Riding Unicorns: Venture Capital | Entrepreneurship | Technology
235 episodes - English - Latest episode: 9 days ago - ★★★★★ - 1 ratingRiding Unicorns is the podcast about venture capital and growth startups. The show is co-hosted by two Venture Capitalists, James Pringle and Hector Mason. The show delves into the operational aspects of building successful tech unicorns, featuring interviews with top-notch founders and investors in the venture space. Whether you are a founder, VC, angel investor or just curious about the space, each episode is unique and goes into different topics related to tech and venture so we hope you enjoy it and take away something useful.
Homepage Apple Podcasts Google Podcasts Overcast Castro Pocket Casts RSS feed
Episodes
S2E12 - Sitar Teli, Managing Partner @ Connect Ventures
August 18, 2021 06:00 - 40 minutes - 28 MBSitar Teli is a founder and Managing Partner at Connect Ventures, a thesis-led, pan-European, seed stage VC. With over 14 years experience in early-stage investments in both consumer and B2B companies, Sitar has become an expert on growth, culture, building high performance teams and finance strategy. Most notably Sitar led the Series A round for SoundCloud when working for Doughty Hanson Technology Ventures. The product and design specialist sat down with Riding Unicorns to discuss how sh...
S2E11 - Simon Franks, ex-Founder @ LOVEFiLM, Partner @ Redbus
August 11, 2021 06:00 - 44 minutes - 30.8 MBSimon Franks is a partner at Venture Capital and Private Equity firm, Redbus. Simon however is perhaps best known for co-founding LoveFILM, which during its time was one of the biggest names in film rental. After the company had reached two million subscribers it was sold to Amazon In 2011 for £200m. Simon has spent much of the proceeding years focusing on philanthropy. Through his work at the Franks Family Foundation he is able to provide mentorship to charitable organisations to help them ...
RU Monthly Round Up: July 2021
August 06, 2021 06:00 - 25 minutes - 17.2 MBThe second of our monthly round up episodes. We discuss our favourite episodes in July as well as the World becoming a more competitive, the Square acquisition of Australian FinTech Afterpay and what's going on in the B2B space... hint "Data Is The New Oil".
S2E10 - David Semmens, Chief Investment Officer @ Wealthify
August 04, 2021 06:00 - 29 minutes - 20.5 MBDavid Semmens is the Chief Investment Officer at leading UK digital wealth management service, Wealthify. David has experience working across a number of industries covering banking, insurance and asset management and has worked for world renowned financial institutions such HSBC Asset Management, Euler Hermes and Standard Chartered Bank. David has gained a reputation as the go-to person for anyone looking to improve their financial literacy and become an investor. The multi-asset investme...
S2E9 - James Hind, Founder & CEO @ carwow
July 28, 2021 06:00 - 31 minutes - 21.9 MBJames Hind is the Founder and CEO of Carwow, one of the most popular platforms for buying new and used cars in the UK. James studied Finance, which led him into the corporate world, however it was not long before he realised that the only was he was going to be fulfilled professionally was if he went it alone. After working as a ski guide for a few months James went ahead and launched carwow in 2011 with the mission of helping people choose and buy the best car. Since then carwow has grown t...
S2E8 - Eamonn Carey, Managing Director @ Techstars
July 21, 2021 06:00 - 42 minutes - 28.9 MBEamonn Carey is the Managing Director at Techstars, a global platform that connects entrepreneurs, investors and corporations. Away from Techstars Eamonn also operates as an Angel Investor, which has seen him invest in over 50 companies. His expertise and knowledge has seen him invited to speak at conferences all around the world including Web Summit, Collision, SXSW and Mobile World Congress as well as many more. James and Hector sat down with the former journalist to discuss his transiti...
S2E7 - Harry Franks, Co-Founder @ Zego
July 15, 2021 06:00 - 30 minutes - 21.2 MBHarry Franks is the co-Founder of Zego, a tech enabled insurance intermediary, servicing commercial customers in the modern world. The company was launched in 2016 and now employs over 60 people spread across both London and Madrid. Much of Zego’s growth is due in part to Harrys high-level understanding of how to build partnerships with leading companies in the on-demand space and within the insurance sector. In this episode the guys discuss the challenges of entrepreneurship, what it is l...
RU Monthly Round Up: June 2021
July 13, 2021 07:00 - 37 minutes - 25.8 MBThis is the first of our new monthly series where Hector and James discuss what's going on in the world of venture and startups, take a look back at the last month's episodes and talk through what's going on at their firms.
S2E6 - Jean Nehme, Founder & CEO @ Touch Surgery
July 07, 2021 06:00 - 17 minutes - 12.2 MBJean Nehme is the founder & CEO of Touch Surgery, a health tech company shaping the future of surgery through the convergence of surgical expertise and technology. Jean, a trained surgeon, founded Touch Surgery in 2010, in a bid to offer patients educational surgical simulations for more than 200 procedures in 17 specialties. The company was acquired by Medtronic in 2020 but Jean’s continues to be at the centre of the healthtech boom and was even recently involved in a new SPAC. Jean sat d...
S2E5 - Matthew Ford, Partner @ Mouro Capital
June 30, 2021 06:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBMatthew Ford is a Partner at Global FinTech Investment Firm, Mouro Capital. Matthew and his team manage over $400M assets that targets early to growth fintech investment opportunities across Europe, North America and Latin America. Prior to Mouro Capital Matthew worked as the Chief Product Officer at Tandem Bank. Matthew joined James and Hector to discuss his transition from working in operations to becoming a VC, the empathy he has for prospective founders and the trends that Matthew expe...
S2E4 - Laurence Krieger, CEO @ Tide UK
June 23, 2021 06:00 - 37 minutes - 25.5 MBLaurence Krieger is the CEO of Tide, the leading provider of UK SME business accounts and one of the fastest-growing FinTechs in the UK. With over 12 years of experience working in senior roles at fast-growing fintech start-ups Laurence has played a huge role in shaping the industry that we see today. Prior to Tide Laurence launched one of the first prepaid cards into the UK with Moneysupermarket and before joining working at Revolut as its COO. In this episode we hear about Lawrence's car...
S2E3 - Sam Louis, Investor @ AIV Capital
June 16, 2021 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.6 MBSam Louis is an Investor at Venture Capital and Private Equity firm, AIV Capital. Having worked for a wide range of companies, including Angel Investment Network, BrickTribe, SeedTribe Sam has a good idea of the inner workings of the whole entire funding ecosystem and as such has developed a deep understanding over what makes a good founder. Riding Unicorns invited Sam on the show to mull over the topics of what impact investing means to him, how he is able to source great deal flow and th...
S2E3 - Sam Louis @ AIV Capital
June 16, 2021 06:00 - 19 minutes - 13.5 MBSam Louis has worked across the funding ecosystem with Angel Investment Network, BrickTribe, SeedTribe and now AIV Capital. Funding companies from pre-seed up to pre-IPO. We cover funding, impact investing and he picks 3 great guests for his business lunch.
S2E2 - Juliette Souliman @ MMC Ventures
June 09, 2021 06:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBGreat episode as Juliette, Hector and James discuss the two sides of investing and operating. What founder characteristics VC's look for? What's is all the Blockchain buzz? And why founders need to paint a big vision when talking to investors.
S2E2 - Juliette Souliman, VC Investor @ MMC Ventures
June 09, 2021 06:00 - 24 minutes - 17.1 MBJuliette Souliman is a VC Investor at MMC Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in early stage, high-growth UK companies. Juliette is well regarded for her expertise in fintech, insurtech and the blockchain. Away from MMC Julliette is also the co-founder of Ground Floor Ventures, a European and US business angel network focusing on pre-seed venture deals. Juliette, Hector and James sat down and discussed the two sides of investing and operating, what characteristics she looks out for i...
S2E1 - Rachel Carrell, CEO @ Koru Kids
June 02, 2021 06:00 - 37 minutes - 25.7 MBRachel Carrell is the Founder and CEO of private childcare provider, Koru Kids, Originally from New Zealand Rachel moved to London and soon realised after having a baby just how difficult it was to arrange good quality childcare in the capital. She therefore decided to launch Koru Kids to help parents find the right childcare to suit their needs. Prior to Koru Kids Rachel worked at McKinsey. In this season 2 opener, James is not only joined by Rachel but also our new co-host, Hector Mason,...
S2E1 - Rachel Carrell, Founder & CEO @ Koru Kids
June 02, 2021 06:00 - 36 minutes - 24.8 MBRachel Carrell is the Founder and CEO of private childcare provider, Koru Kids, Originally from New Zealand Rachel moved to London and soon realised after having a baby just how difficult it was to arrange good quality childcare in the capital. She therefore decided to launch Koru Kids to help parents find the right childcare to suit their needs. Prior to Koru Kids Rachel worked at McKinsey. In this season 2 opener, James is not only joined by Rachel but also our new co-host, Hector Mason,...
S2E1 - Rachel Carrell @ Koru Kids
June 02, 2021 06:00 - 35 minutes - 24.6 MBWe are back and this time we have Hector Mason as co-host! In our first episode of Season 2 we interview Rachel Carrell, the Founder and CEO of Koru Kids. We also introduce our new feature Startup Spotlight with Apex Rides - the British connected fitness bike company.
Riding Unicorns - Season 2 Trailer
May 19, 2021 09:00 - 1 minute - 841 KBWelcome back to Riding Unicorns as we usher in Season 2 with more guests and more insight into the world of startups and VC. We are also delighted to welcome Hector Mason, Partner @ Episode 1 Ventures as our new co-host.
Episode 20 - Hector McNeil @ HANetf
February 23, 2021 07:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBHector McNeil, Co-CEO at HANetf has founded 4 of Europe's leading ETF businesses. His latest business, HANetf has over $2bn assets under management. There has been an explosion in retail investment as trading platforms appear on more and more peoples phones but how much understanding is there on the benefits of passive investment via Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs)? We discuss the power of the ETF for investors looking to tap into thematic trends.
S1E20 - Hector McNeil @ HANetf
February 23, 2021 07:00 - 27 minutes - 19.1 MBHector McNeil is Founder and Co-CEO at ETF business, HANetf. The company is Europe’s first independent white label ETF platform and has over $2bn assets under its management. Hector is considered a veteran of the EFT space after having played a huge role in establishing Susquehanna’s ETF desk in Europe as head of business development. His work has been recognised several times, most recently by being included in the ETF Stream ‘30 Index’. In this, the last final episode of season 2, Hector ...
S1E20 - Hector McNeil, Founder & Co-CEO @ HANetf
February 23, 2021 07:00 - 26 minutes - 18.1 MBHector McNeil is Founder and Co-CEO at ETF business, HANetf. The company is Europe’s first independent white label ETF platform and has over $2bn assets under its management. Hector is considered a veteran of the EFT space after having played a huge role in establishing Susquehanna’s ETF desk in Europe as head of business development. His work has been recognised several times, most recently by being included in the ETF Stream ‘30 Index’. In this, the last final episode of season 2, Hector ...
S1E19 - Chad West, Director of Global Marketing & Communications @ Revolut
February 17, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 20.8 MBChad West is Director of Global Marketing & Communications at British unicorn, Revolut. The Fintech startup has acquired over 3.5 million customers in three years and was recently valued at over $1.7B making it one of the most revered British companies in recent years. Prior to Revolut Chad worked in Marketing and Communications at VC, Rocket Internet. During the episode Chad discusses his time working for Rocket Internet, becoming one of the first employees at Revolut and how the company ...
S1E19 - Chad West @ Revolut
February 17, 2021 10:00 - 31 minutes - 21.7 MBChad West is Director of Global Marketing & Communications at British unicorn, Revolut. The Fintech startup has acquired over 3.5 million customers in three years and was recently valued at over $1.7B making it one of the most revered British companies in recent years. Prior to Revolut Chad worked in Marketing and Communications at VC, Rocket Internet. During the episode Chad discusses his time working for Rocket Internet, becoming one of the first employees at Revolut and how the company ...
Episode 19 - Chad West @ Revolut
February 17, 2021 10:00 - 30 minutes - 20.7 MBChad discusses working for Rocket Internet and then being one of the earliest employees at Revolut. Chad explains how the Revolut founders conveyed their passion and vision straight away and how Revolut has scaled to 15m users and become a winner be executing with speed.
S1E18 - Carlos Eduardo Espinal, Managing Partner @ Seedcamp
February 10, 2021 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBCarlos Eduardo Espinal is the Managing Partner at Seedcamp, a European seed fund investing in early stage startups. To date Seedcamp has backed over 400 companies, 6 of whom went on to become unicorns. Carlos is one of the most experienced investors in Europe having worked at numerous high profile companies before joining Seedcamp in 2010. Carlos dropped by to talk about how Seedcamp started, how and why they invested in Hopin before lockdown and what gives Europe the edge when it comes to ...
S1E18 - Carlos Eduardo Espinal @ Seedcamp
February 10, 2021 07:00 - 26 minutes - 18.4 MBCarlos Eduardo Espinal is the Managing Partner at Seedcamp, a European seed fund investing in early stage startups. To date Seedcamp has backed over 400 companies, 6 of whom went on to become unicorns. Carlos is one of the most experienced investors in Europe having worked at numerous high profile companies before joining Seedcamp in 2010. Carlos dropped by to talk about how Seedcamp started, how and why they invested in Hopin before lockdown and what gives Europe the edge when it comes to ...
Episode 18 - Carlos Eduardo Espinal @ Seedcamp
February 10, 2021 07:00 - 25 minutes - 17.5 MBCarlos is one of the most experienced investors in Europe. We talk to him about how Seedcamp started, how they invested in Hopin before lockdown and Europe's edge in FinTech and Privacy.
Episode 17 - Roisin Levine @ Flux
February 03, 2021 09:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBRoisin Levine is Head of Banks at Flux. Flux is an API for receipt data. They deliver fully itemised digital receipts, payment-linked loyalty and personalised offers into banking apps. Roisin tells her Riding Unicorns story working at fast-growing companies such as Uswitch, Zoopla, Funding Options and now Flux.
S1E17 - Roisin Levine, Head of Banks @ Flux
February 03, 2021 09:00 - 19 minutes - 13.2 MBRoisin Levine is the Head of Banks at one of the UK’s leading fintech companies, Flux. The online banking app provides fully itemised digital receipts into banking apps for the likes of Barclays, Monzo and Starling and many more. Roisin has experienced a meteoric ascension in the space which has seen her crowned winner of the Rising Star in Women in Fintech Award an incredible three times. In this episode Roisin stops by Riding Unicorns to tell her story, explain what it's like working for...
S1E17 - Roisin Levine @ Flux
February 03, 2021 09:00 - 20 minutes - 14.2 MBRoisin Levine is the Head of Banks at one of the UK’s leading fintech companies, Flux. The online banking app provides fully itemised digital receipts into banking apps for the likes of Barclays, Monzo and Starling and many more. Roisin has experienced a meteoric ascension in the space which has seen her crowned winner of the Rising Star in Women in Fintech Award an incredible three times. In this episode Roisin stops by Riding Unicorns to tell her story, explain what it's like working for...
S1E16 - David Wascha @ Zoopla & Kindred Capital
January 26, 2021 20:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBDavid Wascha is the Chief Product and Technology Officer at Zoopla and also a Product Adviser at Kindred Capital. David is, as he describes on his official website, “a product guy at heart.” In fact David has dedicated his entire career to becoming an expert in this field and his tremendous knowledge in the space has seen him work at numerous successful tech companies including Microsoft, Moo.com and Photobox. In this Riding Unicorn episode David discusses his career, what he is most excit...
Episode 16 - David Wascha @ Zoopla & Kindred Capital
January 26, 2021 20:00 - 25 minutes - 17.3 MBDavid Wascha is Chief Product and Technology Officer at Zoopla and the Product Adviser at Kindred Capital. David has worked at numerous successful tech companies including Microsoft, Moo.com and Photobox. We discuss his career, what's exciting in PropTech and the unique model at Kindred Capital.
S1E15 - Jasper Martens, Chief Marketing Officer @ PensionBee
January 20, 2021 07:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBJasper Martens is the Chief Marketing Officer at leading online pension provider, PensionBee. Jasper is an award winning marketing professional with over 15 years of client side experience. Prior to joining PensionBee, Jasper worked at Simply Business, bringing business insurance to SMEs online. James and Jasper came together to discuss his rise as a marketer, how he helped grow PensionBee from a team of 5 to being on the verge of an IPO and what his plans are for the future of the company....
Episode 15 - Jasper Martens @ PensionBee
January 20, 2021 07:00 - 21 minutes - 14.5 MBJasper Martens, CMO @ PensionBee discusses his rise as a marketer and helping to grow PensionBee from a team of 5 to the verge of an IPO on the London Stock Exchange.
S1E15 - Jasper Martens @ PensionBee
January 20, 2021 07:00 - 22 minutes - 15.5 MBJasper Martens is the Chief Marketing Officer at leading online pension provider, PensionBee. Jasper is an award winning marketing professional with over 15 years of client side experience. Prior to joining PensionBee, Jasper worked at Simply Business, bringing business insurance to SMEs online. James and Jasper came together to discuss his rise as a marketer, how he helped grow PensionBee from a team of 5 to being on the verge of an IPO and what his plans are for the future of the company....
S1E14 - Harry Hugo, Co-founder @ The Goat Agency
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBHarry Hugo is the co-founder of award winning global influencer agency, The Goat Agency. Operating across international offices and with over 200 employees, The Goat Agency is the world’s fastest growing influencer marketing agency. Since its launch seven years ago the company has achieved great acclaim having worked on huge campaigns for the likes of Lidl, British Airways, New Look and Chelsea FC. Currently working as Chief Campaign Officer Harry oversees campaign success, ensuring that KPI...
Episode 14 - Harry Hugo @ The Goat Agency
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 37 minutes - 25.9 MBHarry Hugo, Co-Founder of the world's fastest-growing influencer marketing agency, The Goat Agency joins us to talk about surviving and thriving in COVID, what it takes to found a high growth company and the pros and cons of the top social platforms for influencer marketing purposes.
S1E14 - Harry Hugo @ The Goat Agency
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBHarry Hugo is the co-founder of award winning global influencer agency, The Goat Agency. Operating across international offices and with over 200 employees, The Goat Agency is the world’s fastest growing influencer marketing agency. Since its launch seven years ago the company has achieved great acclaim having worked on huge campaigns for the likes of Lidl, British Airways, New Look and Chelsea FC. Currently working as Chief Campaign Officer Harry oversees campaign success, ensuring that KPI...
S1E14 - Harry Hugo, co-founder @ The Goat Agency
January 13, 2021 07:00 - 39 minutes - 26.9 MBHarry Hugo is the co-founder of award winning global influencer agency, The Goat Agency. Operating across international offices and with over 200 employees, The Goat Agency is the world’s fastest growing influencer marketing agency. Since its launch seven years ago the company has achieved great acclaim having worked on huge campaigns for the likes of Lidl, British Airways, New Look and Chelsea FC. Currently working as Chief Campaign Officer Harry oversees campaign success, ensuring that KPI...
S1E13 - Rikke Rosenlund @ Borrow My Doggy
January 06, 2021 07:00 - 21 minutes - 15 MBRikke Rosenlund is the Founder and CEO of online platform Borrow My Doggy. Much of Rikke’s career was spent working in financial services and entrepreneurship. It was only in 2012, following her own experience of dog sitting for a friend, that she decided to launch the company to help connect dog owners with trusted local dog walkers and carers. 10 years on the brand has established a reputation as the premier dog sitting service in the UK. Rikke popped by to discuss how she went from stud...
Episode 13 - Rikke Rosenlund @ Borrow My Doggy
January 06, 2021 07:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBRikke discusses how she when from doing an Insead MBA to American Express to starting Borrow My Doggy. Good lessons for new founders in there - especially about talking to your customers and doing things that don't scale to validate the idea.
S1E13 - Rikke Rosenlund, Founder & CEO @ Borrow My Doggy
January 06, 2021 07:00 - 20 minutes - 14 MBRikke Rosenlund is the Founder and CEO of online platform Borrow My Doggy. Much of Rikke’s career was spent working in financial services and entrepreneurship. It was only in 2012, following her own experience of dog sitting for a friend, that she decided to launch the company to help connect dog owners with trusted local dog walkers and carers. 10 years on the brand has established a reputation as the premier dog sitting service in the UK. Rikke popped by to discuss how she went from stud...
S1E12 - Natasha Thomas, co-founder @ Lockdown Liquor
December 22, 2020 08:55 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBNatasha Thomas is the co-founder of premium blended cocktail company, Lockdown Liquor. Launched at the beginning of the pandemic by Natasha and her husband Jack Durling the brand has already been able to shift more than 10,000 units since April 2020. Natasha works on the brand alongside her other venture she founded, Total Management, a leading global event, travel and experiences group. In this episode Natasha tells us the story behind how she and her husband started Lockdown Liquor and h...
S1E12 - Natasha Thomas @ Lockdown Liquor
December 22, 2020 08:55 - 28 minutes - 19.3 MBNatasha Thomas is the co-founder of premium blended cocktail company, Lockdown Liquor. Launched at the beginning of the pandemic by Natasha and her husband Jack Durling the brand has already been able to shift more than 10,000 units since April 2020. Natasha works on the brand alongside her other venture she founded, Total Management, a leading global event, travel and experiences group. In this episode Natasha tells us the story behind how she and her husband started Lockdown Liquor and h...
Episode 12 - Natasha Thomas @ Lockdown Liquor
December 22, 2020 08:55 - 26 minutes - 18.3 MBDid you think about starting a business during lockdown? Natasha tells the story about how she and her husband started Lockdown Liquor and grew it into a category leader in pre-blended cocktails.
S1E11 - Lucas London @ Lick Home
December 21, 2020 13:09 - 21 minutes - 14.9 MBLucas London is the co-founder & CEO at the UK’s fastest-growing home decor startup, Lick London. The brand is revolutionising the interiors sector with their unique community-driven ethos, content-rich approach and high-touch quality support. Lucas started out in investment banking before going on to cut his teeth at a host of tech startups. In 2020 Lucas and his fellow co-founder Sam Bradley launched Lick Home and it has quickly grown to become one of the most desirable home decor brands. ...
Episode 11 - Lucas London @ Lick Home
December 21, 2020 13:09 - 20 minutes - 13.9 MBLucas escaped investment banking, cut his teeth at other tech startups and launched Lick Home which has quickly grown to over 25 staff and is the brand to watch in the home decor space.
S1E11 - Lucas London, co-founder & CEO @ Lick Home
December 21, 2020 13:09 - 20 minutes - 14 MBLucas London is the co-founder & CEO at the UK’s fastest-growing home decor startup, Lick London. The brand is revolutionising the interiors sector with their unique community-driven ethos, content-rich approach and high-touch quality support. Lucas started out in investment banking before going on to cut his teeth at a host of tech startups. In 2020 Lucas and his fellow co-founder Sam Bradley launched Lick Home and it has quickly grown to become one of the most desirable home decor brands. ...
S1E10 - Mustafa Khanbhai formerly @ Mars, Virgin and Uber
December 16, 2020 08:29 - 30 minutes - 21 MBMustafa Khanbhai is a Venture Partner at Seamlessly, a VC looking to help companies launch, source & scale sustainably. Mustafa for his part is an experienced corporate development and business leader. Prior to joining Seamlessly Mustafa worked at Uber and helped it grow to the business powerhouse we know it to be today. Elsewhere Mustafa spent 5 years at Virgin helping them launch businesses within the Health Care, Financial Services and Consumer Technical Support sectors. The LSE alumni s...