Spotlight Podcast Zypsy
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- Business
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Spotlight Podcast is a distilled collection of brand and company-building expertise from industry-leading founders and capital allocators, designed for other founders.
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Inside 2xN: Investing in quantum computing
In this episode, we talk to Kris Kaczmarek. He is an investor at 2xN, a quantum inspired early stage VC fund. The team at 2xN combines the resources you'd expect from big investors, with the personal dedicated support you get from angel investors.
Kris discusses the transition from academic research in quantum technologies to a business-focused role, emphasizing the challenges and rewards of this shift. He also shares his reasons for moving into venture capital with 2xN, highlighting his desire to have a broader impact on the quantum technology sector.
Subscribe to Zypsy Spotlight wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more useful insights on what the future of venture capital looks like.
Links & resources
Kris Kaczmarek’s Twitter and LinkedIn2xN’s Twitter and LinkedIn
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction
01:01 Kris Kaczmarek’s story
02:25 A family of academics
03:57 Practical applications of quantum computing
06:28 Theories of how the world works
09:11 CPUs, GPUs, and QPUs
10:38 Healthcare, cryptography, materials engineering
13:54 Exciting investments in quantum tech
15:45 Role of quantum computing in drug discovery and AI
17:22 Cryptography and quantum challenges
20:31 Challenges of investing in quantum tech
22:23 How 2xN help startups beyond funding -
Inside Everbloom: Creators are the new startups
In this episode, we talk to Brendan Alper. He is the co-founder of Everbloom, an investment platform that allows anyone to invest in creators. Since Everbloom was founded in 2020, they have helped some of the world's most talented creators grow their communities.
Brendan's journey from finance at Goldman Sachs to comedy writing, and eventually to entrepreneurship, positions him to understand the creative and business sides of the creator economy. He shares his transition from creating the dating app, Hater, to his appearance on Shark Tank, and finally his move to Stockholm to incubate Everbloom.
Subscribe to Zypsy Spotlight wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more useful insights on what the future of venture capital looks like.
Links & resources
Brendan’s LinkedIn and Twitter
Everbloom’s website, LinkedIn, and Twitter
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction
00:57 Brendan’s journey
03:26 Story of Everbloom
06:00 Re-imagining creator funding
09:33 A creator’s financial challenges
10:28 The accelerator program
12:37 Capital needs of creators
14:55 Partnering with big creators
17:24 Everbloom’s future -
Inside Zetta: The rise of AI-driven bio companies
In this episode, we talk to Dylan Reid. He is a partner at Zetta Venture Partners, the first VC firm exclusively focused on identifying and supporting AI-driven, B2B businesses in critical domains like biotechnology, climate technology, DevOps and cloud infrastructure, security, and more.
Dive into Dylan’s thoughts on the convergence of AI, biology, and business, understanding the evolution and future prospects of AI startups. He reflects on Zetta's dedication to fostering AI solutions, emphasizing the importance of practical AI applications in advancing biology and healthcare.
Subscribe to Zypsy Spotlight wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more useful insights on what the future of venture capital looks like.
Links & resources
Dylan’s LinkedIn and Twitter
Zetta Ventures website, LinkedIn, and Twitter
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction
01:00 Dylan’s journey
03:27 LLMs and biological data
05:54 Advancement of technology
09:55 Finding and interacting with biotech founders
13:47 The power and promise of data in drug discovery
20:24 The world of research investments and potential breakthroughs -
Inside Atomic: Great startups are built, not discovered
In this episode, we talk to Healey Cypher. He is the chief operating officer and partner at Atomic, an industry-leading venture studio behind a variety of fast-growing brands such as Hims and Hers, Bungalow, OpenStore, and BoomPop.
Tune in as Healy talks about Atomic's unique approach to startups - building rather than finding. With a firm belief that great startups are carefully built and not discovered, Atomic offers a fresh and insightful perspective on the journey from a startup's birth to its launch. Healey will also share his personal story of founding BoomPop, one of the companies incubated by Atomic.
Subscribe to Zypsy Spotlight wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more useful insights on what the future of venture capital looks like.
Links & resources
Healey’s personal website, LinkedIn and Twitter
BoomPop’s website, LinkedIn, and Twitter
Atomic’s website, LinkedIn, and Twitter
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction
01:24 Healey’s career journey
07:31 Atomic’s unique venture studio approach
15:02 True value of a company
17:55 Highs and lows of starting a business
22:23 The giver, the taker, and the matcher -
Inside Hydra Ventures: Scaling community-driven investing
In this episode, we talk to Peter Pan. He is the co-summoner of Hydra Ventures, the first fund of funds for investment DAOs. Before starting Hydra, Peter co-founded MetaCartel Ventures, the first live investment DAO that invests in pre-seed and seed crypto projects.
Peter takes us through his journey as the co-summoner of Hydra Ventures, the pioneering fund of funds DAO. He sheds light on the transition from traditionally centralized investment funds to a community-based approach, revealing the potential of aggregating deal flow and assessing investments as a collective.
Subscribe to Zypsy Spotlight wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more useful insights on what the future of venture capital looks like.
Links & resources
Follow Peter on LinkedIn or Twitter
1kx website, LinkedIn, and Twitter
Hydra Ventures website, LinkedIn, and Twitter
MetaCartel Ventures website and Twitter
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction
01:07 What is an Investment DAO?
05:55 Origin and inception of community driven investment
09:33 Journey of MetaCartel Ventures
10:42 Inspiration behind Hydra Ventures
12:13 Ideal form of investment DAOs in the future
13:36 Hydra’s mission and vision -
Inside Tribe Capital: Building a $1.6B Data-Driven Venture Capital
In this episode, we talk to Jonathan Hsu. He is the co-founder of Tribe Capital, a venture capital firm that focuses on using data science to get an edge in venture. Prior to establishing Tribe Capital, Jonathan was the one of the first members of Facebook's data science department.
Jonathan describes his journey from becoming Facebook's first data analyst to co-founding a data-driven venture capital firm, what product market fit accounting looks like, and Tribe Capital's unique approach when founders come to seek investment opportunities.
Subscribe to Zypsy Spotlight wherever you listen to podcasts to learn more useful insights on what the future of venture capital looks like.
Links & resources
Follow Jonathan on Twitter or LinkedIn
Tribe Capital’s LinkedIn page
Timestamp
00:00 Introduction
01:09 Jonathan’s experience
02:57 New accounting principle for startups
06:02 Quantitative approach to product market fit
08:52 Using the quantitative strategy with Docker
13:02 The history and evolution of accounting
18:16 Future of Tribe Capital