Runway

Vlad Andriescu, Editor-in-Chief of start-up.ro, joins Mauro in this Runway episode to unpack the evolution of Romania’s startup ecosystem, from the early days of €10K investments and hackathons... to the post-UiPath reality and the country’s cybersecurity edge.

This is the perfect episode to get up to date with the Romanian startup ecosystem and learn about its history!

We explore:

💡 Romania’s startup history and how UiPath changed everything

🚀 Why technical founders dominate the scene (and what’s changing)

🌍 How smaller Romanian cities are building innovation hubs

📉 The shift from unicorn dreams to sustainable growth

🧠 What makes Romanian founders unique, and what they still need to work on

📰 Plus, how start-up.ro became a key voice in the ecosystem and what’s next for the publication

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

The State of Climate Tech in 2025  With Nick van Osdol

In this episode, we’re joined by Nick van Osdol, writer, analyst, and founder of Keep Cool, the go-to newsletter for nearly 20,000 readers tracking what’s happening in climate tech. From mining and energy to early-stage startups, it's got you covered! Nick is also a Venture Partner at Climate Capital.

We dig into what “climate tech” really means (and whether the term still makes sense), how the industry is evolving post-2024 election, and what areas of innovation, like EVs, methane reduction, or grid infrastructure, might still move the needle. Heads up: if you expect a conversation only about VC-funded startups, that's not how it went down! We explore where climate tech fits in the bigger picture: policy, economics, startups, and global power plays.

🧭 Nick’s Unlikely Journey into Climate Tech – From literature and media to writing one of the most-read climate tech newsletters and investing with Climate Capital.

🌍 What Is Climate Tech, Really? – Unpacking the blurry lines between climate tech, cleantech, energy, and sustainability... and whether “climate tech” is still a useful label.

🗳️ Politics & Policy in 2025 – How Trump’s return and global political shifts are reshaping the climate tech landscape and forcing a rethink of what can thrive without "government support".

💸 Venture vs. Infrastructure – Why VC alone won’t save the planet, and how real change will depend on large-scale infrastructure, grids, and old-school industrial deployment.

🐄💨  The Methane Problem – How methane emissions can drive climate change, and solutions out there to mitigate.

🔋 EVs, Batteries & the Grid – Chatting about recent developments and notable startups in charging reliability and EV infrastructure deployment.

🇨🇳 China’s Dominance in Clean Tech – Why China, and not the US (!), may now be the most important player in global climate mitigation.

Whether you’re a founder, investor, or just climate-curious, this one’s a wide-ranging, candid reality check on what’s next for the sector.

🧊 Subscribe to Keep Cool

🧠 Follow Nick on LinkedIn: Nick van Osdol

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

AI Regulation & Startups: Breaking Down the EU AI Act with Philip Mohr

The EU AI Act. Innovation killer or necessary safeguard? In this episode, we sit down with Philip Mohr, founder of AddTrust, to break down the realities of AI compliance for startups.

Philip, a seasoned entrepreneur turned AI compliance expert, explains what the EU AI Act really means for founders, who actually needs to worry, and why fears of overregulation may be overblown. We also discuss whether AI startups are really fleeing Europe, what founders should do now to prepare, and why AI compliance might become a competitive advantage rather than just a regulatory headache.

Topics covered:

🚀 Philip’s journey from founder to AI compliance expert

📜 The EU AI Act explained: what’s regulated and what’s not

💡 The truth behind “high-risk” AI categories

🏃‍♂️ Are startups really leaving Europe over regulation?

💰 How VCs and enterprise buyers are thinking about compliance

🔎 What AI startups need to do today to stay ahead

Is AI compliance a dealbreaker, or just another challenge to navigate? Tune in and find out.

🎧 Listen now!

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

🎙️ How do you build a media powerhouse and investment platform at the same time?

In this episode of The Runway Podcast, we sit down with David Cruz e Silva, co-founder of EUVC, a one-of-a-kind business that combines podcasts, newsletters, events, and investments to shape the future of European venture capital.

David shares the untold story of how EUVC started, from an industry insider’s frustration with the lack of transparency in venture to creating a platform that enables better access to knowledge of the European venture capital space.

We unpack how EUVC went from a side project podcast to a multi-pronged business with a media core that spotlights Europe’s best investors and an investment side that backs emerging VC fund managers.

In this episode, we cover:

🎤 How EUVC started as a podcast and newsletter, and how it took off fast

🔄 How media and investment fuel each other in euvc's business model

📣 What goes into "platforming Europe’s top VCs" and what sets their content apart

💰 Why euvc backs emerging fund managers instead of raising a traditional fund

🔮 What’s next for euvc and the future of venture in Europe

... and lots more! So go ahead and hit play to listen to the episode!

🔗 Subscribe and follow euvc at eu.vc

📲 Connect with David on LinkedIn for the latest from him

Further links:

EUVC is a community of more than 25.000 VCs, LPs & Angels all contributing and enjoying:

🎧 The European VC Podcast — The go-to podcast for all things European Venture.

🧠 The EUVC Insights platform — The platform that collects & amplifies the best long-form pieces from the EUVC community.

😇 The Super Angel Podcast — The go-to podcast for Europe’s angels.

🏆 The EUVC Summit & Awards Show — The marquee summit & awards celebrating the champions of European venture.

📅 The EUVC Events — Events like no other.

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

In this episode of The Runway Podcast, we sit down with Sigvards Krongorns, Associate at Verge HealthTech Fund and former co-founder of CastPrint. From building a startup that Forbes called “the future of casts” to investing in early-stage HealthTech companies, Sigvards shares his journey from founder to VC.

We dive into:

🔹 Sigvards’ and CastPrint’s story

🔹 Categories and ways of looking at HealthTech

🔹 The 5 payer levels in HealthTech

🔹 The biggest challenges facing HealthTech startups in 2025

🔹 Common mistakes founders make when pitching investors

🔹 The day to day as a VC in HealthTech

🔹 How venture capitalists evaluate startups in this complex, high-impact industry

🔹 Global issues, ageing and demographics, chronic diseases

🔹 Barriers to tech adoption in healthcare

🔹 The future of HealthTech, where innovation is heading and what’s next for the sector

Whether you’re a HealthTech founder, investor, or just curious about the future of healthcare innovation, this episode is packed with insights just for you!

Check it out!

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

In this episode of The Runway Podcast, we sit down with Dino Starčič, founder of higroup, to explore:

🔹 Starting a (software consultancy) business at a (very) young age - Dino's and higroup's story – how Dino and three friends from school built higroup

🔹 How software consultancies work – different models, collaboration styles & what clients should expect

🔹 Startups & how they should work with external software development agencies – common mistakes, red flags, and what to look for in a tech partner

🔹 Speed vs. quality in product development – how to balance quick launches with solid engineering

🔹 Networking & scaling a service-based business – making the most of events, branding, and sales strategies

🔹 Expanding into international markets – how higroup landed US clients and grew globally out of Slovenia (hint: some very unexpected beginnings)

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

🎙 Unlocking Podcast Growth with Data: A Conversation with Podder’s Christian Sorensen

In this episode of The Runway Podcast, we dive into the evolving world of podcasting with Christian Sørensen, founder & CEO of Podder, the platform often called the Google Analytics for podcasts.

If you’re a startup founder, marketer, or creator, this one’s for you—because just like in startups, data-driven decisions separate the winners from the rest.

🔹 How Christian and his team went from an ad marketplace to building a podcast analytics powerhouse

🔹 The biggest blind spots in podcast data and why most podcasters are flying blind

🔹 Why podcasting is still in the “dark ages” of analytics and how Podder is changing that

🔹 The best growth strategies for podcasts, from audience insights to smarter marketing

📢 Listen now to get the inside track on podcast analytics, growth, and monetization!

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

In this episode of The Runway Podcast, Mauro sits down with Stefano De Marzo, Senior Communications Manager at Openers PR in Berlin and former Head of News at EU Startups to talk about - you guessed it - startup PR, tech journalism and the biggest stories of 2024.

Stefano shares the story of the journey from journalism in Peru, to startup and tech reporting roles across Europe, to his present PR role. 

An action-packed 30 minutes in which we dive into:

-Stefano's story

-How PR professionals can better collaborate with journalists

-Trends in 2024 shaping European startups, including the rise of AI and the big stories of the year

-The evolving media landscape—what legacy media, podcasts, newsletters, and niche outlets mean for the future of PR (if anything)

Stefano also offers advice for startups exploring PR for the first time and reflects on how storytelling is at the heart of impactful communication.

Happy listening and Merry Christmas!

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

In this episode of The Runway Podcast, Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini return to the mics as they are joined by Andra Bagdonaitė, Partner at venture capital firm FIRSTPICK, to explore:

Andra’s journey: From studying economics and politics to becoming a consultant, to making the move to VC and supporting Baltic startups.

What makes a great founder (what FIRSTPICK looks for): The importance of grit, resilience, and adaptability in building successful companies.

The role of a VC partner: A deep dive into the day-to-day. Deal sourcing, portfolio management, and the realities of daily life in venture capital.

Marketing for VCs: How FIRSTPICK stands out with bold branding, strategic communication, and authentic storytelling.

Lithuania’s rise in tech: Why Andra believes the country is catching up to Estonia and poised to surpass it in the coming years.

Trends for 2025: Tune in and find out!

An unmissable episode packed with insights on VC and the Baltics! Wanna pitch FIRSTPICK? Listen to this first!

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog

In this episode of The Runway Podcast, Mauro sits down with Rana Rahman, founder and managing director of Raptor PR, the world’s only dedicated B2B PR agency for the global gaming industry. Rana shares his journey from tech enthusiast to PR expert, detailing the unique challenges and opportunities he’s encountered building a specialized agency in a fast-evolving sector. Together, they dive into the gaming industry’s growth, how B2B PR supports it behind the scenes, and what it takes to grow a resilient, successful agency in a niche market.

Rana and Mauro discuss everything from Raptor PR’s early days to the importance of creating authentic, data-driven messaging. They explore the impact of emerging tech on gaming PR, how to keep agency culture strong, and why transparency matters in client relationships. Whether you’re in PR or fascinated by the games industry, this episode offers valuable insights from a leader at the intersection of both worlds.

Summary:

•Rana Rahman, founder of Raptor PR, shares his journey to establishing a B2B agency dedicated to the global games industry.

•Insights on the unique challenges of B2B PR in a gaming-centric environment.

•How emerging technologies like AI, fintech, and blockchain intersect with gaming and PR.

•The importance of authenticity and transparency in agency-client relationships.

•Strategies for building a niche agency brand and establishing a presence in the gaming industry.

•Balancing PR fundamentals with the influence of micro-influencers and social content.

•Key qualities to look for when hiring PR talent, especially for specialized industries.

•Practical advice on integrating team members into the sales process.

•Why B2B PR can be just as impactful as consumer PR in the gaming world.

•Tips for aspiring PR professionals and gamers looking to break into the industry.

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Thanks for listening! For more, follow us on LinkedIn.

Runway is a podcast started by Black Unicorn PR co-founders Julija Jegorova and Mauro Battellini to help startup founders, company builders and business leaders with insights, tools and advice from specialists in sales, marketing, PR and more.

Black Unicorn PR is a London-based tech PR agency focused on startups, scaleups and VC.

For more information visit: https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

For even more advice, especially on PR, visit the Black Unicorn PR blog