Josh Benaron, founder of Irys, recalls being ridiculed when he tried to raise funds for his crypto venture at 19. For years, he’s had to fight to be taken seriously.
“Before becoming a founder, I struggled to get access to opportunities within crypto. I was introduced to the [chief technology officer] of one of the largest European CEXs, and he practically laughed me out of the room because of my age,” Benaron tells Magazine.
“In general, when you raise money, being young doesn’t help, as they associate youth with inexperience and immaturity.”
Silicon Valley has glorified young founder success stories, but data shows tech founders generally aren’t that young. The average age of a founder in…
Jun 25 2025
