Antler VC Cast

In Episode 22, we speak to Josh Tetrick, founder of Eat Just Inc., a San Francisco-based FoodTech startup that is radically reimagining the way we consume meat globally. Eat Just is best known for its mung bean-based egg substitute called "Just Egg" and its “lab-grown” cultured chicken. In December 2020, Singapore became the first country in the world to grant approval of the sale of cultured chicken. Eat Just was founded in 2011, and the company has raised over US$650 million and had last been valued at US$1.2 billion.In this episode, Josh talks about how he came to focus on the problem with food, solving massive challenges in the food industry and building a new universe of tools to supply food in a more ethical way. He discusses the hurdles to widespread adoption of plant-based meats, talks about the mindset shift towards FoodTech innovation that will occur in the next decade, and shares advice for aspiring founders looking to solve real problems in our society. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In our next episode, we speak to Josh Tetrick, founder of Eat Just Inc., a San Francisco-based FoodTech startup that is radically reimagining the way we consume meat globally. Eat Just is best known for its mung bean-based egg substitute called "Just Egg" and its “lab-grown” cultured chicken. In December 2020, Singapore became the first country in the world to grant approval of the sale of cultured chicken. Eat Just was founded in 2011, and the company has raised over US$650 million and had last been valued at US$1.2 billion.In this episode, Josh talks about how he came to focus on the problem with food, solving massive challenges in the food industry and building a new universe of tools to supply food in a more ethical way. He discusses the hurdles to widespread adoption of plant-based meats, talks about the mindset shift towards FoodTech innovation that will occur in the next decade, and shares advice for aspiring founders looking to solve real problems in our society. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 21, we speak to Piers Linney, a British entrepreneur and investor well known for being a "dragon" on the BBC's business series Dragons' Den. Piers is also a content creator and keynote speaker focused on supporting individuals with ambitions to build a start-up, and is passionate about diversity and inclusion within the venture capital industry. In this episode, he shares his experience as a tech investor on BBC's Dragons' Den, doles out valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and speaks passionately about the importance of making progress in diversity and inclusion within the technology entrepreneurship space. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 21, we speak to Piers Linney, a British entrepreneur and investor well known for being a "dragon" on the BBC's business series Dragons' Den. Piers is also a content creator and keynote speaker focused on supporting individuals with ambitions to build a start-up, and is passionate about diversity and inclusion within the venture capital industry. In this episode, he shares his experience as a tech investor on BBC's Dragons' Den, doles out valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and speaks passionately about the importance of making progress in diversity and inclusion within the technology entrepreneurship space. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 20, we speak to Renaud Visage, co-founder and former CTO of Eventbrite. Renaud has been at the helm and foundation of Eventbrite's technical architecture from its inception and has built it into the leading events platform of the world. Renaud is also an avid photographer, startup mentor and angel investor. In this episode, he shares how Eventbrite successfully and quickly pivoted to online events during the Covid-19 pandemic, his predictions for the future of hybrid events and doles out valuable advice for entrepreneurs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 20, we speak to Renaud Visage, co-founder and former CTO of Eventbrite. Renaud has been at the helm and foundation of Eventbrite's technical architecture from its inception and has built it into the leading events platform of the world. Renaud is also an avid photographer, startup mentor and angel investor. In this episode, he shares how Eventbrite successfully and quickly pivoted to online events during the Covid-19 pandemic, his predictions for the future of hybrid events and doles out valuable advice for entrepreneurs. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 19, we speak to Simon Schmincke, General Partner at Creandum, a VC advisory firm with offices in Stockholm, San Francisco and Berlin. Spotify, Klarna and Kahoot are among their portfolio of companies across Europe and the US. Originally from Germany, Simon built three companies for Rocket Internet and was part of the founding team of FoodTech startups Foodpanda in Singapore and HelloFresh in the United States.In this episode, Simon talks about the fundamentally human side of venture capital, his ideal founder-investor relationship and the differences in consumer behaviour he has noticed while working and investing across Asia, Europe and America. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 19, we speak to Simon Schmincke, General Partner at Creandum, a VC advisory firm with offices in Stockholm, San Francisco and Berlin. Spotify, Klarna and Kahoot are among their portfolio of companies across Europe and the US. Originally from Germany, Simon built three companies for Rocket Internet and was part of the founding team of FoodTech startups Foodpanda in Singapore and HelloFresh in the United States.In this episode, Simon talks about the fundamentally human side of venture capital, his ideal founder-investor relationship and the differences in consumer behaviour he has noticed while working and investing across Asia, Europe and America. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 18, we speak to Nicole Quinn, General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. Lightspeed Ventures is an iconic Silicon Valley fund that has 10 billion dollars in assets under management. Nicole's focus is on early-stage consumer internet and fintech companies, with a portfolio that includes mental wellness app Calm, Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop, Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories, cult shoe brand Rothy's, Zola and Girl Boss. Nicole talks about consumer behaviour that is going to stick post COVID, the incredible value of Influencer Marketing for customer acquisition, and shares her predictions for the next big trend in the consumer world. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In Episode 18, we speak to Nicole Quinn, General Partner at Lightspeed Venture Partners. Lightspeed Ventures is an iconic Silicon Valley fund that has 10 billion dollars in assets under management. Nicole's focus is on early-stage consumer internet and fintech companies, with a portfolio that includes mental wellness app Calm, Gwyneth Paltrow's Goop, Lady Gaga's Haus Laboratories, cult shoe brand Rothy's, Zola and Girl Boss. "It's important to think big, know where your North Star is. And while you're in execution mode, make sure that you are driving towards the bigger goals." - Nicole Quinn See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For episode 17, we speak to Colin Bryar, an early employee at Amazon and co-author of the book Working Backwards: Stories and Secrets from Inside Amazon. Colin joined Amazon's leadership team in 1998 - only four years after its inception. He worked side-by-side with Jeff Bezos as his Chief of Staff (and “Shadow”) for 2 years. Colin was instrumental in bringing several Amazon businesses to life, including Kindle, Amazon Prime and Amazon Web Services. After Amazon, Colin relocated to Singapore and served as Chief Operating Officer of e-commerce giant RedMart, which was subsequently sold to Alibaba. In this episode, Colin discusses the importance of always having a customer-first mindset, the benefits of Amazon's unique narrative meeting culture, his key lessons for early-stage founders, and lots more. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

For the next episode, episode 17, we speak to Colin Bryar, an early employee at Amazon and co-author of the book Working Backwards: Stories and Secrets from Inside Amazon. Colin joined Amazon's leadership team in 1998 - only four years after its inception. He worked side-by-side with Jeff Bezos as his Chief of Staff (and “Shadow”) for 2 years. Colin was instrumental in bringing several Amazon businesses to life, including Kindle, Amazon Prime and Amazon Web Services. After Amazon, Colin relocated to Singapore and served as Chief Operating Officer of e-commerce giant RedMart, which was subsequently sold to Alibaba."Just always be curious. I love learning new things. I made a lot of mistakes but I've also learnt a lot. So just be curious. It's what makes life fun." - Colin Bryar See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In episode 16, we speak to Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch, the world's leading social video platform and community for gamers. Kevin led the Twitch team as COO for a decade before serving as Culture, Strategy, and Innovation Officer, following the company's staggering $970 million all-cash acquisition by Amazon. In this episode, he shares his origin story as an entrepreneur, tips for early-stage founders and advice on how to create a culture of transparency in your startup from the early days. How do you stay true to your identity and culture as your company scales rapidly? What's the secret to success when building remotely and gathering customer feedback? Tune in to find out. See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In the next episode, episode 16, we speak to Kevin Lin, co-founder of Twitch, the world's leading social video platform and community for gamers. Kevin led the Twitch team as COO for a decade before serving as Culture, Strategy, and Innovation Officer, following the company's staggering $970 million all-cash acquisition by Amazon."Build, build, build and break. Experiment to decide is how we described it at Twitch. Just try to give it a whirl and don't overthink things in the early days." - Kevin Lin See acast.com/privacy for privacy and opt-out information.

In this episode, we talk about the future of remote and distributed work, the product-building models, and the importance of maintaining your core values as your company grows. To discuss this and more, we are joined by Sten Tamkivi, the Chief Product Officer at Topia, where he builds products to break down the barriers between people and places. Prior to co-founding Teleport (acquired by Topia in 2017) he served at Skype as an early executive and played a key role in its transformation from a startup to a leading telecom player with 300 million active users and a whopping $8.5 billion exit to Microsoft. A native Estonian, Sten has entrepreneurship in his blood. He started his journey when he was just 18 by founding Estonia's first digital media agency. [18:56] Sten discusses the role of a physical office in an increasingly hybrid work environment [20:31] Sten highlights the principles you need to build a successful distributed working team [39:33] Sten shares his decision-making process when it comes to investing in early-stage companies Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about the evolution of the venture capital ecosystem over the last decade, new business opportunities emerging from the pandemic, and how Covid-19 has made companies go back to their core. To discuss this, we speak to Anurag Srivastava, serial entrepreneur and founding partner of Jungle Ventures, Southeast Asia's largest independent venture capital firm. Over the last two decades, Anurag has played a crucial role in building and scaling companies in the tech and startup ecosystem globally. Some of the companies in Jungle's portfolio include hotel booking platform, RedDoorz; cloud-based software provider, Deskera; interior home design platform, Livspace, and Thai fashion e-commerce startup, Pomelo Fashion. [4:30] Anurag explains how the Southeast Asian VC ecosystem will benefit from the global capital flow and interest in the region. [14:05] Anurag highlights how Covid-19 has impacted his investment approach and paved the way for new innovation to thrive. [18:22] Anurag explains Jungle Venture’s unique approach to concentrated investing. Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about the “Hook Model” to increase customer engagement, the internal trigger required to make your product a habitual one, and how to plan your time to get the most of it without getting distracted. To discuss this and more, we are joined by Nir Eyal, a lecturer, consultant, and best-selling author of Hooked: How to Build Habit-Forming Products, and Indistractable: How to Control Your Attention and Choose Your Life. Nir Eyal writes, consults, and teaches Behavioral Design, which is an intersection of psychology, technology, and business. He is also an active investor in habit-forming technology companies. Some of his recent investments include Kahoot!, Eventbrite, Anchor.fm, and Product Hunt. [2:03] Nir explains why the “Hook model” is effective for both consumer business and in the enterprise space. [7:44] Nir explains how a company like Kahoot! exemplifies using the hook model to build habit-forming EdTech for good. [11:47] Nir shares his own advice for raising Indistractable children with healthy habits in a world full of distracting technology. Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech. Relevant Links: NirAndFar.com/Indistractable https://nirandfar.com/schedule-maker/ Summary article: https://www.nirandfar.com/skill-of-the-future/ Distraction Guide: https://www.nirandfar.com/distractions/ Habits vs routines article here: https://www.nirandfar.com/habits/

In this episode, we talk about investing during uncertain times, different cultural mindsets of founders, and the differences in China and Southeast Asia’s tech ecosystems. To discuss more, we speak to Helen Wong, a partner at Qiming Venture Partners. Helen is a veteran in the VC industry, ranked among the top 100 VCs and top 25 female VCs in China in 2018 by Forbes. She has led investments into Akulaku, a new Southeast Asia finance platform, and Jingling Group, a Chinese social eCommerce platform, and was also involved in the investment into Alibaba. [14:33] Helen shares her view on the top characteristics of successful founders and explains why founders experience isn’t equally valued in all industries [21:23] Helen explains differences in founders’ mentalities, based on their cultural background [28:39] Helen shares her view on the rising popularity of social commerce in Southeast Asia, and whether it has the potential to grow in this ecosystem Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about creating a global product for e-commerce companies, identifying the right verticals, expanding globally vs Asia, and building and scaling with five co-founders. To discuss more, we speak to Hande Cilingir, co-founder and CEO of Insider, an integrated growth management platform that is changing the game for e-commerce businesses globally. Backed by investors such as Riverwood Capital, Sequoia, Wamda, and Endeavor Catalyst, Insider is helping over 800 global brands drive their digital growth through highly individualized multichannel experiences powered by AI. [4:25] Hande shares about Insider’s mission to become a pain killer for the current pains and challenges that online businesses face. [5:59] Hande shares her goal of proving to the world that breakthrough product companies can be created and thrive outside of Silicon Valley. [19:04] Hande explains her leadership philosophy and journey with personal development as a young female CEO that has built a global company. Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about creating a platform that reframes the way people learn by making knowledge more interesting, personalising content for local markets, and building and scaling without any rules. To discuss more, we speak to Eilert Hanoa, the CEO of Kahoot!, the game-based learning platform that has taken the world by storm. As Norway’s first and only unicorn, the company aims to make education more effective and accessible globally. With the current remote learning and working situation, Kahoot!'s user base has been boosted to more than one billion active players annually. [2:39] Eilert shares Kahoot's origin story and their vision of making learning awesome. [15:40] Eilert shares his views on creating the only Norwegian unicorn so far and the evolving tech business ecosystem in Norway. [20:14] Eilert explains the importance of personalisation and localisation of content while creating a global platform that makes knowledge more interesting. Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about the evolution that has taken place in the Indian startup ecosystem, gaps in the market and verticals that Indian founders should focus on for the future. To discuss more, we are joined by Rajiv Srivatsa, co-founder of Urban Ladder, an online furniture company that raised over 100 million dollars in venture capital from Indian and international investors such as Ratan Tata and Sequoia Capital. Prior to starting Urban Ladder in 2012, Rajiv spent over a decade working with a number of multinational corporations, including Infosys, Cognizant, and Yahoo. Currently, Rajiv is the country head and a Partner in India for Antler. [11:58] Rajiv explains the type of entrepreneurs that emerge from a corporate vs a startup. [17:27] Rajiv shares his candid views on the Indian entrepreneurs' mindset towards risk and failure. [32:59] Rajiv shares about the verticals in India that are forward looking in this post-COVID and recession world. Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about creating a platform that produces learning outcomes, the importance of building an impact-centric business, and the growth of EdTech industry with the application of AI and adaptive learning. To discuss more, we are joined by Aditi Avasthi, Founder and CEO of Indian headquartered EdTech company Embibe. Embibe is an AI driven edtech platform that uses AI and analytics to carve out personalized learning programs for students and has raised over $190 million since its launch in 2012. Investors include Kalaari Capital, Lightbox Ventures, and Reliance. [03:03] Aditi dives into the vision of Embibe of creating a no regrets future for every child. [15:51] Aditi shares the 3 layers of the ever evolving EdTech industry and how we should look at each layer. [17:10] Aditi shares about designing a solution for the student's success and what needs to change. Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about what makes a 'good' vs ‘great founder’, the importance of networking, and the growth of Rotten Tomatoes with the evolution of the entertainment industry. To discuss more, we are joined by Patrick Lee, Co-Founder of Rotten Tomatoes. Rotten Tomatoes has been around for over 20 years and is the entertainment website focused on movie reviews and news. Patrick is also a serial entrepreneur who has started six startups across the U.S., China and Hong Kong. His companies are largely focused in the technology and entertainment space targeting consumers. [11:41] Patrick shares why he thinks that he sold Rotten Tomatoes too early and how he steered the business as the market crashed and they had to go through 9/11. [23:05] Patrick dives into his journey as a serial entrepreneur with six companies under his belt and the balance he has created between nature and nurture that keeps him going. [31:20] Patrick shares his views on entertainment and consumer gaming and where he sees it going. Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we talk about the traits founders need to have to build a business in this new normal, the changing shape of industries in the post-COVID world, and Sequoia's outlook and forecast as they make new investments. Abheek Anand, Managing Director of Sequoia Capital joins us to give us his insights. Sequoia is a venture capital firm that has backed companies like Apple, Google, Dropbox, Airbnb, Whatsapp and Zomato. [15:40] Abheek explains the shift caused by the inflection points in markets, which he broadly categorises as an accelerated shift from physical to digital. [22:52] Abheek shares how Sequoia is supporting its portfolio companies by helping them set expectations in the absence of perfect information. [27:51] Abheek advises new founders to focus on the very simple question, "why now"? That question is really asking why my business deserves to exist today and not five years ago? What's new? Listen to the podcast to discover stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we will be talking about the evolving consumer behaviour especially in times of COVID-19, future of e-commerce platforms in SEA and the best ways to adapt to the changing business environment in digital age. To discuss more, we are joined by a special guest, Roshni Mahtani, Founder and CEO of theAsianparent, a digital content and community platform for all things related to parenting. It reaches over 30 million moms monthly in the region and the content is adapted for each market and is available in 13 different languages. [8:19] Roshni shares the changes in spending patterns of parents on both essential and non-essential items during this period of lockdown. [14:16] Roshni shares the shifts in mindsets and the huge win for emerging South East Asia platforms which are here to stay even post-Covid. [24:14] Roshni dives into her journey and her early days of starting theAsianparent. Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we will be talking about ideation process, customer acquisition and using different marketing tactics to disrupt telecommunications one customer at a time. To discuss more, we are joined by a special guest, Abhishek Gupta, Founder and CEO of Circles.Life, mobile virtual network provider that is leading the telecommunications space. Since its launch in 2016, it has rapidly grown in the Telco space in Singapore. They operate as a digital Telco, meaning the only support channels available to its customers are live chat and email. [15:58] Abhishek Gupta shares how having control of technology can effectively improve services. [29:21] Behind the bold marketing strategies, Abhishek Gupta reveals the simple ideas and points they wish to prove. [39:08] Without titles in the company, Abhishek Gupta reveals how it helps the company and goes along with their missions. Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

This is our first remote taping for our podcast. We are living in extraordinary times and this is officially Day 2 of what Singapore calls the circuit breaker month. It’s not called a lockdown, but a circuit breaker to flatten the curve and stop the spread of COVID-19. In this episode, we will talk about the steps businesses can take to navigate through these uncertain times and why this is still a good time for investors and entrepreneurs in this region. To discuss more, we are joined by Nick Nash and Oliver Rippel, the Founding Partners of Asia Partners. Asia Partners is a growth equity firm focussing on investments in technology and tech-enabled companies in South East Asia. [06:52] Nick takes a wider and longer view, exploring SEA’s golden moment and sharing his founding thesis. [09:10] Oliver explains the gap in series C. [12:02] Nick shares what they look for on a highest level, and how they learn from other tech companies. [15:41] Nick shares how can we plan for a crisis like this. [16:28] Nick dives into how a crisis can cause an acceleration of the inevitable. [19:00] Oliver breaks down how companies can get through recessions and crisis through creating shareholder value and adopting a customer-oriented approach. [22:03] Some practical steps to take in order to provide great value to customers in the long run. [25:24] Nick extends the support for entrepreneurs, as they approach challenging levels. [28:40] Asia Partners is open for business. [38:12] What is the rhinoceros model of companies? We look at how Singapore is a role model for many other nations. Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we will be discussing what it takes to be the founder of an impactful business, the future of content creation and education and the thought process behind creating valuable content. To discuss more, we are joined by Nuseir Yassin, also known as Nas Daily. He is the founder and CEO of the Nas Company and is most well known for creating his unique, entertaining and engaging one-minute videos – all 1,000 of them. He is also the author of the book Around the World in 60 seconds. Nas is now based in Singapore and creates content on everything from politics to travel and environment [13:53] Nas shares the secret behind getting people to listen to what one has to say. [17:40] Jussi and Puja share with Nas a humorous story about being called “ugly”. [24:30] Is Tik Tok just a “Fad and Phase”? Or does it actually provide value to users? Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.

In this episode, we will be talking about balancing sustainability and profitability in business, the PropTech space in Asia and the importance of getting guidance and coaching along every step of the way when growing your business. To discuss more, we are joined by a special guest, Steve Melhuish who is the Co-Founder and former CEO of PropertyGuru, an angel investor, advisor to startups and venture partner with Wavemaker, Singapore. [04:45] What can we do to use our time and money productively that will make the world a better place for the future generations? [24:57] How to find the right Co-Founder for aspiring Entreprenuers? [44:25] Believing in your idea and taking the first step Listen to the podcast to discover the stories of exceptional people who are playing a key role in building and shaping the next wave of tech.