Gaining clarity, faster.

Dena (pronounced “Day-Na”), in Hindi, means 'to give'.


Dena Startup Lab is a community of founders, whose priority is building with clarity.

Our mission

Shifting to a world where startups
launch seeing clearly.

our receipts

8

exits in GovTech, Services, B2B & Software

600+

founders advised

42+

combined years in tech sales, GTM, startups & growth

$200M+

raised in pre-seed, seed, Series A, B & Public Co.

WHY JOIN?

Because we actually give a sh**.

Speed-to-Help

Founder Exchange: Connect with peers and our growing network of Mentors on-demand. Speed matters.

1:1 Group Help Icon - weekly 1 on 1 and group help sessions done through Live Q&A for founders.
GTM Focus

'Zero to Two' Operating System: decades of startup lessons, condensed into 5 hours of actionable learning.

Community Underpinning:
Everything we do in the Lab will point back to Learning, Executing, Iterating and Accountability.

Access to Network

Access Pro's: Gain knowledge thru real-world experience, leveraging a proven network of fellow founders, mentors, coaches, and SME's.

Startup Spotlight: Every week a founder and their startup will take the stage to share their journey and talk GTM.

WHO SHOULD JOIN?

Founders whose priority is building with clarity.

Our community, our services and products, all help founders build with foundational clarity.

  • Requirements:

    👉 Have a focus on GTM > Fundraising
    👉 Must be a founder in ideation OR in-progress OR in-market with an MVP.

Connecting #beyondthevalley

Providing Access TO the right information & the right people, THROUGHOUT YOUR STARTUP JOURNEY.
Our Values

Our values are our
North Star.

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#FoundersFirst

We are relentless in the pursuit of a win. But our founders need to win first.

"Dena"

Strong financial outcomes don't just come from demand and product-market fit; they also stem from a desire to give and grow.

Bias for Action

We believe moving with speed and agility are cornerstone to startup growth.

Always Be Learning

Foster curiosity. Our quest for knowledge is endless. We're all students, we're all coaches.

Customer Obsessed

Customers are our lifelines. We work tirelessly to not just build repeatability with customers who are most likely to buy, but with customers who are most likely to be successful with us.

Team

Alex Kottoor

CEO

Derek Nugent

President, COO

Shawn Xu

Growth & Products

Alex Wu

AI Engineering

GTM Mentors

Scott Leese

GTM Mentor

Ricky Sevta

GTM Mentor

Kevin Magee

GTM Mentor

Board of Advisors

George Heinrichs

Co-Founder & CEO , Intrado

Derek Sather

Former CRO, Winning by Design

Brice Scheschuk

Co-Founder, WIND Mobile

Sairee Chahal

Founder, SHEROES & Mahila Money

Angelo Papatheodorou

Former CRO, PointClickCare

Testimonials

Founding Founders

"These guys are bridging a real gap in startup GTM, and created a place where early-stage founders can get the accountability needed to not just stay on track, but really speed up."
Akhil Reddy
CEO, Thera (YC S22)
"Everyone here is conspiring for everyone's success. As an early-stage founder, this is the energy and content we should always surround ourselves with. Must-join."
Edouard Reinach
CEO, Trampoline AI
"A true game-changer for our startup's GTM; developed against a proven system and by proven founders. So many valuable tactics and strategies helping building momentum."
Sumit Sahu
CEO, Saleasy.io
"This is the ticket for Indian SaaS founders to engage with a proven network of US-based GTM experts and proven frameworks, accelerating US PMF. A much needed bridge!"
Amit Veer
CEO, Coffeee.io
"Just when I thought I had things figured out for my GTM! This is THE place for founders who are serious about achieving early-product market fit. And it ain't just a bunch of fluff."
Zach Wright
CEO, Grapevine Software
"Going from 0 to 1 is almost impossible without help. The Dena Community and their frameworks have helped me get unstuck, and quickly. It's one of these no-brainers if you are a founder."
Ravi teja Nadakudity
CEO, Vertocity
Its time founders had a safe space image.  An image of collaboration and community.

Join 230+ founders prioritizing
clarity.

JOIN NOW