• About Us
  • Subscription
  • Contact Us
Thursday, June 5, 2025
  • Login
Iran Times
  • Home
  • What’s the News
    • All
    • baygani
    Shah’s Grand Daughter Weds American In New York

    Shah’s Grand Daughter Weds American In New York

    Fruit Peddler To Hang For His Protest Poetry From Buying Texas Land

    Fruit Peddler To Hang For His Protest Poetry From Buying Texas Land

    UK Arrests Two Bands Of Iranians For Plotting Attacks

    UK Arrests Two Bands Of Iranians For Plotting Attacks

    Storms Pound Many Parts Of Iran, Killing Nine

    Storms Pound Many Parts Of Iran, Killing Nine

    Snatch And Grab Thievery Now All The Rage

    Snatch And Grab Thievery Now All The Rage

    Cousin Murders TV Hostess For Her Wealth

    Iranian Student In Alabama To Self-Deport Despite Withdrawal of Initial

    Iranian Student In Alabama To Self-Deport Despite Withdrawal of Initial

    Novel Tells Story Of Five Women In A Family That Leaves Iran For America

    Novel Tells Story Of Five Women In A Family That Leaves Iran For America

    Canada Party Boss Says Iran’s Leaders Are ‘Liars’

    Canada Party Boss Says Iran’s Leaders Are ‘Liars’

  • Diaspora
  • Economy
    Banks Must Keep More Money On Hand

    Banks Must Keep More Money On Hand

    Russian Says Iran Watermelons Unsafe

    Russian Says Iran Watermelons Unsafe

    Iran Not To Be Self-Sufficient In Wheat This Year

    Iran Not To Be Self-Sufficient In Wheat This Year

    Opec Pumps More Crude, Just When Its Not Needed

    Opec Pumps More Crude, Just When Its Not Needed

    Lithium Deposits Being Hyped By Some in Iran

    Lithium Deposits Being Hyped By Some in Iran

    Despite Trump, Iran Sells China More Oil

    Despite Trump, Iran Sells China More Oil

    Despite Revolutionary Goals, Iran’s Exports Still Mostly Oil-Based

    Trump Hits Iran With 10% Tariff On Next-To-No Trade

    Trump Hits Iran With 10% Tariff On Next-To-No Trade

    The Oil Patch

    The Oil Patch

  • Tidbits and Morsels
  • Latest

    Drone Attack That Killed 3 US Troops in Jordan Could Have Been Foiled

    Iranian-Canadians Reportedly Turned Away at US Border

    Iranian-Americans: an Account of Integration and Achievement

    Jamshid Myth

    Two Cabinet Ministers Convicted in $3.4B Case of Corruption at Tea Firm

    Two Cabinet Ministers Convicted in $3.4B Case of Corruption at Tea Firm

    Resolution in US House Would Very Quietly Endorse Mojahedin-e Khalq

    Resolution in US House Would Very Quietly Endorse Mojahedin-e Khalq

    Subsidized Currency Stays

    Crypto Crackdown Seen as Fueling Rial Collapse

    Iran no Longer Advances Clocks at Now Ruz

    Iran no Longer Advances Clocks at Now Ruz

  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscription
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • What’s the News
    • All
    • baygani
    Shah’s Grand Daughter Weds American In New York

    Shah’s Grand Daughter Weds American In New York

    Fruit Peddler To Hang For His Protest Poetry From Buying Texas Land

    Fruit Peddler To Hang For His Protest Poetry From Buying Texas Land

    UK Arrests Two Bands Of Iranians For Plotting Attacks

    UK Arrests Two Bands Of Iranians For Plotting Attacks

    Storms Pound Many Parts Of Iran, Killing Nine

    Storms Pound Many Parts Of Iran, Killing Nine

    Snatch And Grab Thievery Now All The Rage

    Snatch And Grab Thievery Now All The Rage

    Cousin Murders TV Hostess For Her Wealth

    Iranian Student In Alabama To Self-Deport Despite Withdrawal of Initial

    Iranian Student In Alabama To Self-Deport Despite Withdrawal of Initial

    Novel Tells Story Of Five Women In A Family That Leaves Iran For America

    Novel Tells Story Of Five Women In A Family That Leaves Iran For America

    Canada Party Boss Says Iran’s Leaders Are ‘Liars’

    Canada Party Boss Says Iran’s Leaders Are ‘Liars’

  • Diaspora
  • Economy
    Banks Must Keep More Money On Hand

    Banks Must Keep More Money On Hand

    Russian Says Iran Watermelons Unsafe

    Russian Says Iran Watermelons Unsafe

    Iran Not To Be Self-Sufficient In Wheat This Year

    Iran Not To Be Self-Sufficient In Wheat This Year

    Opec Pumps More Crude, Just When Its Not Needed

    Opec Pumps More Crude, Just When Its Not Needed

    Lithium Deposits Being Hyped By Some in Iran

    Lithium Deposits Being Hyped By Some in Iran

    Despite Trump, Iran Sells China More Oil

    Despite Trump, Iran Sells China More Oil

    Despite Revolutionary Goals, Iran’s Exports Still Mostly Oil-Based

    Trump Hits Iran With 10% Tariff On Next-To-No Trade

    Trump Hits Iran With 10% Tariff On Next-To-No Trade

    The Oil Patch

    The Oil Patch

  • Tidbits and Morsels
  • Latest

    Drone Attack That Killed 3 US Troops in Jordan Could Have Been Foiled

    Iranian-Canadians Reportedly Turned Away at US Border

    Iranian-Americans: an Account of Integration and Achievement

    Jamshid Myth

    Two Cabinet Ministers Convicted in $3.4B Case of Corruption at Tea Firm

    Two Cabinet Ministers Convicted in $3.4B Case of Corruption at Tea Firm

    Resolution in US House Would Very Quietly Endorse Mojahedin-e Khalq

    Resolution in US House Would Very Quietly Endorse Mojahedin-e Khalq

    Subsidized Currency Stays

    Crypto Crackdown Seen as Fueling Rial Collapse

    Iran no Longer Advances Clocks at Now Ruz

    Iran no Longer Advances Clocks at Now Ruz

  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscription
No Result
View All Result
Iran Times
No Result
View All Result

Silicon Valley CEO aids hundreds of start-ups

 

 

Saeed Amidi, 50, the founder and CEO of Plug and Play Tech Center, has in the past four years witnessed the launch of more than 250 start-ups, including about 50 foreign firms.

Amidi’s company helps startups develop products while also fostering a communal environment in which international entrepreneurs can come together to share successful formulas for starting up businesses.

Born and raised in Iran, Amidi got his start as an entrepreneur when he was a student at Menlo College in California in 1979, where he started a bottled-water distribution company. He made the switch to the tech industry a couple decades later, in 2000.

He told Arabic Know-ledge@Wharton about his venture, the reasons for his success and explained why he left Iran for America.

Amidi said his idea for Plug and Play came long before he actually began the company. “A company I started 30 years ago involved packaging bottled water at 165 University Ave. [in Palo Alto, California]. I saw Osborne computer come in next to me and build the first portable computer. This is before I knew what technology was. Then I had Pierluigi Zappacosta bring Logitech from Switzerland and build a great company in the Bay Area. I saw the journey of PayPal and finally Google. I’ve watched these companies grow.

“By coincidence after the dotcom bust, [my brother Rahim and I] launched a start-up in Los Angeles called Hollywood Productions for over 100 shows being produced, and built a community of digital media properties. [The community] shared ideas and personnel. As one filming winds down, the post-production equipment is used for another. The entertainment industry is almost like a start-up. They start with an idea and script then build a team: The producer, the director, the cast and a product,” Amidi explained.

Asked where he got the idea for his burgeoning company, Amidi said, “I had the beginning of an idea from the little building in Palo Alto. I said, ‘Imagine if a lot of companies were working toward their dreams in one location.’ After we built [Plug and Play], we realized [the entrepreneurs] needed to build a community for networking. That’s why we have 100 events a year here. What else do they need? They need angel money and venture capital. This is why we have Band of Angels [a Silicon Valley seed-money investment firm] next door to work with their portfolio companies and members. The idea of having a community of start-ups focused on its own goals but at the same time willing to help each other is a good one,” he said.

“One thing I am proud of at Plug and Play is the community of 250 start-ups that are physically here and the extended community of maybe another 750 start-ups associated with it,” Amidi said.

But Amidi didn’t take all the credit for the success of his company. “I didn’t study software or mechanical engineering. I couldn’t understand technology. Because I do not understand technology, I have surrounded myself with entrepreneurs who help me do the due diligence. When we look at an idea as most [venture capitalists] do, you have another portfolio company that you respect do the evaluation,” he said.

Amidi also talked about his experience leaving Iran for America. “I enjoy the opportunity America has granted me. I was from an affluent family in Iran. The 1978[-79] revolution was almost like a wake-up call for me. I was 18. After being a spoiled student at Menlo College, I suddenly realized family wealth could disappear,” he said, explaining that the situation he found himself in all but forced him to be an entrepreneur.

“My father was my mentor, my leader. Within 40 days of the revolution, he said, ‘Saeed, we can take care of the tuition. However, for living expenses, you’d better start working.’ He then gave me a solution: “Saeed, if you help me look for business opportunities, I can pay you.’ In a way, he put pressure on me to be an entrepreneur. That summer, I started my business, American Liquid Packaging Systems.

“My journey from Iran and restarting our family business from scratch was very tough, but it was a great experience…. I wish I had then all of the knowledge I do now. It took me 20 years to build my company. In the technology space, you need to do the same 20 years in two years, and find what the customer needs, build it and deliver it. You have to go through all the ups and downs at a fast pace. That is why it is so important to have mentors and advisers.

“I’ve bootstrapped my companies [and financed them on my own] in the past. If I had to re-live my life, my first lesson would be to study more. The second lesson would be to surround myself with smarter people—team members to help me accelerate my journey,” Amidi said.

Learning from his own life experiences, Amidi advised aspiring entrepreneurs to use their backgrounds and circumstances to their advantage.

“When I speak to students around the world, I tell them to make the best out of where they are, the university they graduated from and the cards they have in their hands. My father used to tell me that you have to work extremely hard every day toward your goal, but sometimes you don’t know what is in front of you. If you’re going in the right direction, new doors and opportunities could open a week or two from now that you cannot even imagine today.”

 

 

 

Saeed Amidi, 50, the founder and CEO of Plug and Play Tech Center, has in the past four years witnessed the launch of more than 250 start-ups, including about 50 foreign firms.

Amidi’s company helps startups develop products while also fostering a communal environment in which international entrepreneurs can come together to share successful formulas for starting up businesses.

Born and raised in Iran, Amidi got his start as an entrepreneur when he was a student at Menlo College in California in 1979, where he started a bottled-water distribution company. He made the switch to the tech industry a couple decades later, in 2000.

He told Arabic Know-ledge@Wharton about his venture, the reasons for his success and explained why he left Iran for America.

Amidi said his idea for Plug and Play came long before he actually began the company. “A company I started 30 years ago involved packaging bottled water at 165 University Ave. [in Palo Alto, California]. I saw Osborne computer come in next to me and build the first portable computer. This is before I knew what technology was. Then I had Pierluigi Zappacosta bring Logitech from Switzerland and build a great company in the Bay Area. I saw the journey of PayPal and finally Google. I’ve watched these companies grow.

“By coincidence after the dotcom bust, [my brother Rahim and I] launched a start-up in Los Angeles called Hollywood Productions for over 100 shows being produced, and built a community of digital media properties. [The community] shared ideas and personnel. As one filming winds down, the post-production equipment is used for another. The entertainment industry is almost like a start-up. They start with an idea and script then build a team: The producer, the director, the cast and a product,” Amidi explained.

Asked where he got the idea for his burgeoning company, Amidi said, “I had the beginning of an idea from the little building in Palo Alto. I said, ‘Imagine if a lot of companies were working toward their dreams in one location.’ After we built [Plug and Play], we realized [the entrepreneurs] needed to build a community for networking. That’s why we have 100 events a year here. What else do they need? They need angel money and venture capital. This is why we have Band of Angels [a Silicon Valley seed-money investment firm] next door to work with their portfolio companies and members. The idea of having a community of start-ups focused on its own goals but at the same time willing to help each other is a good one,” he said.

“One thing I am proud of at Plug and Play is the community of 250 start-ups that are physically here and the extended community of maybe another 750 start-ups associated with it,” Amidi said.

But Amidi didn’t take all the credit for the success of his company. “I didn’t study software or mechanical engineering. I couldn’t understand technology. Because I do not understand technology, I have surrounded myself with entrepreneurs who help me do the due diligence. When we look at an idea as most [venture capitalists] do, you have another portfolio company that you respect do the evaluation,” he said.

Amidi also talked about his experience leaving Iran for America. “I enjoy the opportunity America has granted me. I was from an affluent family in Iran. The 1978[-79] revolution was almost like a wake-up call for me. I was 18. After being a spoiled student at Menlo College, I suddenly realized family wealth could disappear,” he said, explaining that the situation he found himself in all but forced him to be an entrepreneur.

“My father was my mentor, my leader. Within 40 days of the revolution, he said, ‘Saeed, we can take care of the tuition. However, for living expenses, you’d better start working.’ He then gave me a solution: “Saeed, if you help me look for business opportunities, I can pay you.’ In a way, he put pressure on me to be an entrepreneur. That summer, I started my business, American Liquid Packaging Systems.

“My journey from Iran and restarting our family business from scratch was very tough, but it was a great experience…. I wish I had then all of the knowledge I do now. It took me 20 years to build my company. In the technology space, you need to do the same 20 years in two years, and find what the customer needs, build it and deliver it. You have to go through all the ups and downs at a fast pace. That is why it is so important to have mentors and advisers.

“I’ve bootstrapped my companies [and financed them on my own] in the past. If I had to re-live my life, my first lesson would be to study more. The second lesson would be to surround myself with smarter people—team members to help me accelerate my journey,” Amidi said.

Learning from his own life experiences, Amidi advised aspiring entrepreneurs to use their backgrounds and circumstances to their advantage.

“When I speak to students around the world, I tell them to make the best out of where they are, the university they graduated from and the cards they have in their hands. My father used to tell me that you have to work extremely hard every day toward your goal, but sometimes you don’t know what is in front of you. If you’re going in the right direction, new doors and opportunities could open a week or two from now that you cannot even imagine today.”

 

 

 

 

Previous Post

Sunday Memorial service for Prince Alireza Pahlavi

Next Post

Canada cops arrest man for murdering pregnant Iranian shopkeeper in store

Related Posts

Diaspora

Teen Genius May Be Booted Out Of Canada

Diaspora

Shortage Of General Surgeons Looms

PARKING GARAGE
Diaspora

PARKING GARAGE

Next Post

Canada cops arrest man for murdering pregnant Iranian shopkeeper in store

French warden falls in love with Iranian inmate

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscription
  • Culture
  • Economy
Call us: +1 (202)-659-9868

© 1970-2025 Iran Times - ‬An‭ ‬Independent‭ ‬Newspaper

Welcome Back!

Login to your account below

Forgotten Password?

Retrieve your password

Please enter your username or email address to reset your password.

Log In
No Result
View All Result
  • Home
  • What’s the News
  • Diaspora
  • Economy
  • Tidbits and Morsels
  • Latest
  • About Us
  • Advertising
  • Subscription

© 1970-2025 Iran Times - ‬An‭ ‬Independent‭ ‬Newspaper

Are you sure want to unlock this post?
Unlock left : 0
Are you sure want to cancel subscription?
Go to mobile version