The Syndicate

The Syndicate

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The Syndicate episodes

  • The China Startup and Venture Capital Revolution and Future of Mobile Only Businesses with Matt McIlwain of Madrona VC

    Matt McIlwain is a Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Seattle, Washington. He invests primarily in software-driven companies and currently serves on several boards. He co-teaches a course on venture capital in the University of Washington Computer Science Department and is a board member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Washington Policy Center.

    Listen and Learn:

    * How the Chinese startup ecosystem has evolved in last 6 years
    * Why Madrona prefer to invest in the Pacific Northwest
    * What the mobile-only economy of China means for the rest of the world
    * The future of the AI/ML talent war and how Matt sees it playing out
    * How Matt evaluates startup investments and founder motivation
    * The reason Matt would bet on Amazon over anyone elses
    * What were Matt’s biggest takeaways from his trip to China
    * Why founders should always prefer for an economic downturn



    Matt’s Main Projects:
    Matt’s Angellist profile
    Madrona VC
    Twitter: @mattmcilwain
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    Matt McIlwain is a Managing Director at Madrona Venture Group, an early-stage venture capital firm based in Seattle, Washington. He invests primarily in software-driven companies and currently serves on several boards. He co-teaches a course on venture capital in the University of Washington Computer Science Department and is a board member of the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center and Washington Policy Center.

    Listen and Learn:

    * How the Chinese startup ecosystem has evolved in last 6 years
    * Why Madrona prefer to invest in the Pacific Northwest
    * What the mobile-only economy of China means for the rest of the world
    * The future of the AI/ML talent war and how Matt sees it playing out
    * How Matt evaluates startup investments and founder motivation
    * The reason Matt would bet on Amazon over anyone elses
    * What were Matt’s biggest takeaways from his trip to China
    * Why founders should always prefer for an economic downturn



    Matt’s Main Projects:
    Matt’s Angellist profile
    Madrona VC
    Twitter: @mattmcilwain
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    0 min
  • How VCs and Fortune 500 Make Serious Money Investing in the Midwest with Sarah Anderson of Cintrifuse Syndicate Fund

    Sarah Anderson is the Managing Director of Cintrifuse, a Cincinnati based incubator/accelerator program and their Syndicate Fund. Cintrifuse also runs Startup Cincy with the goal being to invigorate the Cincinnati and Ohio startup ecosystem and push MidWest innovation. Prior to Cintrifuse, Sarah was a VP at JP Morgan and before that focused on capital markets.


    Listen and Learn:

    * How VCs and investors can get in on lowe valuations and better opportunities
    * Ways that startups can partner with corporation see serious success
    * Why the Midwest and Cincinnati specifically are such hotbeds of startup talent
    * Sarah’s thoughts about corporate investors and LPs
    * How to build a huge fund of funds with a unique focus
    * What the future probably holds for consumer investing
    * When it makes sense to focus on the Fortune 500
    * Why Silicon Valley probably isn’t the best place to build a startup



    Sarah’s Main Projects:
    Cintrifuse
    Sarah’s Linkedin
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    Sarah Anderson is the Managing Director of Cintrifuse, a Cincinnati based incubator/accelerator program and their Syndicate Fund. Cintrifuse also runs Startup Cincy with the goal being to invigorate the Cincinnati and Ohio startup ecosystem and push MidWest innovation. Prior to Cintrifuse, Sarah was a VP at JP Morgan and before that focused on capital markets.


    Listen and Learn:

    * How VCs and investors can get in on lowe valuations and better opportunities
    * Ways that startups can partner with corporation see serious success
    * Why the Midwest and Cincinnati specifically are such hotbeds of startup talent
    * Sarah’s thoughts about corporate investors and LPs
    * How to build a huge fund of funds with a unique focus
    * What the future probably holds for consumer investing
    * When it makes sense to focus on the Fortune 500
    * Why Silicon Valley probably isn’t the best place to build a startup



    Sarah’s Main Projects:
    Cintrifuse
    Sarah’s Linkedin
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    0 min
  • The 5 Most Impactful Technologies of 21st Century | Dr James Canton
    Dr. James Canton (@futureguru) is a renowned global futurist, social scientist, keynote presenter, author, and visionary business advisor. He is the CEO and Chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a leading think tank he founded in 1990 that advises business, the Global Fortune 1000 (like IBM, GE, HP, Boeing, Intel and more) and many governments on future trends in innovation, financial services, health care, population, life sciences, energy, security, workforce, climate change and globalization.
    In addition, James is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Research in Innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, on the advisory board of the Corporate Eco Forum and has advised three White House Administrations, the National Science Foundation and MIT’s Media Lab, Europe.
    Dr Canton is the author of the following books:

    * The Extreme Future: The Top Trends That Will Reshape the World in the 21st Century (2006)
    * Future Smart: Managing the Game-Changing Trends That Will Transform Your World (2015)
    * Technofutures: How Leading-Edge Technology Will Transform Business in the 21st Century (2004)

    And James is no stranger to media. He was named “the Digital Guru” by CNN and “Dr. Future” by Yahoo, is a commentator on CNN and has been featured on/in CNBC, Fox, PBS, ABC, Fortune, The Wall Street Journal, The Economist, Bloomberg Report, The New York Times, US News and World Report, CEO, CIO and CFO Magazines.
    And finally, Dr. Canton serves as Co-chairman of the Futures and Forecasting Track at Singularity University.

     
    Listen and Learn:

    * How the pace of technology acceleration is accelerating
    * The 5 most impactful areas of tech
    * How government surveillance and privacy as balanced in the future
    * Why James is optimistic about the future
    * The future of work, even including AI
    * How humanity needs to reinvent healthcare
    * What it is like working in a governmental think tank
    * Why quantum computing will change the world
    * How James advises government and corporations about change and the future
    * What James learned working at Apple Computer
    * How systems thinking changes can solve most of the world’s problems
    * Why our education system is broken and how to fix it

     
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Dr. James Canton (@futureguru) is a renowned global futurist, social scientist, keynote presenter, author, and visionary business advisor. He is the CEO and Chairman of the Institute for Global Futures, a leading think tank he founded in 1990 that advises business, the Global Fortune 1000 (like IBM, GE, HP, Boeing, Intel and more) and many governments on future trends in innovation, financial services, health care, population, life sciences, energy, security, workforce, climate change and globalization.
    In addition, James is a Senior Fellow at the Center for Research in Innovation at Northwestern’s Kellogg School of Management, on the advisory board of the Corporate Eco Forum and has advis...
    56 min
  • The Future of Fintech, AI and Cybersecurity with Schwark Satyavolu of Trinity Ventures
    Schwark Satyavolu is a serial entrepreneur and inventor with 15 patents. He co-founded the fintech companies Yodlee (YDLE) and Truaxis before joining Trinity. Today, he brings his entrepreneurial and broad operational experience to investments in fintech, AI and security startups.
    The firm/partners has invested in the likes of Starbucks, Branch, LoopNet, New Relic, Care.com, Auth0, Docker and many many more.
    Listen and Learn:

    * How the fintech industry has evolved and where we are headed
    * Why Schwark is bullish on AI, cybersecurity and fintech
    * What makes cyber such a lucrative long term investment
    * The two top companies he’d pick to invest it in
    * How it takes naivety to create greatness
    * What blockchain means for big business
    * Why B2B fintech is more interesting in the US
    * How regulations impact an investment thesis
    * What tech has done to transform society




    Schwark’s Projects:
    Trinity Ventures
    Schwark’s Twitter: @schwark
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Schwark Satyavolu is a serial entrepreneur and inventor with 15 patents. He co-founded the fintech companies Yodlee (YDLE) and Truaxis before joining Trinity. Today, he brings his entrepreneurial and broad operational experience to investments in fintech, AI and security startups.
    The firm/partners has invested in the likes of Starbucks, Branch, LoopNet, New Relic, Care.com, Auth0, Docker and many many more.
    Listen and Learn:

    * How the fintech industry has evolved and where we are headed
    * Why Schwark is bullish on AI, cybersecurity and fintech
    * What makes cyber such a lucrative long term investment
    * The two top companies he’d pick to invest it in
    * How it takes naivety to create greatness
    * What blockchain means for big business
    * Why B2B fintech is more interesting in the US
    * How regulations impact an investment thesis
    * What tech has done to transform society




    Schwark’s Projects:
    Trinity Ventures
    Schwark’s Twitter: @schwark
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    36 min
  • The Ultimate Guide to Nanotechnology | Steve Burgess of Foresight Institute
    Steve Burgess (@steveburgess01) is the president of Foresight Institute, a nonprofit think tank that researches technologies of important to the future of humanity, focusing on nanotechnology, cybersecurity, and AI and rewards grants to lead scientists and safety initiatives.
    Steve is a nanotechnology activist, tech writer & speaker, startup mentor, and an internationally recognized computer forensics consultant. Steve helped found the data recovery industry in the 80s, is a pioneer in today’s growing computer forensics and electronic industry and is active as a digital forensic specialist who oftens testifies as an expert witness in the field.
    Steve has reported on Japan’s space programs, contributed various Nanotech Glossaries, is the author of “The (Needed) New Economics of Abundance,” contributor to the text, “Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases,” and regularly writes on topics surrounding his passions and expertise at burgessforensics.com

    Listen and Learn:

    * The science of nanotechnology and progress to date
    * How the boom and bust cycle in nanotech play out
    * Why Steve is passionate about exponential hope
    * How AI will impact the future of jobs and economy, beyond the obvious answers
    * The problem with existential risk and inspiring action
    * Why Foresight Institute focuses on converging exponential technologies
    * The implications of biotech and self enhancement
    * What manufacturing will mean in an era of abundance
    * The wealth divide and what happens next
    * How technological innovation will impact our evolution
    * The reason capitalist incentive structures drive many of our most pressing problems
    * Why changing policy and law is challenging and grass roots movements matter

    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Steve Burgess (@steveburgess01) is the president of Foresight Institute, a nonprofit think tank that researches technologies of important to the future of humanity, focusing on nanotechnology, cybersecurity, and AI and rewards grants to lead scientists and safety initiatives.
    Steve is a nanotechnology activist, tech writer & speaker, startup mentor, and an internationally recognized computer forensics consultant. Steve helped found the data recovery industry in the 80s, is a pioneer in today’s growing computer forensics and electronic industry and is active as a digital forensic specialist who oftens testifies as an expert witness in the field.
    Steve has reported on Japan’s space programs, contributed various Nanotech Glossaries, is the author of “The (Needed) New Economics of Abundance,” contributor to the text, “Scientific Evidence in Civil and Criminal Cases,” and regularly writes on topics surrounding his passions and expertise at burgessforensics.com

    Listen and Learn:

    * The science of nanotechnology and progress to date
    * How the boom and bust cycle in nanotech play out
    * Why Steve is passionate about exponential hope
    * How AI will impact the future of jobs and economy, beyond the obvious answers
    * The problem with existential risk and inspiring action
    * Why Foresight Institute focuses on converging exponential technologies
    * The implications of biotech and self enhancement
    * What manufacturing will mean in an era of abundance
    * The wealth divide and what happens next
    * How technological innovation will impact our evolution
    * The reason capitalist incentive structures drive many of our most pressing problems
    * Why changing policy and law is challenging and grass roots movements ...
    0 min
  • How to Break into VC and the Future of B2B SaaS Investing with Sumay Parikh of Quake Capital

    Sumay Parikh is VC with Quake Capital, a NYC based seed fund and accelerator focused on early-stage tech. He has experience in distressed businesses, marketing, strategic partnerships, product development, and operations. Before Quake he bootstrapped a Real Estate Investment Fund in the Midwest, constructing High-End hotels. He has experience leading strategy and growth at several velocity stage startups. He is also the host of The Unsexy Startup podcast.
    Listen and Learn:

    * Is B2B SaaS beyond its peak and where should you look for long-term returns
    * What individuals interested in venture need to know about the industry and how to enter it
    * Why VC may be a bit bloated and Sumay thinks we’re heading for a bull market
    * How VC superfunds are changing the venture landscape and incentives for investing
    * What happens after the impending economic downturn
    * Why Sumay is worried about AI and skeptical about blockchain
    * How to optimize learning and grow as a VC
    * What would happen if venture capital had longer fund cycles




    Sumay’s Main Projects:
    Quake Capital
    The Unsexy Startup Podcast
    Twitter: @Sumay1
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    Sumay Parikh is VC with Quake Capital, a NYC based seed fund and accelerator focused on early-stage tech. He has experience in distressed businesses, marketing, strategic partnerships, product development, and operations. Before Quake he bootstrapped a Real Estate Investment Fund in the Midwest, constructing High-End hotels. He has experience leading strategy and growth at several velocity stage startups. He is also the host of The Unsexy Startup podcast.
    Listen and Learn:

    * Is B2B SaaS beyond its peak and where should you look for long-term returns
    * What individuals interested in venture need to know about the industry and how to enter it
    * Why VC may be a bit bloated and Sumay thinks we’re heading for a bull market
    * How VC superfunds are changing the venture landscape and incentives for investing
    * What happens after the impending economic downturn
    * Why Sumay is worried about AI and skeptical about blockchain
    * How to optimize learning and grow as a VC
    * What would happen if venture capital had longer fund cycles




    Sumay’s Main Projects:
    Quake Capital
    The Unsexy Startup Podcast
    Twitter: @Sumay1
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    36 min
  • AI, AR, Education and the Future of Jobs | Brad Waid
    Brad Waid (@techbradwaid) is an international speaker, influencer and educator with over 15 years of classroom and industry experience. Brad is an industry leader in the fields of educational technology, 21st century learning, culture and innovation and has been name a top 15 influencer/thought leader in Augmented Reality.
    Brad is a consultant to industry, education and government and is often called on by industry to assist in marketing and telling the story of a product or a company. He also assists school districts and educational conferences in applying technology into education, and he works with government agencies to improve education for all students.
    As a consultant to start-ups from Silicon Valley to New York and government agencies, Brad has a unique perspective on the evolution of the tech landscape.
    He has been honored by the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Watch” in Educational Technology. Brad’s knowledge of educational technology, his ability to assist industry and government and his passion to inspire educational change, makes him a highly sought after speaker and influencer who makes an impact where ever he goes.


     
    Listen and Learn:

    * How augmented reality has changed in the past decade
    * What is on the near-term horizon in terms of holograms, VR and AR
    * How technology transforms society and cultural norms
    * The ways education is being rewritten for the modern world
    * Why Brad is so bullish on AI and machine learning
    * The problems with AI and AR for freedom and personal privacy
    * How Brad thinks about the future of work
    * The reason Brad thinks college is a collapsing system
    * What Brad believes is necessary to save the education system
    * The societal struggles to change education
    * Which of today’s top tech companies will lead the future of tech
    * Why Minority Report isn’t that far off
    * Ways technology transforms society more than we realize
    * Why Brad is big on space travel

     
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Brad Waid (@techbradwaid) is an international speaker, influencer and educator with over 15 years of classroom and industry experience. Brad is an industry leader in the fields of educational technology, 21st century learning, culture and innovation and has been name a top 15 influencer/thought leader in Augmented Reality.
    Brad is a consultant to industry, education and government and is often called on by industry to assist in marketing and telling the story of a product or a company. He also assists school districts and educational conferences in applying technology into education, and he works with government agencies to improve education for all students.
    As a consultant to start-ups from Silicon Valley to New York and government agencies, Brad has a unique perspective on the evolution of the tech landscape.
    He has been honored by the National School Board Association as one of the “20 to Watch” in Educational Technology. Brad’s knowledge of educational technology, his ability to assist industry and government and his passion to inspire educational change, makes him a highly sought after speaker and influencer who makes an impact where ever he goes.


     
    Listen and Learn:

    * How augmented reality has changed in the past decade
    * What is on the near-term horizon in terms of holograms, VR and AR
    * How technology transforms society and cultural norms
    * The ways education is being rewritten for the modern world
    * Why Brad is so bullish on AI and machine learning
    54 min
  • Designing the Mars One Colony and Mining Asteroids in Space | Bryan Versteeg of Deep Space Industries
    Bryan Versteeg (@spacehabs) is a conceptual designer at spacehabs.com and the co-founder of Deep Space Industries (@GoDeepSpace), an asteroid mining company striving toward the effective and efficient development of space resources to propel human development off the earth. The company will change the economic model of doing business in space by providing the technical resources, capabilities and system integration required to discover, harvest, process and market in-space resources.
    Bryan is responsible for the conceptual designs for the Mars One mission. A not for profit that aims to develop a permanent human settlement on Mars. An act that would instantly double the number of planets that humans can call home.


     
    Listen and Learn:

    * Why asteroid mining is critical to space exploration
    * The stroke that changed Bryan’s life and outlook on living
    * How artistic expression inspires creativity and innovation in tech
    * Why space is so hard and launches cost so crucial
    * The importance of visualizing space habitats
    * The Bryan is worried and excited about AI
    * How farming of the future works and importance of self-sustainability
    * Why VR will transform our ability to explore everything
    * How 3d printing will put its mark on humanity
    * The problem starting a Mars colony and how to solve it
    * Understanding water and its importance in space
    * Why Elon Musk is so important for humanity’s space-faring future

     
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.Bryan Versteeg (@spacehabs) is a conceptual designer at spacehabs.com and the co-founder of Deep Space Industries (@GoDeepSpace), an asteroid mining company striving toward the effective and efficient development of space resources to propel human development off the earth. The company will change the economic model of doing business in space by providing the technical resources, capabilities and system integration required to discover, harvest, process and market in-space resources.
    Bryan is responsible for the conceptual designs for the Mars One mission. A not for profit that aims to develop a permanent human settlement on Mars. An act that would instantly double the number of planets that humans can call home.


     
    Listen and Learn:

    * Why asteroid mining is critical to space exploration
    * The stroke that changed Bryan’s life and outlook on living
    * How artistic expression inspires creativity and innovation in tech
    * Why space is so hard and launches cost so crucial
    * The importance of visualizing space habitats
    * The Bryan is worried and excited about AI
    * How farming of the future works and importance of self-sustainability
    * Why VR will transform our ability to explore everything
    * How 3d printing will put its mark on humanity
    * The problem starting a Mars colony and how to solve it
    * Understanding water and its importance in space
    * Why Elon Musk is so important for humanity’s space-faring future

     
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    1 hr 1 min
  • Why Europe is Toxic to Startups and What We Can do About It with Oussama Ammar of The Family

    Oussama Ammar is the co-founder, partner and director of The Family, the investment focused group that’s not an incubator, accelerator or VC, but a family of entrepreneurs throughout Europe focused educating entrepreneurs, building infrastructure to empower them and opening them up to a network of smart investors. Oussama is an investor in Compass, Tribe App and many others while also advising half a dozen plus other promising startups.


    Listen and Learn:

    * How Europe is toxic to startups
    * Why European VC isn’t as successful as the States
    * What economic models make the most investable ecosystems
    * The reason Oussama build The Family as a family
    * How Denmark does life right but lacks in business success
    * The problem with universal basic income and possible alternatives
    * What to do about coming automation and job loss
    * Why Oussama believes AI is overhyped



    Oussama’s Main Projects:
    Oussama’s Angellist profile
    The Family
    Twitter: @daedalium
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    Oussama Ammar is the co-founder, partner and director of The Family, the investment focused group that’s not an incubator, accelerator or VC, but a family of entrepreneurs throughout Europe focused educating entrepreneurs, building infrastructure to empower them and opening them up to a network of smart investors. Oussama is an investor in Compass, Tribe App and many others while also advising half a dozen plus other promising startups.


    Listen and Learn:

    * How Europe is toxic to startups
    * Why European VC isn’t as successful as the States
    * What economic models make the most investable ecosystems
    * The reason Oussama build The Family as a family
    * How Denmark does life right but lacks in business success
    * The problem with universal basic income and possible alternatives
    * What to do about coming automation and job loss
    * Why Oussama believes AI is overhyped



    Oussama’s Main Projects:
    Oussama’s Angellist profile
    The Family
    Twitter: @daedalium
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
    0 min
  • Why 21st Century Will Be Defined by Biotech | Ramphis Castro of ScienceVest

    Ramphis Castro (@jramphis) is the co-founder of ScienceVest, a venture capital fund for hard-tech and life science companies, and Impact Science Angels, an angel group focused on investing in companies that can impact 1MM+ lives. Ramphis is a Kauffman Fellow and co-Chair the NYC chapter of the Society and focused on the funding gaps for radical science companies in the US.
    In 2016 Ramphis was invited by the White House and was part of the US delegation with President Obama on his historic visit to Cuba.
    Ramphis has a diversified personal investment portfolio of companies ranging from Artificial Intelligence, Drones, Wearables, EdTech, Productivity Software, eCommerce, MarketPlaces, FinTech to Consumer Apps. He also designed and is on the investment committee for Parallel 18, a global accelerator based in Puerto Rico with a portfolio of 100+ seed/series A companies from over 40 countries across multiple verticals that have collectively raised over $40M in venture capital funding from investors from Silicon Valley, New York, and beyond.
     
     
     

     
    Listen and Learn:

    * How trade and politics affect economies
    * Why AI is so important in biotech
    * What areas of synthetic biology are most promising for investors
    * The reason impact investing will dominate next generation of investing
    * How Cuba’s embracing capitalism and the future of startup ecosystems
    * The reason science and deep tech is underfunded
    * Why biotech will be the driving force of 21st century
    * Why CRISPR is such a promising technology to cure incurable diseases
    * Why Ramphis will probably live forever
    * The sad truth about startup investing



    John’s Main Projects:
    Unknown.VC
    Lightspeed Venture Partners
    John’s Medium blog
    Twitter: @jvrionis
    John’s Linkedin
    Are you an accredited investor? Apply to join our angel syndicate if you’d like to access our deal flow.
     
    Ramphis Castro (@jramphis) is the co-founder of ScienceVest, a venture capital fund for hard-tech and life science companies, and Impact Science Angels, an angel group focused on investing in companies that can impact 1MM+ lives. Ramphis is a Kauffman Fellow and co-Chair the NYC chapter of the Society and focused on the funding gaps for radical science companies in the US.
    In 2016 Ramphis was invited by the White House and was part of the US delegation with President Obama on his historic visit to Cuba.
    Ramphis has a diversified personal investment portfolio of companies ranging from Artificial Intelligence, Drones, Wearables, EdTech, Productivity Software, eCommerce, MarketPlaces, FinTech to Consumer Apps. He also designed and is on the investment committee for Parallel 18, a global accelerator based in Puerto Rico with a portfolio of 100+ seed/series A companies from over 40 countries across multiple verticals that have collectively raised over $40M in venture capital funding from investors from Silicon Valley, New York, and beyond.
     
     
     

     
    Listen and Learn:

    * How trade and politics affect economies
    * Why AI is so important in biotech
    * What areas of synthetic biology are most promising for investors
    * The reason impact investing will dominate next generation of investing
    * How Cuba’s embracing capitalism and the future of startup ecosystems
    * The reason science and deep tech is underfunded
    0 min

About The Syndicate

From the publisher's feed

Welcome to The Syndicate, the place where investors and startups combine to create crazy businesses and even crazier returns. The Syndicate podcast is a deep dive on the angel investors and VCs…