Future Proof by Basis Set Ventures

Basis Set Ventures•soundcloud.com

Future Proof hosts industry leaders racing to future proof their businesses, and seize opportunities created by AI and automation. Created by Basis Set Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in early-stage technology companies that fundamentally transform the way people work. We believe artificial intelligence delivers core value by improving productivity for all parts of the economy; from factories to offices. Music by John Mannes Jr. Art by Vuo Design.

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Episodes

The infrastructure underpinning the next commerce unicorns

The commerce ecosystem is massive, so massive that the sector can sustain entire infrastructure unicorns building nothing but tools and services enabling commerce businesses. In this conversation between Catherine Stewart, Board Partner at Basis Set and fmr COO of Shippo, and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss the new APIs, customs automation and cross-border fulfillment and payments infrastructure that will support more streamlined, but globally capable supply chains.

Jun 23, 2022•36 min

Unlocking Convenience for Everyone ft. 7 Eleven

It's clear that offering convenience at-scale means serving large and incredibly diverse arrays of populations. And while it's true that many innovations in convenience, like delivery, started in dense urban centers. Founders would benefit from considering the challenges that companies like 7 Eleven face on a daily basis, getting fresh food to the far corners of America. And tech has a huge role to play in that. In this conversation between Josh Stramiello, responsible for leading an internal ef...

Jul 29, 2021•21 min

The Multi-Billion Dollar Climate Tech Investor that Doesn’t Want Equity

The proposed $2 trillion dollar U.S. infrastructure package will create major incentives for the adoption of climate technology and offer startups many pathways to secure growth funding. In this conversation between Mona Sheth, Senior Director of Federal Government Relations for Schneider Electric, two policy experts from DC-based government affairs firm Lot 16 and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss how founders can navigate billions in new non-dilutive funding opportunities for climate tech s...

Jun 17, 2021•19 min

Learn from a Customer: Designing the Future of Procurement in Manufacturing

In this conversation with Paul Hanna, Head of Procurement at a 150 person manufacturing company, we discuss how the next generation of hardware design tools in manufacturing will be even more tightly connected to the purchasing process, with greater intelligence — increasing collaboration between engineering and procurement teams.

Feb 25, 2021•25 min

Building for the global deskless workforce: lessons from one of Turkey’s largest conglomerates

While Covid-19 has pushed technology deeper into the deskless workforce, it’s also elucidating shortcomings of existing tools not optimized for the unique challenges of specific industries and regions of the world. In this conversation between Kris Kemeny, Managing Director of the venture arm for Tekfen, one of Turkey’s largest industrial conglomerates, and BSV investor John Mannes, we discuss how founders can build for the global deskless workforce while localizing solutions for customers.

Oct 27, 2020•15 min

Making the Business Case for Emissions Reduction

While most industries have had enough to manage with Covid-19, the oil and gas sector has had to manage the pandemic, along with a fierce price war between Russia and Saudi Arabia and broader existential questions about its identity in the face of the energy transition. In this conversation between Iain Cooper, a nearly 30 year veteran of multinational oil field services company Schlumberger and current CEO of drone gas emissions inspection startup SeekOps, and BSV investor John Mannes, we discu...

Sep 25, 2020•25 min

Quantifying Covid’s F500 Supply Chain Impact ft. Chairman of Resilience360 (DHL + Columbia Cap)

73% of companies surveyed in a new report, identify as having encountered major issues in their supply chains as a result of Covid-19. The disruption has been so significant, that major brands are reconsidering once sacred supply chain doctrine. Companies are considering moving operations out of China, holding more inventory in stock and collaborating with competitors to source. In this conversation between David Shillingford, the chairman of Resilience360, a supply chain risk software company j...

Jul 27, 2020•25 min

Farmers Facing Covid Consolidation Must Differentiate, ft. Head of VC Investing, Penny Newman Grain

The history of American agriculture is a story of technology improving the efficiency of production. But the volatile global economy of the last decade is showing the industry that efficiency is not everything. Changing consumer taste coupled with increasing pressures of commoditization are forcing farmers to embrace technology as a lever for much needed differentiation. In this conversation between Matt Nicoletti, the Head of Business Development and Venture Investing at Penny Newman, one of th...

Jun 18, 2020•17 min

Real Estate Bets on Tech to Keep Homes Selling During Covid ft. VP of Growth & Marketing at Opendoor

The 2008 financial crisis catalyzed the most ambitious real estate technology startups ever founded. Airbnb changed the way homeowners conceptualize home value, Opendoor simplified real estate transactions in a way the industry never thought possible and Compass redefined the role technology plays in agent workflows. As we wade deeper into the Covid-19 crisis, we’ll see similar attempts at differentiated businesses models and novel financial products that help homeowners extract greater value, m...

May 08, 2020•24 min

Covid Offers Rare Chance to Reimagine Supply Chains: ft. Managing Director of Reefknot Investments

Factories that used to make tee shirts are now making PPE. Products we used to be able to ship to ourselves same day are now on back order for weeks. Much of this is the result of supply chains buckling under the weight of Covid-19. As the dust settles, enterprises will have the opportunity to go back to the drawing board for the first time in years to rebuild supply chains from the ground up. The result will be more robust and modular global production and sourcing. In this conversation with Ma...

Apr 17, 2020•22 min

Covid Creates New Normal For Security & Trade: ft. Fmr. Head of US Customs (CBP) Innovation Team

Covid-19 is disrupting global flows of goods and people at an unprecedented scale. During the War on Terror, the government invested in technology to keep borders open and trade flowing. Our current pandemic requires a similar investment in a new generation of data infrastructure. If we can stitch together the right data, we can put an end to conversations about closing borders or subjecting large numbers of people and goods to draconian one-size-fits all quarantines and travel bans. In this con...

Apr 07, 2020•25 min

Keeping Truck Drivers Safe During Covid: ft. Owner & VP of Digital for Trimac Transportation

Trucking is one of the most essential industries in the global economy — food, masks and pharmaceuticals are of little value if we can’t get them to those who need them. As Covid19 continues to spread, millions of aging truck drivers remain on the road — ensuring critical goods can get from point A to point B. Moving forward, new technologies will shift the burden of work away from the field, allowing trucking companies to do more with less. In this conversation with Jeff McCaig, owner of North ...

Mar 27, 2020•23 min

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