New VC Unfiltered Episode — Live from Lightning Round VI

In this exciting episode of VC Unfiltered, recorded live at Lightning Round VI, we bring five standout consumer founders redefining their categories.

Shiki Wrap is bringing sustainability to gifting with reusable wraps and bags designed for a circular economy. Dirty Virgin is shaking up beverage culture with unapologetically bold nonalcoholic cocktails crafted for those who want purity with personality. Painless Picasso delivers comforting creams and soothing solutions built around simple self-care. Sugar Wood, a dessert brand from New York City, blends playful identity with premium treats. And PerDiem is reimagining jewelry for the twenty-first century with a modern approach to craft, design, and everyday wear.

Whether you're a founder, investor, or just curious about the future of innovation, this episode is packed with insights you won't want to miss.

Listen to VC Unfiltered on YouTube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your pods!

0:30 - Panel
46:50 - Shiki Wrap
58:20 - Dirty Virgin
1:07:13 - PerDiem
1:15:28 - Painless Picasso
1:22:00 - Sugar Wood

#DTC #CPG #vc

In this exciting episode of VC Unfiltered, recorded live at Lightning Round V, we bring you the forefront of innovation with five elite startups showcasing their groundbreaking technologies.

From the transformative potential of aluminum batteries by Zenthos Energy to the promise of level five autonomous driving by Niebla AI, these visionary founders are redefining the future.

Dive into the world of legal tech with Aparti's operational system for family law, explore the compact quantum and photonic AI systems by Phaseshift, and discover Avocado Health's mission to revolutionize parenting support.

Featuring expert insights from industry leaders like Howard Wright of NVIDIA, Howard Ko of Morpheus Ventures, and Lucas J. Pols of Pegasus, this episode delivers both inspiration and cutting-edge ideas. Stick around for the high-stakes pitch showdown to see which startup claims the top prize!

0:00 - VC Panel
57:09 - Zenthos Energy Pitch
1:07:36 - Aparti Pitch
1:17:14 - Phaseshift
1:28:18 - Avocado Health
1:41:00 - Niebla AI
1:53:56 - Winner Announcement

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#ai #startup #venturecapital

In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with Howie Diamond from Pure Ventures. Discover unique investment strategies, the balance between consumer and frontier tech, and the importance of founder wellness.

Howie shares his journey from solo GP to building Pure Ventures, offering insights and stories that are both enlightening and inspiring. Tune in for a candid conversation that uncovers the realities of venture capital and the human side of entrepreneurship.

Chapters

00:51 The Reality of Venture Capital
04:57 Investment Strategies in Venture Capital
09:43 Consumer vs. Frontier Tech Investments
14:54 The Importance of Founder Wellness
19:35 Building a Supportive Ecosystem for Founders
24:35 The Journey from Solo GP to Partnership


Subscribe on Spotify:
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Subscribe on Apple Podcasts:
https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc-unfiltered/id1756379899

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#venturecapital #startup #vc

In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with John Tabis — founder of The Bouqs Company and Partner & Head of Launchpad at M13. Together, they unpack what really makes a venture studio succeed, why founders must sometimes ignore customers, and how a flower company accidentally created a high-margin hit with... vases.

John pulls back the curtain on how M13’s venture studio operates like a startup Petri dish — rapidly testing, iterating, and validating ideas. He reflects on nearly sinking Bouqs by underestimating infrastructure needs, and shares one of the hardest lessons in leadership: “If they’re neutral, they’ve gotta go.”

0:25 Guest Introduction: John Tabis from M13 Venture Studio
1:09 Overview of M13's Venture Studio Model and Evolution
3:17 Ownership Structures and the Founder-Led Approach
5:21 Differentiation from Traditional Venture Studios
8:16 Lessons from Running Bouq: The Journey and Core Insights
11:01 The Importance of Tech as a Core Competency
12:00 Company Building vs. Product Building
13:42 Culture, Team Dynamics, and Leadership Lessons
15:03 Sorting Through Advice and Staying True to Vision
18:06 What M13 Looks for in Founders and Startups
20:26 The Value of Go-To-Market Strategy in Early-Stage Ventures
23:37 Building Traction and Accelerating the J-Curve
25:55 Evolving Customer Discovery: Theory vs. Real-World Practice
28:56 Case Study: Subscription Models and Real Customer Feedback
30:45 Vases Revisited: Listening to Customers vs. Trusting Instincts
31:28 Closing Remarks and Appreciation for the Guest

Is the power law dead for climate startups? Should VCs stop chasing unicorns and start funding real impact? In this thought-provoking episode, Lucas J Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with Gaby Darbyshire, General Partner at Dangerous Ventures, to unpack how climate venture capital is shifting — and why that’s a good thing.

Gaby shares her journey from nuclear energy law to climate VC, and explains how her fund backs startups solving climate problems at the root — from precision agriculture to grid resilience. They dive deep into what defines a successful climate startup, how to balance profit with planet, and why not every company should chase the next billion-dollar valuation.

0:27 Introduction to the Episode and Guest
0:52 Gabby’s Background and Climate Resilience Focus
1:46 Challenges and Opportunities in Climate Tech Investing
2:38 Early Investment Failures and Evolution of Climate Attitudes
4:16 The Growing Scope of Climate as a Category
6:08 Climate-Focused Software Startups and Market Experiments
7:23 The Reality of Venture Failures and Learning from Iteration
7:53 Balancing Impact and Returns in Climate Startups
8:49 Defining Impact Without Being Concessionary
10:52 LP Expectations vs Founder Aspirations in Climate VC
11:32 Rethinking the Power Law in Climate Venture Capital
13:25 Fund Size, Exit Strategy, and Mid-Market Opportunities
14:34 Venture Math and the Case for Emerging Managers
17:06 Long-Term Value and Challenges in Regulated Industries
17:19 Case Study: Verdi and Agricultural Water Conservation
20:27 Valuation Challenges and Early-Stage Investment Strategy
21:35 The Fallout of 2021 Valuations and Founder Misconceptions
22:53 Founder Advice: Ownership, Dilution, and Sustainable Growth
23:27 Nuclear Power's Resurgence and Public Perception
24:20 Gabby’s Nuclear Facility Experience and Risk Perspective
26:57 Investing in Nuclear-Adjacent Technologies
27:25 Energy Transition and the Role of Fossil Fuels
28:09 Cars, Carbon Capture, and Energy Efficiency
28:58 The Promise of Clean Energy and Fusion Potential
29:27 Government Regulation and Corporate Incentives
29:50 Insurance Markets as Climate Risk Indicators
31:14 Electrical Grid Resilience and the Future of Energy
31:41 Final Thoughts and Episode Wrap-Up

#venturecapital #startups #climatechange

In this special episode of VC Unfiltered, recorded live at Lightning Round IV, we kick things off with a high-powered panel discussion on the future of artificial intelligence and its growing impact on the startup ecosystem.

Experts from 2045 Ventures, Steamwork Ventures, Eviden, and TCA LA dive into where AI is disrupting industries like healthcare, enterprise, and climate tech—and where its limitations still lie.

Following the panel, four standout startups pitch live for a chance at a prize from Pegasus Angel Accelerator. You'll hear from Playmaker, automating sports sponsorships; Knowledge, redefining human-first sales with real-time data; Cracked Gaming, bringing high-stakes competition to everyday gamers; and Rex, a bold AI-driven alternative to traditional ad agencies.

Whether you're a founder, investor, or AI enthusiast, this episode is packed with insights on what’s next in venture capital and the future of innovation.

0:36 Welcome and Event Introduction by Taissa Maleh
1:28 AI Wrappers and Defensibility in Startups
2:40 Moving Beyond LLM Wrappers and Building Moats
4:08 Vertical AI Agents and Future of SaaS
6:00 High-Impact AI Opportunities Across Industries
7:27 AI as Utility: From Digital Twins to Edge AI and Infrastructure
9:26 Challenges with Unstructured Data and Use Case-Driven AI
11:14 Data Source Diligence and Privacy Concerns in Healthcare
12:33 Industries AI May Struggle to Disrupt
17:10 Most Exciting Industries for AI Transformation
18:59 When Will AGI and Quantum Become Real?
22:41 Emerging Protocols Like MCP and A2A
23:43 The Role of AI in Education and Ethical Use
25:21 AI’s Role in Early Education and Customized Learning
26:28 Responsible Use and the Rise of AI Literacy
27:36 Human Learning vs. Machine Learning in Education
28:57 Critical Thinking in the Age of AI and Misinformation
29:38 Will AI Replace Human Decision-Making?
30:22 Social Behavior and the Limits of Predictive AI
31:25 Closing Remarks Before Pitch Competition
32:51 Startup Pitch 1: Hannah Sorkin from Playmaker
39:01 Startup Pitch 2: Chris Anzalone from Knowledge
45:15 Startup Pitch 3: Andy Worrell from Cracked Gaming
51:08 Startup Pitch 4: Sean Gilfillan from Rex
57:27 Judges’ Feedback and Reflections

#ai #startup

In this episode of VC Unfiltered, host Lucas J Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with Derek Norton, Managing Partner at Watertower Ventures, to unpack how the venture capital landscape is fundamentally shifting — again.

Derek shares how his team thinks about investing at the earliest stages, what founders need to survive (and thrive) in today's capital environment, and why AI valuations at Series A may soon routinely hit $200M+.

They dive into capital efficiency, founder resilience post-2021, and why real venture capital is back. Whether you're a founder, investor, or emerging VC, this episode is a masterclass in navigating the next wave of startup investing.

0:38 Overview of WaterTower Ventures and Investment Philosophy
1:53 Market Shifts and Founder Resilience Post-2022
3:07 AI Trends and Portfolio Company Progress
4:14 The “Third Wave” – AI and Blockchain Synergy
6:07 Trust as a Core Theme for the New Fund
6:25 Sector Focus and Investment Strategy
9:12 Domain Expertise and Value-Add through Networks
11:57 Managing a Portfolio and Time Allocation
13:17 Lessons Learned from Building Businesses
15:53 Advice for Emerging Managers and New VCs
17:13 The Real Challenge: Scaling Beyond Series A
20:26 Capital Stack Dynamics and Early-Stage Fundraising
21:00 Mission-Driven vs. Market-Driven Founders
22:22 Hot Take: Series A Valuations Heading to $200M+
24:54 Closing Thoughts and Farewell

#venturecapital #vc #founder

In this special episode of VC Unfiltered, Taissa Maleh, Venture Partner at Pegasus, introduces an insightful webinar featuring Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta.

Peter dives deep into data trends shaping the venture capital and startup landscape as we approach 2025.

From the rise of AI in startups to shifts in funding strategies and market dynamics, this episode is a must-watch for anyone looking to stay ahead in the evolving venture ecosystem.

Listen to VC Unfiltered on all major platforms!

00:32 – Webinar Overview: Insights from Peter Walker of Carta
02:03 – State of Venture Funding: Comparing 2021 Peaks to 2024 Trends
04:00 – New Fundraising Norms: The End of 18-Month Cycles
04:50 – Bridge Rounds Explained: A Growing Trend in Tough Markets
08:00 – Pre-Seed Trends: The Dominance of SAFEs in Early-Stage Funding
11:28 – AI Valuations: How AI Startups Are Setting Higher Benchmarks
15:48 –Priced Rounds Explored
20:36 – Geographic Insights: How Valuations Vary Across Ecosystems
25:00 – Startup Headcount Trends: Shrinking Teams, Growing Efficiency
27:03 – Compensation Shifts: Decline in Equity Packages for Employees
34:40 – Regional Spotlight: Miami’s Rise in the Venture Ecosystem
40:17 – Market Predictions: Why 2025 Could Be Better for Founders

Listen here:

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Learn More:

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Break the mold and dive into angel investing with a fresh perspective. Our Emerging Angel Program provides a comprehensive curriculum on innovative investment strategies, unique deal sourcing, and hands-on, real-world experiences, all guided by industry experts.
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#venturecapital #startup #founder