In Episode 35 we speak with Andrew Heintzman, who is a managing partner of InvestEco. This venture capital fund focuses on high-growth North American companies that promote health and sustainability in the food & agricultural sector. InvestEco's mandate is to deliver strong financial returns to its investors while helping its portfolio companies build a better world. Andrew gives us his feedback on the current fundraising market, and its changes over the past couple of years versus today. He...
Jun 05, 2023•41 min
The debt ceiling, the subject of the current drama consuming the nation’s capital, is something else entirely. While legally separate from the budget process, it represents yet another check that has evolved into the system since a version of the debt ceiling was first adopted in the run-up to World War I. The Treasury Department has been given gradually more leeway by Congress over how to finance deficit spending, be it for wars, emergencies or the creation of the social safety net. As negotiat...
May 24, 2023•36 min•Season 1Ep. 34
We welcome Glenn Argenbrigth, a start-up founder and the founder of the Venture Capital firm Quake a VC that invests at the Seed Stage. We discuss the topics of the venture capital and start-up world today and his views on the start-up scene. Quake is a global player with offices in the US and Europe. Glenn has over 25 years of experience operating and running various private, pre-IPO, and public technology companies. He has founded over a dozen startup ventures, resulting in three public offeri...
May 11, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 33
France has a plethora of opportunities to make starting a business quite successful through its tax incentive programs and grants that many US companies may not be completely aware of. Thomas clearly helps us understand these programs and even walks us through a case study that helps clarify how it could be done. There are different types of public aid to finance your research and development projects: The Research Tax Credit (CIR) : Up to 30% of the expenses incurred, in the form of a corporate...
Mar 27, 2023•31 min
As the Biden administration escalates its threats against TikTok, the company’s chief executive made his first appearance before Congress on Thursday. Given the U.S. government’s aggressive recent posture, TikTok CEO Shou Zi Chew was destined for a harsh turn under the glare of the government’s big, bright lights — and that’s very much what played out across the hearing’s sprawling five hours. ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI system, has taken the world by storm. It’s able to write essays, c...
Mar 24, 2023•49 min•Season 1Ep. 31
Episode 30, The SVB Collapse is sending shockwaves throughout the market but let's review what really happened. Act 1 – We developed ANOTHER Technology Bubble, Interest rates cut to zero. The developed world received thousands of dollars in stimulus checks sent to people, and tech stocks rose significantly. In 2020-2021 you had a tremendous amount of cash being dumped into these tech start-ups. This caused SVB deposits to multiply from $62 billion > $198 billion USD in Deposits Act 2 – A trem...
Mar 13, 2023•33 min
Fed Chair Powell says interest rates are ‘likely to be higher’ than previously anticipated. If the totality of the data were to indicate that faster tightening is warranted, we would be prepared to increase the pace of rate hikes. Powell said the current trend shows that the Fed’s inflation-fighting job is not over. In their December estimate, officials pegged the terminal rate at 5.1%. Current market pricing moved higher following Powell’s remarks, to a range of 5.5%-5.75%, according to CME Gro...
Mar 07, 2023•40 min
Swatick breaks it all down in this special episode about the country of India. Strong economic indicators India is the fourth largest economy in terms of purchasing power parity The nation’s GDP is expected to grow by over 8.5 percent in 2010-2011 Liberal and transparent foreign investment regime Well developed banking system and vibrant capital market Strong and independent judicial system Among the highest rates of returns on investment Incredible human capital skills A strong pool of scientif...
Mar 01, 2023•41 min
In Episode 27 we discuss Fundraising by venture-capital firms hitting a nine-year low in the fourth quarter. Venture firms raised $20.6 billion in new funds in the fourth quarter. That was a 65% drop from the year-earlier quarter and the lowest fourth-quarter amount since 2013. “Dry powder” would prove to be “wet powder ” as venture capital funds opt to support existing portfolio companies through rough times over making new investments. Recent data from the secondary marketplace shows that brid...
Feb 21, 2023•33 min
Venture funding has started flooding back in at least one area: Secondaries! But what is a Secondary? Ralph DiFiore, discusses his experience raising money for one of the pioneering secondary funds in the market. What is the market for it and who is to benefit but more importantly why is it useful? Meta’s Reality Labs lost $13.7 billion on VR and AR last year. What is the Largest US Venture Funding Deals Of 2023, it’s clear that AI is the big winner but Biotech is not too far behind.
Feb 05, 2023•32 min
In episode 25 we discuss the Fed Funds rates, and we all agree that they are going up. We discuss the EU market and find that there are many amazing deals but they are typically in the smaller size versus the United States but could be seen as attractive. George Santos is a hot topic and much more.
Feb 02, 2023•44 min•Season 1Ep. 25
In Episode 24 we go over the economic situation and the current environment. The technology sector is showing a lot of layoffs, opening the floodgates for many other companies, even those not in the technology space, to let go of employees and reduce their operating costs. What's going on with the Venture Capital world and what does Dry Powder really mean?
Jan 25, 2023•34 min•Season 1Ep. 24
Apellix is a patented Software Controlled Aerial Robots (Drone) with Precision Flight, that autonomously Paint/Coat, Clean/Surface Prep, and Measure Paint Thickness. Apellix is an aerial robotics company that develops autonomous aircraft with robotic arms and end effectors (hands) for use in industrial applications and the built environment. Apellix engineers safer workplaces by programming drones to perform tasks in dangerous environments, with the worker safely out of harm’s way. The nondestru...
Jan 19, 2023•37 min•Season 1Ep. 23
Episode 22, we have Mark Gaalswyk, the CEO of Easy Energy Systems (EES). EES designs, manufacturers, operates, and sells patented 1M, 2M, and 5M gallon per year, small-scale, modular biorefineries called Modular Energy Production Systems (MEPS®) for the production of alternative liquid biofuels from organic waste streams. MEPS® biofuels can be mixed with, or can selectively replace, gasoline derived from fossil fuels. Their systems are centrally manufactured and can be shipped anywhere in the wo...
Jan 12, 2023•33 min•Season 1Ep. 22
The Exit Strategy Podcast is #live on the floor of the most influential tech event in the world with Gustavo Neiva de Medeiros , CEO of TeleUP & WISPTV an #analytics tool in the #B2B space for #TV streaming content creators. Gustavo has over 20 years of #entrepreneurial /C-Level #experience in the TV Streaming space with global success. Gustavo is also an angel investor & a VC investor. We sit with Gustavo to understand what he is doing at #ces2023 / #ces2023w3t with my #FAST partners (F...
Jan 06, 2023•43 min•Season 1Ep. 21
Episode 20, it’s part two of the start of 2023. We have Sebastian Laye back on the show, Sebastian just published another article on the New York Times Equivalent in France, Le Figaro, the view on how Inflation is hitting the economy in Europe. We go over the 2022 market, the impact of everything on the stock market, and the decline of the CAC 40, the S&P 500, and the NASDAQ. The decline in funding to the growing economy could realize an uptick in the consolidation play in the market as fund...
Jan 04, 2023•46 min•Season 1Ep. 20
Jan 03, 2023•22 sec
Episode 19 of the Exit Strategy, 2023 is here and we are looking back at 2022 and discussing how the market has changed. The market has not seen a real interest rate environment since 2008, and we need to come to realize that the market forgot how to manage this kind of market. What this means is that for the past 15 years we have had a zero interest rate environment which means many funds were built around this environment, and we could expect to see that funds will need to rework their LP Agre...
Jan 02, 2023•35 min•Season 1Ep. 19
Episode 18, we welcome Hans Blankenburgh, who is the Chief Representative of #NBSO a Dutch Agency Responsible for Aiding Dutch Companies Expand Into the Americas. We discuss with hand how the agency helps in the expansion, and what steps the government takes to facilitate international expansion into the Americas. Hans feels that expansion through a local acquisition is the best way to expand into new territory as you acquire: clients, cash flow, and a structure with working employees who have t...
Dec 29, 2022•43 min
In episode 17 of The Exit Strategy, we have Charles Bennett, an adjunct professor of leadership and executive coach. He has taught the topic of leadership for many years and expresses how its definition differs. Charles Bennett clearly identifies how leadership styles differ in the USA vs. France, and Charles goes through his experience of working at Cartier in North America and France, and despite it being the same company, the leadership was quite different. Charles believes that leadership is...
Dec 20, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 17
In episode 16 of the Exit Strategy, we can begin to see the beginnings of the meltdown of FTX as Sam Bankman Fried has been placed under arrest without bail. The Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled almost 900 points on Thursday, putting U.S. stocks on track for their worst day in three months, as investors digested tough talk from the Federal Reserve on inflation that revived concerns about a potential U.S. recession. With the rise of interest rates, we have witnessed a massive slowdown in fund...
Dec 15, 2022•42 min
Episode 15, Fintech unicorn valuations have taken a hit in 2022 and Swatick discusses his experience with some of these FinTech start-ups such as a Buy Now Pay Later product; so how does it work and what is his experience? Getir acquires grocery app rival Gorillas in a $1.2bn deal but what’s happening behind the details, and despite a 1.3-Billion USD investment, the investors complete a 1.2-billion stock swap and a $40-milllion USD cash out. Billionaire investor Charlie Munger: ‘The world is not...
Dec 12, 2022•36 min•Season 1Ep. 15
Episode 14, we just put out an article with over 350 pickups across the globe, talking about what we expect in 2023. We believe that that market is prime for the strong. Europe is showing signs of weakness and we are firm believers that EU markets should be seeking capital from the United States because there is capital seeking European investments. There is always a bull market, and we attempt to point this out because despite local markets being weak in Europe, the investable market in the Uni...
Dec 09, 2022•33 min
It's the dual of the #podcasts ! We speak with one of the co-hosts of "Pounding The Table" A podcast by Anthony Ohayon and Avi Mash about The Stock Market, The Art of Options Trading. Former guests include Anthony Scaramucci, Anatoly Yakovenko - Founder of Solana, Jim McKelvey - Co-Founder of Square, Howard Lindzon - Founder of StockTwits, Scott Lynn - Founder of Masterworks, and many more. We dive deep into the #FTX debacle and how it's impacting the crypto markets and other crypto exchanges. #...
Nov 21, 2022•40 min•Season 1Ep. 13
We took a week off as we changed studios in France. We had a huddle podcast sit down with the hosts: Ralph DiFiore and Swatick Majumdar. We were catching up on the Meta, Twitter, FTX's move from LOI > to deal cancelation > Bankruptcy, interest rate movements and what it means for VCs, start-ups and more.
Nov 11, 2022•37 min
In Episode 11 of the Exit Strategy, we sit down with Emmanuel Gonzalez, who is the founder & #CEO of 6XPOS. 6XPOS is an API-based #POS system, which is built on a uniform coding language (C#), which is an open flexible POS system that can integrate with any market app in any country. It has the ability to install on any hardware, complete UI/UX customization, and multi-country support. 6XPOS also offers remote access to customers where they can connect to any of their client restaurants thro...
Oct 25, 2022•38 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In episode 10 of the Exit Strategy, we speak with our guest Daniel Kahn who is responsible for Strategy and Business Development in EMEA (Europe, the Middle East, and Africa) for Wilson Sonsini, the premier law firm in the Technology business in the United States, today. We ask Daniel Kahn the questions that European founders may want to consider when expanding their company or selling it in the United States. 1 -When should you go to the United States? 2 -Why should EU companies consider the US...
Oct 19, 2022•42 min
Episode 9 of #theexitstrategy , We are excited to speak with Anja Skodda, a #Biotech #Scientist , #Dog Lover, #femalefounder , and CEO of Happy Bond. Driven by the relationship with one’s dog, not one’s dog owner. Celebrity greats such as Halley Berry and Cesar Millan aka the Dog Whisperer are customers and partners of the Happy Bond brand. Happy Bond has raised six Seed rounds of venture capital funding and is currently looking to take the next step in seeking a Series A....
Oct 15, 2022•42 min•Season 1Ep. 9
In episode 8 of The Exit Strategy, we welcome Gordon Chang: a world-renowned political commentator. Gordon is the author of the Great US-China Tech War and the coming collapse of China. Gordon has given briefings at the National Intelligence Council, the Central Intelligence Agency, the US State Department, and the US Defense Department, and he has appeared before the United States House Committee on Foreign Affairs. He is a former contributor at The Daily Beast. His writings on China and North ...
Oct 11, 2022•32 min•Season 1Ep. 8
We sit down to talk to Jason Meyer the lead architect of Auditchain. We enter into a deep discussion regarding digital assets and how the process of adoption could happen. Auditchain is a decentralized accounting, reporting, audit, and analysis protocol that automates and provides proof of assurance on the world's financial and business information.
Oct 10, 2022•1 hr 8 min•Season 1Ep. 7
