crash-course taught him something most founders learn too late: the real risk isnât failure in the market, itâs ambiguity before you even start.
For 20 years, Ohad started and managed high-growth tech companies, with early- and late-stage investment. In addition, he ran a family office spanning early, while also being a major shareholder in 888.com (LSE: 888), which IPOâd at a valuation over $1B. Heâs invested across tech and frontier spaces, including sponsoring the worldâs first Neurotech accelerator, and heâs remained active in areas like oncology innovation.Â
Today, Ohad is the Co-Founder & CEO of ThinkUp, an AI-SaaS workspace that helps ideation-stage founders turn tech ideas into real businesses. The platform guides entrepreneurs through every step of the idea-market fit, using an easy-to-use planning dashboard and structured, step-by-step support. Founders get access to market research tools, customer persona mapping, actionable AI insights, mentorship, and even opportunities for up to $100K in pre-seed funding.
Resources
Highlights
- Founder & CEO of ThinkUP: All-in-one AI workspace helping founders turn ideas into thriving ventures
- Extensive Experience: 20 years of experience in driving the success of high-growth tech companies. with early- and late-stage investments
- Leading innovation with passion: Sponsored the worldâs first Neurotech accelerator
- Active Investor Invested across startups and funds (LP/angel roles listed on LinkedIn) With Over $50M of startups investments, and $1.5B+ total companies evaluation.
- Mentorship & Community: A dedicated mentor, supporting startups with actionable advice and fostering innovation in the entrepreneurial ecosystem.
- Academic Background: B.A. in Computer Science, Technion â Israel Institute of Technology
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Media appearances
Listen to Ohad Shaked's previous interviews
Topics
What your listeners can learn
Topic #1
Validation Before You Build: Donât Waste 6 Months
Most startups donât fail in the market – they fail in ambiguity before they even start. Founders often build too early, based on assumptions, opinions, or ânice feedbackâ that doesnât translate into revenue.
On your podcast, Ohad will explain how to validate demand before writing code: defining a sharp ICP, testing real willingness-to-pay, and running simple experiments that reveal whether the problem is painful enough to support a business. Listeners will walk away with a clear validation roadmap and the red flags that signal âstop or pivot.”
Topic #2
Pre-Seed Fundraising: What Investors Actually Need to Hear
Many founders think fundraising is about hype – investors think itâs about risk. The gap between those two perspectives is why so many pre-seed pitches fail.
On your podcast, Ohad will break down how investors evaluate early-stage companies when traction is limited: the specific clarity signals that matter (problem, buyer, proof, and focus), what âinvestor-readyâ truly means, and how to craft a pre-seed story that sounds credible without overpromising. Listeners will gain a practical checklist to tighten their pitch and reduce fundraising friction.
Topic #3
âIâve Sat on Both Sides of the Tableâ: FounderâInvestor Alignment
Founders and investors often talk past each other, especially under pressure. Misalignment shows up as micromanagement, unclear expectations, and trust erosion at the worst possible time.
On your podcast, Ohad will share lessons from both perspectives: how great founders communicate progress, when to delegate vs. hold the line, and how to build transparency that increases investor confidence without losing founder control. Listeners will learn how to prevent common relationship breakdowns that silently kill promising startups.
Topic #4
Itâs not about building fast, itâs about building something that matters
In the era of vibe coding, building products faster than ever feels almost magical. But speed alone has never been what makes startups succeed.Truly successful startups solve real problems for real users, and those users are willing to pay for the solution. That part has not changed.Â
Vibe coding makes it possible to build quickly, but without validation, it also makes it possible to build the wrong thing at the speed of light. Instead of asking âHow fast can I build this?â it helps you answer the more important question: âIs this worth building at all?â Funding can scale what already works, but it canât fix what only âseemsâ to work. Many startups raise money and then accelerate the wrong strategy faster.
Topic #5
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