Founder | Creative director I reimagine storytelling for a digital-first era. Founder University - Cohort 9

I’m Arthur Karapetian, Co-founder and CEO of Text’nPayMe, a fintech deep-tech startup redefining how people send and receive money. Our payment keyboard enables banks and telecoms to embed seamless, secure transactions directly into any social or messaging app, eliminating the friction of app-switching and poor UX that holds back digital finance adoption. Traction speaks louder than words - we’ve already secured a collaboration with Orange, one of the world’s largest telecom groups, to integrate Text’nPayMe within their Orange Money app in Africa, reaching over 80 million users across 17 countries. I’ve spent years navigating the high-stakes world of fintech and deep tech, learning that success isn’t just about building great products - it’s about timing, adaptability, and execution. Startups live and die by the strength of their vision and the clarity of their pitch. And that’s something I take seriously. Just last week, I had the opportunity to pitch Text’nPayMe at Plug and Play's International Accelerator Expo Day - a major milestone for us. You can check out my pitch here: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/karapetianarthur_textnpayme-at-plug-and-play-international-activity-7299803562052575232-DFnP Joining this competition isn’t just about winning - it’s about pushing limits, refining the message, and seizing every opportunity to take a startup to the next level. The chance to pitch on "This Week in Startups" and gain exposure to Silicon Valley investors and networks is exactly the kind of challenge I thrive on. The future of money is conversational, Text’nPayMe is making it happen. Join us now and together let's make Text'nPayMe the global standard for payments, so that soon anyone, anywhere can simply say - Text and Pay Me. I’m ready to take this pitch global - see you on stage! 🚀

I am the co-founder of TACTUN. During my time as an engineer at National Instruments and later as a founder and CEO of a systems integration business, I witnessed firsthand how traditional mid-sized factories struggle to innovate. With AI becoming a critical part of the physical world, these challenges are growing. In the coming years, startups will flood the market with autonomous and smart machinery, capable of doing far more than they do today. Every such machine relies on a hardware controller and the software that powers it. That’s where TACTUN comes in. We provide a hardware platform designed for innovative builders who want to harness the power of AI. Our platform handles all standard sensor connections and actuator controls, allowing our partners to focus on AI model creation and product innovation. With TACTUN’s no-code application builder and controller configuration platform, we empower companies to create unique smart machinery. Whether you’re in construction, agriculture, defense, science, or medical industries, our Nvidia GPU-based hardware enables you to disrupt your market with custom AI-driven solutions. TACTUN’s no-code AI-based industrial controller and app builder reduce dev cycles by 5x for machinery manufacturers. We are building the foundation for future autonomous machinery, enabling direct deployment of custom AI models to controllers. With deep expertise in hardware and software, the team has a proven track record with Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and ThermoFisher. 300% YoY growth 240k ARR 4 customers from “Lab Equipment” and O&G industries $5M Pipeline $320k raised $1M invested by founders.

Investment Analyst VC