The greatest opportunities are often hidden behind closed doors. This podcast opens them up.
After seven years in a different industry, last year I developed a strange obsession with startups and venture capital. I consumed every podcast, video, and book I could find.
And while entrepreneurship does not need another podcast, it desperately needs transparency, accessibility, and conversations that go beyond funding rounds and exits.
Venture Lab tells the personal stories of Europe's most exceptional investors and most innovative founders.
Inside Wonder Studio: Building the Y Combinator of Hollywood
Xavier grew up moving countries five times. That instability drilled into him one obsession: control your own destiny. That mission carried him from law school in Sydney, through three unicorns, Uber, Deliveroo, and Turo, to an encounter over rosé at the Cannes Film Festival.An Alice in Wonderland trailer created with AI was the lightning bolt that led him to co-found Wanda Studios, an AI-native studio for films and music videos. In under a year, he raised $15M from Atomico and LocalGlobe, worked with Lewis Capaldi, built a team across London, New York and LA, and assembled a four-pillar flywheel designed to democratize access to Hollywood-grade film production.In this episode, Xavier shares:- What three unicorn marketplaces taught him about quality supply and why it's the first thing a founder should obsess over- Why following your instinct can be the best way to make decisions - Why product-market fit matters more than hard work and how to find that signal - The one thing he'd challenge you to do this week if you're still waiting to start
5 Mar 2026
From Poetry to Deep Tech: How Europe Builds the Next Tesla I Will Wells, Speedinvest
Will grew up in a family of shipbuilders, naturalists, and war heroes, a family legacy that, drilled into him one simple principle: have a go, do something that helps people. That mission carried him from a poetry degree to a hedge fund, through a cancer diagnosis at 29, to become a deep tech founder and then deep tech investor with one obsession: swing the bat on something that actually matters.
Then at Lightspeed and Firstminute Capital, he worked with teams that invested in SpaceX, Anthropic, Wayve and Mistral before he became a partner at Speedinvest.
In this episode, Will shares:
Why being diagnosed with cancer at 29 was the pivot that forced him to swing the bat
What he learned about courage from Lightspeed's billion-dollar bet on Anthropic
Why the most interesting deep tech opportunities in Europe exist between the verticals of energy, space, and compute
Why Europe's next Tesla or SpaceX won't start in a lab, and why you need to raise $100M before you've solved the science
The founder profile that actually builds generational companies in 2026
19 Feb 2026
How General Catalyst’s $43B Venture Strategy Actually Works I Zeynep Yavuz
Zeynep grew up in Turkey in an entrepreneurial family and from an early age absorbed their persistence, bias for action, and an understanding of what it really takes to build a business. That observation became her mission: not to start a company, but to be a partner to the founders. Her path to General Catalyst was not a straight line, investment banking, private equity at TA Associates, and a split-second decision to turn down a VC offer to go into operating instead. Today she is a Partner at one of the world's most influential venture firms, with $43 billion under management and early investments in Stripe, Airbnb, In this episode, Zeynep shares:- Why turning down a VC offer mid-career was the best decision she ever made- How General Catalyst backed Stripe across 14 rounds - Why AI's biggest opportunity isn't in software. It's in services industries that haven’t seen innovation - Margins from 12% to 40%: the AI rollup playbook transforming real estate & accounting, - The only superpower that matters in venture and why your 5-year career plan is already out of date
22 Jan 2026
How I built a Venture Fund from Scratch at 27 I Bastian Larsen I E13
Bastian Larsen went from co-leading product strategy for a $10B hedge fund at BlackRock to building his own venture capital firm with zero VC experience. Learn how he:
- Raised $25M from 65 LPs without a network.
- Pitched a non-existent fund and closed deals.
- Used persistence over credentials to break into VC.
- Applied "Keep It Simple" to avoid years of overthinking.
For aspiring VCs, founders, and anyone thinking about leaving corporate to start something.Topics: venture capital career, VC fundraising strategy, leaving BlackRock, startup investing, first-time fund manager, LP relationships, founder resilience.
11 Dec 2025
Building Yonder: The 10-Year Founder Journey Nobody Talks About I Tim Chong, Yonder
Tim Chong, founder and CEO of Yonder, reveals how he went from a Single room apartment in London during COVID lockdown to building one of Europe's fastest-growing consumer fintechs competing against billion-dollar incumbents like American Express, Visa, and Mastercard. We cover the hidden cost of the founder journey, surviving Silicon Valley Bank's collapse with £12M trapped, and why "foodies in London" beat big TAM thinking.In this episode, Tim shares:- The real price of startup life that nobody talks about. - Silicon Valley Bank collapsed with £12M in their account right after closing Series A- The sticky tape to scaling framework: how to sequence startup problems correctly- Being Optimist AND Paranoid: the leadership paradox every founder must embrace- Finding product-market fit is like giving birth: you can't fast-track it with capital- Risk assessment: go for capped downside, uncapped upside- Founder vs CEO: why they're different jobs and how to learn bothThis is for founders building consumer products, raising pre-seed/seed, battling incumbent competitors, struggling with work-life balance, or questioning the 10-year commitment.Tim Chong | Founder & CEO, Yonder Previous: Media background, worked on M-Pesa in Kenya, management consultant Yonder: Consumer fintech credit card with city discovery, launched 2021, tens of thousands of customers
15 Oct 2025
From Opera Singing to Billion-Dollar VC: How European Startups Will Win I Filip Dames, Cherry Ventures
Filip Dames, co-founder of Zalando and Managing Partner at Cherry Ventures (€500M fund), reveals how he went from opera singer to failed founder to scaling Europe's largest fashion marketplace to backing deep tech startups in fusion energy, AI, and robotics. We cover startup failure lessons, seed fundraising strategy, hiring mistakes founders make, and why Europe will build trillion-dollar companies.
In this episode, Filip shares:
His first startup failure (Tamundo) and Zalando's near-death fundraising moments before IPO
The #1 hiring mistake that destroys early-stage startups and why firing fast saves companies
"Dream in decades, execute in weeks" - his framework for deep tech investing (Proxima Fusion, The Exploration Company)
How to overcome founder fear: the best founders act before fear wins
Cherry Ventures' operator-first approach: talent network, go-to-market support, daily founder support
"Skip the theory, start building" - stop writing business plans, start talking to customers
For founders raising pre-seed/seed, VCs investing in Europe, startup operators, and deep tech builders.
30 Sept 2025
How We Got Sequoia to Invest in Pre-Seed Before We Had a Product I Mohamed Chahin, Founder of Twain
Mo Chahin, founder of Twain, reveals how he went from dropping out of university to raising millions from Sequoia before building a product and how he closed a full seed round in just 24 hours. We cover his journey from refugee roots to co-founding EatClever, fighting imposter syndrome, walking away from a million dollar startup, and finally building his life’s work with Twain. If you’re a founder, operator, or VC, you NEED to watch this.In this episode, Mo shares: • Why Sequoia backed Twain pre-product and how to position yourself for world-class investors. • The crazy story of closing a seed round in 24 hours (and why leverage only matters if you use it well). • How to turn imposter syndrome into a founder superpower through resilience and relentless learning. • The brutal lessons of hiring mistakes, restructuring a team, and why emotional investor support can save founders. • Twain’s radical culture: no managers, no promotions, no feedback and how it makes 7 people feel like 70.
14 Aug 2025
The Brutal Truth about Building a VC Fund I Christian Nagel, Co-Founder Earlybird
Christian Nagel, co-founder of Earlybird Venture Capital, unpacks 28 years of European VC: how to build top-performing funds, pick founders when product isn’t enough, and why real VC “education” costs $50M. We cover Earlybird’s evolution from the dot-com crash to €2.5B AUM, category-defining exits, and a data-driven future of founder discovery and portfolio construction. If you’re a VC, operator, or ambitious founder, you NEED to watch this. In this episode, Christian shares:
• Why “lose $50M” is the tuition great investors pay and what it teaches about portfolio construction.
• The playbook for surviving VC’s “nuclear winter”: using management fees for winners in 2000
• How to avoid being “dumb money” in co-invests and win by leading and staying close to founders.
• The next era of European VC: specialization and AI-enabled sourcing
31 Jul 2025
Unicorn Investor: Why Venture Capital Is Broken And What Happens Next I Ondrej Bartos
Ondrej Bartos, co-founder of Credo Ventures, shares what most VCs won’t say out loud: venture capital is broken. In this episode, he reveals why the industry lost its edge, how he built a fund against all odds in Eastern Europe, and what the rise of solo founders means for the future of investing. If you're a founder, aspiring VC, or builder who questions the status quo, this is a must-watch.In this conversation, Ondrej breaks down: • Why there’s too much capital and not enough conviction • The surprising truth behind his first exposure to VC • How growing up under socialism shaped his contrarian mindset • What actually matters when evaluating founders • Why single-person unicorns will change venture forever • How to stay grounded in a hype-driven industry
17 Jul 2025
Why I Left Goldman And Index Ventures At 30 - Now I've Raised $1B in Venture Capital I Ophelia Brown
Ophelia Brown, founder of Blossom Capital and former Index Ventures investor, reveals how she’s reshaping European venture capital with conviction-led investing and elite founder support. In this episode, she unpacks why the best VCs operate like founders, how to build a differentiated fund, and what most investors still get wrong about ambition in Europe. If you’re a VC, operator, or ambitious founder, you NEED to watch this.In this episode, Ophelia shares: • Why she left a top-tier fund at 30 to build her own • How conviction and speed are her edge in winning deals • The one mistake founders make in investor updates • Why most VCs lie about being “hands-on” • What makes European founders world-class
14 Jul 2025
Why Most VCs Are Failing Founders: Rebuilding the Venture Model - Sam Tidswell-Norrish
Sam Tidswell-Norrish, former private equity operator, shares how he’s rebuilding venture capital with value creation at the core. In this episode, he breaks down the future of VC, why the best founders are obsessed, and how community is the next edge in early-stage investing. If you are a VC, operator, or ambitious founder, you HAVE to watch this. In this episode, Sam shares:• Why the traditional VC model is broken• How value creation is replacing capital as a differentiator• The biggest mistake investors make when pitching founders• Why AI is essential to every fund's future• The mindset behind building one of the world’s strongest networks
14 Jul 2025
What AI Can't Replace: The Skill Every Founder Needs Now! I Oliver Yonchev
Co-Created founder Oliver Yonchev, formerly co-founder of Flight Story with Steven Bartlett and ex-Managing Director at Social Chain, shares how AI is disrupting venture capital, why creative founders will thrive, and the future of startup building. A must-watch for VCs, operators, and early-stage founders.In this episode he shares: • Why the traditional VC model is broken • The #1 trait of successful founders • AI’s impact on team building and product development • How obsession outperforms capital • The human edge in an automated world
14 Jul 2025
How I Left Facebook to Start a VC Fund with a World Cup Winner I Salomon Aiach, Origins Fund
Salomon Aiach is an investor and founder who’s reshaping what it means to break into venture capital. After working at Goldman Sachs and leading startup partnerships at Facebook, Salomon co-founded Origins Fund alongside World Cup winner Blaise Matuidi and Ilan Abehassera. Together, they’ve built one of Europe’s most unique early-stage funds, backed by athletes and celebrities, and focused on supporting consumer-facing companies with global potential. Salomon’s multicultural background, having lived across the US, France, and Israel, is deeply influencing his investment philosophy and global perspective on entrepreneurship. In this episode, we explore the "golden cage" mentality that traps high-achievers, why he chose intrapreneurship as his bridge to building companies, and how combining sports celebrity with venture expertise creates unprecedented value for founders.
14 Jul 2025
From Apartheid to Unicorns: Saul Klein on Venture, Purpose & Inequality
Saul Klein is a husband, father, founder, operator, and one of the most influential investors in European tech. After co-founding LoveFilm (acquired by Amazon), Klein established himself as a cornerstone of the European tech ecosystem by co-founding Local Globe, one of Europe's most successful early-stage venture funds, alongside his father Robin Klein.Local Globe's impressive portfolio includes investments in nearly every major unicorn at seed stage across the EMEA region. Saul’s purpose-driven approach to innovation is deeply shaped by his upbringing in apartheid-era South Africa. In this episode, we explore how technology needs a human lens, why inequality should be tackled through innovation, and how building ecosystems, not just companies, is key to creating long-term change.
7 Jul 2025
99% Give up - Here's how you never quit. How I bootstrapped a 150M empire I Erik Huberman
Erik Huberman is an entrepreneur, investor, and bestselling author who bootstrapped his marketing company, Hawke Media, to over $150M. In this conversation, he gives you the secrets and the exact framework behind his success.
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