Subah Zaeem

Investing in world changing superhero deeptech entrepreneurs through @draper_u VC | Global Alumni in 106 countries | Draper Ecosystem | CrossFit L1 | USAW L2

[Draper University @draper_u]

🧑‍🚀🛰️Building in space tech, biotech, or advanced materials? Don’t miss out. Deadline extended!

Apply to the Orbital Edge Accelerator by June 4, 2026 for a chance at $500K–$750K in funding + a $100K Boeing prize.

https://t.co/4fFBtg1CE8

@draper_u @DraperVC @ISS_CASIS @CIRI @VenturesSt20251 @SpaceWERXDOD

[Hina Dixit @hinadixit]

Excited to be part of @draper_u cohort Spring’26. 🎉🎉🎉

Thank you @TimDraper, @AsraNadeem and @SubahSZ for this wonderful opportunity! 🙌🏻

[Tim Draper @TimDraper]

I found Skype in a newspaper article.

The two guys who started Kazaa were building something new using the same file-sharing technology, but for a completely different purpose.

I asked Howard Hartenbaum to have a look for me. He did and told me I should get out to London to meet them.

I met Niklas Zennström in a London pub. He walked me through his plan to build a network of shared Wi-Fi. The business was called Shyper.

I was impressed enough to offer to fund him and his partner, Janus Friis.

He called a week later with a change of plans…

"Change of plans. We are going to go after the long-distance carriers. Do you still want to invest?"

I said yes.

My partners had concerns about the file-sharing history, so I passed the seed to my dad, Bill Draper. I eventually funded Skype through DFJ ePlanet Ventures, our first international fund.

When Skype had three million audio users, I flew to Tallinn for a board meeting. I asked Niklas to set up video conferencing equipment so I could interview him for a Tony Perkins event in Palo Alto. After the interview, Niklas laughed and said: "That was the first Skype video call ever."

I hadn't even known they were working on video.

Skype sold for $4.1 billion to eBay in 2005.

[Tim Draper @TimDraper]

Before I was an investor, I was a guy carrying someone else's pitch deck around town.

The company, Tasvir, used a computer to work with 2D mechanical CAD. We couldn't get investors to bite, but I learned a lot about mechanical CAD and the customers’ need for a new kind of MCAD.

I asked Ian Edmonds, the marketing VP at Apollo Computer, what software mattered most for Apollo hardware. He pointed me to Polygen and SPG Consulting. I funded both, and while Polygen worked out ok, SPG Consulting became a bonanza.

I met Sam Geisberg, and he showed me what he called, “reflexive technology,” the ability to flip between 2D and 3D mechanical drawings easily.

As a software engineer myself, I couldn't figure out how he did it. It genuinely blew my mind.

I introduced Sam to Don Fedderson, who was an MCAD expert, and Don brought in Steve Walske a fresh bright MBA. They added supersalesman, Richard Harrison as employee, and Parametric Technology Corporation (PTC) was born.

PTC went on to become the dominant MCAD company in the world. More than 10 million mechanical designs have been created on their products including your cars, your hair dryers, probably the chairs you're sitting in right now.

When PTC went public, I was able to pay the entire SBIC loan and paid my family back, with interest.

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

@token2049 @ETHGlobal @Globalcoinrsrch @draperu @draper_u 👏👏👏 !!

[Luchang Zheng @LuchangArcanum]

Had an amazing chat with @SubahSZ, thanks to @draper_u and @TimDraper for helping me building the foundation of my own venture!

https://t.co/wiUpsqehgb

[Draper University @draper_u]

Who's going to @token2049 Singapore? 🙋

We are proud to be community partners for the largest Web3 event in the world. With over 20,000 attendees.

Taking place 18-19 of September @ @marinabaysands.

Meet some of the biggest players in the web3 ecosystem, get exposure for your project/business, and meet interesting web3 people from over 150 countries through the 500+ side events happening over the weekend in SG.

Some names we are excited to see:
Richard Teng | CEO @ Binance
Anatoly Yaoveno | Founder @ Solana
Bryan Johnson | Founder @ Blueprint (the longevity man)
Balaji Srinivasan | Former CTO @ Coinbase & prolific Entrepreneur
Max Verstappen (for the F1 fans out there)
& of course YOU.

Watch this space for more announcements. We hope to see you there.

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

Excited to welcome the TOP 5 finalists to Silicon Valley & The Draper Ecosystem 🎉🚀

#SuperAI #Genesis: THE WORLD'S PREMIER AI STARTUP COMPETITION https://t.co/KKzMSWoEEY

@draper_u #SuperAI #SingaporeAIWeek

[SuperAI @superai_conf]

The SuperAI Genesis panel judges have decided:

@betterdataai, FAIT, Lytehouse, @OpenOrigins, and @Verbalateai progress to the final day of pitching 🚀

Watch them compete from 11AM on @motiff_hq Stage.

Don't miss their pitches to the judges, and the #SuperAI audience for Q&A.

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

https://t.co/joeCsprVT7

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

Ep 3 of https://t.co/yohpp7LH8m, in conversation w/ @SequoiaB , we discuss market trends, globally vs. silicon valley:

🔸How to position yourself as a venture-backable business
🔸Coming to the US, how to make the most of your time in Silicon Valley as a founder? -& much more.

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

Our latest cover story feature with Alumni Surbhi Sarna, shares her experience and #insights on #building a company that was #acquired for $275 million, in the face of a lot of doubt.

How to go from underrated to unbeatable, watch interview here: https://t.co/i8luBK5893

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

👉 Can stalking people for a living be classified as a job description?

Atleast not if you put it that way.. - but that’s exactly how I put it 😅

I remember introducing myself to @EsraSerbesss at Draper Venture Summit in ‘22, and my exact words were, “ You don't know me. But I know you ”. Esra, who now works in cyber security, bless her heart, did not go on to report me.
.
It was an enlightening moment for me though, I realized I simply cannot say such things to people & follow it up with a wink & a cheeky smile 😉
.
While transactional relationships are built on
"reciprocity, needs & have a focal point around which communication evolves " - they are often short-lived & quickly processed.
.
A community works around fostering genuine relationships - which in comparison to the above could seem as long as a lifetime. There are no shortcuts, but to go through the wide range of experiences presented on the spectrum.
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And on the long road ahead, that is how I started off:

👀 Following individual journeys:
I remember deep diving & being inspired from the get go. All of sudden I was reading about:

👉 Alumni who had never fundraised but dominate niches in Europe’s biggest markets.
👉 Alumni who dominate industries by pursuing a dream that either started in a garage or a dorm room.
👉 Alumni turning her teenage cancer scare into a company that got acquired for $275M, while starting off as a solopreneur, in the face of a lot of doubt.

*I realized the ways our community could leverage regular engagement *

🎉 Being a cheerleader & sometimes the first:
Transitioning from the fitness industry to the startup industry, I remember my first form of communication, on socials, was often a very enthusiastic rocket emoji duplicated 5 times in comments ( 🚀! ). It was my expression of making my community feel seen, supported & celebrated.
.
Today, with the help of my team, we’ve moved, improved & expanded this expression to the " Alumni Digital Magazine " that goes out to our alumni network, ecosystem partners & is distributed in-print amongst our family offices.

🔁 Consistently Connected:
And although my rocket emoji is very consistent till date 🚀 , I regularly receive business updates from our alums. We meet in real life & online too!. Staying up to date with alums puts us in a position to be the first to send opportunities their way & collaborate, where there is alignment.
.
So there you have it. My journey of fostering genuine relationships within a community - started off with following public trails, shadows & pursuing (with a little obsession) the journeys of my people & leaving a rocket emoji for them on socials.
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Chances are, if you are reading this, I've sta- ❗ …followed you too.
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With a wink & a cheeky smile 😉

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

@EricCLFung @draper_u @nobull Not yet 😉

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

🏋️‍♂️ Being a part of the #CrossFit community, I dove into @nobull 's not-so-secret sauce of targeting (& nurturing) super consumers within a niche that played a major role in their journey to triumph & honing a cult-like following!!

NOBULL entered the market as a brand hyper-focused on providing clothing & footwear for the CrossFit community.

🎯 Understanding the Niche: Crossfitters chase excellence in multiple categories of functional fitness. NOBULL, by producing a dedicated line of high intensity, multi-functioning trainer (& active wear) for EVERY CATEGORY of challenge faced by an athlete, catered to their target consumers & made them feel understood - fostering an unbreakable bond.

🌍 Adaptation & Resilience: NOBULL has raised $32 million over 4 rounds of funding. Their most recent round of funding gives them a valuation of over $500 million. In 2020’s challenges, Nobull's direct-to-consumer sales thrived at 95%. A testament to their super consumers' loyalty, validation and the brand's resilience.

“ The company has seen explosive growth during the COVID-19 pandemic, as consumers have put spending on clothes for work or going out on hold but are still in the market for workout gear.” - Cofounders Wilson and Schaeffer told CNBC.

🚀 Strategic Expansion: NOBULL ventured beyond CrossFit while maintaining its super consumer connection & dedication. Diversification + amplified trust attracted new enthusiasts.

”Team NOBULL is a community of athletes, employees, ambassadors, first responders, teachers, military service members, medical professionals, and hardworking people from every field and skill level who know training is everything when you’re going for goals.” - https://t.co/02M4PQnuRv

💡 Insights for Founders: Success roots in carving a distinct niche & catering to a passionate community of super consumers within it. NOBULL's journey, in this sense, inspires the next generation of superhero founders !

“We’re not a CrossFit brand. But CrossFit is a sport and a form of training for people who train hard and don’t believe in excuses. So there’s really great synergies within CrossFit.” - Cofounder, Marcus Wilson.

👟 The Start up's Origins: From their initial product in 2015, the "aggressively simple" cross-functional trainer, suited for most CrossFit workouts, to the wide variety offered today, this story shines as an example: Embrace super consumers for a recipe of exponential growth.

🦄 Will the NOBULL project become a Unicorn anytime soon?

I’d love to see the day.

Through channeling the energy of super consumers (Which includes me!!!!) , lifelong athletes & CF community members, Marcus Wilson and Michael Schaeffer, built NOBULL “by doing every job from customer service calls to cleaning the floors to product design” and have masterfully demonstrated how the allegiance of a fervent community can be the bedrock of a brand's ascendancy amongst the existing commercial giants of the world ~

#theNOBULLPROJECT #CrossFitcommunity #CrossFit

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

Agreed ! The ping pong table @draper_u has hosted many important team meets, pitch practices and deals ! 🤌🏓

[Suffiyan Malik @suffiyanmalikk]

Tech world is incomplete without ping pong

[Suffiyan Malik @suffiyanmalikk]

Tech world is incomplete without ping pong

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

🌐 Stepping into my role 2 years ago, I inherited a diverse global alumni community across 102+ countries. And guess what? - 98% of my conversations led to fundraising asks. But why was I surprised?🤔 …
Let's dive into the story.

1️⃣ The Network: Our alumni community spans Founders, Investors, Designers, Engineers, Doctors, and much more. All superheroes in their own fields, neatly organized under various sectors. The potential of our community continues to remain massive !! 🚀

2️⃣ Changing the Spotlight: Instead of everyone reaching for one intro (Tim), it was time to shift the spotlight. We needed alums to connect with each other, empower one another, and create a network that goes beyond one individual.

3️⃣ The Power of Connection: Our annual reunion in the Summer of 2022 saw an unprecedented attendance. We had hundreds of founders & ecosystem partners flying in from different parts of the world for an occasion that previously saw 50 guests in attendance. This event showcased the collective inclination of our community to support each other, come together and build the future we've imagined. 📈

4️⃣ Innovation: Collaboration took center stage. TrustWare, a Web3 infrastructure company, emerged from an alumni brainstorming session at the event. A wave of initiatives followed, From regional reunions to alumni partnerships, the power of collaboration continued to unfold.

5️⃣ It’s All About Community🙂: Fast forward 2 years, the heart of our community remains our alumni. More so, 98% of my conversations today lead to involving the widespread Draper Alumni Network that go beyond fundraising. Our community thrives on empowerment through engagement across the ecosystem !

🌟 This journey simply reiterates that true power lies in your #community. For us, shifting the spotlight has reshaped the landscape to make it more #decentralized over a period of time. And together, we continue to fuel a network that drives progress & change - Full speed ahead !! 🔥

Images below: The ultimate networking event hosted at @draper_u by our alumni collaborating during the Fall 2022 program.

#empoweringcommunities #draperecosystem

[Subah Zaeem @SubahSZ]

POV: The pitch is going great until they say
" We have ZERO competition ! " 🥲

👉You do have competition, you just don't know it yet.

🤌 Best case scenario - you discover your competition early & build a strong competitive edge + double down on unique selling point(s) that sets you apart.