Breakout Startups

EPISODE 32: Guest: Rahul Vohra, CEO of Superhuman. What they do: Superhuman is not just another email client. Their goal is to provide users with the fastest email experience ever made. Funding amount: Over $50M. Key insights shared by Rahul: How did they generate so much traction and buzz for an email product? What are their 3 core pillars of growth? How did they determine pricing? What are the major differences between game design and gamification and why one is more important than the other? SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BREAKOUT STARTUPS PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

EPISODE 31: Guest: Stephanie Dua, President of Homer. What they do: Homer's apps and early learning program is aimed primarily at young kids. Their reading apps are currently the most popular for children under age five in the U.S. App Store. Funding raised: More than $100M. Key insights shared by Stephanie: How did she transition from running NYC's Fund for Public Schools to becoming an entrepreneur and building a VC-backed company? Why does she distinguish between the user and the consumer? What did they do early on to generate earned marketing? What's so special about subscription businesses? How did they acquire their first set of customers and built a partnership with Apple? SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BREAKOUT STARTUPS PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

EPISODE 30: Guest: Konstantin Richter, CEO & Founder of Blockdaemon. What they do: What they do: Blockdaemon helps orchestrate networks across multiple clouds and datacenters. They offer a network management tool that can deploy nodes and connect them to blockchains within minutes. Funding amount: $11M. Key insights shared by Konstantin: How they grew monthly recurring revenue 5x this year? Why he built a fully-remote team from the very beginning? Why institutions are entering the blockchain space? SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BREAKOUT STARTUPS PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

EPISODE 29: Guest: Evan Kuo, Founder and CEO of Ampleforth. What they do: Ampleforth develops digital currency that adjusts supply daily based on market conditions. They operate at the intersection of technology and economics. Funding amount: $18M. Key insights shared by Evan: What’s the biggest challenge in the crypto ecosystem and how is Ampleforth trying to address that? Could Bitcoin replace the US dollar in the future? What surprised him about the fundraising process? SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BREAKOUT STARTUPS PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

John Linden, the Co-Founder and CEO of Mythical Games, talks with Tomer about what makes the gaming industry different from other industries, why gaming isn’t about one size fits all, and the opportunity to create new game economies via digital assets. Plus, John explains how they raised $35M from venture capitalists in just over 2 years, why blockchain technology is a core component of their company strategy, and shares his thoughts on how the “new normal” might look like for startups post-pandemic. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BREAKOUT STARTUPS PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

The Co-Founders of Ava Labs, Emin Gun Sirer (CEO) and Kevin Sekniqi (COO), talk with Tomer about how Ava differs from Bitcoin and Ethereum, why their team is focused on digitization of assets that are not yet on the blockchain, Ava's consensus algorithm and their approach to building a developer ecosystem around their protocol. Plus, they discuss the opportunities and challenges of working remotely and what compelled them to jump from academia to entrepreneurship. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BREAKOUT STARTUPS PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Arthur Breitman, Co-Founder of Tezos and one of the most prominent founders in crypto, joins Tomer for a lively and fascinating discussion. In this conversation, Arthur explains why he views Bitcoin and Ethereum as direct competitors? What drew him to leave his lucrative job in finance to start working on Tezos? Why so many ICO projects failed and what makes Tezos different? Why Arthur doesn’t think savings are necessarily tied to price appreciation? And, what Arthur sees as the big promise of crypto? SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BREAKOUT STARTUPS PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Evan Shapiro (CEO) and Izaak Meckler (CTO) from O(1) Labs, developers of the Coda Protocol, join Tomer to discuss blockchain scalability and portability. During the discussion the Coda team explain the opportunities presented by zk-SNARKs and why it’s such an important technology, share how the blockchain ecosystem in the Bay Area has evolved over time, and reveal how adding cartoons to their deck helped them communicate their vision and secure over $18 million from investors. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Ray comes on the show to talk about all things Bitcoin. In conversation with Tomer, Ray shares the current challenges in wiring money internationally using the legacy financial system, explains how peer to peer Bitcoin marketplaces can help, and breaks-down the opportunities in emerging markets. Plus, Ray reveals why he considers himself underbanked, how he grew Paxful to 250 employees, and why they decided to bootstrap. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Marc and Tomer talk about the reasons Tagomi recently joined Facebook's Libra Association and how institutional investors view the promise of cryptocurrencies. Having raised more than $28 million from venture capitalists, Marc shares fundraising best-practices, details what’s needed in order to make crypto more mainstream, and explains how as a prime broker they handle custody for institutional clients and which investors are currently most interested in the space. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Steven and Tomer discuss the impact of coronavirus on the tech industry in Silicon Valley and the importance of privacy in today’s digital age. During the conversation, Steven shares what drew him to become a Partner at investment fund Pantera Capital early on his crypto journey, explains why application level or location based tracking are important things for everyone to be aware of, and details the opportunity in stablecoin consumer adoption and why he’s confident Bitcoin is here to stay. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Jack and Tomer talk about Ethereum scalability, the delicate balance in crypto between user experience and security, and the business impact of Covid-19. During their discussion, Jack explains the concept of elastic blockchains and why users need them, shares why he’s so excited about smart contracts, details why comparing Bitcoin and Ethereum is the wrong approach, and reveals what he told his team in an all-hands meeting about coronavirus concerns. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Dan and Tomer discuss how blockchain is disrupting the global ETF industry and the $240B compliance market. During their talk, Dan shares what led him from the U.S. Navy and the Defense Intelligence Agency to blockchain, reveals how Securrency’s strategic partnership with ETF giant WisdomTree came about, breaks down the current liquidity challenges in crypto, explains why he’s convinced the security token (STO) vertical will take off, and details how he raised more than $25 million from investors. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Thomas and Tomer discuss the importance of financial privacy, the distinction between open and visible blockchain, the different types of privacy users and businesses need, and the network effects of Ethereum. Plus, Thomas reveals how his background in shadow banking led him to start Aztec, shares his vision for programmable privacy and confidential transactions, and details his top three tips for fundraising that helped him raise capital from industry heavyweights such as Coinbase and ConsenSys. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Mance and Tomer talk about smart contracts use-cases and opportunities, how Hedera is unifying private and public networks, and why the governance of blockchains is as important as the tech stack. Plus, having raised more than $100 million from investors Mance explains why transparency is crucial, breaks-down the token economics of Hedera’s native token, reveals how they work with Hedera council members such as IBM, Google and Deutsche Telekom, and shares his view on Bitcoin and Ethereum. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Will and Tomer discuss the opportunity to onboard new Bitcoin users and merchants, whether Bitcoin is the best settlement layer, and the paths to reduce Bitcoin volatility in order to accelerate its usage as a medium of exchange. Plus, Will explains the need for better on and off ramps, reveals why no loss lotteries and new payment solutions built on top of the Lightning Network are some of the things he’s most excited about, and shares why you shouldn’t focus on Bitcoin when pitching to investors. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Mike and Tomer talk about the crypto investment world. During their conversation, Mike reveals his passion for investing, shares the most important metrics crypto investors look at, and breaks-down the need for more in-depth data solutions for hedge fund managers. Plus, Mike shares fundraising best practices that helped him raise $9.5 million for his startup, talks about his prior experience building and selling a company, and explains what he views as the most important job of a startup CEO. SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Tomer talks with Jason about his learnings as a serial entrepreneur, who previously led a unicorn (Fab) and raised over $300 million. Jason shares a treasure trove of key insights for crypto entrepreneurs, describes how to manage relationships with investors, and reveals what’s the one thing founders can’t recover from. Plus, Jason explains why Ethereum is so far in the lead, details how Pepo helps creators build communities and monetize content via crypto, and breaks-down the micropayments opportunity. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Alex and Tomer talk about Bitcoin's role in online and offline commerce. During their discussion, Alex shares what drew him to Bitcoin early on, why he believes Bitcoin represents the future of payments, and how Lolli helps advance Bitcoin adoption among merchants and shoppers. Plus, Alex reveals what’s next on Lolli’s product roadmap, shares fundraising best practices that helped him attract major investors and discusses with Tomer the importance of focus for entrepreneurs. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Zac and Tomer talk about the process of bridging the worlds of traditional finance and crypto. During their discussion, Zac explains the ins-and-outs of the crypto lending business and why it’s such a crucial part of the ecosystem, breaks-down BlockFi’s marketing strategy and how they grew to tens of thousands of clients, and describes the drivers for increased institutional and retail crypto adoption. Plus, Zac reveals the products they plan to launch next and shares why he’s bullish on Bitcoin. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Tomer and Martin discuss real-world asset tokenization on the blockchain. During their conversation, Martin explains how Upvest helps clients reduce their banking costs, how Ethereum-based smart contracts help automate traditional financial processes and the reasons he is convinced that the open source approach will prevail. Plus, Martin reveals how Upvest raised $7.8 million from European venture capital funds, and how their sales pitch changed over time. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Tomer and Julien talk about how blockchain technology and cryptocurrencies could transform the existing media landscape. During their discussion, Julien breaks-down the shift from attention to membership driven economy, and explains how crypto micropayments enable new business models for content monetization. Plus, Julien discloses new details about Unlock's exciting new collaboration with Forbes and shares what it means for the broader publisher and social media ecosystem. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Tomer and Kathleen discuss the journey that led her to launch Tezos and the drivers behind the network's growth. During their conversation, Kathleen explains what entrepreneurs need to focus on to gain user adoption, details the blockchain smart contracts opportunity and breaks down the differences between corporate and crypto network governance. Plus, Kathleen provides her view on Bitcoin and shares why she's excited about the European blockchain ecosystem. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

In this episode, Rune and Tomer talk about how Decentralized Finance (DeFi) is transforming the legacy financial system. They discuss the recent launch of multi-collateral Dai, its impact on the broader crypto ecosystem, and the exciting use cases enabled by the new Dai savings rate, which allow users to earn interest with no bank involved. Plus, Rune talks about Dai's strong growth, explains how he manages effectively a geographically distributed team and shares his view on Ethereum 2.0 and Bitcoin. SUBSCRIBE TO THE PODCAST: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or your favorite podcast app Leave a review Share the show on social media with your friends and family LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Spotify Overcast Google Podcasts Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

In this episode, Tim and Tomer talk about the emerging demand for crypto staking among investors and funds. During the discussion, Tim explains the advantages of the proof of stake consensus algorithm, talks about the yield opportunity in crypto, and details his view on where the crypto industry is in terms of institutional investor adoption. Plus, Tim shares his (perhaps surprising) take on the future prospects of Bitcoin. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

In this episode, Josh and Tomer talk about alternative investment management and secondary transfers. Josh shares how a discussion with David Sacks led him to blockchain, explains why Harbor decided to build their digital platform on Ethereum and breaks down the opportunity to unlock liquidity in debt and equity markets. Plus, Josh talks about his learnings from the mega dorm deal that didn’t go through and the importance of Harbor's recent broker-dealer license approval. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

In this episode, Jameson and Tomer talk about Bitcoin custody and key management solutions. Jameson explains what he considers the systematic risk in custody, why it’s tough to sell security, and the reasons Casa decided to focus solely on Bitcoin and not extend their support to Ethereum and other cryptoassets. During the conversation, Jameson also shares why he decided to move from Bitgo to Casa, details best practices for joining meetings remotely, and provides his take on the progress of the Lightning Network. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

This is an essential episode if you want to learn how to protect your cryptoassets. During the conversation, Paul and Tomer talk about custody, key management and the importance of cryptocurrency as part of blockchain. Paul explains why he believes hardware wallets are oversold as a requirement to hold cryptoassets, elaborates on the main reasons people lose access to their funds, and shares why Edge employees are only paid in Bitcoin. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

In this episode, Noelle and Tomer talk about the institutional side of crypto. They discuss the tools and infrastructure necessary to drive greater involvement from institutional investors, the implications of developments such as Facebook’s Libra blockchain project and potential ETF approval on institutional demand, and the merits of different financing options for blockchain startups. Plus, Madrid-based Noelle shares how she got her first job at CoinDesk though they had no opening at the time in the city! =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

In this episode, Lex and Tomer talk about Ethereum, its robust ecosystem and the future of Decentralized Finance (DeFi). They also discuss crypto regulation, the promise of Decentralized Autonomous Organizations (DAOs) and the important insight every crypto entrepreneur should learn from Max Levchin's Affirm. Plus, Lex shares the reasons he recently decided to join ConsenSys as Global Fintech Co-Head and the developments he's most excited about within crypto. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

James and Tomer talk about governance and the best ways to align the incentives of founders and investors in crypto, the challenges and opportunities token models present for investors, and how investors can add value to projects. Further, they also discuss the eventful path that led James to crypto, what drove him to spend a few months living in Beirut and Istanbul, and the unique engagement model of The Reserve when working with crypto startups. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog

Michael and Tomer discuss the potential impact of decentralized finance on the world's economy, crypto governance and funding, and the need for new developer tools that go beyond the Ethereum blockchain. =========================== SUPPORT THE SHOW: Subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts or Spotify Leave a review Share the show with your friends and family on social media LISTEN TO THE BLOCKCHAIN VC PODCAST: Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Spotify Youtube Stitcher Show website FOLLOW TOMER ON SOCIAL MEDIA: Twitter Medium blog