#15💸 Sales cure all (but you still need to build)
From Mexico reflections to unicorn rounds, and a reminder that fundraising buys time — but selling builds companies.
At the Amela Frequency 📡, every Monday, we reflect on tech news, share thoughts from our network ✍️, and hand you tools and frameworks for early-stage builders ⚒️. Basically, if you’re building (or dreaming about it), you’re in the right place.
Hello Amelxs ✨
Grateful to have spent some time in Mexico City — the place where so much of Amela began: our first investor, our first big community growth, and some of our most beloved members. It was a joy to reconnect with so many of you at last week’s event.
Now back in Berlin (sending love to the Europeans 💛), I’ve been reflecting on how fast things are moving across the ecosystem. One headline that stood out: Lovable just became a unicorn with a $200M Series A — just eight months after launch. Wild, right? It’s a reminder of how quickly momentum builds — and how AI-native tools are unlocking new paths for people who didn’t previously have the technical background to build.
We’re seeing this shift everywhere. Even Netflix is now using AI to cut production costs. And a new generation of founders is building with no-code and AI-first platforms from day one. For many women, this moment is especially powerful — it’s never been easier to go from idea to execution.
While in Mexico, I also caught up with some of our investors and long-time allies. It reminded me how valuable it is to bring the right people around the table early. The best investors don’t just write checks — they share insight, connections, and care.
I left feeling proud. Many of the women we’ve supported are building real companies — sustainable, revenue-generating, customer-first businesses. Not just raising capital. Building something that lasts.
And one more thing worth celebrating: Auxxo, Germany’s only female-founder-focused fund, just announced the first close of their second fund — proof that some people are still walking the talk when it comes to backing brilliant, diverse teams.
Big things ahead for Amela too — we made some exciting decisions as a team last week. More soon. Until then, keep building. We’re right here with you. 💜
With love from Berlin,
Anais
P.S. Yes, women raise capital. Check out who did last week — and give them the applause they deserve. 💸👏
🧠This Week’s Food for Thought
“Sales cures all,” said Mark Cuban — and honestly, it’s the reminder many founders need. Fundraising can buy you time, open doors, and connect you with people who move the needle. But at the end of the day, if you’re not selling, you’re not building a real business.
That’s why our Fundraising Bootcamp also covers go-to-market and storytelling — because raising capital only works if you know how to use it.
💜Amela Insider
Huge congrats to Irene Rosich, co-founder of Harvie and our Madrid Ambassador, for sharing her perspective on what it takes to grow from local to international. In this episode, she dives into the key elements founders should consider when stepping into new markets — and how to do it with strategy and empathy.
✨ I had the pleasure of sitting down with Sema Karaman for an honest, wide-ranging conversation about what it really takes to support women founders on a global scale.
We talked about building Amela, the importance of asking for help before it's too late, and why the barriers women face in business often go beyond just discrimination. I also opened up about what it's like to raise capital as a woman — and what I've learned from doing it on both sides of the table. Read it here!
👷🏽♀️The waitlist is officially open for our next Zero to Builder cohort! 🚧
If you have an idea and don’t know where to start… this is for you.
If you’re tired of courses and want to actually build… this is for you.
Zero to Builder is a 5-week hands-on program to help you:
✅ Validate real problems
✅ Build your first MVP using AI & no-code
✅ Launch with clarity and momentum
This isn’t theory. It’s the exact process we’ve used at Amela to support 240+ women founders. Amela is backed by global leaders — including the President of Endeavor and the largest fund manager in Latin America — and everything we’ve learned from that journey is inside this program. No guesswork. No fluff. Just building.
💥 Next cohort kicks off August 12th
🛠 Join the waitlist now → https://amela.club/zerotobuilder
Upcoming Events
💜 Building True Community — with Anais Cisneros
Join us for a powerful session on how to build real community — not followers, not email lists, but ecosystems that scale trust, impact, and opportunity.
🔗 RSVP: lu.ma/axvc9rdb
💻 Open Tech Hrs with Alejandro Chavez @ Amela
Have a tech question? Stuck on your MVP? Not sure how to bring AI or no-code tools into your product? Join Alejandro Chavez, Product Manager at Amela, for Open Tech Hours — a casual space where Amelas can drop in, get help, and move forward.Whether it’s product advice, no-code solutions, or just clarity on your next tech move, Alejandro’s here to support you.
🗓️ July 23th | Online
🔗 RSVP: Available for Amela Members
Systems, Scale & Startup Grit: A Conversation with Courtney McColgan
We’re thrilled to welcome Courtney McColgan, Founder & CEO of Runa, a Series A YC company, for a powerful session on what it really takes to build infrastructure at scale in Latin America. 🔗 RSVP: https://lu.ma/cf2oc8tl
💡Recommendations
Articles, videos, and other resources to learn.
💸 Tiny Teams, Big Revenue
Small teams, huge impact. This piece from Sifted explores how lean teams across Europe are hitting multimillion-euro ARR with fewer than 10 employees — by staying focused, automating smartly, and embracing async work.
Read more
🎧 Mark Cuban’s Startup Playbook + Why AI Mastery is No Longer Optional
In this episode of Aspire with Emma Grede, Mark Cuban shares his “Day 1” blueprint for startup success — from avoiding common founder mistakes to turning ideas into scalable businesses. He also dives into why understanding AI is now a must for any entrepreneur. Raw, tactical, and packed with real-world advice.
🔁 Marketplace Liquidity: Why “Side-Switching” Matters
One of the hardest parts of building a marketplace is getting both sides to show up. This piece from Breadcrumb VC explores how early liquidity can be hacked by getting users to switch sides — turning buyers into sellers and vice versa. Smart, scrappy, and highly actionable. This oldie but good resource is a must read. Also, we are soon bringing Sameer to speak to our members. Read more
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