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Alex Samson
Group photo of founders and mentors on stage at a 500 Global demo day in Georgia

Startup Mentor

I'm mentoring idea and early-stage startup founders in accelerators, corporate incubators, and private sessions. It’s my way to give, learn, sharpen, and stay human.

Topics#

  • Business Model: Idea validation and projecting profitable unit economics.
  • Product Strategy: From lean MVP to state-of-the-art AI tech.
  • Traction & GTM: Growth hacking from the first sale to $1M+ ARR.
  • Fundraising: Mastering the pitch, data room, and strategy for closing rounds.

Background#

I have 25 years in tech, with 3 exits and 10 failures.

In 2010, I founded dvhb, a startup R&D studio where I engaged with more than 1,000 entrepreneurs and executives across Europe, the US, and Asia. This made me global and industry-agnostic.

Since 2023, I've trained at VC Lab with distinction, gained hands-on experience at Func Ventures, made angel bets, and published MondayVC, a newsletter for 1,200+ readers.

I know how founders think, how investors assess, and how to bridge the two.

Alex Samson in a one-to-one mentoring session with a founder
Office Hours, 500 Global

Why I mentor#

  • Giving back: I believe in collective good. Many have supported me in ways I can't directly repay, so I pay it forward.
  • Learning: I guide founders across industries and geographies. It feeds my curiosity and widens my lens.
  • Mental Fitness: Solving real business puzzles keeps me sharp. Trained in conceptual math, I find paths around obstacles.
  • Improving: Guiding others helps me retrieve and refine my own knowledge. Each mentoring session is mutual growth.

Ready to Collaborate#

👉 If you're seeking mentorship for your program or startup, let's connect.

Alex Samson speaking in a remote session, at a desk with a microphone and laptop
Funding Session, Founder Institute Hong Kong

Mentoring & Talks Logbook#

  • Jul'25–Present — NUS Enterprise BLOCK71 Singapore (hybrid)
    Program Mentor (1:1s) — Strategy and founder support
  • Jul'24–Present — 500 Global (remote)
    Mentor (1:1s) — Founder support
  • Sep–Nov'25 — Founder Institute Vietnam Autumn 2025 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Office Hours, 1:1s) — Founder support
  • Sep–Nov'25 — Founder Institute South Asia 2025 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Office Hours, 1:1s) — Founder support in Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, Pakistan
  • Sep–Oct'25 — Founder Institute Australia Spring 2025 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Pitch Sessions, 1:1s) — Idea pitch review
  • Jul–Sep'25 — NUS Enterprise BLOCK71 Vietnam (in-person)
    Mentor-in-residence — Ecosystem networking and 1:1 founder support
  • Jul'25 — Founder Institute Hong Kong 2025 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Pitch Session) — Investor Progress Review
  • May'25 — ACE.SG Saudi Founder Program, Singapore (remote)
    Guest Mentor (1:1s) — Market expansion, Fundraising, Founder support
  • Apr–May'25 — Founder Institute Australia & New Zealand Summer 2025 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Pitch Sessions, 1:1s) — Idea & Investor pitch review, Founder support
  • Feb'25 — Founder Institute Vietnam Spring 2025 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Pitch Session) — Investor pitch review
  • Jan'25 — Founder Institute Pakistan @ National Incubation Centre, Islamabad (remote)
    Featured Mentor (Pitch Session) — Investor pitch review
  • Dec'24 — 500 Global in Eurasia (remote)
    Mentor (Workshop, 1:1s) — Networking strategy
  • Sep–Nov'24 — Huawei Spark Incubator Cohort 3, Singapore (in-person & remote)
    Resident Mentor (Workshops, 1:1s) — Fundraising strategy, Founder support
  • Sep–Nov'24 — Founder Institute Vietnam 2024 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Talks & Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Investor pitch review, Funding
  • Nov'24 — Data-Driven Fundraising Workshop (remote)
    Workshop Host — Early-stage funding strategy, Investor targeting, Raise planning
  • Jun–Sep'24 — Founder Institute Hong Kong 2024 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Talks & Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Growth, Funding, Investor pitch review
  • Sep'24 — Apple Developer Academy Indonesia, Bali (in-person)
    Guest Speaker (Talk) — Funding MVP development at idea stage
  • Sep'24 — Founder Institute Australia & New Zealand Spring 2024 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Investor pitch review, Founder support
  • Sep'24 — MonJa Accelerator, Mongolia (remote)
    External Mentor (Talk & Pitch Session) — Fundraising strategy, Investor pitch review
  • Jul–Aug'24 — Founder Institute Bali, Indonesia (remote)
    Resident Mentor (Pitch Sessions) — Idea review, Product development, Investor pitch review
  • Jun'24 — 500 Global in Eurasia Batch 6, Georgia (in-person)
    Visiting Mentor (Workshops, 1:1s, Demo Day) — Fundraising, Pitch review, Founder support
  • Feb–May'24 — Founder Institute Australia & New Zealand Summer 2024 (remote)
    Global Mentor (Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Idea & Investor pitch review, Founder support
  • Nov'23–Feb'24 — Founder Institute Malaysia 2023, Kuala Lumpur (in-person & remote)
    Global Mentor (Talks & Sessions, 1:1s) — GTM, Investor pitch review, Founder support
  • Dec'23 — Founder Institute Singapore (remote)
    Guest Mentor (Pitch Session, 1:1s) — Investor pitch review, Founder support
  • Oct–Nov'23 — ICP Disruptives Accelerator Indonesia, Bali (in-person & remote)
    Resident Mentor (Talks & Pitch Session) — Market research, Sales strategy, Pitch review
  • Sep'23 — Founder Institute Bali, Indonesia (remote)
    Guest Mentor (Pitch Session) — Investor pitch review
  • Jul'20 — SkillFactory Online School, Russia (remote)
    Guest Lecturer (Webinar & Video) — Remote collaboration and distributed team management
  • May'16 — Higher School of Economics (HSE), Moscow, Russia (in-person)
    Guest Lecturer (Talk) — Project & team management
  • Feb'16 — Atlassian User Group Meetup at Yandex, Moscow, Russia (in-person)
    Guest Speaker (Talk) — Managing outsourced dev teams with JIRA: automation, sales & HR
  • Jan'16 — IKRA School of Innovation, Moscow, Russia (in-person)
    Workshop Facilitator — Project & team management
  • 2015–2016 — Territory of Meanings Youth Forum, Vladimir, Russia (in-person)
    IT Jury Expert & Guest Speaker (Talk) — Dream team building, Startup evaluations
  • 2010 — InSales eCommerce Workshop Series, Moscow & St. Petersburg, Russia (in-person)
    Guest Speaker (Talks) — Assortment strategy, Pricing, Online store operations
  • Sep'10 — SalesJump Masterclass @ HSE Business Incubator, Moscow, Russia (in-person)
    Panelist & Mentor (Roundtable & Workshop) — eCommerce case reviews, Online store strategy
  • Mar'10 — Internet Liga Business Conference, Kyiv, Ukraine (in-person)
    Guest Speaker (Conference Talk) — Assortment strategy & pricing in eCommerce
  • Feb'10 — Online Retail Russia 2010 Forum, Moscow (in-person)
    Panelist & Speaker (Plenary & Breakout Sessions) — eCommerce logistics, Assortment strategy, Pricing, Multichannel retail trends
  • Aug'09 — Electronic Commerce 2009 Conference, Moscow, Russia (in-person)
    Speaker (Conference & Expert Council) — Outsourced logistics in eCommerce
Group photo of mentors and founders at Huawei Spark in Singapore
Fundraising Workshop, Huawei Spark Singapore

Startup Mentor in Accelerators#

If you're a founder from any of the accelerators listed below — including alumni — you're welcome to book a free online session with me.

If you're considering joining one of these programs, I’m happy to walk you through the pros and cons based on your specific stage, market, or team.

👉 Reach out here

500 Global Mentor#

500 Global

500 Global is a top early-stage venture capital firm and seed accelerator with over $2.3B in AUM. It has invested in over 2,600 companies across 80 countries, including 25 unicorns like Canva, Grab, Udemy, Intercom, and GitLab.

Founder Institute Mentor#

Founder Institute

The Founder Institute is a Silicon Valley idea and early-stage startup accelerator with chapters across 100 countries. Since 2009, it has helped over 7,000 entrepreneurs raise over $1.75 billion in funding and operates in 200+ cities globally.