In this special two-part episode of "Nothing Ventured," host Arish Shah sits down with Fred Destin, founder of Stride VC. They delve into the evolving dynamics between founders and venture capitalists, highlighting the surprising discontent founders often feel towards VCs. Fred shares insights from his extensive experience, including his time as a general partner at Accel and Accomplice, where he led investments in companies like Deliveroo and Zoopla. The discussion covers the importance of empa...
Nov 07, 2024•40 min•Ep. 50
In this special two-part episode of "Nothing Ventured," host Aarish Shah sits down with Fred Destin, founder of Stride VC, to explore the evolving landscape of venture capital. They discuss the complex relationship between founders and VCs, highlighting the discontent many founders feel towards traditional venture capital approaches. Fred shares insights from his extensive experience, including his successful investments in companies like Deliveroo and Zoopla, emphasizing the importance of empat...
Oct 31, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep. 50
Find Manish online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishpatelli/ Twitter: https://x.com/NavaVenturesVC Nava Ventures: https://www.nava.vc/ This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/ Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe...
Oct 24, 2024•55 min•Ep. 49
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with Helen Goldberg, co-founder and COO of LegalEdge, to explore the evolving landscape of legal services for fast-growing companies. Helen shares her extensive experience in mergers and acquisitions, having worked with renowned firms like Evershed Sutherland and Baker McKenzie, as well as her role at CBS Viacom Outdoor. The conversation delves into the burgeoning alternative legal services market, the Goldilocks legal principle, an...
Oct 17, 2024•45 min•Ep. 48
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with Manish Karani, founder of Yareta, a groundbreaking AI tool designed to analyze personal traits and experiences to predict future success for corporations and investors. Manish shares insights from his impressive background, including his experience at Coutts, where he managed investments for ultra-high-net-worth families and achieved significant IRR in both venture capital and real estate. The conversation explores the impact o...
Oct 10, 2024•1 hr 8 min•Ep. 47
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah welcomes Andrea Gurnari, a partner at 2100 Ventures, to discuss the intricacies of early-stage entrepreneurship and the venture capital landscape. Andrea shares insights on how founders should approach monetisation, emphasising the importance of deep intellectual honesty and the willingness to acknowledge when an experiment hasn’t worked. The conversation highlights the collaborative nature of the UK startup ecosystem and its advantages for e...
Oct 03, 2024•55 min•Ep. 46
In this episode of Nothing Venture, host Aarish Shah sits down with Alokik Advani, Managing Partner at Fidelity International Strategic Ventures. With over two decades of experience in finance, Alokik shares insights into the role of corporate ventures in the startup ecosystem, addressing common misconceptions about their involvement, including the notion of "dumb money." The conversation highlights the increasing participation of strategic investors in deals, the evolving mindset towards sustai...
Sep 26, 2024•33 min•Ep. 45
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with Joe Seager-Dupuy, an investment director at True, a London-based consumer and retail investment and innovation advisory firm. The conversation delves into the valuable lessons learned from early career challenges and the innovative spirit of Richard Branson. Joe shares insights on the differences between family offices and venture capital firms, particularly in how they approach investments in startups. They discuss the booming...
Sep 19, 2024•1 hr 2 min•Ep. 44
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah sits down with Piers Linney, known for his role on The Dragon's Den and The Secret Millionaire. Piers shares his journey from delivering newspapers to law, banking, and tech, discussing his 45x exit on his Dragon portfolio and thoughts on AI's impact on SMEs and nation states. They delve into DEI, ambition, and the importance of equality of opportunity. Tune in for insights from a seasoned investor and entrepreneur. Timestamps: 01:03 - Early Busin...
Aug 15, 2024•1 hr 1 min•Ep. 43
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah interviews Cintia Mano, CEO of Core Angels, a global angel investor network. Cintia discusses her journey in investing in 27 startups and leading Core Angels to develop 11 angel funds across various countries. They explore the importance of investing across geographies and verticals, encouraging more female angels to invest in startups, and the significance of taking action in investing without waiting to feel completely prepared. Tune in to learn...
Aug 08, 2024•51 min•Ep. 42
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah interviews Fred Hoch, co-founder of TechNexus, a Chicago-based venture collaborative. They delve into topics such as building communities, driving the evolution of software as a service, corporate innovation, the role of CFOs in championing innovation, the state of venture capital, and the opportunities ventures present for large corporations. Tune in to gain insights from Fred's 30 years of experience in the tech industry and his success in orche...
Aug 01, 2024•35 min•Ep. 41
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish interviews Amman Ahmed, the founder of Music for Pets, a business providing relaxing music and TV for pets. Amman shares his journey of discovering what type of CEO he wanted to be, from struggling with focus in university to building a successful business reaching 50 million cats and dogs with minimal marketing expenses. The episode covers Amman's unique path to success, the importance of knowing your numbers in business, and why founders should be pr...
Jul 25, 2024•45 min•Ep. 16
In this episode of Nothing Ventured with Aarish Shah, Nicola Sinclair, founder of Twin Track Ventures, discusses the evolution of military technology from sharing one laptop among eight people to the current state of defense services. The conversation delves into topics such as utilizing drones with guns, printing aircraft parts for quicker repairs, leveraging interoperability, the role of science in defense, AUKUS impact on emerging technologies, and the future of military advancements. Tune in...
Jul 18, 2024•46 min•Ep. 39
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Jan Reichelt, founding partner of Tenex Founders, discusses the global nature of education and edtech. Jan shares insights on creating value, trusting your instincts as a founder, and seizing opportunities. He emphasizes the importance of having investors with founder backgrounds in Europe. Tune in to learn about Jan's entrepreneurial journey, work-life balance, and contrarian advice for engaging with VC partners. Timestamps: 00:21 Edtech being immediately gl...
Jul 11, 2024•44 min•Ep. 38
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah interviews Edward Kliphuis, a partner at Softenover Partners, about leveraging technology to address challenges in healthcare. They discuss the transformative potential of the convergence of computation and healthcare, strategies for integrating new technologies into healthcare, and the concept of large biology models akin to large language models. Join Aarish Shah as he delves into the intersection of technology and healthcare on this insightful ...
Jul 04, 2024•33 min•Ep. 37
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah discusses the importance of focusing on what founders need rather than what they want with Asif Ahmed, partner at Cooper Parry. They delve into topics such as founder-advisor fit, the legal implications of R&D for founders, and the rise of solopreneurs in the startup ecosystem. Join them as they share insights on working with early-stage tech companies and high-growth businesses to help them thrive and innovate. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduc...
Jun 27, 2024•37 min•Ep. 36
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah interviews Lyuba Guk and David Gulka, co-founders of Blue Lake, a VC firm supporting immigrant founders in the UK. They discuss the resilience of the Ukrainian ecosystem, transitioning from SMEs to investing in migrant founders, the prevalence of migrants in founding unicorn ventures, and the importance of building a community for international founders. The conversation touches on the challenges and rewards of being a founder, emphasizing the nee...
Jun 20, 2024•56 min•Ep. 35
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah chats with Kiran Mehta from Mercia Ventures about the importance of doing what you love and excelling at it rather than trying to live in a parallel universe. They discuss the significance of working with smart people, navigating the chaos of venture capital, and how good founders can succeed in any market condition. Kiran emphasizes the need for founders to prioritize growth while being capital efficient and focusing on actionable steps to reach ...
Jun 13, 2024•48 min•Ep. 34
Today on Nothing Ventured, Tamta Gamezardashvili discusses the challenges VCs face in raising capital, the dynamics of power and ego in investment, and the importance of equal opportunities. Tamta shares insights on gender differences in asking for money, her work in bringing women into the VC space, and her contrarian approach to questioning norms. Join host Aarish Shah as he delves into the stories shaping the venture capital ecosystem. 🕒 Time stamps - 00:46 Gender differences in fundraising....
Jun 06, 2024•51 min•Ep. 33
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah discusses the misunderstood quick commerce space with Steve O'Hear, founder of O'Hear & Co. They delve into attracting paying customers for convenience, the role of journalists in the hype cycle, signals for early-stage investors, and the impact of excessive press coverage on a company's image. Tune in to gain insights into the world of venture capital and startup storytelling. ⏱️Timestamps: 00:31 Quick commerce space misunderstood. 06:26 Conv...
May 30, 2024•52 min•Ep. 32
In this episode of "Nothing Ventured," Aarish Shah discusses how Singapore has been stimulating the early stage tech ecosystem with guests Henry Goodwin and Shwetank Verma from Leo Capital. They delve into topics like the India Advantage, the global talent pool from India, startups listing on the Indian Stock Exchange, entering the Nordics market, and the importance of keeping the US market in mind for scalability. The conversation touches on the evolving perception of entrepreneurship in India ...
May 23, 2024•37 min•Ep. 31
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah interviews Mads Jensen and Dan Bowyer, general partners at Superseed. They discuss the growing interest in AI and its impact on business. They also delve into the evolution of European venture capital, highlighting the increase in funding over the years. The conversation touches on the need for a European Nasdaq and the importance of speed in sales and scaling. The episode explores the unique backgrounds of the hosts and how they came together to ...
May 16, 2024•45 min•Ep. 30
Today on Nothing Ventured, Ash Arora, the youngest partner at LocalGlobe, shares her journey into venture capital, her deep dive into Bitcoin for Citibank, and her insights into the early days of the crypto community. She discusses her extensive interview process with LocalGlobe and explains the challenges in blockchain technology, highlighting the Heisenberg uncertainty principle. Tune in to learn why Ethereum is considered the "hugging face" of blockchain. ⏱️ Time stamps: 01:31 The Heisenberg ...
May 09, 2024•51 min•Ep. 28
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah interviews Christian Tooley, founder of iCubed Investing, discussing the transition from consulting to venture capital. They explore iCubed's focus on investing in post-product pre-revenue companies in the UK, their efforts to unlock queer capital, and their partnership with Crunchbase to highlight diverse founders. Tune in for an insightful conversation on bridging the gap between corporate and venture worlds. ⏱️ Timestamps: 00:00 - Introduction ...
May 02, 2024•43 min•Ep. 28
On this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with George Askew and Sam Ettelaie, co-founders of Thema, a platform supporting emerging managers in launching venture capital strategies. They discuss fund structuring, regulation, and the impact of patient capital on the ecosystem. With Thema already attracting over 450 funds within weeks of launching, George and Sam shed light on the importance of backing those who aim to build management businesses. Tune in to gain insights from...
Apr 25, 2024•40 min•Ep. 27
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah interviews Sean Williams, the founder and CEO of Autogen AI. Sean shares insights on learning from failures, the role of managers in delivering results, staying focused amidst distractions, and the significance of linguistic engineering in business. He also discusses his journey with investors and the importance of context windows in team scaling. Tune in for a deep dive into the world of generative AI and venture capital with Sean Williams. ...
Apr 18, 2024•46 min•Ep. 26
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah sits down with Enis Hulli, a general partner at 500 Emerging Europe. They discuss Enis' journey from listening to VC podcasts to launching a fund, his shift from being risk-averse to investing, and the importance of boots on the ground for pre-seed and seed investments. They also delve into how 500 Emerging Europe differs from the global family, the challenges of equity financing in Europe, and the dynamics of startup culture in emerging Europe. T...
Apr 11, 2024•34 min•Ep. 25
This episode of Nothing Ventured features a discussion with Mohamed Abou-Alam about the challenges and strategies in the tech and venture ecosystem. They explore topics like managing chronic conditions with data, building multidisciplinary teams, quantifying impact to LPs, regulatory and commercial outcomes, transitioning roles in the industry, and adapting to the competitive landscape. Tune in for valuable insights into the world of venture capital and tech innovation. 🕒 Time stamps - 01:52 - ...
Apr 04, 2024•46 min•Ep. 24
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, we delve into the world of tech bio with co-founders Nik Sharma and Mo Alomari from BioCortex. They discuss reflecting biology in silico, NASA-inspired strategies, and the importance of trust in co-founder relationships. Learn how BioCortex is revolutionizing therapeutic development with insights backed by Hoxton and Sofinova. Tune in for a deep dive into the intersection of technology and biotech with these innovative minds. 🕒 Time stamps - 01:01 - Introduc...
Mar 28, 2024•28 min•Ep. 23
In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah interviews Renan Devilliers, the founder of OSS Ventures, a startup studio focused on revolutionizing operations in organizations providing physical services. Renan shares insights from his journey, including founding Chance, a successful recruitment tech business, and the challenges he faced along the way. Tune in to hear about Renan's experiences at a Tesla factory, navigating business pivots, and the critical role of operations in the futu...
Mar 21, 2024•39 min•Ep. 22
