Subscribe to our newsletter here . Follow us on LinkedIn here. Subscribe to our YouTube channel here. This week on Riding Unicorns , we’re joined by Adam Norris , Founder & CEO of Pure Electric , one of the leading premium electric scooter brands. Adam is also well known for playing a key role in managing the career of his son, Lando Norris , McLaren F1 driver. From building the UK’s largest pension business at Hargreaves Lansdown to investing in 30+ startups through Horatio Investments , Ad...
Mar 05, 2025•50 min•Ep 16•Transcript available on Metacast Stefano Vaccino is the Founder and CEO of Yapily , a leading open banking infrastructure provider. Stefano shares his unique journey from a career in nanotransistor research and investment banking to discovering his passion for technology and founding Yapily. We explore how open banking regulations like PSD2 inspired him to create a mission-driven company and the challenges he faced as a solo founder building one of the leading players in this competitive space. In this episode, we discuss: Stef...
Feb 19, 2025•38 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast Mandeep Singh is an angel investor and co-founder and former CEO of Trouva, a marketplace for independent boutiques that was acquired by Made.com. Mandeep takes us through his journey from founding Trouva, navigating its growth, and the eventual exit, to his current role as an active angel investor with a portfolio of over 80 companies. In this episode, we dive into: The story behind Trouva’s evolution, including the pivots and lessons learned from building both B2B and consumer propositions The...
Feb 12, 2025•47 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Tim Chong is the Co-Founder and CEO of Yonder , a modern lifestyle rewards credit card designed for young city adventurers. Tim shares his journey from growing up in Australia and a career in consulting to working at ClearScore and ultimately founding Yonder. We delve into the evolution of the Yonder product and brand, from solving credit challenges for expats to becoming a lifestyle companion for urban explorers. In this episode, we explore: The pivotal insights that shaped Yonder’s unique prop...
Feb 05, 2025•48 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Riding Unicorns , we’re joined by Romina Savova , Founder & CEO of PensionBee , the platform transforming how people manage their pensions. With over 260,000 customers and £5.5 billion in assets under management, PensionBee has become a household name in the UK. Romina shares the journey of building a public company that empowers consumers to take control of their retirement savings. In this episode, we explore: 🎙️ Romina's career shift from investment banking to founding ...
Jan 29, 2025•38 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast This week on Riding Unicorns , we're joined by Dom Hallas , Executive Director at the Startup Coalition , the policy voice for UK tech startups and scaleups. Dom brings a wealth of insight into the intersection of tech, venture, and public policy, offering a fascinating look into the state of the UK ecosystem during a time of governmental and economic change. Dom discusses the Startup Coalition's mission to advocate for startups and investors by addressing key challenges such as access...
Jan 22, 2025•54 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Ron Levin is the Managing Partner at Alumni Ventures , the most active venture capital firm in the US. Hector spoke to Ron to discuss his journey from entrepreneur to investor and his insights on scaling ventures and building impactful companies. Ron shares his fascinating career story, from organising trading card shows as a teenager to founding the travel-tech unicorn TravelPerk and eventually joining Alumni Ventures, where he leads their dedicated Seed Fund. The conversation dives into: Ron’s...
Jan 08, 2025•43 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Martin Sokk is the Co-Founder and CEO of Lightyear. He joined Hector to discuss his journey from product management at Wise (formerly TransferWise) to building a company revolutionising retail investing in Europe. Martin shares how his product-driven mindset and relentless curiosity have shaped his career, offering insights into creating 10x products, scaling startups, and understanding customer needs through direct engagement. The conversation also dives into: Lightyear’s mission to transform E...
Dec 11, 2024•45 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode of Riding Unicorns , James is joined by Matt Chandler , Principal at Octopus Ventures, one of Europe’s leading early-stage venture capital firms. Known for his focus on consumer tech, Matt shares his journey from aspiring oil painter to venture capitalist, weaving creativity into every step of his career. Matt discusses the unique dynamics at Octopus Ventures, including their thematic investment approach and their mission to back transformative startups across sectors like gaming...
Dec 04, 2024•54 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Sasha Kaletsky , Managing Partner at Creator Ventures, joins James Pringle on Riding Unicorns to discuss his journey into venture capital, the evolution of Creator Ventures, and the unique insights creators bring to consumer internet investing. In this episode, Sasha dives into: The transition from an investment club to a $20M fund Backing transformative startups like beehiiv , Praktika.ai , & ElevenLabs Leveraging creator expertise to navigate social media strategies and consumer trends The...
Nov 27, 2024•46 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Rory Sutherland, Vice Chairman of Ogilvy UK, joins James Pringle and Hector Mason on Riding Unicorns to delve into the fascinating intersection of behavioural science, marketing, and business strategy. With a career dedicated to understanding human decision-making, Rory shares his unique perspective on how psychological insights can unlock growth and create competitive advantages in today's business landscape. In this episode, Rory explores why even the most brilliant ideas can fail without...
Nov 20, 2024•53 min•Transcript available on Metacast Vidu Shanmugarajah is a Partner at GV (formerly Google Ventures), where he invests in transformative tech companies across Europe. In this episode of Riding Unicorns, Vidu joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to share his journey from corporate law to venture capital, highlighting how his unique background has shaped his approach to investing. Vidu discusses his atypical career path, starting as an M&A lawyer before transitioning to private equity and eventually venturing into tech as an ent...
Nov 13, 2024•49 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Edwina Johnson is the General Manager of MoneyGram Online International, responsible for overseeing the company’s digital consumer business outside of North America. In this episode of Riding Unicorns, Edwina joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to talk about her diverse career, ranging from working with startups to corporate roles, as well as her experience as an angel investor and startup advisor. Edwina shares her unique journey, beginning in digital media and advertising, co-founding an ad t...
Oct 30, 2024•44 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Paul Yacoubian is the Founder and CEO of Copy.ai, a company revolutionising the way businesses create marketing and sales copy by automating workflows with AI. Founded in 2020, Copy.ai initially helped distribute the value of GPT-3, but has since expanded to build an enterprise product streamlining go-to-market efforts for companies globally. In this episode, Paul joins hosts James Pringle and Hector Mason to discuss his journey from an accounting and hedge fund career to becoming a leading AI e...
Oct 16, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Charles Wells is the Founder and CEO of HelloSelf , a technology business focused on personalised psychological advice aimed at self-betterment. In this episode, Charlie joins hosts James Pringle and Hector Mason to discuss his eclectic career in marketing, charity, angel investing, and entrepreneurship, as well as the story behind HelloSelf. The business provides personalised online therapy designed to help people feel better, faster and stay better, longer, and Charlie shares how his near-deat...
Oct 02, 2024•51 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast Simon Mellin is the Founder and CEO of The Modern Milkman . Their business started as a local milkround inspired by David Attenborough's Blue Planet and the need to reduce plastic waste. In the space of a few short years, they've grown from four friends and a truck to a vast network of milkmen and women working tirelessly to reduce consumer waste. Their mobile tech supports their 'eco-warriors on earlies' by connecting them to their customers via online ordering and driver a...
Sep 25, 2024•43 min•Ep 2•Transcript available on Metacast David Jarvis is the Co-Founder and CEO of Griffin. Griffin puts the bank in Banking as a Service. They combine the secure, regulated infrastructure of a bank with the speed and power of modern software into one powerful full-stack BaaS platform. Their goal is to empower companies to embed banking into their products quickly and safely. With purpose-built APIs and an all-access developer sandbox, they’re helping customers build and launch payment platforms, financial wellness apps, client accou...
Sep 18, 2024•44 min•Ep 1•Transcript available on Metacast Mike Soutar worked in the media and entertainment industry since the mid-1980s, starting as a magazine journalist and editor before becoming a Publisher and Managing Director working across print, digital, and broadcast platforms in the UK and America. In 2000 Mike joined the Board of Britain’s largest magazine publisher, IPC, and was part of the Board team which sold that business to Time Warner. In 2006 Mike co-founded Shortlist Media, one of the fastest-growing media companies of the early 20...
Sep 04, 2024•54 min•Ep 15•Transcript available on Metacast George Henry is a General Partner at LocalGlobe. LocalGlobe is a venture capital firm that focuses on seed and impact investments. They have seeded impactful founders since 1999 at places like Citymapper, Improbable, Lovefilm, Moo, Wise, and Zoopla. They invest in startups selling to consumers, small businesses, and enterprises. They are lean, data-driven, and move fast in decision-making. They offer highly structured, collaborative support to investee companies, and have an excellent track reco...
Aug 28, 2024•49 min•Ep 14•Transcript available on Metacast Richard Anton is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Oxx . Oxx partners with the most promising European B2B software companies at the scale-up stage. As a specialist SaaS investor, Oxx provides each entrepreneur with a support system of unique specialist expertise and network, and a culture of unfaltering partnership and absolute conviction. The firm’s strategy is built around the concept of “Go-To-Market Fit”, developing a structure for thinking about how to build a repeatable, sustainable g...
Aug 07, 2024•44 min•Ep 13•Transcript available on Metacast Tim Creswick is the CEO and Founder of Vorboss . Vorboss is a dedicated fibre network and internet service purpose-built for the needs of London’s most demanding businesses. They are the only internet service provider that offers 10Gbps as a minimum—meaning that their network can cope with the demands of the most data-hungry businesses for the next decade and beyond. Tim joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to discuss infrastructure operations, significant business pivots, network security, &...
Jul 17, 2024•50 min•Ep 12•Transcript available on Metacast Oana Andreea Jinga is a CCO and Co-founder of Dexory . They develop robotics and AI logistics solutions to drive better business decisions. Through their DexoryView platform, they automate data collection and build real-time fed digital twin technology that unlocks insights across all levels of warehouse operations. Oana joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to discuss what problem Dexory solves, leaving Google to start Dexory, her view on humanoid robots, & so much more. Don't forget to...
Jul 03, 2024•42 min•Ep 11•Transcript available on Metacast Gareth Jefferies is a Partner at RTP Global , a global, early-stage venture capital firm, backing ambitious founders who are reshaping the world with technology. Their track record speaks for itself; over 110 investments worldwide, with one in 10 becoming multi-billion dollar companies including Datadog, DeliveryHero, and Cred. Gareth joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to share the skills to hone as a VC, common profiles of companies that became unicorns, intuition in investing, & so much ...
Jun 19, 2024•50 min•Ep 10•Transcript available on Metacast Akshat Goenka is a Partner at Moonfire . Enabling European entrepreneurs to dream big and execute fully on their bold ideas at the very earliest stages of their journeys is Moonfire’s passion and cause. Moonfire can help entrepreneurs at the very start of their journeys to create the right foundations to drive growth exponentially. Moonfire lights a fire within seed stage investing in Europe to help entrepreneurs grow their boundless ambition and burning creativity. In partnering with Moonfire, ...
Jun 05, 2024•53 min•Ep 9•Transcript available on Metacast Sam Ettelaie is the Co-Founder and CIO at Thema , Europe's strategic LP for emerging fund managers. They act as a strategic cornerstone limited partner, writing first tickets of up to £5m, offering operational and regulatory support. Sam joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to discuss building long-term defensibility, knowledge vs operational edge, Fund of Funds investing, & so much more. Don't forget to like, subscribe, and follow The Riding Unicorns Podcast on our socials and you...
May 22, 2024•44 min•Ep 8•Transcript available on Metacast Callum Taylor is the Head of ITV AdVentures Ignite , they are here to help startup and scaleup brands begin an ongoing journey into the exciting world of TV - not as simply a media owner, but as a business partner. Hosting some of the nation’s favorite shows and offering unrivaled reach, advertising on ITV will supercharge your brand's growth - unlocking new customers in the only medium that can give you the scale and gravitas to tell your brand’s story with impact. They’ll use their expert...
Apr 30, 2024•44 min•Ep 7•Transcript available on Metacast Johannes Weber is the Founding Partner at Ananda Impact Ventures , the leading impact venture capital fund with a pan-European investment remit, managing ca. €200 million in four Core Impact Funds, with backing from notable institutional and private investors. They back technology businesses committed to having a positive impact that answers the most pressing social and ecological challenges of our time, in a way that is both scalable and sustainable. The active portfolio includes NatureMetrics ...
Apr 10, 2024•43 min•Ep 6•Transcript available on Metacast Meri Beckwith is a Co-Founder at Lindus Health . Their mission is to accelerate clinical trials, so patients can benefit from new treatments sooner. They are an anti-CRO running radically faster, more reliable clinical trials for life science pioneers. They do this thanks to a commercial model that aligns incentives (fixed-priced quotes per study, with milestone-based payments), marrying a world-class clinical operations team with their unique software platform, and access to 30 million Electron...
Apr 03, 2024•44 min•Ep 5•Transcript available on Metacast Chrys Chrysanthou and Leila Zegna are General Partners at Kindred Capital . At Kindred, they align their ambitions and achievements with their portfolio - in structure and in spirit. Every entrepreneur they invest in becomes a co-owner of the fund and they call it ‘equitable venture’. They invest early and work with their community of founders and advisers to help founders get further, faster from the very beginning. Chrys and Leila join James Pringle and Hector Mason to share what it is like to...
Mar 06, 2024•52 min•Ep 4•Transcript available on Metacast Suranga Chandratillake is a General Partner at Balderton Capital ; a multistage venture firm with more than two decades of experience supporting Europe’s best founders from Seed to IPO. They have both early and growth funds and invest across the technology sector. Suranga joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to share strategies for creating new processes, the importance of establishing good relationships with investors, the Balderton Founder Wellbeing & Performance Platform, & so much mo...
Feb 21, 2024•43 min•Ep 3•Transcript available on Metacast 
