by Thomas Cornwall
Open Equity with Thomas Cornwall takes you inside the world of scaling companies, private equity, exits and wealth creation. Every week, Thomas - founder of Open Equity, who has helped scale companies to $200M+ revenue and exit for up to $1.75BN - shares unfiltered conversations and actionable insights featuring top founders, investors and dealmakers.
Language
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Publishing Since
6/9/2025
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September 23, 2025
<p>Vadim Fedotov, CEO of Bioniq, the leading personalised health supplement brand, learned brutal scaling lessons as Groupon Eastern Europe CEO in the fastest-growing company in history, then applied those insights to build a successful health company that caught Cristiano Ronaldo's attention. </p><p><br></p><p>We’re diving into how Bioniq went from founder-led hustle to systematic scaling across 73 countries and why Vadim nearly quit multiple times before breakthrough partnerships transformed the business into the global success it is today.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Do you want to scale? We’re looking for more great companies to invest in and help grow: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.openequity.co.uk</a></p><p><br></p><p>Join the Open Equity newsletter for weekly insights: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk/newsletter" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.openequity.co.uk/newsletter</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Introduction<br>01:20 Joining Groupon at its peak and the Rocket Internet playbook<br>04:57 Cold calls, sales culture and the IPO rollercoaster<br>09:01 What intense urgency actually looked like in practice<br>13:52 The doctor visit that broke his faith in traditional medicine<br>15:41 Discovering a performance protocol used by Olympic athletes<br>17:41 Buying the IP and starting Bioniq from scratch<br>19:23 Going all-in on the Bioniq brand<br>21:22 Hustling to 1,000 customers without a website<br>23:34 Why early partnerships mattered more than marketing<br>25:40 Realising a hustle-only model wouldn’t scale<br>27:14 Cracking different countries’ go-to-market strategies<br>28:28 Raising the first funding round with pure conviction<br>31:46 Almost walking away to take a big corporate job<br>35:22 How Cristiano Ronaldo became a surprise customer<br>37:06 Turning Ronaldo from user to investor<br>38:56 5-10x growth and the risk of over-partnering<br>40:29 Wasting time chasing logos and too many verticals<br>43:08 Returning to simplicity with two core products<br>45:41 Future plans: acquisitions and a Bioniq-powered clinic</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>→ Follow Thomas & Open Equity<br>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascornwall/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascornwall/</a><br>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/open.equity/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/open.equity/</a><br>TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@open.equity" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tiktok.com/@open.equity</a><br>Website: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.openequity.co.uk/</a></p><p><br></p><p>→ Follow Vadim<br>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/vfedotov15/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/vfedotov15/</a><br>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/vadim_bioniq/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/vadim_bioniq/?hl=en</a><br>Website: <a href="https://www.bioniq.com/" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.bioniq.com/</a></p>
September 15, 2025
<p>Actor, entrepreneur and investor Mohammed Mostafa, known for his roles in international productions like Hijack and building Versatile Synergy, has mastered the art of ecosystem development in the UAE. Rather than pursuing traditional business approaches, he leverages his position as a prominent local figure to create partnerships with family businesses, government entities, and entertainment industry leaders through deal-making.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>You'll hear why he believes doing business with friends strengthens relationships, his honest approach to government support systems in the UAE, and how entertainment industry experience translates into business resilience.</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Do you want to scale? We’re looking for more great companies to invest in and help grow: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.openequity.co.uk</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>Join the Open Equity newsletter for weekly insights: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk/newsletter" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.openequity.co.uk/newsletter</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>00:00 Introduction<br>01:20 Starting Versatile Synergy<br>04:04 Pivoting from high street focus to scaling a full agency<br>07:00 Joining the family business and finding synergy with Versatile<br>11:41 Business with friends and when it works (or doesn’t)<br>12:36 What people get wrong about UAE go-to-market<br>16:14 Product placement in film as a subtle, lasting brand strategy<br>19:42 Using AI to mock up film ideas and pitch brands<br>22:03 Cross-territory filmmaking and building global partnerships<br>26:08 Lessons from acting and sport in handling rejection<br>29:22 Almost becoming Aladdin and finding direction in acting<br>33:40 Acting prep, emotional stamina, and becoming a character<br>38:04 Impact of Khataf character on Emirati youth<br>39:15 Journey Flow yoga and poetry as a tool for mental health<br>42:47 Depression, perspective, and designing a lifestyle that heals<br>46:27 Sharing struggles and the power of good people around you<br>49:23 Gratitude, reflection, and staying grounded with self-awareness</p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>→ Follow Thomas & Open Equity<br>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascornwall/" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascornwall/</a><br>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/open.equity/" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/open.equity/</a><br>TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@open.equity" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.tiktok.com/@open.equity</a><br>Website: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk/" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.openequity.co.uk/</a></p><p><br></p><p><br></p><p>→ Follow Mohammed<br>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammed-mostafa-870745178/" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.linkedin.com/in/mohammed-mostafa-870745178/</a><br>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/mohammedfmostafa/?hl=en" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://www.instagram.com/mohammedfmostafa/?hl=en</a><br>Website: <a href="https://mohammedfmostafa.com/" target="_new" rel="noopener">https://mohammedfmostafa.com/</a></p>
September 8, 2025
<p>Callum Laing co-founded Unity Group along with Jeremy Harbour after discovering that most entrepreneurs are terrible at fundraising because they think like operators instead of investors – focusing on client value while ignoring shareholder value entirely.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Most capital raising advice hasn't evolved in decades: build a deck and knock on a thousand doors. Callum's approach reverses this by building networks first, adding value through introductions, and creating five-year lockup structures that control supply and demand in public markets.</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Do you want to scale? We’re looking for more great companies to invest in and help grow: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.openequity.co.uk</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>Join the Open Equity newsletter for weekly insights: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk/newsletter?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.openequity.co.uk/newsletter</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>00:00 Introduction<br />04:31 Shifting mindset from client value to shareholder value<br />07:46 How advisory boards can 10x your company valuation<br />08:46 The Elon Musk text that explains real investing dynamics<br />11:57 Add value before pitching and build investor circles<br />14:24 Using introductions to build trust and accelerate deals<br />17:15 Partnership strategy built from being bad at sales<br />19:32 How low-stakes partnerships lead to high-value deals<br />21:15 Why board members should avoid solving problems themselves<br />24:43 The upside of launching companies in unfamiliar industries<br />26:22 Why public markets clash with entrepreneurial instincts<br />30:13 Building the investor-friendly IPO by rewiring supply and demand<br />34:02 Constrained stock model and creating long-term upside<br />37:19 Why public stock is a powerful tool for acquisitions<br />40:13 How the agglomeration model de-risks acquisition roll-ups<br />44:23 Reverse engineering private equity deals with guaranteed buyers<br />48:37 Taking chips off the table and building freedom<br />52:59 Most first-time founders get outplayed at the exit stage<br />57:17 How low expectations make long-term partnerships thrive</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>→ Follow Thomas & Open Equity<br />LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascornwall/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/thomascornwall/</a><br />Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/open.equity/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/open.equity/</a><br />TikTok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@open.equity?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.tiktok.com/@open.equity</a><br />Website: <a href="https://www.openequity.co.uk/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.openequity.co.uk/</a></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p>→ Follow Callum<br />LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/callumlaing/</a><br />Website: <a href="https://callumlaing.com/?utm_source=chatgpt.com" target="_blank" rel="ugc noopener noreferrer">https://callumlaing.com/</a></p>
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Open Equity with Thomas Cornwall takes you inside the world of scaling companies, private equity, exits and wealth creation.
Every week, Thomas - founder of Open Equity, who has helped scale companies to $200M+ revenue and exit for up to $1.75BN - shares unfiltered conversations and actionable insights featuring top founders, investors and dealmakers.
This podcast updates daily.
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