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Henrik Werdelin

Entrepreneur, Author, and Founding Partner at Prehype

Henrik Werdelin is a prominent entrepreneur and author, recognized for his significant contributions to the startup ecosystem. He is the co-founder of BarkBox, a subscription service for dog products, and serves as the Founding Partner of Prehype, a venture development firm based in New York, with additional offices in London and Copenhagen.

Career Highlights

  • Prehype: Founded in 2010, Prehype focuses on teaching entrepreneurship, creating new ventures, and operating a network for entrepreneurs. The firm collaborates with Fortune 500 companies and has launched successful startups such as BarkBox, AndCo, and ManagedByQ. Werdelin's role involves guiding entrepreneurs and fostering innovation within established companies.12

  • BarkBox: Launched in 2012, BarkBox has grown to serve over 1.8 million active subscribers, providing a range of dog products designed exclusively for pets. Werdelin oversees strategy, brand development, and mergers and acquisitions for the company.23

  • Previous Experience: Before his entrepreneurial ventures, Werdelin was the Vice President of Product Development and Strategy at MTV Networks International, where he led the creation of several award-winning digital products. He also served as an Entrepreneur in Residence at Index Ventures and has been involved with various successful startups, including HotPotato (acquired by Facebook) and ReadMill (acquired by Dropbox).45

Publications and Recognition

Werdelin authored "The Acorn Method," which outlines strategies for fostering growth within organizations by applying startup principles. He has been recognized as one of the "Top 100 Most Creative People in Business" by Fast Company and included in Business Insider's "Silicon Alley 100" list.134

Originally from Denmark, Werdelin now resides in Brooklyn, New York, where he continues to influence the entrepreneurial landscape through his work and speaking engagements at prestigious business schools.45

Highlights

Mar 26 · twitter

Big news: we at https://t.co/UTZtzShM48 just bought @nocap_so (Forbes called it "the world's first autonomous AI investor"), and we're announcing our first cohort of funded founders.

Quick backstory:

I spent 15 years at @prehype helping founders build billion-dollar companies (BarkBox, Ro, etc). The whole time something bugged me - for every founder who made it, thousands with the same talent never got a shot. The system just wasn't built for them.

AI changed that. One person can now build what used to take twenty. We're watching it happen on https://t.co/sSQO5d3IFT every day.

When I talked to @ednevsky (No Cap's founder) we realized we'd reached the same conclusion from opposite sides. He'd evaluated 9,000+ startups with AI and saw that the VC model is broken for 99% of founders. We'd been inside the system for 15 years and knew the same thing.

So we joined forces. No Cap's 9,000 founders + 60 YC alumni community. Audos's platform + funding + 15 years of builder DNA.

The proof is already here. First cohort:

AI golf coach, $100K+ revenue in 2 months

Two Brooklyn high schoolers helping 100K NYers/month find housing

London dad built AI care concierge for his son with Down Syndrome

Cornell addiction psychiatrist making CRAFT therapy accessible to everyone

AI grief coach spending 2 hrs/week with each client

Boat merch from a childhood memory, $1K sales week one

Up to $100K each. Zero equity. Revenue share that only works when they work.

Not unicorns. Real businesses solving real problems by people who actually understand the customer.

Tag a builder https://t.co/sSQO5d3IFT

Sep 28 · GuruFocus.com
BARK Survey Reveals 7 in 10 Do - GuruFocus.com
Sep 28 · Joplin Globe
BARK Survey Reveals 7 in 10 Dog Parents Will Miss Their Dog When They Return to Work; Far Fewer Will Miss Their Spouse or Children - Joplin Globe
Mar 16 · dreamnation.io
Henrik Werdelin: Co.founder of BarkBox. Managing partner at ...
Henrik Werdelin: Co.founder of BarkBox. Managing partner at ...

Related Questions

What inspired Henrik Werdelin to start Prehype?
How did Henrik Werdelin's role at MTV International influence his entrepreneurial career?
What are some key takeaways from Henrik Werdelin's book "The Acorn Method"?
How has Prehype's methodology been implemented in large corporations?
What challenges did Henrik Werdelin face while co-founding BarkBox?
Henrik Werdelin
Henrik Werdelin, photo 1
Henrik Werdelin, photo 2
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Experience

Founding Partner at Prehype since October 2010
Founder of BARK, Author of The Acorn Method, Board Member at BIG and Issuu, Chief Creative Officer at Joost, Vice President at MTV Networks

Education

BA in Social and Political Science from Aalborg University (1994 - 1997), MA in Journalism from University of Westminster

Location

New York, New York, United States