In this episode of Innovation Conversation, host Ricardo Pascual sits down with Trevor Koverko, founder and CEO of Sapien.ai, to explore the challenges and opportunities of launching startups at the intersection of Web3 and AI. Trevor shares his experience building companies in the blockchain ecosystem and offers insights on navigating fundraising and scaling in the Web3 space.

They dive into:

• Key differences between building a Web3 startup and a traditional venture-backed company.
• Unique challenges and opportunities in crypto fundraising.
• Why human input and data labeling are critical to improving AI model performance.
• Best practices for building and managing a global, distributed team.
• The mindset founders need to survive and thrive in fast-evolving industries.

Tune in for a founder’s view on Web3 innovation, AI’s future, and what it takes to succeed in the next wave of startups.

Brought to you by Startup Summit 2025 — Europe’s leading startup and investor summit, happening September 18–19, 2025, in Lisbon.

🎟️ Learn more and secure your spot at www.startupsummit.io

🕒 Chapters 00:00 — Introduction and Background 09:42 — Sapien and the Role of Humans in AI 23:11 — The Importance of Location 27:17 — Building a Global Team 37:41 — The Magic Wand