• E146: Interview with Hoolie Tejwani, Head of Coinbase Ventures
    Feb 20 2025

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    And now for this week’s prescription:

    On this week’s dose, we welcome Hoolie Tejwani, head of Coinbase Ventures, the investment arm backing startups that align with Coinbase’s mission of creating more economic freedom worldwide. We kick off with how Hoolie got connected to Coinbase (2:13) and the origins of Coinbase Ventures before diving into their investment thesis and mission (4:28). He shares insights on his approach to investing in potential competitors (6:40) and how the team sifts through the noise (8:10) in such a fast-moving industry.

    Next, we explore the synergies between AI and crypto (10:05), Hoolie’s perspective on meme coins (13:15), and how the new Trump administration (16:24) is shaping the regulatory landscape for both Coinbase and its portfolio companies. We also discuss Coinbase Ventures’ portfolio (19:02) and get an inside look at what it’s like working at a company that still operates with a startup mindset despite its massive scale (21:35). Finally, Hoolie shares his five-year predictions for crypto and AI (24:52), how he manages to stay up to date with everything happening in the space (26:59), and the best ways to follow along (28:42).

    Sources:

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/hoolietejwani/

    https://www.coinbase.com/ventures

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

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    30 mins
  • E145: 10 Person Unicorn, Fitness Rings, and xAI’s Massive Round
    Jan 30 2025

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    And now for this week’s prescription:

    On this week’s dose, we begin (1:42) with Gumloop, a startup that allows users to automate any workflow using AI without requiring any coding experience, hot off a $17M Series A. Next (10:13), we spotlight Oura, the pioneering sleep-tracking ring leveraging strategic partnerships to strengthen its position in the wearables market, fresh off a $200M Series D. Finally (17:22), we turn to xAI, Elon Musk’s contender in the AI arms race, breaking down their massive $6B Series C.

    Sources:

    https://www.gumloop.com/

    https://blog.gumloop.com/gumloops-17m-series-a/

    https://ouraring.com/

    https://www.fiercehealthcare.com/health-tech/oura-closes-200m-round-boosting-smart-ring-makers-valuation-52b

    https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/25/elon-musks-xai-lands-billions-in-new-cash-to-fuel-ai-ambitions/

    https://x.ai/blog/series-c

    https://pitchbook.com/news/reports/q3-2024-ai-ml-report

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en


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    32 mins
  • E144: Replacing Dr. Google, Robotic Forklifts, and Supersonic Passenger Planes
    Jan 16 2025

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    And now for this week’s prescription:

    On this week’s dose, we begin (1:33) with Roon, a digital health startup aiming to replace “Dr. Google” with trusted doctor-driven video content, fresh off a $15M Series A. Next (7:54), we spotlight Slip Robotics, the Atlanta-based innovator transforming logistics with its SlipBot Automated Loading Robot, and their $28M Series B. Finally (16:18), we turn to Boom Supersonic, the aerospace pioneer securing over $100M to fund "Symphony," its first supersonic jet engine prototype.

    Sources:

    https://www.roon.com/

    https://techcrunch.com/2024/11/26/roon-raises-15m-to-replace-dr-google-with-real-doctors-sharing-videos-about-illness-treatments/

    https://techpadi.africa/2024/11/nyc-based-health-guidance-platform-roon-secures-15m-in-series-a-funding/

    https://www.wect.com/2019/06/24/study-finds-us-citizens-turn-google-before-their-doctor/#:~:text=WILMINGTON%2C%20N.C.%20(WECT)%20%2D,before%20going%20to%20their%20doctor

    https://techfundingnews.com/roon-doses-up-on-15m-funding-to-replace-dr-google-with-expert-healthcare-answers/

    https://blog.roon.com/post/roons-next-chapter-one-step-closer-to-a-doctor-in-your-pocket-for-health

    https://www.sliprobotics.com/

    https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/17/slip-robotics-snags-28m-for-its-bots-that-can-load-a-truck-in-five-minutes/

    https://www.ourcrowd.com/startup/slip-robotics?utm_source=chatgpt.com

    https://boomsupersonic.com/

    https://viewfromthewing.com/rejected-by-the-industry-boom-supersonic-raises-100m-to-prove-critics-wrong-but-at-a-cost/

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

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    28 mins
  • E143: Peloton of Boxing, Microscopic Worm Brain AI, and Next Gen Investing Platform
    Dec 26 2024

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    And now for this week’s prescription:

    On this week’s dose, we start (1:52) with a breakdown of Growl, a connected fitness startup aiming to create the “Peloton of Boxing,” fresh off a $4.75M seed round. Next (12:38), we spotlight Liquid AI, a company taking a radically different approach to AI by modeling their technology on the brain of a worm rather than a human, backed by a $250M funding round. Finally (18:08), we wrap up with a deep dive into Public, a startup empowering users to invest smarter. What began as a social stock trading platform has evolved into an AI-enabled investment tool, fueled by their recent $135M Series D.

    Sources:

    https://www.joingrowl.com/

    https://techcrunch.com/2024/12/04/growl-is-building-the-peloton-of-boxing/

    https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Articles/2024/12/04/growl-funding

    https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2024/12/04/2991330/0/en/GROWL-Raises-4-75M-to-Launch-the-World-s-First-AI-Powered-Life-Sized-Interactive-Boxing-Fitness-Coach-for-the-Whole-Family.html

    https://www.liquid.ai/

    https://www.liquid.ai/blog/we-raised-250m-to-scale-capable-and-efficient-general-purpose-ai

    https://public.com/

    https://medium.com/the-public-blog/public-announces-135m-series-d-2-capital-raise-8eef9f33b2ad

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

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    30 mins
  • E142: Interview with Mike Panos, VP of Operations at SkyFi
    Dec 12 2024

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    On this week’s dose, we have Mike Panos, Vice President of Operations at SkyFi, an Earth intelligence platform providing user-friendly access to geospatial data for individuals, SMBs, enterprises, and government agencies. Mike kicks things off by sharing his impressive journey, including 10 years in the US Navy, earning an MBA from Harvard, and eventually joining SkyFi in Austin. From there, he dives into SkyFi’s mission to bridge the gap between the growing demand for geospatial data and satellite operators focused on government contracts. Mike also shares insights into SkyFi’s growth plans, how they fit into the expanding satellite and geospatial data industry, and teases some exciting upcoming developments for the team. We wrap up with valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the Pillgrim community.

    Sources:

    https://skyfi.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikepanos/

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

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    33 mins
  • E141: Interview with Sergey Gribov, Partner at Flint Capital
    Nov 28 2024

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    On this week’s dose, we have Sergey Gribov, Partner at Flint Capital, an early stage VC firm based out of Boston that invests in the greatest companies from the US, Israel, and Europe and helps them by being a bridge to the US market. Sergey kicks things off by sharing insights from his early career as employee #1 at Compugen, one of Israel’s pioneering startup success stories. He also offers a deep dive into the Israeli startup ecosystem, highlighting its unique attributes. From there, Sergey discusses what founders should prioritize when selecting investors and what he and the Flint Capital team look for in founding teams. Stay tuned for Sergey’s perspective on the AI space, how he assesses AI investment opportunities, and his vision for the future of the Israeli startup ecosystem. We wrap up with valuable advice for aspiring venture capitalists in our Pillgrims community.

    Sources:

    https://flintcap.com/

    https://www.linkedin.com/in/sgribov/

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

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    36 mins
  • E140: Cyber Scooters, Supplement Stacks, and Autonomous Ubers
    Nov 14 2024

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    And now for this week’s prescription:

    On this week’s dose, we start (1:46) with a breakdown on Infinite Machine, a startup designing high-performance electric scooters tailored for urban environments, which recently raised a $9.3M seed round.. Next (10:14), we spotlight SuppCo, an app designed to personalize and track users’ supplement “stacks,” supported by a $5.5M seed round. Lastly (20:40), we wrap up with a deepdive on Waymo, Alphabet’s autonomous vehicle robotaxi service, which secured a landmark $5.6B Series C round.

    Sources:

    https://www.infinitemachine.com/

    https://www.infinitemachine.com/newsroom/infinite-machine-raises-9-3m-in-seed-round-led-by-a16z-to-fuel-non-car-revolution

    https://supp.co/

    https://supp.co/about/beta

    https://waymo.com/

    https://waymo.com/blog/2024/10/investing-to-bring-the-waymo-driver-to-more-riders/

    https://www.cnbc.com/2024/10/25/alphabets-self-driving-unit-waymo-closes-5point6-billion-funding-round.html

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

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    32 mins
  • E139: Customer Support AI, Clinical Documentation AI, and Helicopter Ubers
    Oct 24 2024

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    Join our Entre Community

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    And now for this week’s prescription:

    On this week’s dose, we start (1:58) with a breakdown on Decagon, an enterprise AI platform revolutionizing customer support, following their $65M Series B. Next (9:28), we dive into Abridge, a startup using AI to automate clinical documentation, backed by a recent $250M funding round. Finally (20:11) , we wrap up with a deep dive on Joby, a company developing electric air taxis for commercial passenger service, and their additional $500M investment from Toyota.

    Sources:

    https://decagon.ai/blog/series-b

    https://www.abridge.com/

    https://techcrunch.com/2024/06/18/how-abridge-became-one-of-the-most-talked-about-healthcare-ai-startups/?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAALhF6BSj0lyZwC64cw-YB1qSaFwsl5fQBx9Q15snKLTn2J02SNzvontN6PVuSKRJiBNRZTx61UXxAzv1BC5UVLOBujaKES08ovmk859Z28za0j9HZNYL4GwEwzB-7hXaKMgjPJG1-M8ms6wXR2XcVdi1v32hX_3OaFoJBQ5VQlv0

    https://siliconangle.com/2024/10/11/healthcare-ai-startup-abridge-reportedly-raising-250m-2-5b-valuation/

    https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/digital-health/abridge-raising-250m-report.html

    https://www.jobyaviation.com/

    https://pressroom.toyota.com/toyota-to-invest-500-million-in-joby-aviation/

    Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

    https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

    Disclosure:


    The views, statements, and opinions, expressed herein by the hosts and guests are their own, and their appearance on the podcast should not be construed as reflecting the views or implied endorsement of Independent Brokerage Solutions LLC or any of its officers, employees, or agents. The statements made herein should not be considered an investment opinion, advice, or a recommendation regarding securities of any company. This podcast is produced solely for informational purposes and is not to be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a security.

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    29 mins