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VC Unfiltered aims to bring authenticity, humor, and unfiltered advice to the forefront of venture capital.
VC Unfiltered features real conversations with entrepreneurs and investors, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the highs and lows of building successful ventures. We want to break down the barriers that often make the VC space feel intimidating and inaccessible, creating a platform where genuine interactions and honest insights can thrive.
Through this series, we hope to inspire a shift in the venture capital space where authenticity, humor, and unfiltered advice are the norms. VC Unfiltered is our way of injecting fun into the journey, providing valuable insights, and creating a more vibrant and enjoyable venture capital ecosystem.
Join us for weekly episodes, offering real advice and never forgetting to laugh along the way.
17 Episodes
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New VC Unfiltered Episode — Live from Lightning Round VI In this exciting episode of VC Unfiltered, recorded live at Lightning Round VI, we bring five standout consumer founders redefining their categories. Shiki Wrap is bringing sustainability to gifting with reusable wraps and bags designed for a circular economy. Dirty Virgin is shaking up beverage culture with unapologetically bold nonalcoholic cocktails crafted for those who want purity with personality. Painless Picasso delivers...
In this exciting episode of VC Unfiltered, recorded live at Lightning Round V, we bring you the forefront of innovation with five elite startups showcasing their groundbreaking technologies. From the transformative potential of aluminum batteries by Zenthos Energy to the promise of level five autonomous driving by Niebla AI, these visionary founders are redefining the future. Dive into the world of legal tech with Aparti's operational system for family law, explore the compact quantum and p...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with Howie Diamond from Pure Ventures. Discover unique investment strategies, the balance between consumer and frontier tech, and the importance of founder wellness. Howie shares his journey from solo GP to building Pure Ventures, offering insights and stories that are both enlightening and inspiring. Tune in for a candid conversation that uncovers the realities of venture capital and the human side of e...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with John Tabis — founder of The Bouqs Company and Partner & Head of Launchpad at M13. Together, they unpack what really makes a venture studio succeed, why founders must sometimes ignore customers, and how a flower company accidentally created a high-margin hit with... vases. John pulls back the curtain on how M13’s venture studio operates like a startup Petri dish — rapidly testing, iterating, and ...
Is the power law dead for climate startups? Should VCs stop chasing unicorns and start funding real impact? In this thought-provoking episode, Lucas J Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with Gaby Darbyshire, General Partner at Dangerous Ventures, to unpack how climate venture capital is shifting — and why that’s a good thing. Gaby shares her journey from nuclear energy law to climate VC, and explains how her fund backs startups solving climate problems at the root — from precis...
In this special episode of VC Unfiltered, recorded live at Lightning Round IV, we kick things off with a high-powered panel discussion on the future of artificial intelligence and its growing impact on the startup ecosystem. Experts from 2045 Ventures, Steamwork Ventures, Eviden, and TCA LA dive into where AI is disrupting industries like healthcare, enterprise, and climate tech—and where its limitations still lie. Following the panel, four standout startups pitch live for a chance at a pri...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, host Lucas J Pols, GP at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, sits down with Derek Norton, Managing Partner at Watertower Ventures, to unpack how the venture capital landscape is fundamentally shifting — again. Derek shares how his team thinks about investing at the earliest stages, what founders need to survive (and thrive) in today's capital environment, and why AI valuations at Series A may soon routinely hit $200M+. They dive into capital efficiency, founder resi...
In this special episode of VC Unfiltered, Taissa Maleh, Venture Partner at Pegasus, introduces an insightful webinar featuring Peter Walker, Head of Insights at Carta. Peter dives deep into data trends shaping the venture capital and startup landscape as we approach 2025. From the rise of AI in startups to shifts in funding strategies and market dynamics, this episode is a must-watch for anyone looking to stay ahead in the evolving venture ecosystem. Listen to VC Unfiltered on all major pl...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Len Lanzi of The Preccelerator interviews Petra Griffith of Wedbush Ventures, Andrew Darcovich of Alpha Edison, and Brandon Maier of LvlUp Ventures. The panel discusses the current state of venture capital, emphasizing the challenges of fundraising in today's environment. They explore the benefits of bootstrapping, the importance of defining the problem a startup is solving, and the evolving landscape of investment strategies. The conversation highlig...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas J Pols, General Partner of Pegasus Angel Accelerator, interviews Helene Servillon from JourneyOne Ventures. Helene discusses her investment strategies in the health and wellness sector, focusing on modernizing ancient healing practices, exploring innovative solutions in mental health, and much more! The conversation delves into the challenges of consumer tech investments, the impact of FOMO in venture capital, and lessons learned from the cannabis indus...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Griffin Hermes, Principal at Pegasus Angel Accelerator, interviews Marshall Smith of Steamwork Ventures, Maurice Maschmeyer of BAM Ventures, and Blake Caldwell of FoundersBoost. Join our expert panel as we dive deep into the nuances of venture capital and offer essential insights for founders navigating the startup ecosystem. We explore why bootstrapping can often be beneficial, how investors evaluate startups during due diligence, and the key role of ...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas J Pols, Managing Partner of Pegasus Angel Accelerator, interviews Dan Bunting from 1AM Gaming. In this conversation, Dan discusses the unique focus of their venture capital fund on content-driven investments in the gaming industry. He elaborates on the lifecycle of game development, the challenges indie developers face in marketing their games, and the metrics that are crucial for securing Series A funding. Dan shares insights from his extensive experie...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas J Pols, Managing Partner of Pegasus Angel Accelerator, interviews Winter Mead from Coolwater Capital. 0:19 - Intro 0:50 - What is Coolwater Capital? 5:04 - Coolwater's application process 09:13 - Coolwater's Training Program 13:18 - Mistakes emerging managers make when talking to LPs 21:16 - Coolwater role in the ecosystem 27:33 - Winter's hot takes Listen to find out more about venture capital and early-stage startup investing! Lis...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Lucas J Pols, Managing Partner of Pegasus Angel Accelerator, interviews Carey Ransom from BankTech Ventures! Listen to find out more about venture capital and early-stage startup investing! 0:00 - Intro 1:06 - What is BankTech Ventures? 6:02 - How hands-on are they? 8:51 - What is Operate? 14:11 - Tell a war story 18:05 - Does venture scale? 23:42 - Carey's hot take Listen here: Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc-unfiltered/id1756379899...
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Pat Hwang, president of TCA OC, leads a panel discussion with Sanjeev Rao of River Guide Labs and Yipeng Zhao of Embark Ventures! Listen to find out more about venture capital and early-stage startup investing! Our website: pegasusangelaccelerator.com Follow Us: pegasusunfiltered.substack.com linkedin.com/company/pegasus-angel-accelerator x.com/paa_vc www.instagram.com/pegasusaccelerator www.tiktok.com/@pegasusaccelerator
In this episode of VC Unfiltered, Parisa Khosropour, president of TCA LA, leads a panel discussion with John Tabis of M13, Laurent Grill of JLL Spark Global Ventures, Howard Ko of Morpheus Ventures, and Rick Smith of Crosscut Ventures. Listen to find out more about venture capital and early-stage startup investing! Our website: pegasusangelaccelerator.com Follow Us: pegasusunfiltered.substack.com linkedin.com/company/pegasus-angel-accelerator x.com/paa_vc www.instagram.com/pegasu...
Introducing "VC Unfiltered" - A New Series Hosted by Lucas J. Pols We're thrilled to announce the launch of our brand-new series, "VC Unfiltered," hosted by our founding partner, Lucas J. Pols. This exciting series promises to deliver candid conversations and invaluable insights from industry leaders and experts in venture capital and startup ecosystem. For our first episode, we are honored to feature Ilya Strebulaev, the esteemed David S. Lobel Professor of Private Equity at the Stanford G...
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