Business

High Stakes

Join seasoned investors and successful start-up founders as they weigh in on topics and trends currently dominating the venture capital space. Each episode brings together a founder and an investor to provoke a deepened understanding of the topic at hand. If you want to learn about how early-stage venture capital investing works, this show is for you.

Latest Episodes:

Raising VC Funding in 2023 May 19, 2023

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This episode is about how, when, why, and who to raise VC money from in 2023. With the explosion and confusion around AI technology enhancements, and the devastation of VC bank failures like SVB, First Republic – Many investors are sitting on the sidelines and the fundraising environment has changed materially. We’ll talk about how investors are navigating this, how founders should approach their fundraises, and tips for breaking through with a successful deal. Hear from 2 founder/CEOs with recent exits under their belts who have sat on both sides of the table as an investor and a founder.

The Future of Communications & Influence Leveraging Generative AI May 05, 2023

Show notes

This episode will cover the latest trends VCs need to know about how technology and regulatory changes will impact our ability to effectively communicate and influence. Think digital advertising, stakeholder decision making, company alignment, engagement, and productivity. We’ll dig in on two of the latest digital platforms taking advantage of these changes (AxiosHQ & Applecart) directly from their founder/CEOs.

Digital Credentialing and Cybersecurity VC Trends Apr 21, 2023

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This episode is about trends in digital credentialing, cyber security, and Web3 that are making headways in public-private sector pilots, projects, and operational business models. We will discuss federal, state, and provincial government policy, standards, legislation, and initiatives. We will also discuss the public benefit component of venture-backed investment in interoperable digital credentialing through commercial open-source software and open standards communities. Learn from 2 investor/founder/CEOs who are currently living and breathing these topics as leaders of a startup that is a leading developer of trusted digital ecosystems.

2023 Trends In Mediatech & What Investors Are Looking For Apr 07, 2023

Show notes

This episode is about the venture-backed mediatech space: Upcoming trends, today’s most scalable business models, the impacts of changing advertising regulation, and how these companies are using AI. We’ll also talk about how to employ mediatech in your own businesses from 2 experienced early-stage investors and one venture-backed mediatech CEO/founder.

SVB Part 2 – Impacts on The Venture Ecosystem (featuring Mark Schacknies) Mar 24, 2023

Show notes

This episode is a deeper dive into the latest developments of SVB & how they impact the VC ecosystem, access to capital, regulatory policy, and the future of how the banking world operates. We will also talk about how risk is getting repriced, the major transition away from easy money, why that’s a good thing, and what to watch out for from a fintech VC investor and a 2x founder/CEO.

Understanding Cash Flow For VC-Backed Companies & The Impacts of SVB’s Collapse (featuring Rich Leggett & Manu Smadja) Mar 16, 2023

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This episode is about how VC investors evaluate cash flow & tips for when and how founders should make cuts in the current cash crunch environment. We will discuss burn, runway, RIFs, revenue reinvention and how to remain “default alive” from 2 founder/CEOs who have been through it and survived. We’ll also briefly discuss the impacts of SVB’s collapse on access to venture capital and debt.

What Makes a Great Founder & How We Diligence Them (featuring Julian Ha & Areo Nazari) Mar 03, 2023

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This episode is about what makes a great founder and how investors evaluate founders and founding teams. We will discuss early indicators of a strong founder, the personality traits, perspectives, and abilities of strong founders, as well as how to evaluate and diligence a founder, red flags, and anecdotes from times when we read the signs right and wrong.

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