Philippe V.

The Realistic Optimist is a publication covering the global startup scene.

Thunders is redefining the way teams work with AI-powered agents that generate, execute, and monitor tasks across digital workflows. Our platform empowers product teams, QA engineers, developers, and business operators to automate complex processes without relying on code. Thunders brings clarity, speed, and reliability to every stage of your project. With intelligent test automation and real-time workflow execution. We believe automation should be approachable, not intimidating. That is why our agents speak human, integrate seamlessly with your existing tools, and adapt to your team’s needs, making sophisticated AI accessible to everyone. By handling the heavy lifting, we lets humans focus on strategy, creativity, and building products that truly matter. Were happy to have you join us in shaping the future of AI-driven productivity.

Seniatna is a food company giving a new offer of Tunisian authentic food thanks to collaboration with many independent producers from different regions / terroirs of Tunisia. Seniatna is offering hand-made and natural food products with a high value thanks to its origination with specialized and selected regions and producers such as Harissa from Nabeul with one of the best artisanal producers and Dried Figs from the specialized village of Djebba. Seniatna helps independent producers to get sustainable revenues.

Expensya is the service to automate and treat companies spent from end-to-end: Budget setting, Validation, Payment and Accounting integration. With more than 200 employees in 4 countries, Expensya is used by more than 6,000 companies worldwide with more than 700,000 users.

We’re called Start. Not Startup. That word has been propagated by too many people to mean something that it just simply isn’t any more. Tech startup or just startup? Same same. Either way, no one goes into business because it’s easy. You have to start. Somewhere. Anywhere. So, why not here? If there is one thing you should take from this page, from this site and from our stories… it’s that unlike the national news seems to think or the tech bro BS, we have real people who make real stuff here. We may sometimes talk about fundraising, VC and Angel rounds on these pages, and that talk may focus on certain sectors more than others… but essentially we’re about things that matter to real people: Innovation. Growth. Jobs. We’re here to tell the stories about the biggest and best companies in the world that are being built RIGHT HERE. How do we know? They always have been. McDonald’s, Ford, Procter & Gamble, John Deere. These are more than flyover states. More than just fields and lakes (though we do love our fields and lakes). ‍Among the very best and brightest to ever do it have been born, raised and built here. This continues to happen. We’re going to keep talking about it. And all it takes, is to start. Contact us to find out more: https://www.start-midwest.com/contact

The Realistic Optimist is a publication covering the global startup scene.

Thunders is redefining the way teams work with AI-powered agents that generate, execute, and monitor tasks across digital workflows. Our platform empowers product teams, QA engineers, developers, and business operators to automate complex processes without relying on code. Thunders brings clarity, speed, and reliability to every stage of your project. With intelligent test automation and real-time workflow execution. We believe automation should be approachable, not intimidating. That is why our agents speak human, integrate seamlessly with your existing tools, and adapt to your team’s needs, making sophisticated AI accessible to everyone. By handling the heavy lifting, we lets humans focus on strategy, creativity, and building products that truly matter. Were happy to have you join us in shaping the future of AI-driven productivity.

SEEDING THE NEXT FINTECH GENERATION IN AFRICA. We invest in founders building a more inclusive future in Africa with tech. Seed VC fund and a global community. Founders first circle.

Seniatna is a food company giving a new offer of Tunisian authentic food thanks to collaboration with many independent producers from different regions / terroirs of Tunisia. Seniatna is offering hand-made and natural food products with a high value thanks to its origination with specialized and selected regions and producers such as Harissa from Nabeul with one of the best artisanal producers and Dried Figs from the specialized village of Djebba. Seniatna helps independent producers to get sustainable revenues.