Venture Pill – Détails, épisodes et analyse

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And now for this week’s prescription:

On this week’s dose, we start (1:59) with Alma, an AI-powered nutrition app using natural language processing to simplify meal tracking, fresh off a $2.9M pre-seed round led by Menlo Ventures’ Anthology Fund in partnership with Anthropic. Next (14:27), we pop open a deep dive on Olipop, the gut-friendly soda brand shaking up the functional beverage space, following a $50M Series C that brings its valuation to a bubbly $1.85 billion. Finally (24:01), we slice into Via 313 Pizzeria, the fast-growing Detroit-style pizza chain that just secured $32.5M in growth capital to fuel expansion across the U.S.Sources:

https://www.alma.food/ 

https://menlovc.com/anthology-fund/ 

https://techcrunch.com/2025/02/05/former-whoop-execs-new-app-alma-uses-ai-for-all-things-nutrition/ 

https://drinkolipop.com/

https://www.researchandmarkets.com/reports/4771906/functional-beverage-market-share-analysis?utm_source=chatgpt.com

https://www.foodbusinessnews.net/articles/27693-olipop-valued-at-185-billion-following-latest-funding-round

https://finance.yahoo.com/news/olipop-valued-1-85bn-following-125054362.html

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2025-02-12/olipop-valued-at-1-85-billion-in-50-million-funding-round?embedded-checkout=true

https://www.via313.com/

https://www.utahbusiness.com/press-releases/2025/02/05/via-313-raises-32-million-double-footprint/

https://www.nrn.com/restaurant-finance/via-313-pizzeria-raises-32-5m-in-growth-capital

Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

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On this week’s dose, we have Larry Aschebrook, Founder and Managing Partner at G Squared, a venture capital firm specializing in growth-stage tech investments with a sharp focus on the secondary market. Larry kicks things off by sharing his fascinating journey from college athletics to the world of private markets, ultimately leading to the creation of G Squared.

From there, he dives into the firm’s unique thesis—why secondaries represent a critical liquidity bridge between early-stage startups and public exits—and how that insight has helped G Squared back iconic companies like Uber, Spotify, Airbnb, Instacart, and more. Larry also opens up about memorable wins, the deals that slipped through the cracks, and the hard-won lessons that followed.

We also get his take on some of today’s headline-making moves in venture, including Stripe’s choice to remain private and Robinhood’s bold attempt to democratize access to private investing. It’s a masterclass in venture strategy from someone who’s seen it all—tune in for a front-row seat to the stories and insights that have shaped some of the biggest names in tech.

Sources:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/larry-aschebrook-54724629/

https://gsquared.com/

Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

Our Social Media Pages, follow us and engage with the Pill-grim community!

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And now for this week’s prescription:

On this week’s dose, we mix things up a bit with a status update for Sam and Brandon. The 138 week streak of weekly doses may soon come to an end. With each of us moving to new cities, there just isn’t as much time in the week as there used to be when the pod was based out of Austin. Don’t worry! We aren’t going anywhere. You just might not see a dose every single Thursday morning.

The second half of this week’s dose is a conversational breakdown of Interplay Learning (the company Sam works for) and their recent fundraising round led by Goldman Sachs’ Inclusive Growth Fund. With that announcement, Interplay also welcomes ITI (Industrial Training International) to the family. Tune in to hear more from Sam on the news and what’s ahead!

Sources:

https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/interplay-learning-closes-growth-investment-from-goldman-sachs-alternatives-and-acquires-industrial-training-international-302252417.html

https://www.interplaylearning.com/

https://www.iti.com/

Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

Disclosure:

The views, statements, and opinions,  expressed herein by the hosts and guests are their own, and their appearance on the podcast should not be construed as reflecting the views or implied endorsement of Independent Brokerage Solutions LLC or any of its officers, employees, or agents. The statements made herein should not be considered an investment opinion, advice, or a recommendation regarding securities of any company. This podcast is produced solely for informational purposes and is not to be construed as an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy a security.

Mixing things up a bit to start things off in 2023. Tune in to hear Sam break down 2022 and Venture Pill's growth from idea to top 10% podcast on Spotify listened to in over 50 countries. We have definitely learned and grown a lot in 47 episodes, and we are still just getting started. Thanks to all the Pill-grims for your continued support. Let's have a great year!

Music Credit: Chapter One by Cole Bauer and Dean Keeton

https://www.colebauer.com/
https://www.instagram.com/deankeeton/?hl=en

On this week’s dose, we have Alexander Pacheco, CEO and Founder of 150, a social media app looking to reimagine the way we interact with our friends online, or as he deems it, a small town with just your friends. Alexander was fed up with existing social media and realized that there must be a more authentic way of connecting with friends while still being able to meet new people. By harnessing the concept of Dunbar’s number, 150, the number of friendships a human can maintain at one time, he launched an app where you can connect with your 150, and the friends of those 150, making a total of about 10-15k in your network. The app is free to use for your first year and then charges a $2/month subscription. No ads, no influencers, no strangers, no brands. Tune in to hear more about Alexander’s journey building the app, the challenges he’s faced thus far, and the roadmap looking ahead. He also gives some unique advice and perspective on networking and becoming a founder.

Links:

https://150.earth/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderpacheco

https://twitter.com/alexandercurve

On this week’s dose, we have Josh Cliffords, Founder and CEO of FreeWater, the world’s first negatively priced physical product. It’s free, it donates to charity, and they still make money. With over 800,000 followers on social media, the revolutionary concept is garnering noteworthy early traction and is poised to reimagine the way that companies advertise. Tune in to hear about the unconventional path that inspired Josh to found FreeWater and his roadmap to achieve the startup’s ambitious mission of saving 50 million lives. Keep listening to hear about Josh’s expansion plans for Freewater, including a free supermarket and free vending machine. Listen through to learn about the company’s experience raising funds through crowdfunding, as well as Josh's views on competition as he seeks to disrupt the way we consume products. Stick with us as Josh highlights a couple of startups he’s tracking and provides unique advice for anyone looking to get into venture. 

Links:
https://www.freewater.io/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/josh-cliffords-3155247a/

On this week’s dose, we have Jonah Fialkow, CEO and Co-Founder of Bracketology, the first centralized fantasy gaming platform for reality television. With games for popular shows like the Bachelor, Survivor, and Big Brother, Bracketology boasts over 600,000 lifetime users and counting. Jonah has always been a fantasy sports junkie, and after meeting the founders of what was then called Bach Bracket, he saw a massive opportunity to engage reality TV fans like fantasy sports do for sports fans. Having been full-time CEO for over a year now, Jonah and the team are now looking to raise a seed round to hire more employees and take Bracketology to the next level. In the interview, you'll hear more about the story behind Bracketology, some early successes and challenges, as well as what’s on the horizon for the startup as they look to scale.

Links:

https://bracketology.tv/

https://twitter.com/jewishjonah

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonah-fialkow/?trk=public_post-text

https://www.tiktok.com/@jewishjonah

On this week’s dose, (2:02) we start things off with a discussion on Pylon, an API-first embedded mortgage infrastructure platform looking to disrupt the mortgage lending industry, hot off their recent $8.5M seed round. (6:31) Next, we talk about Wander’s $100M debt raise, reminisce on covering the startup on the (7:06) our very dose, and (15:14) discuss their new REIT, as well as other exciting developments. (19:42) Then, we break down Smoodi’s $5M Series A, and how the startup’s healthy smoothie-making robot is capitalizing on the growing smoothie market. (23:03) Lastly, we close out this week’s dose with a discourse on ResortPass’s $26M Series B, and how the platform is enabling users and luxury hotels alike to capitalize on their amenities.

Sources

1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/amydobson/2022/12/05/pylon-closes-85m-round-from-conversion-capital-fifth-wall-peter-thiel-and-more-marquee-investors/?sh=778138e83859 
2. https://twitter.com/pylonlending/status/1599814724064976897 
3. https://www.pylonlending.com/ 
4. https://www.forbes.com/sites/amydobson/2022/11/30/wander-raises-100-million-from-credit-suisse-jumpstarting-new-captive-reit-model-for-vacation-rentals/?sh=54168f610ff6 
5. https://twitter.com/jaentwistle/status/1597980444083224578 
6. https://techcrunch.com/2022/12/02/smoodi-robotic-smart-blender-series-a/
7. https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/30/backed-by-jessica-alba-and-gwyneth-paltrow-resortpass-lands-26m-in-new-funding/

On this week’s dose, (1:56) we kick things off with a discussion on Impulse, a startup that’s helping homes cut out fossil fuels through their battery-integrated electric appliances, hot off a $20M Series A. (6:22) Next, we talk about Saltbox’s recent $35M Series B, and how the company is pioneering the ‘co-warehousing’ space to help small businesses. (10:13) Then, we dive into a discussion on Descript, an AI platform that’s making editing audio and video easier than ever, and their $50M Series C. (13:43) Last, we close out this week’s dose with a breakdown on Laundrygo, a startup looking to digitize and disrupt the laundry industry, fresh off their $37M Series C.

Sources:

1. https://twitter.com/sdamico/status/1592553422284521472
2. https://www.impulselabs.com/blog/impulse-labs-series-a-annoucement 
3. https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/29/co-warehouse-company-saltbox-closes-35m-series-b/
4. https://www.saltbox.com/press/saltbox-raises-35m-in-series-b-funding-round
5. https://twitter.com/andrewmason/status/1592543764232523778
6. https://t.co/IFU9rcDJgb
7. https://techcrunch.com/2022/11/21/softbank-backed-on-demand-laundry-startup-laundrygo-picks-up-37m-series-c/

On this week’s dose, we interview Destin Bell, CEO and Co-Founder of Card.io. Tune in to hear about Destin’s entrepreneurial upbringing, from selling candy, toys, and shoes at a young age to starting several businesses during and after college, to founding Card.io. Keep listening to hear more about the backstory of Card.io, and the numerous challenges Destin conquered while building the business. From there, Destin discussed how he got connected with a remarkable list of advisors, including high-profile folks from MapMyRun, Pokemon Go, and more, as well as the valuable lessons learned from these advisors. Then, Destin informs us of the exciting next steps on Card.io’s horizon, in terms of both fundraising and product development. Listen through as Destin shares what it’s been like building a startup in Austin, as well as commentary on the venture capital and startup landscape at large. Stick with us as Destin highlights a few startups that he’s got his eyes on and provides a valuable dose of advice for anyone looking to get into venture.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/destinbell/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/cardii-io/