Shows
MoneyNeverSleeps297: Grit, Mud & $400K | Jesse Phillips | Trustware Co-Founder & CEOThis week, I caught up with Jesse Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Trustware, and one of the most quietly determined founders I’ve ever backed.I invested in Jesse and his co-founder Jonathan Frazier through the Techstars Web3 accelerator in 2023, and since then, Trustware have done what most early-stage startups only dream of—shipping a real product, signing real customers, and generating real revenue… all on just $400K in capital and a team of six.In this conversation, Jesse and I get into what it really takes to build through the mud - when you’ve got mor...2025-06-2352 minMoneyNeverSleeps291: Scaling Without VC: The Long Game with Fergal McGovern from VisibleThreadThis week, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Fergal McGovern, founder and CEO of VisibleThread, for one of the most enlightening founder chats I’ve had in a while.Fergal’s been building for decades—starting with enterprise systems in the '90s, then launching and selling his first startup SteelTrace, and eventually pivoting VisibleThread through the 2008 crash into a trusted platform serving global leaders like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Comcast, and government agencies across the U.S., Canada, and Australia.What I loved about this conversation is how practical and honest Fergal is—esp...2025-04-1844 minMoneyNeverSleeps290: The Ethical Hacker Mindset with Yev Broshevan from HackenThis week, I sat down with Yev Broshevan, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer at Hacken, a leading blockchain security firm focused on making Web3 a safer, more trustworthy place for everyone. Even better? Yev’s birthday is the same day this episode drops - happy birthday, Yev!Yev’s story goes way back to her early days as a cybersecurity engineer in Ukraine, where weak institutions and a hacker’s curiosity led her deep into the world of Bitcoin back in 2014. Since then, she and her Hacken co-founders have been building a mission-driven business around ethical hackin...2025-04-1138 minMoneyNeverSleeps288: Anthony Rose, SeedLegals | 99 Problems (But My Legals Ain’t One)Anthony Rose is the co-founder and CEO of SeedLegals, the #1 platform for startup funding and legals in the UK. But long before he was helping tens of thousands of founders raise capital and avoid legal potholes, Anthony was in the digital trenches – first turning the music industry on its head with Kazaa, then helping reinvent online streaming at the BBC with iPlayer, before building and selling a few startups of his own.In this episode, we go deep into what it really means to have founder-problem fit, the magic of applying a product mindset to gnarly challenges li...2025-03-2850 minMoneyNeverSleeps279: Mastering the Startup Game | Nigel Eccles | Insights from a Serial EntrepreneurThis week, I interviewed serial entrepreneur Nigel Eccles. Known for his role as co-founder and former CEO of FanDuel, Nigel shares his incredible journey of launching and scaling multiple ventures, including his latest projects BetHog and BetDex. Nigel dives into the pivotal moments that defined his career, lessons learned from raising over $450 million in venture funding, and his insights into the evolving landscapes of crypto, Web3, and gaming.
Nigel’s candid reflections on timing, co-founder dynamics, and building resilient startups are a must-hear for founders, investors, and anyone curious about how to stay ahead in the world of...2024-12-1344 minMoneyNeverSleeps276: Sponstar and the Rise of Fractional Sponsorship with Manu | Exclusive InterviewThis week, we’ve got an exclusive interview with Manu, the founder and CEO of Sponstar, the fractional sponsorship marketplace that’s leveling the playing field for small and mid-sized brands to access high-profile sponsorship opportunities. Manu’s entrepreneurial journey, from traditional finance to web3, led to the creation of Sponstar—a game-changing platform that bridges physical events and digital experiences while redefining the sponsorship ecosystem.
Manu shares her insights on fractional sponsorship, the intersection of blockchain, AI, and event marketing, and the unique challenges women founders face in the tech and crypto worlds. We also explore her guid...2024-11-2244 minMoneyNeverSleeps275: Web3 Fundraising Playbook | Pete Townsend | Raising Your 1st Round at the FrontierWe're diving deep into the fundamentals of fundraising for Web3 startups and early-stage ventures navigating their first capital raise. Fundraising is always challenging, but in web3, it’s a whole new frontier with unique hurdles. This session, originally presented at a Techstars Web3 Accelerator event, is packed with actionable insights that apply to most tech startups, especially those aiming to raise their first round.
IN THIS EPISODE:
The Art of Readiness: Fundraising is a high-stakes campaign that requires focus, preparation, and a solid plan. I’ll walk you through the basics of getting yourself – and your c...2024-11-0825 minMoneyNeverSleeps257: How I Got To Techstars on a Flywheel | Hesus Inoma Interviews Pete Townsend | Venture With HesusThis week, I’m sharing an episode of the ‘Venture with Hesus’ podcast that I recorded recently with the unstoppable Hesus Inoma, as he interviews me on lessons learned from being part of the startup ecosystem the last 8 years, the power of networks, 2022 token sale aspirations, customer validation, building for users vs building for yourself, usability vs. security in crypto, funding your go to market, pre-seed rounds vs seed rounds, what I look for in founders, mental models, flywheels, how to be successful in an accelerator, how to get excited about regulation, real-world assets and more!
As Hesus...2024-04-181h 05MoneyNeverSleeps254: Psychology of the Hacked | Niall Mackey from Topsec Cloud SolutionsNiall Mackey, the Commercial Director at Topsec Cloud Solutions, joins the show this week as we take an inside look at how businesses cope in the aftermath of a hack.
Niall is a tech industry veteran with over 35 years of experience with Topsec, Nokia, Interoute (now GTT) and Bank of America. With Topsec, Niall looks at commercial opportunities and influences the direction of service development to ensure they continue to bring value to their customers. Topsec have been pioneering cloud-based email and web security for more than two decades, servicing the government, healthcare, engineering, and IT sectors.
...2024-04-0745 minMoneyNeverSleeps253: CBDC Adoption | Who's Ahead of the Game? | Joaquim Matinero TorJoaquim Matinero Tor joins the show this week as guest co-host as we look at the likely paths to the adoption of CBDCs (or Central Bank Digital Currencies) in the different countries around the world making progress with these digital versions of fiat currencies.
Joaquim Matinero Tor, or just “Quim” as he’s known to friends, is a lawyer with expertise in blockchain, digital assets, and web3 and a depth of experience in venture capital, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, derivatives and securities markets in general. Quim is a counsel at Ceca Magan in Barcelona, he serves as a lec...2024-03-2236 minMoneyNeverSleeps251: Money Talks with Laura Walsh | Farcaster, Digital Identity and Decentralized Social MediaLaura Walsh joins the show again this week as guest co-host as we explore the potential link between digital identity and decentralized social media through the lens of the Forecaster protocol, its challenges, user growth, and the future potential of a decentralized online ecosystem.
Laura is the Chief Marketing Officer and part of the founding team of Kaskade Finance, and we worked together closely for the past two years on the Techstars Web3 accelerator. Laura is a Techstars All-Star Mentor, advisor, founder, web3 O.G., and friend.
LINKS:
Learn more about Kaskade Finance: ht...2024-03-0846 minMoneyNeverSleeps250: The World is Yours | Brian Zwerner, W3 Studio & Beyond the Game Network | Investing in Diverse Founders, Sports and Web3Brian Zwerner is the President and Founder of W3 Studio, and a VC and Founder of Beyond the Game Network. As the President and Founder of W3 Studio, a 501c3 non-profit venture studio, Brian and his team help diverse founders in Atlanta build startups in web3. W3 Studio partners with corporations and provides grants to startups to fund the launch of their first products.
With his role as a VC and Founder at Beyond The Game Network, Brian teams up with a venture group of athletes that invest in Seed to Series B consumer startups in sports, m...2024-03-0142 minMoneyNeverSleeps241: Money Talks with Mai Santamaria | Binance and CZ | Argentina's New President | Vitalik's Techno-Optimism Manifesto | Blockchain and AI Intersect
This week I’m joined by guest co-host Mai Santamaria, who is the Head of the Financial Advisory Unit for the Department of Finance in Ireland. Mai and I met in February 2018 at a meeting of the Irish Blockchain Expert Group which later became the industry group now referred to as Blockchain Ireland.
She’s one of the most helpful people I know and always has a uniquely incisive insight or two on what’s going on at the crossover of finance and emerging tech when she and I catch up. Mai originally featured on episode 5...2023-12-0144 minMoneyNeverSleeps238: Global Access | Sean Lee | Crypto Council for Innovation | Digital Asset Policy CreationSean Lee is the senior advisor at the Crypto Council for Innovation, which is a global alliance of crypto industry leaders advocating for responsible and healthy regulations in the digital asset industry.
Sean has conducted business in over 20+ countries and two continents across his career, and networked with extraordinary professionals across many industries. As a technology enthusiast, his career started in Internet 1.0 during the mid ’90s, spanning across eCommerce, cloud computing, and digitalization, with IBM, EMC, Pivotal, and Dell before moving into blockchain and crypto in the last few years. Through it all he has witnessed how te...2023-11-1050 minMoneyNeverSleeps237: All Around the World | Lou Kerner | Crypto Oracle CollectiveLou Kerner is the founder of the Crypto Oracle Collective, a decentralized web3 advisory firm, and also the DAO for Crypto Mondays, which is the largest crypto meetup in the world with active chapters in 54 cities.
In addition to Lou’s roles as founder of Crypto Oracle Collective and Crypto Mondays, he’s also a partner at Blockchain Coinvestors, a venture capital fund of funds focused on investing in blockchain since 2014. Lou has a great track record of recognizing emerging trends and doubling down on them, first on Wall Street, then onto media, venture capital and now in c...2023-11-0325 minMoneyNeverSleeps236: The Entrepreneur’s Dilemma with Somi Arian from InPeakMy discussion with Somi Arian is a deep dive into the entrepreneur's dilemma of solving problems vs. fulfilling desires, customer discovery, product building and pivots, all baked into a live startup mentoring session.
Somi is the founder and CEO of InPeak, an innovative platform enabling creators and businesses to build and monetize communities. Somi is also an award-winning filmmaker, tech philosopher, and author whose work sits at the intersection of AI, blockchain, and the future of work. Her 2018 documentary, “The Millennial Disruption” won several international awards and featured industry leaders from The Economist, Marie Claire, Bentley, JLR, and S...2023-10-2738 minMoneyNeverSleeps235: Reset Button | Arry Yu from the US Blockchain Coalition | Rebuilding the Internet One Startup at a TimeArry Yu is a 23+ year emerging technology industry veteran, serial founder and strategic operator with expertise in scaling business from "zero to one" with a consistent track record building high-performing teams. In this episode, Arry shares her story on her path into crypto and blockchain from the roots of her early corporate career into becoming a startup founder, investor and Executive Director and Co-Founder of the U.S. Blockchain Coalition (USBC).
Arry also sheds some light on the paradox that is the US attitude towards crypto, with the overwhelming majority of venture capital investment in crypto companies...2023-10-2045 minMoneyNeverSleeps234: Money Talks with Pet Berisha from Sporting Crypto | Who’s Following the SBF Trial? | State of Crypto Fundraising | Volume Drivers in Web3 Gaming and CollectiblesJoining Pete as guest co-host this week is Pet Berisha from Sporting Crypto, the number one Web3 Sports business exploring the intersection alongside 3000+ subscribers from the biggest sports and crypto brands in the world.
In this episode, Pet and Pete dive into whether or not the Sam Bankman-Fried trial actually matters, without digging into all of the gory details, and they also look at the state of crypto fundraising through the lens of Messari’s report of the same name for Q3 2023. They also talk through the latest news on Web3 gaming with the story of how on...2023-10-1342 minMoneyNeverSleeps233: Money Talks w/ Elliott Griffin | Pete’s Path into Crypto | Venture Investing from Ireland | Founder-VC Relationships | Inside Techstars
We’ve got a special crossover episode this week courtesy of our friends at the Irish VC podcast, with a big shout-out to Finn Hatherell for producing the initial episode on the Irish VC podcast channel over the summer. The Irish VC podcast is produced by BVP, an Ireland-based venture capital firm founded in 2004 by Elliott Griffin.
In this episode, Elliott and Pete Townsend share a few stories on venture investing, Pete’s path into crypto, working with founders before and after investing in them, building products that people actually want, what...2023-10-0638 minMoneyNeverSleeps232: Evolution | Eva Lawrence, Figment and Staking Digital AssetsEva Lawrence is the Head of EMEA for Figment, the leading provider of blockchain infrastructure, providing staking solutions for institutions.
In this episode, we get into Eva’s evolution from a legal mind into institutional trading, and her slow-burn crypto awakening before jumping from the institutional world into the great wide open of crypto back in 2018. We also step through her role at Figment, look at the importance of staking now and into the future, and use the Wayback Machine that is X/Twitter to figure out what makes Eva do what she does.
Eva Law...2023-09-2929 minMoneyNeverSleeps231: Money Talks w/ Alejandro Gutierrez | NFT Takedowns by SEC | Visa, Solana & Stablecoins | Mark Cuban Hacked | Citi’s Token ServiceAlejandro Gutierrez joins the show as guest co-host in this Money Talks segment. Alejandro is the CEO of Defactor Labs, providing all the required technological and financial tools for traditional companies to tap into alternative sources of financing using tokenized Real World Assets as collateral. Congratulations to Defactor Labs for taking home the gong at the inaugural National Fintech Awards in Ireland for ‘Best Crypto, Blockchain or Digital Asset Offering’.
In this episode, Alejandro and Pete Townsend riff on the SEC cracking down on NFTs as a fundraising tool by looking at the Mila Kunis-backed Stoner Cats proje...2023-09-2240 minMoneyNeverSleeps230: Vision Clear | Asad J. Malik, Jadu and Bringing Augmented Reality to LifeAsad J. Malik is an augmented reality pioneer and the founder and CEO of Jadu, a next-gen multiplayer augmented reality fighting game for your phone launching this month. In Jadu, players can settle or start rivalries with friends or compete against strangers for fame and glory in this combat game from the future.
Malik’s critically acclaimed and globally exhibited narrative storytelling projects Terminal 3 and A Jester’s Tale premiered at Tribeca and Sundance Film Festivals, positioning Asad as a visionary in the space before completing his undergraduate degree. Asad was named one of Variety’s 10 Innovators to Watch...2023-09-1539 minMoneyNeverSleeps229: Money Talks w/ Laura Walsh | Grayscale Spot Bitcoin ETF | Loyalty and Digital Assets | New Web3 VCs | Elon's Job BoardAfter intersecting stories of meeting Vitalik Buterin and Bono, Pete Townsend and guest co-host Laura Walsh take a look at the recent SEC ruling in favor of Grayscale that many expect will open up the floodgates for the trillions of institutional capital currently on the sidelines of crypto.
We also look at the positioning of NFTs or ‘dynamic digital assets’ as the core technology to drive more expansive yet personalized loyalty programs for big brands and sports teams, all through the lens of Pet Berisha’s Sporting Crypto newsletter. Laura also gave us a run-down of two new web...2023-09-0852 minMoneyNeverSleeps228: The Recipe | Liang Wu and Dan Herrera | Evolving Internet Insights | AI, Web3 and Emerging TechJoining Pete this week are Liang Wu and Dan Herrera from Eleven26 Capital, an early-stage VC firm investing in diverse founders on the evolving Internet across web2 and web3. In this episode, we get into how Liang and Dan originally got together and stayed close through the years, their Evolving Internet thesis across web2 and web3, building a platform for investing through content creation and community into a flywheel, and a ‘so-what’ look at the intersection of web3 and AI.
In addition to his role as the Co-founding Managing Partner at Eleven26 Capital, Liang is also a Senio...2023-09-0157 minMoneyNeverSleeps227: Encore | Eoin Fitzgerald’s Last Dance & Techstars Web3 RecapWe’ve been on a bit of a hiatus this summer, as we took a break to recharge after a few mad months, as sometimes, you need to go away for a while and dream it all up again. In this episode we recorded on the Fourth of July, we pull the curtain off our upcoming plans, with a big announcement from longtime co-host Eoin Fitzgerald that brings him and Pete Townsend to a fork in the road with MoneyNeverSleeps. But before we get into all that, Eoin and Pete take a look back at Pete’s experience with the T...2023-08-0442 minMoneyNeverSleeps226: Pursuit of Happiness | Neal Peters, JR Studio and Giving Game Creators SuperpowersNeal Peters is co-founder and CEO of JR Studio, a frictionless web3 gaming platform that gives game creators the superpowers to build, host, launch, manage, and grow their games and communities.
JR Studio is also one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
After launching his first business as a 14-year-old gamer building websites, Neal spent 18 years as an IT architect and in public/private/hybrid cloud, software development, and blockchain. He also co-founded and led a venture capital business during the last crypto bull run focused on web3 gaming and N...2023-06-2331 minMoneyNeverSleeps225: California Love | Federico Panisi, Loki.code and Smart Contracts Made EasyFederico Panisi is a co-founder and CEO of Loki.code, enabling simplified and intuitive co-creation of smart contracts with a collaborative web app for smart contract designers and developers.
Loki.code is also one of the 12 founding teams forming the https://www.techstars.com/newsroom/announcing-the-techstars-web3-class-of-2023.
Before founding Loki.code in July 2022 with Pedro Wilson, Fabio Manzani, Adam Toth-Fejel, and Malachy Lin-Nugent, Federico’s time in academia included a law degree and a Ph.D. in Law & Business in his home country of Italy with stints in Sydney and Hong Kong, before rounding things ou...2023-06-2044 minMoneyNeverSleeps224: Power to the People II | Tatiana Botskina, Mintycode and Fixing Open SourceTatiana Botskina is the founder and CEO of Mintycode, a decentralized IP marketplace for software creators, bringing together software creators, software buyers, and software contributors. By building communities around software creators’ source code and enabling shared ownership, Mintycode helps software creators monetize their work and incentivize and reward contributors. Mintycode is also one of the 12 startups forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
Before founding Mintycode in January 2022, Tatiana began her career as a lawyer before returning to academia and adding disciplines in international finance, machine learning, and blockchain development, Through her time in academia and also thr...2023-06-1630 minMoneyNeverSleeps223: Eye Know | Terence Reilly, OLTA and the Art of the Creator ProtocolTerence Reilly is the co-founder and CEO of OLTA, one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
OLTA is a protocol for creators and studios to create dynamic media, pushing the boundaries from generative art into interactive art and story. OLTA brings this all to life through dynamic NFTs which enable collectors to determine the outcome of the artwork over time.
Before co-founding OLTA with George Baldwin in 2021, Terence spent 20 years working on 3D character animation projects, including the movies Jurassic World, Iron Man 2, and Paul & Chappie with clients such as...2023-06-0941 minMoneyNeverSleeps222: Trust | Javier Tamashiro, Ospree and Crypto Compliance Made SimpleJavier Tamashiro is the co-founder and CEO of Ospree, a comprehensive anti-money laundering compliance solution for Virtual Asset Service Providers that seamlessly integrates customer onboarding, blockchain monitoring, and the Travel Rule.
Javier and his Ospree co-founders Anne Winston and Jukka Pellinen are one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
By connecting to premium on-chain and off-chain data suppliers, Ospree offers a centralized repository of high-quality alerts for risk and compliance teams. With Ospree, institutions and SMEs serving the crypto and wider digital asset markets today can significantly reduce false positives, b...2023-06-0237 minMoneyNeverSleeps221: First Chain | Greg Hannam, Peerkat, and the Power of NFT DataGreg Hannam is the co-founder and CEO of Peerkat a data analytics tool for marketers to help them understand their users, increase engagement and drive growth in their web3 strategies. In this episode, Greg chats with Pete Townsend about how his life experience drove him to the Peerkat vision, driving value for brands moving from web2 to web3, the evolution of non-fungible tokens (or NFTs) beyond profile pics, and a few life lessons along the way.
Peerkat is also one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
Peerkat combines multiple data s...2023-05-2639 minMoneyNeverSleeps220: The Message | Howie Young, Protico and the Universal Chatting InterfaceHowie Young is the founder and CEO of Protico, a universal chatting interface that enables web3 chat on apps in seconds for enterprises that want to migrate business and engage customers at the web3 level.
Protico is also one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
With over eight years of experience in the chat and messaging industry, Howie Young is a highly skilled and dedicated professional who has built a reputation for delivering innovative and user-focused solutions. Combining a strong foundation in business with extensive self-taught technical expertise, Howie has c...2023-05-2333 minMoneyNeverSleeps219: Footprints | Deb Pratiher and Quest LabsDeb Pratiher is the co-founder and CEO of Quest Labs, building infrastructure enabling organizations to leverage data in a privacy-preserving manner to unlock powerful user experiences.
Quest Labs is also one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
Deb Pratiher is a product leader and engineer with experience building and scaling data infrastructure and systems at big tech companies. She is passionate about AI and web3 and the intersection of both. Prior to starting Quest she worked and researched at Nvidia, Visa, Tesla, and Carnegie Mellon University, as she was chosen...2023-05-1938 minMoneyNeverSleeps218: Dollar and a Dream | Igor Khmel and SaveChainIgor Khmel is the co-founder and CEO of SaveChain, the borderless banking app. SaveChain features a self-custody 'stablecoin-only' wallet with a banking interface for the global underbanked, with the option to open an FDIC-insured bank account for non-US residents. In short, SaveChain is Metamask meets Revolut.
SaveChain is also one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
Originally from Ukraine but now based in the US, Igor Khmel has been honing his craft for the past 17 years, including experience in the investment banking and corporate finance practice of Deloitte and McKinsey...2023-05-1236 minMoneyNeverSleeps217: Payday | Lee Gray and SonXLee Gray is the co-founder and CEO of SonX, a community platform that allows superfans to subscribe to their favorite musicians via a monthly membership fee unlocking fan-only ticketing, exclusive audio content, and digital and physical collectibles. SonX is also one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator class of 2023.
In this episode, Lee and Pete Townsend dig into why it made so much sense for Lee to launch SonX alongside his co-founder Lewis Donovan, some of the ins and outs of the music industry that point to the need for SonX, Lee’s longer-term vi...2023-05-0534 minMoneyNeverSleeps216: One Tribe | Katerina Bohle Carbonell, TogetherCrew and Web3 CommunitiesKaterina Bohle Carbonell is the co-lead of TogetherCrew, one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator. Some web3 communities fall apart under pressure, others come together stronger. TogetherCrew exists to help build and grow communities by ensuring members and stakeholders create together.
Katerina’s life’s work goes broad and deep on how members of teams and communities attract, engage and retain new contributors, and how people collaborate and co-create within communities - collectively known as ‘network science’. With the advent of DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Organizations) in the last few years and the massive opportunity to apply ne...2023-04-2838 minMoneyNeverSleeps215: I Left My Wallet | Jesse Phillips and TrustWareJesse Phillips is the co-founder and CEO of TrustWare, one of the 12 founding teams forming the Techstars Web3 accelerator. Jesse and Pete Townsend dig into how Jesse got into crypto, the TrustWare vision he formed with co-founder Jonathan Frazier, adjusting to some of the crypto curveballs the world is throwing at TrustWare, and how life experiences are informing the building and scaling of TrustWare.
TrustWare is a secure, recoverable, non-custodial crypto vault that connects users in a social network for sharing value. Jesse is a seasoned entrepreneur and deep thinker in the blockchain space, who is on a...2023-04-2045 minMoneyNeverSleeps214: World Class | Techstars Web3 Class of 2023This episode features a rundown of the 12 web3 founding teams that form the Techstars Web3 class of 2023, along with an intro to each of their CEOs.
Builders gotta build, and build better.
That was the Techstars Web3 rallying cry when Pete Townsend and Hugh McGirr opened up applications for the Techstars Web3 2023 cohort in November 2022, as finding those building for the long-term - rather than chasing token markets - was the priority.
Each one of these 12 founding teams embody web3 in their own way, whether they’re building web3 companies, communities, or economies. Techs...2023-04-1419 minMoneyNeverSleeps213: In the Middle | Patrick Pinschmidt and MiddleGame VenturesPatrick Pinschmidt is a General Partner and Co-Founder at MiddleGame Ventures, a financial technology venture capital fund focused on early-stage investments in Europe.
In this episode, Patrick riffs with Pete Townsend on the life experiences that delivered him to venture capital and what Patrick looks for in fintech founders in the context of MiddleGame Ventures’ Irish seed fund. Patrick and Pete also dive into Patrick’s lessons learned as an investor, investing in lines not dots, and the human focus of early-stage investing.
LINKS:
Learn more about MiddleGame Ventures on thei...2023-03-3137 minMoneyNeverSleeps212: Money Talks: Opening the Bitcoin Floodgates | Grayscale vs SEC | Open Banking Meets AIEoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend take a look at the aftermath of the American Bankpocalypse with contrasting views on bitcoin as a safe haven, and how a potential outcome of Grayscale’s lawsuit of the SEC may be opening the floodgates of crypto into institutional finance. Eoin and Pete also dig into the $600mn raise by open-banking-meets-AI startup Abound, and how a new EU regulatory framework around AI may slow down not only Abound’s AI-powered consumer lending platform but also the overall commercial growth of AI applications in Europe.
STORIES COVERED:
Crypt...2023-03-2442 minMoneyNeverSleeps211: Money Talks: Lessons Learned from 1,000 Startup Deals | The American BankpocalypseEoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend take a quick look at the triumvirate of bank failures in the US with Silvergate, Silicon Valley Bank, and Signature Bank before Eoin asks Pete about his lessons learned from seeing over 1,000 deals in the last 18 months, so they riff on easy-to-remember mental models, investing in lines not dots, building relationships with founders, how those relationships evolve post-investment, and the founder having the most credible voice in the room.
STORIES COVERED:
When it Rains it Pours (Liang Wu, Life in Color blog, 13-Mar-23)
Signals: "SVB, Signature, & Silvergate"-gate...2023-03-1641 minMoneyNeverSleeps210: Money Talks | Web3 Gender Gap | Pitching the Right VCs | Revolut’s Neo-Profits | WhatsApp Goes Big in BrazilEoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend look at the outsized gender gap in web3, then riff on the realities of venture capital ‘dry powder’ and crypto VCs, before stepping through what’s wrong with Revolut’s neo-profitability, an unfortunate slip switch for railsr and WhatsApp B2B payments in Brazil as a WeChat-like foundation.
STORIES COVERED:
The Web3 gender gap, by the numbers (Sifted, 6-Mar-23)
Crypto startups, beware the 'dry powder fallacy' (The Block, 6-Mar-23)
Revolut auditor flags concern about $576 mln of revenue in long-delayed 2021 accounts (Reuters, 1-Mar-23)
Railsr investors on brink...2023-03-1042 minMoneyNeverSleeps209: Word is Bond | Liang Wu | Writing and Investing in Web3Liang Wu is the Co-founding Managing Partner at Eleven26 Capital, an early-stage VC fund investing in diverse founders on the evolving Internet across Web2 and Web3.
Liang is also a Web3 Research Fellow at Harvard Business School where he helps shape the Web3 curriculum by writing case studies on leading Web3 companies, as well as supporting community building and business development for Harvard’s Crypto Lab.
He writes regularly on his Life in Color blog where he explores the “Why” behind Web3. His professional background is a mix of startups, venture capital and management consulting, and Li...2023-03-031h 01MoneyNeverSleeps208: MoneyTalks: US Crypto Crackdown | Apple + NBA Top Shot | Solaris Setback | Revolut’s Irish Trojan HorseThis week, Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend riff on the latest US regulatory crackdown in crypto markets, how NBA Top Shot on the Apple app store is a leading indicator of our wider society’s digital asset adoption whether we realize it or not, trouble in Banking-as-a-Service land with Solaris, Nova Credit’s entry to the UK market, and Revolut’s Irish Trojan Horse.
STORIES COVERED:
Crypto markets on edge as U.S. regulatory crackdown on industry intensifies (CNBC, 14-Feb-23)
NBA Top Shot Will Let Users Buy NFTs via Apple, Android Mobile Apps (Decryp...2023-02-2448 minMoneyNeverSleeps206: Sure Shot | Dee Coakley and BoundlessDee Coakley is the co-founder and CEO of Boundless, the operating system for your international team, which she co-founded with Emily Castles in Ireland in 2019. Boundless is ‘global employment made simple, with benefits, share options and payroll in one neat platform’.
In this episode, Dee riffs with Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend on the snowball effect of the diverse international experiences and relationships that made Boundless such a no-brainer for her to co-found, the shifting mindsets, societal changes and competitive landscape that have made remote working and distributed international teams a scalable reality, the benefit of tight alig...2023-01-2748 minMoneyNeverSleeps205: Memory Lane | Sam Williams and ArweaveSam Williams is co-founder and CEO of Arweave, a blockchain protocol allowing us to remember and preserve valuable information, apps, and history indefinitely. Pete Townsend interviewed Sam last month on the Techstars GiveFirst podcast, so thanks to David Cohen and Techstars for letting us share the interview for this episode of MoneyNeverSleeps.
In this episode, Sam shares the inspirational story of how Arweave got started, their life-changing experience with Techstars Berlin in 2018, and how their long-term vision, hope, and resilience have been the foundation of their successes to date.
LINKS:
Learn more about...2023-01-2027 minMoneyNeverSleeps204: MoneyTalks: Silvergate Buries Diem | Jack Ma Done | Bitcoin vs. Ethereum vs. YouTube | Farming Yield and CheeseFiThis week, Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend riff on Eoin’s new role at Enterprise Ireland, the final nail in the coffin for Meta’s former crypto project Diem, the next steps for Ant Group now that Jack Ma is formally out, the back and forth on the environmental impact of crypto and bitcoin’s role, some new ideas on agri-finance thanks to past guest Nik Milanovich, and some details on an event Pete’s co-hosting for Techstars Web3 with Genesis Block and Union Square Ventures in New York City on 17-Jan-23.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsore...2023-01-1344 minMoneyNeverSleeps203: MoneyTalks: 2023 Web3 & Fintech Predictions | | Techstars Web3 Update | Using ChatGPT | Fintech & Crypto LeadershipThis week, Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend riff on the latest on Sam Bankman-Fried before diving into a few of the fintech and web3 predictions for 2023 published recently, then we do an experimental walk-through of the AI bot ChatGPT. We finish up with a look at some of the January leadership changes in fintech and crypto and an update on the Techstars Web3 accelerator.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by SecuriCentrix. SecuriCentrix is a trusted cyber security company with offices in Dublin, Cape Town and London. SecuriCentrix provides expert advisory services, primarily in the finance and...2023-01-0642 minMoneyNeverSleeps202: Clarisse Hagege, Dfns and Protecting Your Crypto AssetsClarisse Hagege, founder and CEO of Dfns, joins the show this week recorded recently as part of the Techstars Web3 Community Series events organized by the Techstars Web3 Accelerator. Dfns is a cybersecurity company providing wallet infrastructure for web3. From banks to gaming studios, developer teams rely on their decentralized custody network to build seamless applications and deliver smooth experiences for crypto.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by SecuriCentrix. SecuriCentrix is a trusted cyber security company with offices in Dublin, Cape Town and London. SecuriCentrix provides expert advisory services, primarily in the finance and fintech industries...2022-12-1642 minMoneyNeverSleeps201: Sean Lee, Odsy Network and Making Web3 Universally AccessibleSean Lee, co-founder of Odsy Network, joins the show this week recorded recently as part of the Techstars Web3 Community Series events organized by the Techstars Web3 Accelerator. Sean is the former CEO of the Algorand Foundation, he is an accomplished executive in web3 innovation and fintech, and is a senior advisor for the Crypto Council for Innovation.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by SecuriCentrix. SecuriCentrix is a trusted cyber security company with offices in Dublin, Cape Town and London. SecuriCentrix provides expert advisory services, primarily in the finance and fintech industries, with tailored security solutions...2022-12-0950 minMoneyNeverSleeps200: It Takes Two | Pete and Eoin’s Top 10 from the Last One Hundred EpisodesHoly Mackenzie, we just hit 200 episodes! When Eoin Fitzgerald said to Pete Townsend in early 2018, “Hey Pete, I heard you on a couple of podcasts, wanna help me start one?” never in our wildest dreams did we think this would become such an integral part of our week for the past, well, 200 weeks. So, here’s our recap of our Top 10 from the past one hundred episodes, some honourable mentions, the Top 10 all-time by downloads, reflections on flywheels, the good things that come from doing 200 podcast episodes, and a bunch of our past guests sharing their good tidings.
Thank...2022-12-0248 minMoneyNeverSleeps197: Connected for Life | Ollie Walsh, Pipit & Konect | Live from Web SummitOllie Walsh is the co-founder and CEO of Pipit, who are bringing to market the new Konect network that is powering international cash transactions with DeFi and enabling migrants to support their families back home cheaper, safer, and now faster.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by SecuriCentrix. SecuriCentrix is a trusted cyber security company with offices in Dublin, Cape Town and London. SecuriCentrix provides expert advisory services, primarily in the finance and fintech industries, with tailored security solutions to fit your specific needs and regulatory challenges.
In this episode, recorded live from Web Summit 2022...2022-11-0429 minMoneyNeverSleeps196: Forever | Nigel Verdon and RailsrNigel Verdon is the CEO and co-founder of Railsr (formerly Railsbank) and is a 3x fintech founder and ‘Finance 4 Good’ evangelist focused on building great ideas - first with Evolution (exited to BAE Systems), followed by Currency Cloud (exited to Visa), and now with Railsr.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by SecuriCentrix. SecuriCentrix is a trusted cyber security company with offices in Dublin, Cape Town and London. SecuriCentrix provides expert advisory services, primarily in the finance and fintech industries, with tailored security solutions to fit your specific needs and regulatory challenges.
In this episode, Nige...2022-10-2849 minMoneyNeverSleeps191: MoneyTalks #53 | Ethereum Post-Merge l Revolut Pay Later Trial | a16z Funds Sequence and Sardines | Bored YachtsIn this episode, Eoin and Pete talk through the aftermath of the Ethereum Merge, some pandas and goofy songs, an early-morning Bankless livestream of the Merge, and critically, a 99% more energy-efficient blockchain. We also look at the new Revolut BNPL product live in Ireland, two new funding deals that a16z did on this side of the pond in Sequence and Sardines, opportunities for bored yacht owners, and how it feels like 2002 all over again with builders still building.
STORIES COVERED:
Ethereum Makes History With Merge to Proof-of-Stake (Crypto Briefing, 15-Sep-22)
Revolut rolls...2022-09-2333 minMoneyNeverSleeps190: Sky’s the Limit: Owen O’Driscoll and PlanDailFounder and CEO of PlanDail, Owen O’Driscoll, riffs with Pete Townsend on PlanDail’s mission to build Europe’s premier cross-border, seamless, regulated crowdfunding platform, powered by carbon-neutral Algorand technology. PlanDail’s aim is to connect high-impact focused entrepreneurs with ESG/impact investors of all shapes and sizes who want to fund a better future for the planet.
In this episode, we dig into:
How Owen’s foundational experiences in operations, supply chains, horticulture, blockchain, and retail investing merged together to form his vision for PlanDail.
How participating in an accelerator in 2019 opened Owen’s eyes to the s...2022-09-1638 minMoneyNeverSleeps188: Money Talks #51 | Revolut on Tour | Starling Flies | Vitalik on the Metaverse | Crypto Regulation & Talent | Umba’s Big DealThis week, Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend riff on Pete’s trip to the US last month with the sheer ridiculousness of the 8 different combinations of point-of-sale authorizations he experienced with a single Revolut card, Starling Bank’s re-prioritization of a presence in the Irish banking market, the hunt for crypto talent by EU regulators, Vitalik’s view on giving people what they want in the Metaverse, fintech micro-lender Umba’s deal for Daraja Lending and Tomo Credit’s big round to make credit scores obsolete.
*SUMMER SCHEDULE UPDATE* - This is our mid-summer episode for August and we’ll...2022-08-0545 minMoneyNeverSleeps187: Money Talks #50 | Techstars Demo Day Recap | Building the Bear | EU’s MiCA | Web3 as Embedded FinanceThis week, Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend recap Techstars’ first-ever demo day in Dublin as part of the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator, look at crypto winter with FTX, BlockFi and Voyager, Klarna’s down round, Revolut’s new card reader, Algorand bringing Napster back to life, MiCA ( Markets in Crypto Assets) regulation in the EU, and open banking as a crossover from embedded finance into crypto and digital assets.
*SUMMER SCHEDULE UPDATE* - We’ll be moving to a monthly release for July and August 2022, but we’ll return to our regular weekly episodes in September.
This epi...2022-07-0842 min
MoneyNeverSleeps186: Money Maker | Eczodex | Bridging TradFi to DeFi | Michael Quartey and Lukas BruellMichael Quartey and Lukas Bruell, founder and co-founder of Eczodex, join the show this week to riff on how Eczodex are enabling investors to unlock more returns with traditional investments through DeFi (decentralized finance).
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
Eczodex are the ninth of the founding teams forming the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022 that we’ve got on the show in the lead-in to Demo Day...2022-06-1729 minMoneyNeverSleeps185: Diamonds Dancing | Your Diamonds | Tim GoodmanTim Goodman is the founder and CEO of Your Diamonds, an ecosystem enabling the diamond industry to solve old-world problems through digital technologies and Web3.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
Your Diamonds are the eighth of the founding teams forming the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022 that we’ve got on the show over the next month.
In this episode, Tim Goodman talks with Pete...2022-06-1030 minMoneyNeverSleeps184: In da Club | Staxe | Luis Martinez and Martin LiebrichLuis Martinez and Martin Liebrich are the co-founders of Staxe. Staxe is enabling music and creative production economies on web3 so that anyone can become an owner of music and creative productions, support their favorite artists, and become a part of their success.”
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
Staxe are the seventh of the founding teams forming the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022 that we’ve got on...2022-06-0340 minMoneyNeverSleeps183: Award Tour | MegaFans | Jeff Donnelley and Colin BraceyJeff Donnelley and Colin Bracey are the co-founders of MegaFans, a mobile esports platform and community bridging web2 to web3 in a play-to-earn environment for gamers, collectors and developers.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
MegaFans are the sixth of ten founding teams forming the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022 that we’ve got on the show over the next two months.
In this episode, Pete...2022-05-2745 minMoneyNeverSleeps182: Hate It Or Love It | LiveDuel | Will Martin & Laura BrkicOn the show this week, we’ve got Will Martin and Laura Brkić from LiveDuel, a DeFi-powered digital sports market with live fan engagement. LiveDuel supports decentralized sports betting built on blockchain to give you a fairer deal than traditional sports betting sites.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
LiveDuel are the fifth of ten founding teams forming the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022 that we’ve got on...2022-05-2041 minMoneyNeverSleeps181: Friends | Securo Finance and DeFi with Victor Lee and Alvin FooOn the show this week, we’ve got Victor and Lee and Alvin Foo, co-founders of Securo Finance (formerly DAOventures) who are building a compliant, secure and easy to use DeFi (decentralized finance) investment platform for regular investors.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
Securo Finance are the fourth of ten founding teams forming the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022 that we’ve got on the show over t...2022-05-1336 minMoneyNeverSleeps179: Drop It Like It's Hot | BigFan | Eugene O’Brien and Kurt PittmanEugene O’Brien and Kurt Pittman from Ireland-based BigFan join Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend on the show this week. BigFan is reinventing sports collectibles through officially licensed NFTs that provide access to Metaverse-driven fan experiences
Eugene and Kurt from BigFan are the second of ten founding teams forming the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022 that we’ve got on the show over the next few months.
In this episode, we talk to Eugene and Kurt about how their paths converged into BigFan last year, why it makes so much sense for them to be w...2022-04-2941 minMoneyNeverSleeps178: Get it Together | Carla Rosenkranz and BarterchainCarla Rosenkranz, founder of Barterchain, riffs with Pete Townsend about how the Barterchain idea is rooted in her own experience of exchanging English lessons for yoga classes, the core of her conviction to start building Barterchain, the network effects from connecting local communities and virtual communities, how to keep pushing back against the blockchain and crypto naysayers….and her psychic storytelling superpowers!
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
LINK...2022-04-1534 minMoneyNeverSleeps177: What’s the Scenario? | Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator Class of 2022What a week! Techstars kicked off the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator this week in Dublin and they’re already moving at a breakneck pace. With that, we’re taking the opportunity to introduce our MoneyNeverSleeps community to the ten amazing founding teams that make up Techstars’ first chain-agnostic blockchain accelerator as well as Techstars’ very first accelerator program in Ireland.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
Here are the ten ea...2022-04-0825 minMoneyNeverSleeps176: Money Talks #49 | Ramp Goes Up | JPM Go West | Going Ape with Yuga LabsThis week, Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend return from a 2-week hiatus and look at what’s driving Ramp forward so quickly with their $8bn valuation, the JP Morgan deal for western Ireland-based fintech Global Shares, and the latest with ApeCoin, Bored Ape Yacht Club NFTs and Yuga Labs.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
STORIES WE COVERED:
Ramp confirms new $8.1B valuation after ‘a nearly 10x’ YoY...2022-03-2521 minMoneyNeverSleeps175: My Philosophy | Nik Milanović, This Week in Fintech and The Fintech FundNik Milanović is the founder of This Week in Fintech, a global digest of fintech news, and General Partner at The Fintech Fund, an early-stage venture capital fund. In this episode, Pete Townsend and Eoin Fitzgerald talk to Nik about what influenced his modus operandi, the big opportunity with fintech to provide financial services to even more people around the world, how Nik ramped up from a newsletter to a syndicate to a venture fund, the blurred lines between fintech and crypto…and how Nik managed to make the most of his love of music!
This episode of...2022-03-0440 minMoneyNeverSleeps174: Money Talks #48 | SoFi So Far | Circle and Stablecoins | Crypto Ads | Apple Pay and StripeEoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend riff on what started out as a student lending platform in SoFi now becoming a full-service digital finance player, Circle’s new SPAC deal in the context of stablecoins, advertising and naming rights in crypto and a long-term view on what Apple could be up to with Stripe.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
STORIES WE COVERED:
SoFi Pays $1.1B For Bank...2022-02-2540 minMoneyNeverSleeps173: Mainstream | Adam Bialy, Fiat Republic and Bridging Banks and CryptoAdam Bialy is the founder and CEO of Fiat Republic, the compliance-first, API-driven and highly secure and scalable bridge between banks and crypto. In this episode, Adam and Pete Townsend talk through the Fiat Republic vision, the current state of play between banks and crypto platforms that make Fiat Republic such a strong proposition, Adam’s unique leadership style, raising a $3.5mn seed round…and a little something about Taylor Swift!
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and Lo...2022-02-1851 minMoneyNeverSleeps171: Money Talks #47 | Crypto Visa | UBS-Wealthfront | Walmart Fintech Doubledown | Ireland's Latest Unicorn: WayflyerEoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend are back with the first Money Talks segment of 2022 with a big bump in consumers spending crypto on Visa cards, the UBS deal for Wealthfront, Walmart doubling down on their superapp strategy, the story of Ireland’s latest unicorn, Wayflyer, and the pummeling of PayPal’s stock price as a bellwether for the post-pandemic era.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the heart of the Dublin and London start-up, fintech and crypto communities.
STORIES WE COVERE...2022-02-0438 minMoneyNeverSleeps170: The Finsight Series | Beyond WealthTechThis episode is from the second edition of the Finsight Series virtual event that Pete Townsend moderated recently hosted by Navirum and Salesforce. In this conversation, we’ve got an all-star cast with Rory Galvin from Navirum, Kerry Ryan from Salesforce, Christian-Maynard Philipp from Pattern and Joe Parkin from BlackRock.
The key idea with this discussion is that so many pieces of the wealth management process have become digital, but many have not - how do we go beyond WealthTech to accelerate to the next level of truly digital wealth management? Or do we need to?
...2022-01-2139 minMoneyNeverSleeps169: Tim Bos | ShareRing, Building in Web3 and the Sharing EconomyJoining the show this week is Tim Bos, founder and CEO of ShareRing, a blockchain-based company that's focused on changing the landscape of the fragmented sharing economy. In this chat, Tim and Pete Townsend talk through Tim’s crystal ball-like experiences in deep tech in the ’90s, how being a third-time founder has shaped his view of the blockchain space, adapting all of this incredible technology at our fingertips into real-world scenarios, and what makes a great Web3 project.
This episode was originally recorded as part of the Techstars Web3 Convo Series of fireside chats powered by the...2022-01-1444 minMoneyNeverSleeps168: Money Talks #46 | What a Year | Eoin and Pete's Top Stories of 2021Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend are back with their last Money Talks segment of the year with their review of their top stories for 2021. From GameStop and Wallstreetbets, to Roblox and Coinbase going public, to Chamath and SPACs, to Charlie Munger on Bitcoin, to BNPL with Klarna, Square and Afterpay, to our spinning of the fintech flywheel, to CryptoPunks, stablecoins, the metaverse, Techstars in Ireland and Web3 and finally, Eoin’s new hope for Monzo, we’ve got it covered one last time for 2021.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest...2021-12-1745 minMoneyNeverSleeps167: Techstars Tag Team | Isaac Kato and Pete Townsend on Web2 vs Web3Isaac Kato, who leads the Filecoin Techstars Accelerator program in Seattle joins Pete Townsend on this episode originally recorded as part of the Techstars Web3 Convo Series of fireside chats powered by the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator program in Ireland. In this chat, Isaac and Pete riff on the differences and similarities between Web2 and Web3 startups, the Lego blocks of Web3, defending your turf, incentivizing your users, keeping your community close, building your team, fundraising strategies ...and the Gaelic sport of hurling.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing co...2021-12-1034 minMoneyNeverSleeps166: Joey Krug | Pantera Capital, Being Early in Crypto and Shipping FastJoey Krug is the Co-Chief Investment Officer, Pantera Capital, the first institutional investment firm focused exclusively on bitcoin, other digital currencies, and companies in the blockchain tech ecosystem. Joey joins Pete Townsend on this episode originally recorded as part of the Techstars Web3 Convo Series of fireside chats powered by the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator program in Ireland.
Joey and Pete riff on how being early in crypto impacts how Joey thinks about Web3, building the right founder-to-VC relationship from the start, and what makes a great Web3 project.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored...2021-12-0350 minMoneyNeverSleeps162: Money Talks #45 | Pete Townsend’s Irish Tech News Interview on Digital Finance | Rory Galvin on the Finsight SeriesSuzanna Hayek from Irish Tech News interviews Pete Townsend on Pete Townsend on financial trends, digital finance and investing in startups. This interview was originally aired on Irish Tech News in early September, and they kindly gave us permission to share the content. We also brought Rory Galvin from Navirum back onto the show to give us some quick insights on the next edition of the Finsight Series ‘Beyond WealthTech’ virtual event coming up on November 17th.
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by Philip Lee, one of Ireland’s fastest-growing corporate law firms and expert advisors at the...2021-11-0536 minMoneyNeverSleeps157: Money Talks #42: Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator in Ireland | Chase Goes UK | AngelList Gets Stacked157: Money Talks #42: Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator in Ireland | Chase Goes UK | AngelList Gets Stacked
Eoin Fitzgerald and Pete Townsend dive into the big news for Ireland’s startup ecosystem as Techstars come to Ireland with the Launchpool Web3 Techstars Accelerator, along with some news of how Pete will be leading the program, then we get into how we think Chase’s digital bank might fare in the UK, and also AngelList’s announcement of AngelList Stack and their opportunity to monetize their massive user base through fintech.
MAIN STORIES COVERED:
Techstars comes to Ireland...2021-10-0130 minMoneyNeverSleeps124: Money Talks #29 | Clubhouse | Jay Z, Jack Dorsey and Bitcoin | Fintech SPACs and Digital AssetsIn this Money Talks segment, Pete and Eoin riff on Pete’s first experience with Clubhouse, Jay Z and Jack Dorsey’s Bitcoin Trust for Africa and India, fintech valuations and SPACs, Citi’s fat finger, efficient crypto markets and grief for Revolut over raising fees.
MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by PAT Fintech, the training partner that demystifies fintech and digital finance for financial services professionals.
MAIN STORIES WE COVERED:
Why can’t Europe build a Clubhouse? (Sifted, 17-Feb-21)
Thoughts from the author, Nicholas Colin, pointed to a fragmented European market (we agreed...2021-02-1930 minMoneyNeverSleeps115: Transformers | Allan Boyle on Growth Stage Scaling, People and ChangeAllan Boyle, founder of Saltwater Consulting, joins the show to talk about helping growth-stage companies scale, putting people at the center of digital transformation, how to get to the root of a problem…and his love-hate relationship with handwriting!
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by PAT Fintech, the training partner that demystifies fintech and digital finance for financial services professionals.
EPISODE OVERVIEW:
Saltwater Consulting is an Ireland-based strategic consulting firm specialising in providing businesses with experienced executive capacity and resources where needed during periods of transition and rapid growth.
When Al...2020-12-1145 minMoneyNeverSleeps114: Changes | Mick Sweeney on Markets, Society, Leadership and DigitalMick Sweeney, CEO of PineBridge Investments in Ireland, joins the show to talk about what triggered his early interest in the financial markets, the nascent opportunity to transform the fund management industry in Ireland, the outcome of his long-term commitment to diversity, thoughts on post-pandemic global markets, societal changes driving new leadership styles…and his labour of love as a Leeds United supporter!
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by PAT Fintech, the training partner that demystifies fintech and digital finance for financial services professionals.
EPISODE OVERVIEW:
PineBridge Investments is a private, global as...2020-12-0448 minMoneyNeverSleeps110: Money Talks #25: Pete Townsend and the Hard Thing about Startups, Digital Assets and BlockchainWe’ve flipped the tables this week, with Ken Coyne from OpsTalent interviewing Pete Townsend on his own digital awakening, insights on the startups he’s working with, the origins of enterprise blockchain, the present and the future of digital assets…and who stole Pete’s car stereo in 1990!
This episode of MoneyNeverSleeps is sponsored by PAT Fintech, the training partner that demystifies fintech and digital finance for financial services professionals.
EPISODE OVERVIEW:
Pete and Ken were introduced a couple of years ago by a friend from Pete’s time in Bermuda. As they got a...2020-11-0632 minMoneyNeverSleeps108: Alphabet | Emmett Kilduff and Eagle AlphaEmmett Kilduff, founder and CEO of Eagle Alpha, talks with Pete Townsend about alternative data, launching his first startup at the same time as the Lehman collapse, pairing his conviction on the ‘problem-to-solve’ with staying power while waiting for the market….and his secret life as a Montréalais!
EPISODE OVERVIEW:
Founded here in Ireland about 8 years ago, Eagle Alpha are Pioneers Connecting the Universe of Alternative Data. Pete first came across Eagle Alpha a few years ago following an intro from Enterprise Ireland, and they’ve stayed in touch ever since. With Eagle Alpha’s strong ba...2020-10-2239 minMoneyNeverSleeps105: Ease the Pain: David Soden and AptimyzDavid Soden, Co-founder and CEO of Aptimyz, talks with Pete Townsend about early entrepreneurial influences, finding purpose in a move from pharmaceuticals to B2B SaaS, the end-all-be-all of delivering customer value….and doubling down during lockdown!
For more episodes and our entire back catalog of show notes go to MoneyNeverSleeps.ie.
For insights delivered to your inbox beyond the spoken word, subscribe to our MoneyNeverSleeps newsletter right here on Substack.
EPISODE OVERVIEW:
This week Pete talks to David Soden, co-founder and CEO of Aptimyz, an Irish tech startup delivering a co...2020-10-0244 minMoneyNeverSleeps103: Ya Know The Rules | Jill Richmond and JewelJill Richmond, Co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Jewel, joins the show this week to talk about having agility at the core of everything they do, the relationship between regulations and problem solving…and backpacking solo through eastern Africa!
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland’s fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
For more episodes and our entire back catalog of show notes go to MoneyNeverSleeps.ie.
For insights delivered to your inbox beyon...2020-09-1835 min
MoneyNeverSleeps089: All In a Day's Work | Garrett Cassidy and TrezeoGarrett Cassidy, co-founder and CEO of Trezeo, joins the show to talk about making financial services accessible to independent workers, the snowball effect of impacting people's lives, mental health perspectives in the startup community....and the impact of scuba diving on his ability to communicate!
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland’s fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
This week we talk to Garrett Cassidy from Trezeo, a fintech on a mission to help independent wor...2020-06-1251 min
MoneyNeverSleeps082: Money Talks #11 | Startup Support | Marc Andreessen's Build | Survival from NFXIn another edition of our Money Talks segment, Pete Townsend and Eoin Fitzgerald air their thoughts on the startup support plan announced in the UK, Marc Andreessen's 'Build' essay, and NFX's recent post on how startups can survive a downturn.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
In this episode, the comeback kid, Eoin Fitzgerald, finally rejoins Pete Townsend as they dig into a few of the things that happened...2020-04-2435 min
MoneyNeverSleeps079: Cryptic Wisdom | Colin Platt on Crypto, Blockchain and DLTColin Platt joins the show to talk to Pete Townsend about leaving behind his early career in the capital markets, the crossover of solving entrepreneurial problems and solving global political problems, the professional merits of podcasting, hating and loving writing, his view on economics....and his grasp of the Swedish language!
This week we’re catching up with Colin Platt, whose LinkedIn profile describes him as a “crypto performance artist” in addition to being an independent consultant, but where you really want to follow him is on Twitter @colingplatt and on his blog on Medium.
Colin...2020-03-2753 min
MoneyNeverSleeps078: Money Talks #9: David Chreng | Blockchain & SustainabilityDavid Chreng from LeadBlock Partners joins the show to talk about how his time as an energy equity analyst influenced his view of the world, investing in blockchain and distributed ledger technologies for sustainability-themed ventures, the development of blockchain and DLT in general over the past 5 years....and using quantum mechanics to model DNA!
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland’s fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
This week we’re catching up with David Chren...2020-03-1336 min
MoneyNeverSleeps076: Replay | Money Made Me Do It | Elaine Deehan and PocketwireIn a special replay of one of the best episodes of 2018, Pete Townsend talks to Elaine Deehan about her entry into fintech, her startup ambitions....and her love of the Spanish language!
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
This week we're doing a special replay of Pete Townsend's chat with Elaine Deehan from Season 1 of MoneyNeverSleeps. When we recorded this in 2018, Elaine was in the midst of bringing her...2020-02-2131 min
MoneyNeverSleeps075: Spiritual | Erin Grover and Life in CryptoErin Grover joins Pete Townsend to talk about her journey into crypto and digital assets, opening up the niche space of crypto hedge funds to professional investors, being guided by her own human nature of wanting to help others...and the massive opportunity in replacing ballot boxes hauled by nomad-guided donkeys!
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
Erin Grover is the founder of Altai Digital Capital, which connects investors...2020-02-1435 min
MoneyNeverSleeps073: Positivity | Ivailo Jordanov and 7Percent VenturesIvailo Jordanov from 7Percent Ventures joins Pete Townsend to share his story of powering the search engine pioneers of the dotcom era, his incurable optimism, becoming an early-stage tech investor....and being yet another person on the show admitting to not being able to swim!
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
Ivailo Jordanov is a venture partner at 7Percent Ventures, a London-based VC investing in early stage tech companies...2020-01-3134 min
MoneyNeverSleeps072: Money Talks #8: Blockchain Predictions 2020 - Part IIThis is Part II of a two-part series featuring Matthew LeMerle from Blockchain Coinvestors and Pete Townsend talking through Matthew's predictions for how blockchain will impact the world in 2020, focusing on pro traders embracing sophisticated exchanges, momentum with enterprise blockchains and emerging blockchain unicorns.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
Matthew LeMerle is the Managing Partner of Fifth Era and Keiretsu Capital, who combined are the most active early-stage...2020-01-2427 min
MoneyNeverSleeps071: Money Talks #7: Blockchain Predictions 2020 - Part IMatthew LeMerle from Blockchain Coinvestors joins Pete Townsend for a two-part series on his predictions for how blockchain will impact the world in 2020, with Part I focusing on central bank-issued digital currencies, embracing bitcoin in developing nations, and institutional adoption of digital assets.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
Matthew LeMerle is the Managing Partner of Fifth Era and Keiretsu Capital, who combined are the most active early-stage venture i...2020-01-1738 min
MoneyNeverSleeps069: Technologic | Lambert Despaux and Schema CapitalLambert Despaux talks to Pete Townsend about empowering entrepreneurs building in the distributed ledger technology space, the startup ecosystem in Israel, societal impacts of DLT....and his love of electronic music!
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland’s fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
Lambert is the founding partner at Schema Capital, who are investing at the pre-seed and seed stage in entrepreneurs building in the distributed ledger technology ('DLT') space. If you would like an i...2019-12-2033 min
MoneyNeverSleeps068: Money Talks #6: The Seed 2.0 | Pete Townsend on Seed Investing"Pete Townsend goes solo" would have been a better headline in the '70's, but our Pete takes the mic in this episode to unpack the realities and economics of funding pre-seed and seed-stage startups through the lens of Finn Murphy from Frontline Ventures.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment.
'Round about the same time that Pete Townsend was finishing a VC project in August 2019, there was something missing for him in the context of placing bets on pre-seed and seed-stage startups. Could you just "...2019-12-1315 min
MoneyNeverSleeps063: Money Talks #4: Coinbase and the Crypto EconomyRecorded live in Dublin at the BFC EU 2019 conference on DLT and emerging tech, Zeeshan Feroz from Coinbase and Pete Townsend took the stage for a fireside chat on Coinbase's institutional presence, custody as a building block of the crypto economy and crypto regulation.
This episode is kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists, Top Tier Recruitment. If you would like an intro to the team at Top Tier Recruitment, please click here.
Our MoneyNeverSleeps co-host Pete Townsend from Norio Ventures and Zeeshan Feroz, CEO of Coinbase in Europe, sat down on...2019-10-2538 min
MoneyNeverSleeps059: Money Talks #1: Libra vs. Sovereigns, WeWork vs. the World, Uber vs. LondonIn a new format we're trying with MoneyNeverSleeps, we try to get inside the minds of three entrepreneurs by riffing on recent tech news and venture stories. This episode includes a look at central bank ambitions of the sovereigns pushing back on Mark Zuckerberg's crypto project, Adam Neumann's WeWork legacy, and Uber's London problem.
Kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists: Top Tier Recruitment
In this episode, Pete Townsend and Paul Smyth (artfully filling in for Eoin Fitzgerald) riff on three developments this week in the world of tech and venture capital...2019-09-2629 min
MoneyNeverSleeps058: Talk Up | Jo Van De Velde And Pete Townsend | Working With Your InvestorsIn an excerpt from Flagship Marketing's webinar "How to Survive and Thrive with Your Investor", Jo van de Velde from Euroclear and our own Pete Townsend talk about how important it is to communicate with your investor to maximize the value they can add.
Kindly sponsored by Ireland's fintech and financial services recruitment specialists: Top Tier Recruitment
In this episode, our friends Ian Dalton and Jamie Dalton at Flagship Marketing kindly shared the audio track from a recent webinar entitled "How to survive and thrive with your investor". Flagship Marketing supports fresh-thinking fintech companies with...2019-09-2029 min
MoneyNeverSleeps034: DNA | Pete Townsend and Working with StartupsPete Townsend gets into the hotseat to talk about working with startups, how being helpful is in his DNA....and his love of baseball and statistics!
Kindly sponsored by Ireland's Fintech and financial services recruitment specialists: Top Tier Recruitment
Fintech founders and leaders of financial services firms partner with Norio Ventures to develop a customer base in new markets, get their products to market, and secure funding for their vision. Our clients further benefit from our ability to build synergies between startups and established players through a global network across Europe, the US and Asia-Pacific.2019-02-0633 min