Startup Spotlight #26: Buena AI
Buena is a technology company for people and businesses passionate about lifestyle.
Author’s Note: My apologies for the delay in this story - I’ve been working on a “special” article for Forbes to come out soon.
I got the chance to speak with Stephanie Be, co-founder and CEO of Buena AI, about what she’s working on at her startup, and any advice he has for emerging entrepreneurs.
BUENA is a Los Angeles based stealth startup created by three 2x founders, and UCLA Alumni. It’s backed by Angel Investors at Google Shopping at Google Ventures.
Startup Spotlight: Buena AI
BUENA AI founder Stephanie Be.
Problem: Online shopping is information overload. Too many options, and not enough time or trust that you’re getting the best option and value.
Market: E-commerce purchases are at an all-time high, as Adobe notes consumers spent a record $153 billion online in two months (April/ May 2020) — 7% higher than what they spent during the 2019 holiday season. Digital advertising is projected to be a $450 Billion market by 2022.
Solution: BUENA makes search more efficient. With BUENA, your browser gets smarter, so you can quickly and easily make smart purchasing decisions.
Team: BUENA was started by Stephanie and seven founding employees. The CTO comes from one of the largest corporations in e-commerce tech and seven of the eight are UCLA alumni.
Recent Success:
Be: At BUENA, we put people first. We’ve seen the most success in building a strong company culture that hears out everyone’s ideas which then translate into unique solutions. In 2020, we started over, and not one person left -- we’ve proven that when you put people first, gritty dedication happens naturally.
Recent Struggle:
Be: I personally struggled to come into the tech community as an outsider. No one in my family, existing friend group, or professional network had really worked in venture capital or technology. My first year in, I quickly realized that I needed new friends! I joke about that because I’ve found true friendship in this community (met my best friend on LinkedIn), and really have people to trust made an impact on the business.
It was important to me that BUENA got the talent it deserved, and so I doubled down on building a community and a team that would support the company long term.
While it may seem like my integration into the tech industry was slow (I didn’t find our engineering team until 1 year in), ultimately, the right people were worth the wait. If you’re having a hard time building a team or raising capital, hang in there, and meet as many people as you can!
Founder Advice:
Be: When building a startup, success isn’t limited to your team, product, and capital. Success comes from your ability to be resourceful, and the community is full of resources! At BUENA we link up with founders however we can -- whether it’s swapping UX interviews or trading investor contacts. We’re not afraid to ask for help, and equally, we do what we can to uplift others.
After all, the top isn’t lonely when you’re pulling each other up.
Three Cool Founders You Should Know About:
Be: Here are three founders you should check out next!
Jiake Lui, Founder of Outer: Outer is a direct-to-consumer outdoor furniture brand with a novel Neighborhood Showroom concept.
Danielle Li, Founder of Popshop Live: Popshop Live allows users to discover and follow live and upcoming show streams based on their shopping interests.
Daniella Corrente, Founder of Reel: Reel is a platform for debt-free shopping.
Who should I profile next? Leave your suggestion in the comments:
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