Podcasts about general partners

This week on the EUVC Podcast, Andreas Munk Holm sits down with Mikael Johnsson, Co-founder & General Partner at Oxx, one of Europe's leading specialist B2B software investors.Mikael has a very clear-eyed view on the current AI wave: he's seeing valuation discipline slip, fundamentals being stretched, and a real risk that the market mistakes pilot-driven excitement for lasting enterprise value.In this episode, they explore how to distinguish hype from substance, what “real” AI adoption looks like within a business process, and how both founders and investors can remain level-headed when everyone else is losing theirs.

Welcome to The Chopping Block — where Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner cover crypto's biggest moments. This week we're joined by Kevin from the Monad Foundation as we dig into the most chaotic token launch of the year. Monad goes live, CT explodes, and the tokenomics wars come roaring back — vesting, float, FDV, and why everything “just keeps going down.” We break down whether the world actually needs another L1, how hype creates impossible expectations, and how Kevin and the Monad team are handling the spotlight — and the hate. Then we shift to security chaos: Yearn's underflow hack, Anthropic's AI discovering real smart contract vulnerabilities, and “post-quantum” panic sweeping Crypto Twitter. Plus: BTC volatility, MicroStrategy drama, and prediction markets suddenly going mainstream. Show highlights

My interview with Charlie Sandor, General Partner at CMT Digital.  - What sectors CMT Digital is backing for asymmetric upside over the next 12–26 months - Is there still room for new players in the stablecoin ecosystem - How localised stablecoins and infra players could outpace global giants like Circle - Which DeFi verticals hold the most promise today - Why VC funds may offer better exposure than DeFi tokens directly - Stablecoins vs tokenised deposits—what will define the future of payments - The biggest risk facing the crypto space right now Powered by Phoenix Group Powered by Phoenix Group The full interview is also available on my YouTube channel: YouTube: https://bit.ly/4iyvc6k    

Brian Skrobonja sits down with Phon Vilayoune to unpack buffered ETFs and income notes. Phon is the Founder and CEO of VETA Investment Partners, where they currently oversee over $5.5 billion in assets. They discuss the benefits of positioning your portfolio for growth and safety, how to protect your nest egg in volatile markets, and practical strategies for optimizing gains while limiting downside risk. Tune in to hear professional insights on ETFs, income notes, and actionable frameworks for navigating today's complex market cycles. Phon explains how he entered the investing world and now helps oversee roughly $5.5B in assets. Phon highlights what trading during the 2008–09 crisis taught him about being positioned like Warren Buffett or Middle Eastern banks. In deep volatility, cash plus cash flow gives you the power to buy when everything is on sale.  Why you want a Buffett-style portfolio in a downturn: Buffett held strong during bear markets and bought when others panicked.  How to win more by losing less. Phon says risk management is the key. You never want to be a forced seller during a correction because you take a double hit: loss plus selling at the bottom. Phon and Brian break down buffered ETFs and how they're tied to S&P 500 options designed to provide a more predictable range of outcomes over 12 months. Think of it like investing with guardrails — you're participating but with intentional limits on downside. Learn what income notes are: Phon says it's basically converting equity exposure into monthly income. For example, instead of holding stocks outright, you buy a structured note designed to pay you steady monthly income while still giving some market participation. It's like blending investing and cash flow without fully being in the stock market. Phon on the future earnings potential of ETFs. He believes growth will continue, especially as aging demographics seek income and protection. BlackRock projects more than $600B in defined-outcome/Buffered ETFs in the coming years. Brian highlights that markets don't move straight up forever. We all intellectually understand cycles, but emotionally, we forget. That's why having a plan for downturns is essential. Phon shares a real-life ETF scenario and how, in 2002, a near-retirement couple protected their nest egg during intense volatility using defined outcome tools. They preserved their lifestyle when others were taking major hits. How to balance your portfolio for growth and safety. For Phon, the best thing you can do is to talk to a real human advisor. There's too much DIY noise; professional guidance helps you tune the right mix for your unique situation. Phon on what to ask your advisor: Ask how your portfolio would perform in a COVID-style year or another global-financial-crisis scenario. Then ask how it generates income and supports your goals. His favorite question: "Have you actually guided clients through a deep bear market?" Why working with a professional matters: Many strategies look great and work during bull markets. But the real test is whether they protect you when things are down. Phon explains that good portfolio design is about being structurally prepared before volatility hits. You want a position that holds through downturns—and ideally lets you buy when opportunities appear. Phon's parting advice to the audience: Go outside, walk your dog, and take real time away with family. Getting off screens and into nature helps you stay grounded. Investing is long-term—your life should be too.     Mentioned in this episode: VetaInvestmentPartners.com BlackRock.com/us/financial-professionals/insights/outcome-etfs BrianSkrobonja.com SkrobonjaFinancial.com SkrobonjaWealth.com BUILDbanking.com Common Sense Financial Podcast on YouTube  Common Sense Financial Podcast on Spotify     Alternative investments may be subject to less regulation than other types of pooled investment vehicles. Alternative Investments may impose significant fees, including incentive fees that are based upon a percentage of the realized and unrealized gains and an individual's net returns may differ significantly from actual returns. Such fees may offset all or a significant portion of such Alternative Investment's trading profits. Incorporating alternative investments into a portfolio presents the opportunity for significant losses including in some cases, losses which exceed the principal amount invested. Also, some alternative investments have experienced periods of extreme volatility and in general, are not suitable for all investors. Asset allocation and diversification strategies do not ensure profit or protect against loss in declining markets ---- BUILD Banking™ is a DBA of Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC. Benefits and guarantees are based on the claims paying ability of the insurance company. Not FDIC insured. Results may vary. Any descriptions involving life insurance policies and its use as an alternative form of financing or risk management techniques are provided for illustration purposes only, will not apply in all situations, may not be fully indicative of any present or future investments, and may be changed at the discretion of the insurance carrier, General Partner and/or Manager and are not intended to reflect guarantees on securities performance. The term BUILD Banking™, private banking alternatives or specially designed life insurance contracts (SDLIC) are not meant to insinuate that the issuer is creating a real bank for its clients or communicating that life insurance companies are the same as traditional banking institutions. This material is educational in nature and should not be deemed as a solicitation of any specific product or service. BUILD Banking™ is offered by Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC only and is not offered by Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. nor Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC. ---- This content is intended for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be used as the sole basis for financial decisions, nor should it be construed as advice designed to meet the particular needs of an individual's situation. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC are not permitted to offer and no statement made during this presentation shall constitute tax or legal advice. Our firms are not affiliated with or endorsed by the U.S. Government or any governmental agency. The information and opinions contained herein provided by third parties have been obtained from sources believed to be reliable, but accuracy and completeness cannot be guaranteed by Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC. ---- Securities offered only by duly registered individuals through Madison Avenue Securities, LLC. (MAS), Member FINRA &SIPC. Advisory services offered only by duly registered individuals through Skrobonja Wealth Management (SWM), a registered investment advisor. Tax services offered only through Skrobonja Tax Consulting. MAS does not offer Build Banking or tax advice. Skrobonja Financial Group, LLC, Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC, Skrobonja Insurance Services, LLC, Skrobonja Tax Consulting, and Build Banking are not affiliated with MAS. Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC is a registered investment adviser. Advisory services are only offered to clients or prospective clients where Skrobonja Wealth Management, LLC and its representatives are properly licensed or exempt from licensure. The firm is a registered investment adviser with the state of Missouri, and may only transact business with residents of those states, or residents of other states where otherwise legally permitted subject to exemption or exclusion from registration requirements. Registration with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission or any state securities authority does not imply a certain level of skill or training. Skrobonja Wealth Management has no ownership interest, compensation arrangement, revenue-sharing agreement, or other economic relationship with Veta Investment Partners. We may allocate a portion of a client's portfolio to strategies managed by Veta Investment Partners when we determine that the allocation is appropriate for the client's objectives, risk tolerance, and overall portfolio design. Our selection of Veta's strategies is based solely on the merits of the investment and the needs of the client, and not on any financial relationship between our firms.

My guest today is David George. David is a General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, where he leads the firm's growth investing business. His team has backed many of the defining companies of this era – including Databricks, Figma, Stripe, SpaceX, Anduril, and OpenAI – and is now investing behind a new generation of AI startups like Cursor, Harvey, and Abridge. This conversation is a detailed look at how David built and runs the a16z growth practice. He shares how he recruits and builds his team a “Yankees-level” culture, how his team makes investment decisions without traditional committees, and how they work with founders years before investing to win the most competitive deals. Much of our conversation centers on AI and how his team is investing across the stack, from foundational models to applications. David draws parallels to past platform shifts – from SaaS to mobile – and explains why he believes this period will produce some of the largest companies ever built. David also outlines the models that guide his approach – why markets often misprice consistent growth, what makes “pull” businesses so powerful, and why most great tech markets end up winner-take-all. David reflects on what he's learned from studying exceptional founders and why he's drawn to a particular type, the “technical terminator.” Please enjoy my conversation with David George. For the full show notes, transcript, and links to mentioned content, check out the episode page ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ramp⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ramp's mission is to help companies manage their spend in a way that reduces expenses and frees up time for teams to work on more valuable projects. Go to⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ramp.com/invest to sign up for free and get a $250 welcome bonus. ----- This episode is brought to you by⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Ridgeline⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Ridgeline has built a complete, real-time, modern operating system for investment managers. It handles trading, portfolio management, compliance, customer reporting, and much more through an all-in-one real-time cloud platform. Head to ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ridgelineapps.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ to learn more about the platform. ----- This episode is brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠AlphaSense⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. AlphaSense has completely transformed the research process with cutting-edge AI technology and a vast collection of top-tier, reliable business content. Invest Like the Best listeners can get a free trial now at⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ Alpha-Sense.com/Invest⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and experience firsthand how AlphaSense and Tegus help you make smarter decisions faster. ----- Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://thepodcastconsultant.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠). Show Notes: (00:00:00) Welcome to Invest Like The Best (00:04:00) Meet David George (00:03:04) Understanding the Impact of AI on Consumers and Enterprises (00:05:56) Monetizing AI: What is AI's Business Model (00:11:04) Investing in Robotics and American Dynamism (00:13:31) Lessons from Investing in Waymo (00:15:55) Investment Philosophy and Strategy (00:17:15) Investing in Technical Terminators (00:20:18) Market Leaders Capture All of the Value Creation (00:24:56) The Maturation of VC and Competitive Landscape (00:28:18) What a16z Does to Win Deals (00:33:06) David's Daily Routine: Meetings Structure and Blocking Time to Think (00:36:34) Why David Invests: Curiosity and Competition (00:40:12) The Unique Culture at Andreessen Horowitz (00:42:46) The Perfect Conditions for Growth Investing (00:47:04) Push v. Pull Businesses (00:49:19) The Three Metrics a16z Uses to Evaluate AI Companies (00:52:15) Unique Products and Unique Distribution (00:54:55) Tradeoffs of the a16z Firm Structure (00:59:04) a16z's Semi-Algorithmic Approach to Selling (01:00:54) Three Ways Startups can Beat Incumbents in AI (01:03:44) The Kindest Thing

In this episode, Tom Mallon, General Partner at Perpetuate Capital, discusses his journey from founding Regent Surgical to pioneering ESOP based financing models, the long term value they create for employees, and how Perpetuate Capital helps founders transition their companies while preserving culture and strengthening future growth.

This week, we chat with Nikhil Basu Trivedi! Nikhil is Co-Founder & General Partner at Footwork, an early-stage focused venture firm in San Francisco. Footwork leads Seed and Series A rounds in companies with early signs of product-market fit, across both consumer technology and the consumerization of enterprise technology.The firm was founded in 2021 and is investing its second fund, with $400M of AUM. Footwork's portfolio companies include Elicit, Felt, GPTZero, Tracksuit, Watershed, and WindBorne. Nikhil was previously a Managing Director at Shasta Ventures, where he led the firm's investments in Athelas, Canva, ClassDojo, Color, Frame.io, Imperfect Foods, Lattice, and The Farmer's Dog. He started his career on the investing team at Insight Partners and on the founding team at Artsy. Nikhil graduated from Princeton University with a degree in molecular biology and finance.✨ This episode is presented by Brex.Brex: brex.com/trailblazerspodThis episode is supported by RocketReach, Gusto, OpenPhone & Athena.RocketReach: rocketreach.co/trailblazersGusto: gusto.com/trailblazersQuo: Quo.com/trailblazersAthena: athenago.me/Erica-WengerFollow Us!Nikhil Basu Trivedi: x.com/nbt@thetrailblazerspod: Instagram, YouTube, TikTokErica Wenger: @erica_wenger

In this episode, Tom Mallon, General Partner at Perpetuate Capital, discusses his journey from founding Regent Surgical to pioneering ESOP based financing models, the long term value they create for employees, and how Perpetuate Capital helps founders transition their companies while preserving culture and strengthening future growth.

Yatırım dünyasının melek ismi Galata Business Angels'ın General Partner'ı Ata Uzunhasan konuğumuzdu!

Neste episódio do Canary Cast, Kristian Huber, General Partner do Canary, conversa com Mariano García, Founder e CEO da Axenya, empresa que está transformando como as empresas brasileiras gerenciam a saúde de seus colaboradores por meio de dados, tecnologia e um modelo de negócio alinhado aos interesses de todos os atores da cadeia. A Axenya nasceu de uma tese simples, mas poderosa: o mercado de saúde precisa ser atualizado, e não há melhor momento para iniciar essa mudança do que agora. Criado em 1935 para lidar principalmente com doenças agudas (curta duração e alta intensidade), o sistema de saúde sofre hoje com mais de 85% dos custos relacionados a doenças crônicas — um volume para o qual ele não foi desenhado e que acaba desequilibrando as contas de diversos elos da cadeia, recaindo principalmente sobre os pagadores. Enquanto a tecnologia médica avançou significativamente no tratamento de doenças agudas, a expectativa de vida aumentou, a ocorrência de doenças crônicas se estendeu ao longo da vida e o sistema não se adaptou para acompanhar necessidades como monitoramento contínuo, prevenção e intervenção no momento certo. O resultado? Hoje, aproximadamente 50% dos custos de saúde estão relacionados a ineficiências de monitoramento e falta de ação preventiva — não ao volume de atendimentos, medicamentos ou procedimentos médicos em si. A solução que Mariano desenvolveu com a Axenya, apoiado em seus muitos anos na indústria de saúde, foi construir uma plataforma de gestão que agrega dados de múltiplas fontes (wearables, registros médicos, comportamento), os processa em tempo real e identifica populações em risco para intervir antes que doenças se agravem. Hoje, com uma população de 100 mil vidas sob monitoramento, a Axenya realiza mais de 95 milhões de análises clínicas por mês — um volume que seria impossível de executar mesmo se todos os médicos do Brasil trabalhassem exclusivamente para a empresa. No episódio, Mariano compartilha sua trajetória de 25 anos no setor de saúde — passando por Pfizer, Warburg Pincus, Bausch, Empresas de Biotecnologia e Advent — e como essa experiência o levou a identificar a oportunidade de reinventar a forma como empresas compram e gerenciam planos de saúde. Ele explora os principais desafios do mercado, como o desalinhamento de incentivos entre corretoras, planos e pacientes, e como a Axenya está rompendo esse ciclo ao se remunerar apenas pelo valor que entrega — e não pela comissão sobre o que é gasto.Destaques do episódio: 00:00 – 02:20 Introdução do episódio e apresentação do convidado02:28 – 07:20 Trajetória de Mariano Garcia no setor de saúde: de Pfizer a empreendedor07:22 – 09:40 O início da tese da Axenya a partir da ascensão do volume de dados em saúde09:44 – 14:35 As dores do setor de saúde: quais são os principais vetores de custo e o desalinhamento de incentivos14:35 – 17:33 Por que empreender com saúde no Brasil especificamente17:33 – 19:11 O que Mariano aprendeu como investidor, executivo e empreendedor que leva para a Axenya19:23 – 21:30 Complexidade de dados e os pontos de inflexão que permitem a solução da Axenya existir21:37 – 24:50 Proposta de valor da Axenya: como entrega valor para cada elo da cadeia (empresa, plano, paciente)25:00 – 27:00 O paradoxo da Axenya: mais consultas e exames, mas 50% menos de custos28:00 – 31:25 Quem é o cliente Axenya hoje e como quebra a resistência do mercado tradicional31:27 – 32:13 Modelo de negócio: monetização por success-fee em vez de comissão32:14 – 34:54 Quebrando a dinâmica anual de troca de planos: modelos de alinhamento de incentivos34:55 – 38:12 Os impactos da Axenya: redução de sinistralidade, eficiência de custos e NPS de 95+38:13 – 41:40 A visão de futuro: de otimizador de planos para plataforma completa de gestão de saúde41:42 – 44:30 Maiores erros, acertos e aprendizados sobre times e cultura44:48 – 47:10 A importância de pensar diferente do mercado: first principles vs. playbook47:16 – 48:19 Conselho para o Mariano do passado48:30 – 50:50 Conteúdos recomendados51:00 – 51:49 Conclusão do episódioConteúdos recomendados no episódio:"Redefining Healthcare: Creating Value-Based Competition on Results" de Michael Porter Livro seminal que introduziu o conceito de value-based healthcare há mais de 20 anos."Software is eating the world, yet healthcare remains INEDIBLE: How to Build the Modern, Tech-Enabled, Healthcare Experience" de Mariano García ValiñoMariano destaca que Porter escreveu sobre saúde baseada em valor de forma teórica, mas hoje, com as ferramentas tecnológicas disponíveis (como as que a Axenya usa), é possível colocar essas ideias em prática. É quase uma homenagem a Michael Porter, mas com a tecnologia que ele não tinha à época. "The Innovator's Prescription: A Disruptive Solution for Health Care" de Clayton Christensen Do mesmo autor que criou o conceito de "disrupção" e escreveu "The Innovator's Dilemma", este livro explora como inovação pode resolver os problemas estruturais da saúde. Apesar de ter cerca de 15 anos, mantém sua relevância e é essencial para entender dinâmicas de inovação em saúde. "The Cold Start Problem: Using Network Effects to Build Great Products" de Andrew Chen Livro focado em como construir marketplaces e ativar network effects. Essencial para quem está construindo plataformas que dependem de múltiplos atores (empresas, planos, pacientes, provedores) e precisa entender a dinâmica de como fazer todos os lados funcionarem simultaneamente. Glossário de termos mencionados ao longo do episódio: Doenças Crônicas — Condições de saúde de longa duração (diabetes, hipertensão, obesidade, doenças cardiovasculares) que exigem monitoramento contínuo e não têm cura, apenas controle. Doenças Agudas — Condições de saúde de curta duração e alta intensidade (infecções, fraturas) para as quais o sistema de saúde foi originalmente desenhado em 1935-1940. Sinistralidade — Percentual do prêmio de seguro que é gasto efetivamente em saúde. Exemplo: 75% de sinistralidade significa que de cada 100 reais em prêmio, 75 são gastos com saúde. Wearables — Dispositivos (smartwatches, pulseiras) que coletam dados de saúde em tempo real, como frequência cardíaca, passos, sono, etc. Monitoramento Remoto — Acompanhamento contínuo da saúde de pacientes sem necessidade de presença física, usando tecnologia e dados. Lead Qualification / Qualificação de Leads — Identificar e priorizar pacientes em risco que precisam de intervenção preventiva. NPS (Net Promoter Score) — Métrica que mede a satisfação e lealdade do cliente, variando de -100 a +100. B2B (Business-to-Business) — Modelo de negócio entre empresas. No caso da Axenya, vende para empresa → plano de saúde → paciente. Corretora de Seguros — Intermediária tradicional que vende planos de saúde para empresas, geralmente cobrando comissão sobre o valor do plano. Success-Fee — Modelo de remuneração baseado em resultados: a empresa paga apenas pela economia ou valor entregue, não por comissão fixa. Inflação Médica — Crescimento dos custos de saúde que é 2,5x maior que a inflação geral da economia. Modelo de Negócio Alinhado — Quando os incentivos financeiros de todos os atores (empresa, plano, paciente, provedor) apontam para o mesmo objetivo: melhor saúde com menor custo. Fragmentação de Dados — Situação em que dados de saúde estão espalhados em múltiplos sistemas sem integração, dificultando análises e ações. Interoperabilidade — Capacidade de diferentes sistemas e fontes de dados se comunicarem e compartilharem informações. Algoritmos Preditivos — Modelos matemáticos que usam dados históricos para prever eventos futuros, como o risco de um paciente desenvolver diabetes. Processamento de Dados em Tempo Real — Análise e ação sobre dados conforme são gerados, não em lotes posteriores. Aderência (Medicamentosa) — Capacidade do paciente de seguir corretamente o tratamento prescrito (tomar medicamentos no horário, na dose correta). Estatinas — Classe de medicamentos usados para controlar colesterol, uma das prescrições mais comuns no mercado. Retinopatia — Complicação da diabetes que afeta a visão e pode levar à cegueira se não controlada. First Principles — Abordagem de resolução de problemas que volta aos fundamentos básicos em vez de seguir convenções ou playbooks estabelecidos. Playbook — Conjunto de estratégias e processos padronizados que o mercado segue tradicionalmente. IPO (Initial Public Offering) — Oferta pública inicial; quando uma empresa abre seu capital na bolsa de valores. Private Equity — Modelo de investimento onde fundos adquirem empresas privadas para operá-las e depois vendê-las com lucro. Venture Capital — Tipo de investimento focado em startups de alto potencial de crescimento.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Send us a textMiguel Armaza sits down with René Lacerte, founder and CEO of Bill, one of the fintech industry's most successful and enduring leaders. From building PayCycle in the 1990s to now leading a publicly-traded company powering the “Fortune 5 Million”—the SMBs that are the backbone of America—René brings nearly three decades of hands-on experience in financial operations, product innovation, and organizational culture.In this episode, René shares his singular journey, starting with childhood influences from a family steeped in entrepreneurship and jazz music, and moving through decades of building for small and mid-sized businesses. He dives deep into why serving SMBs is both uniquely challenging and vital for communities, and reveals how Bill processes over a trillion dollars annually for nearly half a million clients across the US, in partnership with more than 9,000 accounting firms.René also shares rapid-fire insights on metrics he obsesses over (customer happiness and escalations), the importance of deep networks for founder success, and why investing in culture is the ultimate bet for long-term company excellence.A must-listen for founders, fintech builders, and anyone passionate about the future of entrepreneurship, financial technology, and the creative power of small businesses.Timestamped Overview00:00 Intro & René Lacerte's Background04:41 Piano passion and perseverance07:34 Dreaming of Wyntons Talent11:52 SMBs community and identity16:15 Entrepreneurship Requires Growth and Accountability18:39 Being present and appreciating20:11 Tech inspiration for SMBs25:37 Scorecards Over Job Descriptions29:47 AI Enhancing Creativity and Impact33:09 Touchless Workflow Automation35:38 Trust, data, and fintech success39:07 Financial ecosystem and acquisitions41:39 Embracing healthy workplace conflict45:42 The Power of Networking48:54 Celebration honors collective effort51:48 The lasting impact of gratitudeWant more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~85,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

AFH: Season 1, Episode 6 Featuring Kate McAndrew (@Kate_McAndrew)Al sits down with Kate McAndrew, Venture Capitalist, General Partner and Fine Human.About the Guest:Kate Preston McAndrew is the Co-Founder and General Partner of Baukunst, a $100M pre-seed venture fund backing companies at the frontiers of technology and design from inception. With more than a decade of experience investing in hardware, software, CPG and AI-native systems, Kate is known for her high-conviction, founder-first approach and her ability to spot breakthrough talent at the very beginning.Before launching Baukunst, she spent eight years at Bolt, where she helped shape one of the industry's first dedicated pre-seed programs and worked hands-on with dozens of technical founding teams.Kate is also an active voice in the early-stage ecosystem, speaking frequently on founder readiness, product craft, and how to build enduring companies from zero to one. She is a published author, proud single mother, dancer, and San Francisco lover. She holds a BA in Cultural Studies from McGill University.Guest Info:Instagram Kate McAndrewFollow Me:Instagram: @afinehuman Shop Dame: dame.com This podcast was produced by aurielle sayeh, filmed by @thetellychannel, and powered by @dameproducts.

AI One, the enterprise context management platform that helps organisations give AI the business context it needs to make decisions, has announced it has raised $11 million in total funding. The round includes $7 million in Series A funding with participation from Vestigo Ventures and existing investors. AI One's platform enables large organisations to transform their operations by connecting directly to SaaS platforms like Salesforce and Workday, as well as on-premise and legacy systems, extracting context from fragmented data, and delivering measurable outcomes in weeks, not years. AI One addresses a problem that's become increasingly visible as companies try to move beyond pilots: AI models don't understand the context of the businesses they're deployed in. Despite billions spent on data infrastructure, most enterprises still operate across disconnected systems that make it nearly impossible for AI to make informed decisions. AI One tackles this with a new class of technology called Enterprise Context Management (ECM), which connects directly to existing systems to interpret how data, processes, and policies relate across the organisation. By managing context safely and consistently, the platform enables companies to automate complex workflows and decision-making without costly data migrations or replatforming. It delivers results in as little as 10 weeks and reduces operating costs by up to 80% AI One was founded in 2024 by Conor Twomey and Fergus Keenan, who spent over 15 years in enterprise data and analytics, and saw the pitfalls of large enterprises over-investing in expensive infrastructure overhauls to drive innovation. "Most companies are brute-forcing AI into workflows by endlessly rewriting generic prompts and connectors - a slow, brittle process that's impossible to scale," says Conor Twomey, Co-founder & CEO at AI One. "AI can only perform as well as the context it understands. We created AI One to give enterprises control over that context so their AI isn't guessing, it's operating with understanding." Since its inception, AI One has already delivered measurable results for its clients: A global bank cut reconciliation errors by 90% in four months, saving millions annually and reducing manual review from 400,000 cases to under 5,000. A healthcare provider reduced member onboarding time from 15 days to 3 days, accelerating revenue recognition and patient access. An insurance group improved its straight-through processing rate from 89% to 97%, shortening claims cycles and boosting customer satisfaction. "AI One is solving one of the hardest problems in enterprise AI: perception," said Mark Casady, General Partner at Vestigo Ventures. "The platform's ability to activate enterprise context without requiring data migration or replatforming is a breakthrough. It turns AI from a concept into measurable business impact in record time." AI One intends to use the funding to expand its customer base, targeting Fortune 500 businesses in financial services, energy, healthcare, insurance, and private equity, and continue to build its platform. The team has grown to 20 employees since inception with recent hires across GTM, platform, and field engineering. See more stories here. More about Irish Tech News Irish Tech News are Ireland's No. 1 Online Tech Publication and often Ireland's No.1 Tech Podcast too. You can find hundreds of fantastic previous episodes and subscribe using whatever platform you like via our Anchor.fm page here: https://anchor.fm/irish-tech-news If you'd like to be featured in an upcoming Podcast email us at Simon@IrishTechNews.ie now to discuss. Irish Tech News have a range of services available to help promote your business. Why not drop us a line at Info@IrishTechNews.ie now to find out more about how we can help you reach our audience. You can also find and follow us on Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Snapchat.

In this episode, we dive "Inside the Deal" with Bruce Nsereko-Lule, General Partner at Seedstars Africa Ventures, and Andrew Milne, Group Co-CEO of Kuunda, to unpack one of Africa's most compelling fintech success stories.

Yatırım dünyasının popüler ismi e2vc General Partner'ı Enis Hulli konuğumuzdu!

The Chopping Block unpacks crypto's DATpocalypse — NAVs collapsing, volumes drying up, and consolidation on the horizon. Plus: Vitalik sparks a wave of quantum panic, what Q-Day really means for Bitcoin and smart-contract chains, and why “qubits per share” might become the next great crypto meme. Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This episode opens with the DATpocalypse: almost every DAT is now below NAV, volumes have collapsed outside Bitmine and MicroStrategy, and the market is finally confronting what happens when issuances outrun demand. We get into consolidation talk, preferred-share experiments, capital-structure pivots, and whether any DAT should actually be selling crypto to buy back shares at a discount. Then we shift into quantum mania. Vitalik's “2028” comment lit up Q-Day fears, and we separate genuine hardware progress from pure panic. We discuss why post-quantum upgrades are simple for Bitcoin but brutal for stateful chains, and how hype alone could trigger a wave of “quantum-resistant” speculation. And yes — the running gag: DATs using quantum machines to steal Satoshi's coins. Tough markets, weird narratives, and institutions quietly holding the line. Let's get into it. Show highlights

The Doers Nepal – Nepal's Longest Running Business Podcast In this episode, we have Manish Maheshwari, General Partner at BAT VC, former Twitter India CEO, and one of India's top AI investors. Along with him, we have Bhupendra Khanal, former founder of Simplify360 and current CEO of Doxy.   From decades of experience and exposure, they offer insights into the realities of today's AI ecosystem. Most people think the AI boom means every AI startup will win. But the truth is the opposite. We're in the middle of an AI bubble and when it bursts, 99% of today's AI companies won't survive. In this conversation, they broke down: -How do you differentiate a good AI company from a bad one? -Why are LLMs rapidly becoming a commodity? -How can platform dependency wipe out companies overnight? -What should a founder really do after a life-changing exit?   And in a crowded AI market, what strategic advantages actually help you stand out? This episode isn't hype. It's a reality check for founders, creators, students, and anyone who wants to stay relevant in the next decade.   Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 02:22 — Introduction to Manish Dai 03:07 — The 3 C's of the Internet 03:24 — Content, Creators & Social Media Dynamics 04:29 — Brand Challenges and Opportunities 07:29 — AI Fads and Wrapper Apps 07:40 — Good AI Companies vs Bad AI Companies 10:30 — Early Bets & Missed Investment Opportunities 15:10 — Why Distribution Matters in Tech 19:00 — Diversifying Risk in Business 20:45 — The Relentless Pace of Technological Change 27:00 — Platform vs UI: What Drives Adoption 29:32 — New Algorithms and Emerging Insights 30:25 — Meta's LLaMA and the AI Model Race 32:45 — Power of Proprietary Data 33:30 — Google's Missed Chance at Uber & WhatsApp 36:00 — WeChat's Dominance in China 37:00 — How Jio Disrupted a Monopoly Market 44:35 — Understanding Customer Psychology 46:10 — Leading Twitter India: Inside Experience 48:25 — Twitter's Stance on Content Ownership 58:20 — Elon Musk's X Changes & Verification Issues 1:08:00 — Why Startup Exits Feel Like Divorce 1:10:30 — When a Company Becomes Your Identity 1:23:32 — Life in Nepal: Twitter India Head Speaks Nepali Want to join us live in the studio as an audience member? Fill out this form: https://forms.gle/xZi8yptyoxkkc6aa8    ✉ Reach out to us at partners@doersnepal.com  

In this episode of The SaaS Revolution Show, Alex Theuma speaks with Audrey Soussan, General Partner at Ventech, about how the early-stage SaaS landscape is evolving and what founders need to understand if they're looking to raise. Audrey shares insights from 15+ years investing across Europe, including: - Why AI is no longer a vertical but an expected layer in every SaaS product. - The difference between truly “AI-native” startups and mature SaaS companies adapting their stack. - What VCs like Ventech look for now at seed and Series A. - How founders should think about tech debt, market shifts, and timing. - Lessons from the InSided journey, from bootstrapping to acquisition by Gainsight. - How Ventech supports founders beyond capital, what collaborative board work looks like, and the importance of community. Audrey also discusses competitive dealmaking in AI, why expertise and unique datasets matter, and practical advice for founders raising in the current environment, and how to pitch if you're not building a pure-play AI product. Guest links: Linked - https://www.linkedin.com/in/audrey-soussan-0309b818/ Website - https://www.ventechvc.com/       Check out the other ways SaaStock is helping SaaS founders move their business forward: 

Dr. Andrew Ng is a globally recognized leader in AI. He is Founder of DeepLearning.AI, Executive Chairman of LandingAI, General Partner at AI Fund, Chairman and Co-Founder of Coursera. As a pioneer in machine learning Andrew has authored or co-authored over 200 research papers in machine learning, robotics and related fields. In 2023, he was named to the Time100 AI list of the most influential AI persons in the world. Agenda: 03:19 What are the Biggest Bottlenecks in AI Today?  08:51 How LLMs Can Be Used as a Geopolitical Weapon 15:48 Should AI Talent Really Be Paid Billions? 29:07 Why is the Application Layer the Most Exciting Layer? 36:22 Do Margins Matter in a World of AI? 38:02 Is Defensibility Dead in a World of AI? 45:29 Will AI Deliver Masa Son's Predictions of 5% GDP Growth? 49:39 Are We in an AI Bubble? 57:31 Will Human Labour Budgets Shift to AI Spend?  

Drug discovery has doubled the flow of candidates, but approvals remain roughly flat. The constraint is development, not discovery. In this episode, a16z General Partner, Jorge Conde talks with Formation Bio cofounder and CEO Ben Liu about building a modern pharma company around clinical execution. They discuss Formation Bio's hub-and-spoke model for acquiring and advancing assets, how AI compresses trial timelines and costs, picking winners, regulatory strategy, and what it would take to move from about 50 approvals a year to many more. They also touch on global competition and why clinical proof still drives value in today's market. Timecodes: 0:00 Introduction0:38 Why Formation Bio? Origins and Mission1:12 The Real Bottleneck: Clinical Development4:56 Formation Bio's Business Model7:50 Picking Winners: The Art and Science of Drug Selection11:54 First-in-Class vs. Best-in-Class Strategies14:04 Overcoming Regulatory and Market Challenges17:26 The Stakes: Can We Approve More Drugs?19:07 How Formation Bio Cuts Cost and Time21:43 AI's Role in Drug Development25:10 The Future: From 50 to 500 Drug Approvals?35:18 Global Competition: The Rise of China39:28 The Path Forward: Data, Regulation, and Access41:47 Conclusion: Realizing the AI Revolution in Pharma Resources: Find Ben on X: https://x.com/BenjamineYLiuFind Jorge on X: https://x.com/JorgeCondeBio Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the Raising Health Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/4fjb8YTzHDuPBgDXc3ElkRListen to the Raising Health Podcast  Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/raising-health/id1529318900Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Send us a text"RAISE CAPITAL LIKE A LEGEND: https://go.fundraisecapital.co/frc2-apply"Everyone's chasing the AI Gold Rush, but few are asking who's getting wiped out in the process. Billions of dollars are being deployed, valuations are exploding, and yet beneath the surface, there's a silent reshuffling of power that's redefining the venture landscape itself. Uncover the secrets of AI venture capital, from seed stage heuristics and cap table power shifts to quantum investing horizons and resilient founder traits that drive unicorn outcomes. Whether you're a fund manager raising your first venture fund, an alternative asset manager deploying into AI infrastructure, or a startup founder seeking Series A strategies, this episode delivers actionable insights on private equity fundraising, angel investing in energy and tech, and navigating 2025's AI gold rush.Subscribe on YouTube:https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCTOe79EXLDsROQ0z3YLnu1QQConnect with Ryan Miller:Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rcmiller1/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/makingbillionspodcast/X: https://x.com/_MakingBillionsWebsite: https://making-billions.com/[THE GUEST]: Maria Palma, General Partner at Freestyle VC, one of the most disciplined anSupport the showDISCLAIMER: The information in every podcast episode “episode” is provided for general informational purposes only and may not reflect the current law in your jurisdiction. By listening or viewing our episodes, you understand that no information contained in the episodes should be construed as legal or financial advice from the individual author, hosts, or guests, nor is it intended to be a substitute for legal, financial, or tax counsel on any subject matter. No listener of the episodes should act or refrain from acting on the basis of any information included in, or accessible through, the episodes without seeking the appropriate legal or other professional advice on the particular facts and circumstances at issue from a lawyer, finance, tax, or other licensed person in the recipient's state, country, or other appropriate licensing jurisdiction. No part of the show, its guests, host, content, or otherwise should be considered a solicitation for investment in any way. All views expressed in any way by guests are their own opinions and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the show or its host(s). The host and/or its guests may own some of the assets discussed in this or other episodes, including compensation for advertisements, sponsorships, and/or endorsements. This show is for entertainment purposes only and should not be used as financial, tax, legal, or any advice whatsoever.

Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, the crew dives into the shift from airdrops to ICOs as Monad, MegaETH, and Coinbase's new sale format spark a rethink of how tokens should be distributed. They discuss ICO Beast's hedging fiasco, why most airdrops fail to create real users, and whether fixed-price ICOs are a better path for long-term alignment. The gang also unpacks Uniswap's major “unification,” the end of Labs vs. Foundation, and UNI finally becoming the protocol's value-accrual asset. In the back half, they touch on the “low carb crusader” MEV trial, the hung jury, and the broader question of whether MEV games belong in criminal court at all. A concise, high-signal look at where tokenomics, distribution, and crypto's legal boundaries are heading next. Show highlights

How not to forget what actually matters. Soren Gordhamer is the host of Wisdom 2.0, a conference about mindfulness and compassion in the modern age. He's also a Co-Founder and General Partner of Wisdom Ventures, which invests in companies creating a more just and compassionate world. His new book is called THE ESSENTIAL: Discovering What Really Matters in an Age of Distraction.   In this episode we talk about: What Soren means by "the essential" The current and future impact of AI on the economy, our mental health, and society at large  What Soren thinks the world looks like in 5, 10, 15 years from now Useful strategies for managing technology with an iota of balance and wisdom How to get familiar with the unseen stories that run your life—so that they Don't have so much power over you The number one question for our time, per Soren   Whether or not we humans are actually going to do this "essential" work before it's too late Whether the people designing these systems have the best interest of the species at heart Join Dan's online community here Follow Dan on social: Instagram, TikTok Subscribe to our YouTube Channel   Tickets are now on sale for a special live taping of the 10% Happier Podcast with guest Pete Holmes! Join us on November 18th in NYC for this benefit show, with all proceeds supporting the New York Insight Meditation Center. Grab your tickets here!   Tickets are now available for an intimate live event with Dan on November 23rd as part of the Troutbeck Luminary Series. Join the conversation, participate in a guided meditation, and ask your questions during the Q&A. Click here to buy your ticket! To advertise on the show, contact sales@advertisecast.com or visit https://advertising.libsyn.com/10HappierwithDanHarris Thank you to our sponsors:  AT&T: Staying connected matters. That's why AT&T has connectivity you can depend on, or they will proactively make it right. Visit att.com/guarantee for details. NOCD: Head over to nocd.com and book a free 15‑minute call with their team, to learn more and start getting help with OCD.

Circle CFO Jeremy Fox-Geen talks with TITV Host Akash Pasricha about USDC's 108% growth and the possibility of a native token for the ARC blockchain. We also talk with The Information's Stephanie Palazzolo about Neolabs, the new group of AI startups that have raised $2.5 billion to challenge OpenAI and Anthropic. Sam Lessin, General Partner at Slow Ventures, gives us an inside look at his Etiquette Finishing School for founders, and we get into the enterprise AI agent turf war with The Information's Aaron Holmes.Articles discussed on this episode:https://www.theinformation.com/articles/snowflake-sierra-every-enterprise-software-firm-selling-ai-agentshttps://www.theinformation.com/articles/investors-chase-neolabs-outflank-openai-anthropicTITV airs on YouTube, X and LinkedIn at 10AM PT / 1PM ET. Or check us out wherever you get your podcasts.Subscribe to: - The Information on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@theinformation- The Information: https://www.theinformation.com/subscribe_hSign up for the AI Agenda newsletter: https://www.theinformation.com/features/ai-agenda

The HR technology market is booming - but with so much innovation (and noise), how can HR leaders and investors tell what's truly transformative from what's just trendy? In this episode of the Digital HR Leaders Podcast, host David Green sits down with Thomas Otter, General Partner and Venture Capitalist at Acadian Ventures - a firm dedicated to investing in groundbreaking companies that make work better. With decades of experience spanning SAP, Gartner, and now venture capital, Thomas brings a rare 360-degree view of the HR tech ecosystem - from building and leading product teams to backing the next generation of innovators. Together, David and Thomas explore: Whether HR tech is going through a true transformation or simply evolving Where AI is actually making a difference, and where the hype is getting ahead of reality Why AI adoption remains slow for many organisations, and what leaders can do about it The traits and technologies that make HR tech startups stand out to investors The trends and breakthroughs shaping the next five years of HR technology and the future of work If you're an HR or people analytics leader, tech founder, or investor looking to cut through the noise and understand where HR tech is really headed, this is a conversation you won't want to miss. This episode is sponsored by TechWolf. TechWolf helps enterprises get fast, accurate, and actionable skills data—without surveys. From identifying the skills your workforce has to mapping what they need, TechWolf's AI integrates seamlessly with your existing systems to turn messy data into strategic advantage. Learn more at techwolf.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

____________Podcast Redefining Society and Technology Podcast With Marco Ciappellihttps://redefiningsocietyandtechnologypodcast.com  ____________Host Marco CiappelliCo-Founder & CMO @ITSPmagazine | Master Degree in Political Science - Sociology of Communication l Branding & Marketing Advisor | Journalist | Writer | Podcast Host | #Technology #Cybersecurity #Society

Send us a text[Original air date, November 19, 2024]  Miguel Armaza travels to Alexandria, Virginia for an in-person interview with a fintech legend: Nigel Morris, Co-Founder of QED and Capital One. QED is a global fintech venture capital firm that has backed numerous amazing companies, including Credit Karma, Nubank, Avant, SoFi, and Klarna. They currently have over $4.0 billion in AUM.Prior to QED, Nigel co-founded Capital One in 1994. The bank today is amongst the 10 largest banks in the US with almost $500 billion in assets. They are also one of the most innovative financial institutions that have inspired countless of entrepreneurs worldwide.Timestamped Overview00:00 Intro 01:25 Nigel's Background05:02 Driven by Curiosity and Empiricism09:03 Banking economics and unsecured credit10:10 Data economics and scientific method14:12 Intentional Leadership Shapes Culture18:25 NuBank exceptional net promoter scores22:37 Fintech Journey Early Stages25:06 Financial inclusions global expansion27:50 Big Tech AI Dominance33:16 Co-Founder Synergy and Longevity36:00 Effective board meeting essentials37:25 Effective Board Meetings Matter42:09 Climbing a million feet yearly44:21 Fintech empowering global changeWant more podcast episodes? Join me and follow Fintech Leaders today on Apple, Spotify, or your favorite podcast app for weekly conversations with today's global leaders that will dominate the 21st century in fintech, business, and beyond.Do you prefer a written summary? Check out the Fintech Leaders newsletter and join ~70,000+ readers and listeners worldwide!Miguel Armaza is Co-Founder and General Partner of Gilgamesh Ventures, a seed-stage investment fund focused on fintech in the Americas. He also hosts and writes the Fintech Leaders podcast and newsletter.Miguel on LinkedIn: https://bit.ly/3nKha4ZMiguel on Twitter: https://bit.ly/2Jb5oBcFintech Leaders Newsletter: bit.ly/3jWIp

En Empresas con Identidad, conocimos a Nacho Travesí, fundador de Orbio, la startup española que ha levantado 7,6 millones de dólares para redefinir el futuro de los Recursos Humanos con el primer AI-native HR system del mercado. Orbio desarrolla agentes autónomos y conversacionales basados en inteligencia artificial que gestionan de forma continua el ciclo de vida del empleado, desde la selección hasta la retención del talento, reduciendo la carga operativa y potenciando el papel estratégico de los equipos de RRHH. La ronda de financiación, liderada por Visionaries Club y con el respaldo de Plus Partners y Enzo Ventures, permitirá a la compañía acelerar su expansión internacional y reforzar su capacidad tecnológica. En solo cuatro meses, Orbio ha gestionado más de 60.000 entrevistas para empresas como Ribera Salud, AT&T, Vicio, Honest Greens y Verisure, reduciendo los procesos de contratación en un 80% y la rotación temprana en un 20%. En Digital Business, Stella Luna de María, CEO de Pentaquark Consulting, alertó sobre la posible burbuja de la inteligencia artificial, especialmente en el auge de las IA de vídeo, que están “aprendiendo a imitar el mundo” mediante el uso masivo de contenidos de plataformas como YouTube. Subrayó la necesidad de regular el entrenamiento de modelos para evitar conflictos de propiedad intelectual y sesgos de contenido. La jornada concluyó con una entrevista conjunta a Jesús Jerónimo, director de Salud Digital en SANITAS & BUPA Europa y Latam, y Alejo Costa, General Partner de CRB Digital Health III, el fondo español de capital riesgo especializado en salud digital que acaba de recibir 9,9 millones de euros de inversión pública a través de la Sociedad Española para la Transformación Tecnológica (SETT). Ambos destacaron el papel de la digitalización en la eficiencia del sistema sanitario y la importancia de la colaboración público-privada para acelerar la innovación. El fondo, que ya supera los 30 millones de euros, cuenta con el apoyo de Sanitas, Occident, CBNK, Cantabria Labs, Roca Group Ventures y el ICF, entre otros.

Ev Randle is a General Partner @ Benchmark, one of the best funds in venture capital. In their latest fund, they have Mercor ($10BN valuation), Sierra ($10BN valuation), Firework ($4BN valuation), Legora ($2Bn valuation) and Langchain ($1.4Bn valuation). To put this in multiples on invested capital, that is a 60x, two 30x and two 20x. Before Benchmark, Ev was a Partner @ Kleiner Perkins and before Kleiner, Ev was an investor at Founders Fund and Bond.  AGENDA: 05:25 Biggest Investing Lessons from Peter Thiel, Mary Meeker and Mamoon Hamid 14:36 OpenAI Will Be a $TRN Company & OpenAI or Anthropic: Who Wins Coding? 22:27 Why We Should Not Focus on Margin But Gross Dollar Per Customer 30:25 Why AI Labs are the Biggest Threat to AI App Companies 44:26 Do Benchmark Fire Founders? If so… Truly the Best Partner? 54:38 People, Product, Market: Rank 1-3 and Why? 57:36 Why the Mega Funds Have Just Replaced Tiger 01:04:08 GC, Lightspeed and a16z Cannot Do 5x on Their Funds…  01:14:09 Single Biggest Threat to Benchmark  

Sonia Gokhale, Co-Founder and General Partner at VentureSouq, breaks down how founders can build and scale fintech across the Gulf. We unpack why Saudi Arabia and the UAE are the first markets to crack, how government sandboxes and clear licensing paths reduce friction, and why B2B fintech often delivers the strongest unit economics. Sonia also walks through lessons from recent exits like Tabby, fundraising dynamics for seed through Series B, and the infrastructure opportunities in payments, credit, and compliance. If you are a founder aiming to land your first enterprise customers in the region or an investor mapping the next wave of MENA fintech, this conversation delivers a practical playbook.What you'll learnHow to navigate sandboxes and licensing in KSA and the UAEThe go-to-market order that shortens sales cycles with enterprisesPricing and unit economics that work for B2B fintech in the GulfSignals from Tabby-style outcomes and what they mean for foundersFundraising expectations and how global capital views MENA todayWho it's forFintech founders, product leaders, and investors evaluating MENA as a primary or expansion market.LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonia-seth-gokhale-b0906014/

In this episode of Run the Numbers, CJ Gustafson sits down with Colin Gardiner, General Partner at Yonder VC and former Chief Revenue and Product Officer at Outdoorsy, to unpack what really drives successful marketplace businesses. Colin shares lessons from scaling a peer-to-peer RV platform, where the biggest unlock came not from casual users but from power hosts optimizing utilization and yield through the SaaS tools they built. He introduces his “Marketplace Plus” investing framework—showing how layering SaaS and professional tools can transform a platform into an operating system—and where founders risk overreaching by taking on inventory or managing supply too tightly. The conversation dives deep into monetization, pricing psychology, take rates, and the fine balance between product-market fit and margin obsession, before zooming out to explore how AI and the decline of SEO are reshaping marketplace discovery.—LINKS:Colin on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/colingardiner/Company: https://www.yonder.vc/CJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.com—RELATED EPISODES:996 Culture, Exploding AI Bills & SaaS Chaoshttps://youtu.be/qhrxDL0gsRo“Keep the Take Rate Low” - Turo's Chuck Fisher on Scaling a Successful Peer-to-peerhttps://youtu.be/LKH8o1MjnZoThe Art of Stacking S-Curves: Olo's Winning Vertical SaaS Strategy with CFO Peter Benevideshttps://youtu.be/1X2VoYogj44—TIMESTAMPS:00:00:00 Intro and Guest Overview00:02:57 Sponsors – RightRev, Tipalti, and Aleph00:07:13 Outdoorsy and the RV Market00:10:33 Balancing Supply and Demand00:13:05 Marketplace Plus Model00:16:59 Sponsors – Fidelity Private Shares, Metronome, and Mercury00:21:45 Professionalizing Marketplaces00:24:10 Building Software, Insurance, and Financing Layers00:28:07 Avoiding Fully Managed Models00:32:34 Take Rates and Pricing Strategy00:35:00 Monetizing Both Sides00:37:06 Advertising and Marketplace Scale00:39:48 Marketplaces Meet Social Platforms00:42:36 AI and Marketplace Distribution00:45:54 AI Agents and Matchmaking00:47:03 When AI Becomes the Supply00:49:09 Negative Gross Margins and Scale00:53:04 Picking a Side – Supply or Demand00:54:35 Branding, Utilization, and Growth00:55:42 Closing and Credits—SPONSORS:RightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runFidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.Metronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.comMercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.com—#RunTheNumbersPodcast #MarketplaceStrategy #AIPoweredBusiness #SaaSModel #StartupFinance This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com

本集邀請 Silicon Catalyst Ventures 合夥人、同時為 OceanIQ Capital 創辦人的陳凱，深入談論家族辦公室與 LP 在 AI 浪潮中的位置與策略。 Kai 認為家族資本通常具備更長的時間視野，更重視資產配置的韌性與技術價值的真實落地。因此，在 AI 投資中，他們聚焦於能帶來系統性效率提升與穩健現金流的應用場景，而非僅依循市場情緒追逐熱門題材。 在節目中，我們也討論到跨境創新鏈的協作模式：臺灣憑藉半導體與先進製程掌握全球運算的根基，而矽谷則將算力轉化為平台、演算法與產品生態，兩地並非競爭，而是新一代技術革命中不可或缺的互補力量。陳凱認為，當 AI 不再只是「下一波科技浪潮」，而是逐步重塑醫療、工業、企業決策和知識工作時，真正的關鍵在於如何以長期心態面對這場改變人類文明結構的變化。 In this episode, we speak with Kai Chen, General Partner at Silicon Catalyst Ventures and Founder of OceanIQ Capital, to explore how family offices and long-term LPs are approaching the current AI boom. Unlike traditional venture firms that often emphasize speed, narrative, and rapid scaling, family offices prioritize discipline, capital durability, and value creation grounded in real-world application. Their focus is on AI solutions that fundamentally enhance system efficiency—whether in manufacturing, enterprise operations, healthcare, or infrastructure—rather than on hype-driven valuation swings. We also examine the cross-border innovation landscape. Taiwan plays a pivotal role in the global semiconductor and hardware supply chain, while Silicon Valley excels at transforming raw computational power into platforms, algorithms, and developer ecosystems. Instead of competition, this represents a symbiotic structure that underpins the next generation of AI progress. Kai argues that this moment in AI is more than a cyclical uptrend; it marks a structural shift in how knowledge work, organizational decision-making, and industrial output are defined. For long-term capital, the goal is not simply to “catch the wave,” but to understand which parts of this transformation will endure. Powered by Firstory Hosting

Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, the crew breaks down DeFi's Black Friday: a brutal week that saw the $120 million Balancer v2 hack, the collapse of Stream Finance, and a market-wide panic that reminded everyone — nothing in crypto is risk-free. They dive into how one of DeFi's oldest, most audited contracts failed, why smaller chains froze or rolled back transactions, and what it means for decentralization as Berachain, Sonic, and Polygon took emergency action. The panel debates whether the Balancer attacker used an AI “vibe-coded” exploit, how Ethereum might one day face its own rollback dilemma, and why privacy chains like Zcash may be the last true cypherpunk strongholds. In the second half, they unpack the off-chain losses behind Stream Finance's XUSD blow-up, the contagion risk across Euler, Silo, and Morpho, and the hard lessons for “yield-chasing” DeFi vaults. The gang closes with advice for founders weathering the storm — from Tarun's “cockroach mindset” to Haseeb's reminder that crypto's long-term fundamentals haven't changed. Whether you're building in DeFi, securing smart contracts, or surviving the next credit unwind, this episode lays bare the harsh truths — and enduring resilience — of crypto's frontier markets. Show highlights

Thinking about building passive income through multifamily investing but not sure where to start? In this episode of the Global Investors Podcast, host Charles Carillo sits down with Casey Stratton, a General Partner on more than $200 million worth of real estate assets, to break down exactly how to invest in value-add multifamily apartments the right way. Casey shares his full journey from being laid off during the Great Recession to building a thriving multifamily portfolio and the strategy behind finding, financing, and managing value-add deals. You'll learn how to avoid common syndication mistakes, analyze risk vs. return in development, and spot markets with long-term potential. Key Takeaways: How to evaluate value-add multifamily deals step-by-step. What experienced real estate syndicators look for before investing. How to invest passively in multifamily as a busy professional. Why secondary markets like Eastern Washington can outperform. The truth about development risk vs. return and how to mitigate it. Whether you're an active investor or just getting started, this episode gives you a complete look at how to invest in multifamily syndications with confidence and how partnerships, market selection, and disciplined underwriting can accelerate your path to financial freedom.   Learn More About Casey Here: Tamarack - https://tamarackrei.com/ Connect with the Global Investors Show, Charles Carillo and Harborside Partners: ◾ Setup a FREE 30 Minute Strategy Call with Charles: http://ScheduleCharles.com ◾ Learn How To Invest In Real Estate: https://www.SyndicationSuperstars.com/  ◾ FREE Passive Investing Guide: http://www.HSPguide.com ◾ Join Our Weekly Email Newsletter: http://www.HSPsignup.com ◾ Passively Invest in Real Estate: http://www.InvestHSP.com ◾ Global Investors Web Page: http://GlobalInvestorsPodcast.com/

Welcome back to another EUVC Podcast, where we gather Europe's venture family to share the stories, insights, and lessons that drive our ecosystem forward.Today we dive into the world of gaming with Alper Oner, Co-founder of Agave Games, and Enis Hulli, General Partner at e2vc. Agave has taken the gaming world by storm with its hit “Find the Cat” — a quirky hidden-object game that has become a global revenue driver, generating hundreds of thousands of dollars in daily revenue. But this wasn't a straight line: Agave started as a publisher, pivoted into building games in-house, and is now raising big rounds to expand with its new hit “What the Hex.”Agave has taken the gaming world by storm with its hit “Find the Cat” — a quirky hidden-object game that climbed global charts, hitting tens of thousands of dollars in daily revenue and inspiring a wave of imitators. But the road here was far from linear: Agave began as a publisher, pivoted to a studio model, and has since raised an $18M Series A led by Baldur's Gate Capital, Felicis, and e2vc to fuel its next big title — “What the Hex.”Together, Enis and Alper unpack how to back founders over ideas, pivot at the right time, and scale when metrics explode — all while explaining why Turkey has quietly become Europe's mobile gaming superpower.

Itamar Novick, founder and General Partner at Recursive Ventures, explains how a repeat-founder's playbook shapes better early-stage investing. Itamar draws on 25 years of startup experience (including executive roles at Gigya and Life360) to describe the firm's disciplined pre-seed focus, how he evaluates founders and markets, and why AI applications built on first-party data will create the next wave of meaningful enterprise value. He shares concrete advice on what founders should share with VCs before/during the first meeting, how Recursive filters opportunities, what makes an investable TAM, and the common reasons he passes after initial interest.In this episode, you'll learn:[03:18] The journey from founder to VC and back again[07:42] How Recursive defines “pre-seed” and why focus matters[12:51] What Itamar looks forward to in the first call with a founder[18:34] Data defensibility and AI applications: where value is created[25:07] The math and reasons behind saying no[31:40] What founders misunderstand about TAM sizing[36:58] Staying emotionally resilient as a founderThe nonprofit Itamar supports: Anti-Defamation League (ADL)About Itamar NovickItamar Novick is the founder and General Partner at Recursive Ventures, a pre-seed focused venture firm investing in AI-driven applications and data-advantaged software products. Before becoming an investor, Itamar spent over two decades as a founder and operator, including leadership roles at Gigya (acquired by SAP) and Life360. His approach to venture blends hands-on operator judgment with disciplined portfolio construction and deep founder support.About Recursive VenturesRecursive Ventures is a founder-GP led fund specializing in pre-seed and seed companies building AI-powered applications with strong data defensibility. The firm operates with a focused portfolio model, quick decision cycles, and direct founder support — avoiding the AUM-driven growth strategies common in larger firms. Recursive backs founders who combine technical depth, market insight, and authentic obsession. Portfolio companies include Life360, Ring, Tile, DataJoy, Armory, Placer.ai, Deel, May Mobility, Akash Network, Tomato AI, Anjuna Security, Harmony.ai among others.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Although Multifamily is facing challenges in sunbelt markets, and loan maturities are piling up, long-term fundamentals remain strong. Rents are holding, occupancy levels are in the low 90's%, and collections are solid. There have been concessions because of excess supply, but even these are gradually starting to contract. Joe Fairless, Co-founder and General Partner of Ashcroft Capital, owns over 14,000 units in sunbelt markets. Joe is prioritizing Net Operating Income of his current portfolio and is selectively looking to acquire additional A to B+ properties with a large discount to replacement cost. 

Join hosts Richard Cunningham and Luke Roush alongside special guests Andrew Behrman and Jonathan Carvalho Pruna of Sovereign's Capital for FDI's November Marks on the Market episode. With over 130 general partners from across private equity, venture capital, real estate, and private credit in attendance, this episode captures the heart of a movement where faith and capital are converging for Kingdom impact.Key Topics:How faith-driven GPs are creating operational value in the current higher-for-longer rate environmentSpiritual integration practices: broad-based employee ownership and workplace chaplaincyThe explosive growth of secondary markets addressing liquidity needsPrivate market trends across healthcare, education, and other sectorsBuilding cultures that serve employees, investors, and Kingdom purposesNotable Quotes:"If not us, who? If not now, when? The Lord has given each of us an opportunity to be impactful in the spheres where he has us operating." - Luke Roush"You got to step into a space and create real value with the operations of the company that you're partnering with, or you're just not going to be an outperformer in private equity venture capital for much longer." - Andrew Behrman"I would just challenge folks to really land into the ways that they can love on their investment teams and their portfolio companies." - Jonathan Carvalho PrunaEpisode Description:More than 130 faith-driven fund managers gathered at Wheaton College for the 3rd Annual Faith Driven Investor Fund Manager Gathering, representing a movement that spans venture capital, private equity, real estate, and private credit. This episode takes you inside that catalytic gathering, where vulnerability, operational excellence, and spiritual integration practices took center stage.Richard Cunningham leads a conversation with Luke Roush (Managing Partner, Sovereign's Capital), Andrew Behrman, and Jonathan Carvalho Pruna from Sovereign's fund-to-funds team. Together, they unpack key themes from the gathering: how operational value creation is becoming the primary driver of private equity returns in today's rate environment, why secondary markets are experiencing explosive growth, and how faith-driven managers are pioneering spiritual integration through broad-based employee ownership and workplace chaplaincy programs.The episode features insights from panels covering healthcare and education investing, secondary markets, real estate strategies, and founder care in venture capital. Hear how Riverside Value Fund is rolling out employee ownership across portfolio companies, how Brinley Fire Services employees are living out faith-driven culture through chaplaincy, and why the democratization of private markets is creating new opportunities for Kingdom-minded capital allocators.Whether you're a fund manager seeking community, an LP evaluating faith-driven strategies, or an investor curious about integrating faith and finance, this episode offers a compelling vision for how God is moving through the private markets.

(0:00) Intro(1:25) About the podcast sponsor: The American College of Governance Counsel(2:12) Start of interview(3:01) Karen's origin story(3:44) Early Career and Transition to Technology(5:40) The Dot-Com Era and her time at Brobeck and later at Orrick.(8:50) Her transition to Prosper Marketplace (Chris Larsen's company) (9:40) Her time at Box, Inc. and Apple *Reference to E179 with Jack Lazar(13:14) Her journey to Venture Capital.(14:16) Joining B Capital (in 2019) and the firm's investment focus(16:16) The nature of B Capital's partnership with the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) (19:32) Governance in Early Stage Companies(20:42) Her role as a board partner of her firm. *Reference to VCBA program(23:22) Building Trust in Governance "It starts on day one. And that trust is just, is literally earned through every conversation, every interaction, and certainly every board meeting."(25:41) Founder-Friendly Terms and Market Changes(28:43) The Importance of Governance During Crisis(31:52) CEO Succession and Leadership Transition(37:45) Advisory Boards vs. Fiduciary Boards(40:06) On board observers(44:08) Board Committees and Their Evolution(48:10) The Debate: Stay Private or Go Public(51:37) Books that have greatly influenced her life:Annie Duke's Thinking in Bets (2018)Ray Dalio's Principles (2017)Shoe Dog by Phil Night (2016)(52:00) Her mentors: David Geyer (Brobeck), Aaron Levie (Box), Howard Morgan (B Capital)(52:48) Quotes that she thinks of often or lives her life by: "never cut what you can untie". And the other is "never confuse motion with progress."(53:03) An unusual habit or an absurd thing that she loves. (53:25) The people she most admires(55:50) Diversity on Boards in Venture CapitalKaren Page is a General Partner and Board Partner at B Capital. As a Board Partner, she collaborates with portfolio company leadership, B Capital's investment team and the firm's network of advisors to provide best-in-class strategic guidance You can follow Evan on social media at:X: @evanepsteinLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/epsteinevan/ Substack: https://evanepstein.substack.com/__To support this podcast you can join as a subscriber of the Boardroom Governance Newsletter at https://evanepstein.substack.com/__Music/Soundtrack (found via Free Music Archive): Seeing The Future by Dexter Britain is licensed under a Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 3.0 United States License

Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, Kaledora Linn, Co-founder and “Empress of RWAs” at Ostium, joins to break down the rise of on-chain equity perps, the funding-rate chaos that hit 365%, and why she believes the next wave of tokenized assets won't come from exchanges—but from structured liquidity markets. We dive deep into Ostium's hybrid CFD model that blends TradFi mechanics with on-chain transparency, explore why most retail traders can't stomach perp carry costs, and debate what “safe leverage” could look like in an RWA world. The panel also touches on CZ's presidential pardon and Coinbase's new Echo platform, connecting the dots between political optics, capital formation, and how crypto's product design is evolving beyond speculation. Whether you're building perpetual DEXs, tokenizing RWAs, or just trying to survive the next funding-rate spike, this episode unpacks how market design, UX, and regulation will shape crypto's next trillion-dollar frontier. Show highlights

In this episode of Unchained, Laura is joined by Rob Hadick, General Partner at Dragonfly, and Sam MacPherson, Co-founder and CEO of Phoenix Labs, to break down the fast-moving world of stablecoins and stablechains. They discuss Ethena's USDe $5 billion drop, the rise of “stablecoin-as-a-service” models, the emergence of payment-focused blockchains like Tempo and Codex, and the return of TradFi heavyweights like Visa, Mastercard, and Western Union to the digital dollar race. From liquidity challenges to regulatory shakeups and tokenized deposits, the conversation explores what it really takes to win the stablecoin wars, and, importantly, whether any of these players can even make a scratch to king Tether. Thank you to our sponsors! Binance Guests: Rob Hadick, General Partner at Dragonfly Sam MacPherson, Co-founder and CEO of Phoenix Labs Links: Previous coverage on Unchained: Stablecoins Are Popping Up Everywhere. What's the End Game? Why Every Chain Suddenly Wants Its OWN Stablecoin - The Chopping Block Timestamps:

Preston Pysh, General Partner at Ego Death Capital and Lawrence Lepard, author of The Big Print, return to the show for an in-depth discussion about the macroeconomic turning point now unfolding. They break down the Fed's latest moves, the illusion of tightening, and why quantitative easing (QE) is inevitable — whether it's called that or not. The conversation spans the end of the petrodollar era, the rise of AI and automation, wealth inequality, populism, and the future of Bitcoin in a world of gold-buying central banks. We discuss: Why liquidity drives every market cycle How QE will return under a new name Why gold leads but Bitcoin will win How AI & automation reshape labor, wages, and inflation -- and leads to more Mamdanis Why "crony capitalism," not capitalism, broke the system How quantum computing could force Bitcoin's next major upgrade ---- Pre-order Natalie's new book "Bitcoin is For Everyone," available November 18, 2025. https://amzn.to/3WzFzfU  ---- Coin Stories is powered by Gemini. Invest as you spend with the Gemini Credit Card. Sign up today to earn a $200 intro Bitcoin bonus. The Gemini Credit Card is issued by WebBank. See website for rates & fees. Learn more at https://www.gemini.com/natalie  Make sure to catch Tyler and Cameron Winklevoss speak at Bitcoin Amsterdam on November 13-14. Use code HODL for discounted passes: https://b.tc/conference   ---- Coin Stories is powered by Bitwise. Bitwise has over $10B in client assets, 32 investment products, and a team of 100+ employees across the U.S. and Europe, all solely focused on Bitcoin and digital assets since 2017. Learn more at https://www.bitwiseinvestments.com  ---- Ledn is the global leader in Bitcoin-backed loans, issuing over $9 billion in loans since 2018, and they were the first to offer proof of reserves. With Ledn, you get custody loans, no credit checks, no monthly payments, and more. Get .25% off your first loan, learn more at https://www.Ledn.io/natalie  ---- Natalie's Bitcoin Product and Event Links: For easy, low-cost, instant Bitcoin payments, I use Speed Lightning Wallet. Play Bitcoin trivia and win up to 1 million sats! Download and use promo code COINSTORIES10 for 5,000 free sats: https://www.speed.app/coinstories  Block's Bitkey Cold Storage Wallet was named to TIME's prestigious Best Inventions of 2024 in the category of Privacy & Security. Get 20% off using code STORIES at https://bitkey.world   Master your Bitcoin self-custody with 1-on-1 help and gain peace of mind with the help of The Bitcoin Way: https://www.thebitcoinway.com/natalie  Genius Group (NYSE: $GNS) is building a 10,000 BTC treasury and educating the world through the Genius Academy. Check out *free* courses from Saifedean Ammous and myself at https://www.geniusgroup.ai Earn passive Bitcoin income with industry-leading uptime, renewable energy, ideal climate, expert support, and one month of free hosting when you join Abundant Mines at https://www.abundantmines.com/natalie  Bitcoin 2026 will be here before you know it. Get 10% off Early Bird passes using the code HODL: https://tickets.b.tc/event/bitcoin-2026?promoCodeTask=apply&promoCodeInput=  Protect yourself from SIM Swaps that can hack your accounts and steal your Bitcoin. Join America's most secure mobile service, trusted by CEOs, VIPs and top corporations: https://www.efani.com/natalie   Ditch your fiat health insurance like I did four years ago! Join me at CrowdHealth: www.joincrowdhealth.com/natalie  ---- This podcast is for educational purposes and should not be construed as official investment advice. ---- VALUE FOR VALUE — SUPPORT NATALIE'S SHOWS Strike ID https://strike.me/coinstoriesnat/ Cash App $CoinStories #money #Bitcoin #investing

Astasia Myers, General Partner at Felicis, breaks down how venture capital is betting on AI and why over 80% of their recent investments are in this space. But this isn't just another “AI is the future” conversation. We dig into the real ROI happening right now in healthcare voice agents, why MIT says 95% of GenAI projects fail to reach production, and what needs to happen for that number to flip. If you're building, investing, or just trying to understand where enterprise AI is actually working (not just hyped), this episode cuts through the noise.What You'll LearnThe labor replacement opportunity: Why outcome-based AI solutions are targeting the $35 trillion labor market instead of just software budgets and how that changes everything for startups and investors.Voice AI's healthcare breakthrough: How voice agents are finally solving the operational bottlenecks in patient scheduling and communication, driving 24/7 availability with better NPS than human operators.Why 95% of GenAI projects still fail: The technical and infrastructure gaps that prevent most AI initiatives from making it to production and what's needed to fix that in 2026.The new technical risk era: After years of focusing purely on market risk, VCs are back to evaluating deep technical challenges in agentic systems, browser automation, and continuous learning loops.The exceptionalism filter: How early-stage investors are separating signal from noise when everyone can spin up an AI startup and why founder insights and lived experience matter more than ever.Timestamped Highlights00:31 – What Felicis invests in and the types of AI companies dominating their portfolio right now02:58 – Why healthcare tech is finally ready for its AI moment after years of long sales cycles and unclear ROI08:15 – How outcome-based pricing is changing the VC evaluation playbook and unlocking 10x larger TAMs13:26 – The mythical one-person billion-dollar company: Is it real, and how would investors even spot it?17:18 – Voice AI as the gateway for enterprise adoption and why this modality is different from Siri and Alexa20:08 – Democratizing AI: What ChatGPT did for consumers and what needs to happen for enterprise buildersOne Thing Worth Remembering“These technologies can price towards the labor replacement markets, which is about 10x the size of the software market itself. The ROI right now is so tangible that it is a time to invest.”Subscribe and Stay in the LoopIf this episode gave you a new angle on where AI is actually delivering value, share it with a founder or investor who needs to hear it. Subscribe so you don't miss the next conversation, and drop a comment if there's a topic or guest you want us to tackle next.

In this conversation from a16z's Runtime conference, Gavin Baker, Managing Partner and CIO of Atreides Management, joins David George, General Partner at a16z, to unpack the macro view of AI: the trillion-dollar data center buildout, the new economics of GPUs, and what this boom means for investors, founders, and the global economy. Resources:Follow Gavin on X: https://x.com/GavinSBakerFollow Atreides Management on X: https://x.com/atreidesmgmtFollow David on X: https://x.com/DavidGeorge83 Stay Updated: If you enjoyed this episode, be sure to like, subscribe, and share with your friends!Find a16z on X: https://x.com/a16zFind a16z on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/a16zListen to the a16z Podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/5bC65RDvs3oxnLyqqvkUYXListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a16z-podcast/id842818711Follow our host: https://x.com/eriktorenbergPlease note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Stay Updated:Find a16z on XFind a16z on LinkedInListen to the a16z Podcast on SpotifyListen to the a16z Podcast on Apple PodcastsFollow our host: https://twitter.com/eriktorenberg Please note that the content here is for informational purposes only; should NOT be taken as legal, business, tax, or investment advice or be used to evaluate any investment or security; and is not directed at any investors or potential investors in any a16z fund. a16z and its affiliates may maintain investments in the companies discussed. For more details please see a16z.com/disclosures. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Power is the new bottleneck, reasoning got real, and the business finally caught up. In this wide-ranging conversation, I sit down with Nathan Benaich, Founder and General Partner at Air Street Capital, to discuss the newly published 2025 State of AI report—what's actually working, what's hype, and where the next edge will come from. We start at the physical layer: energy procurement, PPAs, off-grid builds, and why water and grid constraints are turning power—not GPUs—into the decisive moat.From there, we move into capability: reasoning models acting as AI co-scientists in verifiable domains, and the “chain-of-action” shift in robotics that's taking us from polished demos to dependable deployments. Along the way, we examine the market reality—who's making real revenue, how margins actually behave once tokens and inference meet pricing, and what all of this means for builders and investors.We also zoom out to the ecosystem: NVIDIA's position vs. custom silicon, China's split stack, and the rise of sovereign AI (and the “sovereignty washing” that comes with it). The policy and security picture gets a hard look too—regulation's vibe shift, data-rights realpolitik, and what agents and MCP mean for cyber risk and adoption.Nathan closes with where he's placing bets (bio, defense, robotics, voice) and three predictions for the next 12 months. Nathan BenaichBlog - https://www.nathanbenaich.comX/Twitter - https://x.com/nathanbenaichSource: State of AI Report 2025 (9/10/2025)Air Street CapitalWebsite - https://www.airstreet.comX/Twitter - https://x.com/airstreetMatt Turck (Managing Director)Blog - https://www.mattturck.comLinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/turck/X/Twitter - https://twitter.com/mattturckFIRSTMARKWebsite - https://firstmark.comX/Twitter - https://twitter.com/FirstMarkCap(0:00) – Cold Open: “Gargantuan money, real reasoning”(0:40) – Intro: State of AI 2025 with Nathan Benaich(02:06) – Reasoning got real: from chain-of-thought to verified math wins(04:11) – AI co-scientist: hypotheses, wet-lab validation, fewer “dumb stochastic parrots” (04:44) – Chain-of-action robotics: plan → act you can audit(05:13) – Humanoids vs. warehouse reality: where robots actually stick first(06:32) – The business caught up: who's making real revenue now(08:26) – Adoption & spend: Ramp stats, retention, and the shadow-AI gap(11:00) – Margins debate: tokens, pricing, and the thin-wrapper trap(14:02) – Bubble or boom? Wall Street vs. SF vibes (and circular deals)(19:54) – Power is the bottleneck: $50B/GW capex and the new moat(21:02) – PPAs, gas turbines, and off-grid builds: the procurement game(23:54) – Water, grids, and NIMBY: sustainability gets political(25:08) – NVIDIA's moat: 90% of papers, Broadcom/AMD, and custom silicon(28:47) – China split-stack: Huawei, Cambricon, and export zigzags(30:30) – Sovereign AI or “sovereignty washing”? Open source as leverage(40:40) – Regulation & safety: from Bletchley to “AI Action”—the vibe shift(44:06) – Safety budgets vs. lab spend; models that game evals(44:46) – Data rights realpolitik: $1.5B signals the new training cost(47:04) – Cyber risk in the agent era: MCP, malware LMs, state actors(50:19) – Agents that convert: search → commerce and the demo flywheel(54:18) – VC lens: where Nathan is investing (bio, defense, robotics, voice)(68:29) – Predictions: power politics, AI neutrality, end-to-end discoveries(1:02:13) – Wrap: what to watch next & where to find the report (stateof.ai)

AGENDA: 04:50 Benchmark's New Partner: Everett Randall 10:19 Revolut Raises $3BN at a $75BN Valuation: Another Loss for Public Markets? 28:39 Why Today is as Bad as the Hype of COVID in 2021 32:10 Why Vertical SaaS is a Bad VC Investment Today 36:14 Why Everyone Investing in Legal SaaS Will Lose Money 44:16 Why King Making is More Real Than Ever 55:23 Why Your Smallest Customers Need to Pay $10K Minimum 01:01:37 Why VC is a S*** Asset Class 01:09:29 Why Today is Harder Than It Has Ever Been in VC 01:25:18 Closing Thoughts and Reflections  

Welcome to The Chopping Block — where crypto insiders Haseeb Qureshi, Tom Schmidt, Tarun Chitra, and Robert Leshner chop it up about the latest in crypto. This week, Helius's Mert returns to defend Zcash's ~400% run and the “encrypted Bitcoin” framing, digging into anonymity sets, privacy UX, and why Bitcoiners are so riled up. We then tackle the Tempo bombshell — a ~$500M raise at a ~$5B pre, Stripe/Paradigm ties, Dankrad's move from the EF — alongside Péter Szilágyi's letter on EF culture and compensation: public goods priesthood vs. market incentives. Next up: Mert's “USD Manlet” rethink (why coordinating Solana around one stable is hard, and why pushing USDT to compete with USDC may be the sharper play) plus a gripe-fueled tour of today's DeFi trading UX. Finally, an AWS-outage autopsy: Coinbase downtime, Base sequencer hiccups, Infura/MetaMask ripple effects, and the case for multi-region/multi-cloud redundancy when real money — and sometimes safety — are on the line. And no, despite the memes, Mert is not launching a DEX. For more links and Show Hilights - https://unchainedcrypto.com/podcast-chopping-block/the-chopping-block-zcash-400-tempos-500m-shock-ef-pay-firestorm-aws-base-meltdown-feat-mert/ ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate ⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  Guest ⭐️ Mert, Co-founder & CEO at Helius Hosts ⭐️Haseeb Qureshi, Managing Partner at Dragonfly ⭐️Robert Leshner, CEO & Co-founder of Superstate⭐️Tom Schmidt, General Partner at Dragonfly  Guest ⭐️ Mert, Co-founder & CEO at Helius “One Long Memo” [A Letter To The EF] by Péter Szilágyi https://gist.github.com/karalabe/a2bc53436f29e0711fe680d59e180f6c  Timestamps 00:00 Intro 01:22 Mert a Madman of Solana and now Zcash 05:20 Bitcoin vs. Zcash: A Philosophical Clash 14:35 Tempo Fundraise and Ethereum's Talent Exodus 33:05 Ethereum's Social Layer & Public Goods 34:45 The Importance of Religious Priesthood in Crypto 41:01 The USD Manlet Proposal & Stablecoin Coordination 49:32 AWS Outage & Its Impact on Crypto Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jordan is the co-founder of Axis Capital Investments and a driven real estate investor with a degree in Construction Science from Texas A&M University. As a General Partner in over 60 multifamily units across Texas, he combines hands-on construction expertise with sharp asset management and due diligence skills. Before real estate, Jordan oversaw more than $250 million in commercial projects, including the Kinder Museum of Fine Arts and M.D. Anderson Pavilion in Houston. Based in New Braunfels, TX, he balances family life, travel, and golf while continuing to grow his multifamily portfolio and mentor others on building lasting wealth through real estate.   Here's some of the topics we covered:   Breaking Into Multifamily With Zero Experience The Creative Business Idea That Started It All Finding Your Unique Superpower In Multifamily How To Build A Winning Team For Explosive Growth Balancing Family And Business Without Burning Out Why Waiting For A Market Crash Could Be Your Biggest Mistake The Power Of Playing The Long Game In Real Estate How To Stay Conservative And Still Crush Your Goals Turning First Deal Nerves Into Lifelong Momentum   If you'd like to apply to the warrior program and do deals with other rockstars in this business: Text crush to 72345 and we'll be speaking soon.   For more about Rod and his real estate investing journey go to www.rodkhleif.com

When CJ Hetherington revealed the token listing terms Binance allegedly offered his startup, the crypto world exploded. In this episode, CJ, founder of prediction market app Limitless, and his investor Nick Tomaino of 1confirmation join Laura to discuss why he went public, how Binance responded, and what the incident reveals about the power dynamics between exchanges and builders. The conversation tackles how retail gets dumped on, why transparency is the next frontier for crypto, and why both guests agree that the “revolution won't be centralized.” Guests: CJ Hetherington, CEO/CO-Founder at Limitless Labs Nick Tomaino, Founder and General Partner at 1confirmation Links: CJ's tweet  Unchained:  Coinbase Adds Rival Binance's BNB to Listing Roadmap Binance Claims It Does Not Profit From Token Listings Timestamps:

Trae Stephens is Co-founder and Executive Chairman of Anduril Industries, a defense technology company, and a General Partner at venture capital firm Founders Fund, where he invests across sectors with a particular interest in startups operating in the government space. Previously, Trae was an early employee at Palantir Technologies, where he led teams focused on growth in the intelligence and defense sector as well as international expansion, helping large organizations solve their hardest data analysis problems. He was also an integral part of the product team, leading the design and strategy for new product offerings. While at Palantir, Trae also served as an adjunct faculty member at Georgetown University. Before joining Palantir, Trae worked as a computational linguist building enterprise solutions to Arabic/Persian name matching and data enrichment within the U.S. Intelligence Community. He began his career working in the office of then Congressman Rob Portman and in the Political Affairs Office at the Embassy of Afghanistan in Washington, D.C. immediately following the installation of Hamid Karzai's transitional government. Trae graduated from the School of Foreign Service at Georgetown University. Shawn Ryan Show Sponsors: Buy PSYOP Now - ⁠https://psyopshow.com⁠ ⁠https://tryarmra.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://aura.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://betterhelp.com/srs⁠ This episode is sponsored. Give online therapy a try at betterhelp.com/srs and get on your way to being your best self. ⁠https://bubsnaturals.com⁠ – USE CODE SHAWN ⁠https://bunkr.life⁠ – USE CODE SRS Go to ⁠https://bunkr.life/SRS⁠ and use code “SRS” to get 25% off your family plan. ⁠https://shawnlikesgold.com⁠ ⁠https://moinkbox.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://mypatriotsupply.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://patriotmobile.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://prizepicks.onelink.me/lmeo/srs⁠ ⁠https://rocketmoney.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://ROKA.com⁠ – USE CODE SRS ⁠https://shopify.com/srs⁠ ⁠https://USCCA.com/srs Trae Stephens Links: X - https://x.com/traestephens LI - https://www.linkedin.com/in/trae-stephens-485a811 IG - https://www.instagram.com/trae.stephens Founders Fund - https://foundersfund.com/team/trae-stephens Anduril Industries - https://www.anduril.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices