Episodes

Jan. 31, 2018

#24 unGlue

The apps on our smartphones seem to be engineered for addiction. Alon Shwartz wants to fight this with an app of his own: unGlue. Today's investors are Daniel Gulati, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel and Charles Hudson.
Jan. 24, 2018

#23 Jiobit

After John Renaldi lost track of his kid on a trip to downtown Chicago, he vowed never to be in that situation again. So he created Jiobit, a tiny geotracker for kids. Can he convince investors that his device stands out amo…
Jan. 17, 2018

#22 Investor FOMO: Lunar Wireless

Hunter Rosenblume is pitching Lunar Wireless, a company he co-founded as an answer to pricey cell phone plans. But getting investors to gamble on a 22-year-old who claims he can take on a decades-old industry is a hard sell.…
Jan. 10, 2018

#21 Metabrew

Romy Raad and her cofounder have created Metabrew, a healthy beverage they believe could replace your morning coffee. But can they get investors buzzing about this plant-based substitute? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Ji…
Dec. 20, 2017

#20 Harper Wilde

The founders of Harper Wilde want to take the B.S. out of bra shopping. That means convincing our investors that they’ve found a way to turn it from a major inconvenience into an easy at-home experience. Today's investors ar…
Dec. 13, 2017

#19 Ghosted: Sandbox

When Sterling Smith left his job as a software developer to start Sandbox Commerce, he knew he had the skills to build great mobile apps. But in a world where it seems everybody has an app, can he convince investors there’s …
Dec. 6, 2017

#18 ROWViGOR

Co-founders Kevin Allen and Moses McCall think rowing is the next big trend in fitness. To cash in on their hunch, they need to convince investors they can make waves in a space already crowded with competitors. Today's inve…
Nov. 29, 2017

#17 Investor Spotlight: Jillian Manus

You’re probably familiar with Jillian Manus the investor — but in this episode, we dig in a little deeper to understand how she became the VC force she is today.
Nov. 15, 2017

#16 Qleek

After Ismail Salhi discovered his father’s old record collection gathering dust in the attic, he teamed up with Johanna Hartzheim to create Qleek. Together they hope to marry the nostalgia of vinyl with the convenience of di…
Nov. 8, 2017

#15 A Veteran Starts a Startup: Shift

When Mike Slagh left the military, he wanted to find a job in tech, but he couldn’t get his foot in the door. And then he found out that he was one of approximately 300,000 service members who every year struggle to make the…
Nov. 1, 2017

#14 The Ghost of Startups Past: Tushy

Miki Agrawal made headlines with the success of her first company Thinx—until she became the headline. Now she's ready for a comeback with Tushy, her new business built on making bidets mainstream in America. But first she h…
Oct. 25, 2017

#13 Meet the Investors

The entrepreneurs usually own the spotlight on our show. But venture capital is a two-way street. On today’s episode, we hear from the people who make deals happen: our investors. Who are they and how did they become the one…
Aug. 30, 2017

#12 "I Don't Need Your Money" Teamable

Entrepreneur Laura Bilazarian has an innovative solution for helping companies find great talent. But to convince investors, she’ll need to walk a razor’s edge between confidence and cockiness. Today's investors are Phil Nad…
Aug. 23, 2017

#11 Tesloop

Haydn Sonnad pitches his plan to revolutionize regional transit on the back of Tesla’s electric charging network. But there’s a catch: this entrepreneur has to run his company between English class and Algebra. Today's inves…
Aug. 16, 2017

#10 Sudden Coffee

Two entrepreneurs believe they have the secret to making premium instant coffee. Will their startup hold up to a taste test with investors? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond.
Aug. 9, 2017

#9 Tuckrbox

Co-founders Meghan Carreau and Alex Payne are pitching their food delivery service built on noble ideals of making kids healthier and reducing headaches for parents. Can the founders convince investors that their startup wil…
Aug. 2, 2017

#8 Hykso

Could a little sensor designed to measure punches be the next big hit in a long line of fitness fads? The founders of Hykso think so. Now they just need to last a few rounds in the ring with our investors. Today’s investors …
July 26, 2017

#7 Shimmur

The social media landscape is a veritable graveyard of failed startups, but Matthew Peltier believes his company, Shimmur, is different. With a growing user base and a solid plan for revenue, he’s almost ready to go... all h…
July 19, 2017

#6 Guru Games

Between classes, part-time jobs, and social lives, college students Evan Thomas and Troy Pettie have been moonlighting to build a business they hope will bring millennials back into casinos. Will our investors be willing to …
July 12, 2017

#5 FITGuard

Concussions have cast a major shadow over contact sports, from youth leagues to the pros. But entrepreneur Anthony Gonzales thinks he can fix it by putting a gadget in the mouths of athletes. Now he just has to convince inve…
July 5, 2017

#4 Skylights

David Dicko is bringing virtual reality to the skies. It’s an ambitious plan, and he’s going to need $1.8 million to take off in a punishing market. Will the investors trust his team to succeed where so many others have fail…
June 28, 2017

#3 Industrial Organic

Most of us stop thinking about our food scraps once we take the trash to the curb. Not so for Amanda Weeks, who started a food waste company designed to reduce harmful greenhouse gases. Now she just needs investors to get be…
June 21, 2017

#2 iMirror

The hotel room hasn’t seen disruption since the addition of the television in the 1950s. Pieter Boekhoff wants to change that—by transforming what happens when we look in the mirror. But first, he has to convince investors t…
June 14, 2017

#1 Babyscripts

Juan-Pablo Segura has built an app that he’s sure will revolutionize the way expectant mothers receive medical care. But first he needs to convince a panel of investors to bankroll his plan—to the tune of a million dollars. …