A Portfolio Approach to Angel Investing
The episode walks listeners through Angel Academy’s portfolio‑based angel investing program, explaining how a group of accredited investors can pool capital into a fund that backs a curated set of early‑stage startups. Hosts outline the fund’s structure—minimum commitment of 37 units, active vs. passive participation, and the voting process—while sharing frameworks and lessons from seasoned angels on evaluating deals. They emphasize the importance of collective diligence, streamlined administration, and learning from peers to mitigate the high failure rate of startups. Real‑world anecdotes, such as the missed opportunity with Ray Kroc, illustrate the stakes of timing and decision‑making in angel investing.
FamilyOffice10x - He Invested in Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, Lightspeed, Anthropic, xAI, Stripe.. - Vishal Verma, Managing Partner, Edgewood Ventures
Vishal Verma, Managing Partner of Edgewood Ventures, discusses the evolution of his family’s single‑family office from its humble immigrant roots to a 30‑year venture investing powerhouse. He explains why the office allocates roughly 30% of its capital to private markets,...
Dorit Dor, Co-Founder of Qbeat Ventures
In this episode, Dorit Dor, former Check Point C‑level executive and co‑founder of Qubit Ventures, discusses how quantum startups can apply lessons from cybersecurity—particularly the importance of a clear go‑to‑market strategy, focus on specific problems, and adherence to standards. She...
Ignite Startups: The Truth About Venture Debt and Growth Capital with Ryan Ridgway | Ep259
In this episode, host Alex talks with Ryan Ridgway, founder and CEO of Cirrus Capital Partners, about the underserved middle‑market segment that needs non‑dilutive financing. Ridgway explains the difference between working capital and growth capital, how venture debt can bridge...
Ep. 195 - Why Code No Longer Drives SaaS Value in the AI Era
In this episode Tim Schumacher, co‑founder of SaaS Group, discusses why traditional code‑centric SaaS value is being upended by AI. He explains how AI creates both existential fear for founders of thin‑margin, UI‑only products and new opportunities for businesses with...
Worki Raises $2.75 Million in Pre Seed Funding
In this episode of Speaking of RegTech, host Chris Russell highlights Worki's recent $2.75 million pre‑seed round led by Redesign Health and Healthliant Ventures. Worki’s WorkEase platform connects existing HR systems like Workday, Oracle, and ServiceNow with AI‑driven tools that create...
This Episode Will Make some of You Squirm...
In this episode of the Liquid Lunch Project, hosts Matthew Meehan and Professor Luigi Rosa Bianca interview Dr. Thomas J. Powell, a constitutional law professor and founder of the Founder’s Office, which helps small‑to‑medium businesses raise capital and build sustainable...
From Losing $1M a Month to a $1B Exit — Jim Sorenson on Building Impact That Pays
In this episode, Jim Sorenson recounts how he turned a company burning $1 million a month into a near‑$1 billion exit in under three years by pivoting from a mass‑market video‑compression startup to a niche video‑relay service for the deaf and hard‑of‑hearing....
Software Winners & Losers in the Age of AI (W/Alex Rubalcava & Paul Bricault) | #626
In this episode, MedFavor hosts venture partners Alex Rubalcava and Paul Bricault of Amplify LA to discuss how AI is reshaping the software landscape, distinguishing between vulnerable, commoditized SaaS products and mission‑critical, data‑rich enterprise solutions that remain defensible. They explain...
After The Exit | Ariana Pareja on Building, Selling and Starting Again
In this episode, serial entrepreneur Ariana Pareja shares her journey from early real‑estate hustles to co‑founding Remind, a real‑estate tech platform that scaled to over a million agents and was acquired for $53 million. She discusses the emotional roller‑coaster of big...
Exited Founder Podcast | Andrew Kirpalani: From Bar Napkin to Acquisition — Exiting WorkHound
In this episode, co‑founder and CTO Andrew Kirpalani recounts how a $20K accelerator deal sparked the creation of WorkHound, a mobile‑first employee engagement platform for truck drivers. He explains how his varied startup engineering background informed the product’s design and...
5 Unique Strategies that Led to Our Capital Raising Success | Brian Mac Mahon, Expert Dojo, VC Arm of $1B+...
Brian Mac Mahon, founder of Expert Dojo—the venture arm of a $1 billion‑plus single‑family office—revealed five unconventional tactics that have powered over 300 startup investments. He emphasizes that only three variables truly drive every investment decision, rendering traditional networking largely obsolete....
ETA Is Breaking (and Going Global): Investor Conflict, Weak Boards, and Structural Shifts - Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital
In this episode of Surge Funded, Ibrahim Abdel Rahim of Moonbase Capital reflects on five years of growth in the Entrepreneurship Through Acquisition (ETA) space, highlighting the shift from a Europe‑centric model to a truly global, home‑based approach with searchers...
Q1 2026 Venture Funding Hits $300B Record
In Q1 2026, venture capital reached a record $300 billion, with 80% ($242 billion) flowing into AI startups, highlighting an unprecedented surge in AI investment. The episode also examines the wave of state-level AI chatbot regulations—78 bills in 27 states—focusing on disclosure and...
OpenAI's $121B Funding Round Explained
In this episode, host Jaden Schaefer breaks down OpenAI's historic $121 billion funding round that valued the company at $852 billion, detailing the major investors—Amazon, NVIDIA, SoftBank—and the conditional nature of Amazon's $35 billion commitment. He also examines Huawei's new 950 PR AI chip,...
What Makes a Startup “Click”, Before It Even Exists? With Matt Cohen
In the debut episode of Make It Click, host Matt Cohen—founder and managing partner of Ripple Ventures—discusses how early‑stage investors spot promising startups before they’re even incorporated. He shares the signals he looks for in nascent teams, the importance of...
Women of the New Frontier: Capital, Ownership & The Founder’s Journey W/Allison Ellsworth, Rachel Roy & Theresa Fette
In this episode, founders Allison Ellsworth (Poppy Soda), designer Rachel Roy, and fintech entrepreneur Theresa Fette discuss their journeys from humble beginnings to multi‑billion‑dollar exits, emphasizing the importance of owning control, embracing embarrassment, and making bold, sometimes "stupid" decisions. They...
What $1B+ Allocators Actually Look For: 7 Strategies to Close Entrepreneurial Capital
The podcast reveals how $1B+ family offices, like Prime Pulse, evaluate mid‑stage companies by focusing on founders rather than pure financial metrics. They apply a people‑first thesis, using seven leadership traits and operational resilience as primary filters. AI tools aid...
#49: Inside the Mind of a Space Engineer Turned VC (Feat. Koen Geurts, Senior Investment Manager at HTGF)
In this episode, Koen Geurts, a former aerospace engineer who worked on ESA's Rosetta/Philae mission and later managed satellite operations at Telespazio, discusses his transition to venture capital as Senior Investment Manager at Germany's Hightech Gründerfonds (HTGF). He shares behind‑the‑scenes...
Halter’s $2 Billion Question, with Founder Craig Piggott
In less than a year, New Zealand‑based Halter secured $165 million in a Series D round and a further $220 million in Series E, pushing its valuation to roughly $2 billion even as global ag‑tech funding has slumped more than 70 percent. The company’s virtual‑fencing system, which...
Blueprint Equity’s $333M Bet on Early Growth Software
In this episode of Tacos and Tech, Blueprint Equity co‑founders Bobby Ocampo and Sheldon Lewis explain their early‑growth equity model—investing in SaaS companies with $1‑$7 M ARR that are scaling 75%+ year‑over‑year—and announce a $333 M fund dedicated to that niche. They...
From Brooklyn to $500M Exits: 7 Capital Raising Secrets | Centimillionaire Strategy Talk
Jody Chapnick, a serial entrepreneur who grew up in Brooklyn, outlines the playbook behind his $500 million REIT IPO, a $250 million pharma exit, and multiple insurance roll‑ups. In a Centimillionaire Strategy Talk he breaks down how he raised hundreds of millions...
VC10X - The Legal Landmines Hiding Inside Your Fund Docs - Yoni Tuchman, Partner, DLA Piper
In this episode, DLA Piper partner Yoni Tuchman walks listeners through the legal pitfalls that can cost venture capital general partners millions, focusing on mis‑drafted management fee clauses, distribution waterfall nuances, and key‑person provisions. He explains how fees are calculated—often...
SoftBank's $40B OpenAI Investment & Anthropic's Claude Mythos Leak
The episode covers four major AI developments: SoftBank’s planned $40 billion investment in OpenAI, highlighting the escalating capital barriers for frontier AI firms; the rapid emergence of physical AI, exemplified by humanoid robots at the White House and partnerships like Agile...
Software to Digital Workers: Sandhya Venkatachalam on the AI Economy
In this episode, Sandhya Venkatachalam, co‑founder and general partner of Axiom Partners, explains how AI is shifting from a tool to a digital worker that can perform entire jobs, and how her venture firm is built around that insight. She...
Gumloop Raises $50M From Benchmark to Scale AI Agents
In this episode, host Jaden Schaefer highlights Gumloop, a startup that enables every employee to become an AI‑agent builder, automating routine tasks without needing code. Founded in mid‑2023 by Max Broder Urbass, Gumloop has quickly secured major enterprise customers like...
Solayer – Hardware Accelerated Finance at the Speed of Metal
In this episode, Andy Pickering talks with Joshua Sum, Chief Product Officer at Solayer, about the company's hardware‑accelerated blockchain built on Solana that aims to achieve ultra‑high throughput for real‑time financial transactions. Joshua explains Solayer's approach of separating consensus onto...
FamilyOffice10x - How This Single Family Office (SFO) Invests in the Top GPs? - Slava Darkhaev, VP, Matrix Capital
In this episode, Slava Darkhaev, VP at Matrix Capital, explains how his family office evaluates and backs top venture capital general partners (GPs) and emerging managers. He emphasizes the importance of storytelling, genuine competitive advantage, and deep network immersion to...
How Ledge Reached $1M ARR with 24 Customers Paying $3K/Month | Tal Kirschenbaum
In this episode, Tal Kirschenbaum, co‑founder and CEO of Ledge, explains how his AI‑native financial close platform reached $1M ARR by serving roughly 24 mid‑market enterprise customers at an average of $3,000 per month. He details Ledge’s focus on automating...
E706 | Jo Slota-Newson & Marc Sabas, Almanac Ventures: Systemic Deep Tech for Industrial Decarbonisation
Almanac Ventures, founded by deep‑tech scientist Jo Slota‑Newson and finance‑focused Marc Sabas, invests seed‑stage deep‑tech solutions for industrial decarbonisation across Europe. They target technologies that improve performance, lower costs, and cut emissions in complex, capital‑intensive sectors that account for 75%...
From EdTech to Learning & Work: Where Europe’s $1.6B Investment Surge Is Actually Going — and Why
In this episode, host Luigi Morino talks with Rhys Spence, author of the European Learning and Work Funding Report 2026, about a surge in European investment—doubling to €1.6 billion—and the shift from traditional edtech to a broader "learning and work" taxonomy....
Ignite VC: How Gaingels Scaled to 2,700+ Investments with Lorenzo Thione | Ep243
In this episode, Lorenzo Thione, Managing Director at Gaingels and former founder of PowerSet (acquired by Microsoft), shares his journey from an Italian graduate student to AI pioneer, angel investor, and LGBTQ+ entrepreneurship advocate. He discusses the early challenges of...
E705 | Martin Schilling, Deep Tech Momentum: Why Europe’s Deep Tech Problem Isn’t Funding
In this episode, Martin Schilling, co‑founder of Deep Tech Momentum, explains that Europe’s deep‑tech challenge is not a lack of funding but a commercialization gap: large corporates aren’t buying or partnering with startups at scale. He highlights stark statistics—European firms...
What VC's Are Looking For in AI Startups Today
In this episode, host Jaden Schaefer breaks down the evolving criteria VCs use to evaluate AI startups in 2026, emphasizing a shift toward AI that directly completes tasks rather than superficial chat‑based layers. He cites insights from investors like Aaron...
Family Office Roundtable 2026 - $124 Trillion Wealth Transfer, AI, & Private Markets
In this Family Office Roundtable, Ron and Wendy discuss the massive $124 trillion wealth transfer from baby boomers to the next generation and how family offices are adapting. They focus on AI’s disruptive role, highlighting platforms like Opto that can filter...
Chris Dixon: From Quant Trading to Building A16z Crypto
In this episode, Chris Dixon recounts his journey from a self‑taught programmer in the 1980s to a quant developer, serial entrepreneur, and now a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz leading its crypto practice. He shares insights from founding SiteAdvisor, an...
E703 | Max Bray and Juliet Bailin, Kindred Capital VC: LP Conviction, $15B Funds & The Venture Barbell
In this episode Max Bray and Juliet Bailin of Kindred Capital discuss the current state of venture capital, focusing on LP conviction, the challenges of fundraising in a tough macro environment, and the emerging split between large, secure funds and...
From $187M Ecommerce to $5M ARR SaaS: Spresso's Post-Bankruptcy Pivot to Enterprise Software | Jared Yaman
In this episode, Jared Gaiman, co‑founder of Boxed and current CEO of Spresso, recounts the rise of Boxed from a $187 M e‑commerce business to its Chapter 11 filing and subsequent pivot to a $5 M ARR SaaS model focused on enterprise software...
When Giants Don’t Go Public: Inside the $5 Trillion Private Tech Market
In this episode, Joe Weisenthal and Tracy Alloway interview David George, head of growth at Andreessen Horowitz, about the massive $5 trillion private tech market and why the most high‑growth companies are staying private longer. George explains that deeper, more liquid...
Colin Van Ostern: Why Alumni Ventures Is Betting on UK Venture Capital
In this episode, Colin Van Ostern, incoming head of Alumni Ventures' UK operations, discusses the firm’s network‑powered, diversified venture model and its expansion into the UK to tap a growing European startup ecosystem. He shares his unconventional path from politics...
VC10X - The Consumer AI Opportunity Nobody Is Chasing Ft. Ankur Sethi, Founder, Winner Capital
In this episode, Ankur Sethi, founder of Winner Capital, explains why he believes consumer AI is the present, not the future, and why it remains vastly underfunded compared to enterprise SaaS. He highlights the democratization of large language models that...
Hypersonic Hustle & Orbital Muscle.
The episode highlights three major developments in the defense and commercial space sector: Stratolaunch securing a $90.8 million Department of War contract for the MACH‑TB 2.0 air‑launched test vehicle program, Agile Space Industries closing a $17 million Series A round to expand its small‑sat...
VC10X Micro - Why Safety Is No Long a Priority for AI Giants
The episode examines how AI giants like Anthropic and OpenAI are deprioritizing safety as they chase trillion‑dollar valuations, highlighted by Anthropic’s safety lead quitting and a $20 billion funding round at a $350 billion valuation. It explores the tension between capital‑market incentives...
Can an AI PMS Run Your Short-Term Rental Portfolio?, With Boom Co-Founder & CEO Shahar Goldboim
In this episode, Shahar Goldboim, co‑founder and CEO of Boom, explains why short‑term rentals (STRs) are the most complex asset class and how fragmented software tools trap hosts in a review‑driven revenue loop. He describes the genesis of Boom—a Business‑as‑Software...
China’s Record-Breaking Investment in a Private Rocket Company.
In this episode, host T‑Minus chats with Michelle Lucas, CEO of Higher Orbits, about China’s surge in private‑sector space funding, highlighting iSpace’s $730 million raise to develop reusable rockets, Space Epoch’s new capital for a 2026 launch and sea‑recovery test, and...
The New European Sovereignty Stack: Energy, Minerals, Compute
The episode examines Europe’s modern sovereignty as an industrial and supply‑chain challenge, focusing on semiconductors, rare‑earth minerals, and energy infrastructure. Guests highlight Europe’s heavy reliance on imports, a thin venture‑capital ecosystem, and the need for coordinated capital to close the...
Building a Quantum Ecosystem From Scratch with Martin Laforest
In this episode, Sebastian talks with Martin Laforest, a physicist‑turned‑VC at Quantacet, about the practical challenges of building a quantum ecosystem from the ground up. Laforest explains how Quebec turned a 1970s academic gamble into a $400 M quantum hub, emphasizing...
37 | Why Retention Is Now Driving Software Company Valuations
In this episode, managing director Mike Lyon and senior associate Sarabeth Sandweiss discuss how retention metrics have become a pivotal factor in software company valuations, detailing the heightened scrutiny buyers now apply. They explain the investor framework for assessing retention,...
WSJ X A16z: The Next 25 Years of Defense Innovation
In this WSJ Invest Live episode, Andy Serwer interviews a16z general partner Katherine Boyle about the firm’s American Dynamism practice, which she launched to focus on defense and national‑security tech. They explore how openly championing "America" sparked debate in Silicon...
OpenClaw Could Be 1st 1-Person $1B Company, OpenAI Buys
The episode examines OpenClaw's potential to become the first one‑person, billion‑dollar company, analyzing its AI‑driven product suite, lean operational model, and market traction. It weighs the plausibility of such rapid scaling against typical growth constraints and highlights the founder’s unique...