In this episode, we sit down with Andrew, a venture capitalist navigating one of the world's most resilient yet misunderstood startup ecosystems. From his unexpected journey into VC to building ZAS Ventures during wartime, Andrew shares the untold story of Ukrainian innovation — and why the numbers don't tell the whole picture.

We explore how a nation under siege is redefining what it means to build resilient businesses, the hidden strengths that global reports often miss, and the delicate balance between opportunity and reputation in emerging markets.

🔍 Episode Highlights:

🎯 The Unconventional VC Path: Andrew's unique journey into venture capital — from unexpected beginnings to fund leadership

⚡ Wartime Fundraising: The incredible story of raising ZAS Ventures' first fund as war broke out in Ukraine — and how crisis shaped strategy

🇺🇦 Ukraine's Hidden Innovation Engine: Why the Ukrainian startup ecosystem is stronger than mainstream reports suggest — and what outsiders are missing

📊 Beyond the Headlines: How wartime resilience, distributed teams, and technical talent create advantages that traditional metrics can't capture

⚠️ Reputation Risk Reality: How one bad actor can poison an entire ecosystem's global reputation — and what founders can do about it

🔮 The Next 12 Months: Andrew's boldest prediction for Ukrainian innovation and what it means for global venture

Whether you're building in challenging markets or investing in overlooked regions, this episode reveals how adversity breeds innovation — and why some of tomorrow's biggest wins might come from the most unexpected places.

🎧 Hit play and discover what resilience really looks like in venture capital!

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In this episode, we venture into the heart of the New Nordic startup scene with Gytenis Galkis, Partner at Superhero Capital — an early-stage VC firm backing bold founders across Finland and the Baltics. From founding startups to shaping Lithuania’s angel investor ecosystem, Gytenis brings a rare blend of founder empathy and investor insight to the table.

We dive deep into the economic and cultural currents shaping the region’s startup landscape — and how understanding them can make or break your go-to-market strategy.

🔍 Episode Highlights:

🌍 The New Nordic Perspective: How regional differences between Finland and its neighbors shape everything from pitch styles to product-market fit.

🧠 From “No” to “Not Yet”: Why investor rejection isn’t a dead end — and how founders can turn it into momentum.

👼 Building the Angel Ecosystem: Gytenis reflects on launching Lithuania’s Business Angels Association — and what’s changed since.

🤖 Pre-LLM AI Startups: A behind-the-scenes look at how AI was perceived before ChatGPT changed the game.

🚀 The Founder-to-Investor Journey: Lessons learned from both sides of the table — and why it makes a difference when your VC has been in your shoes.

Whether you’re pitching across borders or building the next big thing in tech, this episode is full of practical takeaways on navigating the evolving venture landscape.

🎧 Hit play and discover what it really takes to thrive in the New Nordics!

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In this episode, we explore venture building, technical risk, and investor psychology with Michal Chabowski, Managing Partner at Rubicon Partners — a firm blending venture funding with transaction advisory services in high-impact sectors like deep tech, energy, and new materials.

Michal brings a refreshing lens to startup investing, challenging conventional wisdom and offering deep insight into what really matters when backing early-stage companies.

🔍 Episode Highlights:

⚙️ Technical Risk vs. Market Risk: Why Rubicon Partners embraces complexity in product development — but avoids untested markets.

🚫 The First-Mover Myth: Michal explains why being early isn’t always being right — and what founders often get wrong.

📈 Business Models That Actually Work: A practical investor's take on financial modeling, and which metrics matter most at the early stage.

🦄 The Unicorn Illusion: Comparing private vs. public market valuations — and what today’s founders can learn from listed companies.

⏳ When to Sell: Insights into timing an exit — and why storytelling might be your most underutilized growth tool.

Whether you're a founder navigating your first round or an investor refining your thesis, this episode delivers sharp, actionable insights on building — and backing — companies built to last.

🎧 Tune in now to rethink risk, value, and storytelling in the venture space!

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.