Podcast
Venture with Grace
Hosted by Grace Gong · EN
I host a top VC podcast called Smart Venture Podcast (SVPpro.com). Past guests include C-level/VPs of Google, Meta, Amazon, Sephora, Dunkin' Donuts, Chipotle, Pepsi, Instagram, Deloitte, Reddit, Lyft, etc. Managing Partners of top funds (many were featured on the Forbes Midas List) and unicorn founders (founders of Craigslist, Square, Loom, Cruise, etc.) Venture with Grace is my new spin-off series that features top LPs, GPs, solo GPs, Angel Investors, top AI founders, and other experts in tech and business to cover specific domain expertise.
Watch this Live on LinkedIn/ YouTube: Grace Gong
79episodes
Episodes
Newest firstAll episodes
Zeynep Korutürk and Kris Naudts, Firgun Ventures on Quantum Scale-ups
1w ago00:54:18Tap to summarizeZeynep Korutürk and Kris Naudts are the Founding Managing Partners of Firgun Ventures, one of the first venture capital firms focused exclusively on Series A and B quantum technology companies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Zeynep previously spent more than a decade at Goldman Sachs, where she co-founded the firm's Technology Initiative, advised technology founders and investors, and became an early investor in pioneering quantum companies including Cambridge Quantum. Kris is a serial entrepreneur, deep-tech investor, and founder of Culture Trip, which he scaled into a global travel platform reaching millions of users and raised more than $100 million in funding. Together, they are building Firgun Ventures to help the next generation of quantum computing, sensing, and communications companies scale from breakthrough research to real-world impact.TopicsHow Firgun Ventures became first VC firm focused on Series A/B quantum scale-ups globallyFrom Goldman Sachs Tech Initiative and Culture Trip $100M raise to quantum VC partnershipWhat investors get wrong about the quantum opportunity#QuantumComputing #FirgunVentures #QuantumVC #DeepTech #CultureTrip
Transcribe →Arnav Mishra, DOSS Co-Founder and CTO on ERP for Modern Industries
1w ago01:06:19Tap to summarizeArnav Mishra is the Co-Founder and CTO of Doss, a company reinventing ERP software for modern businesses across manufacturing, logistics, construction, agriculture, and other traditionally underserved industries. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Before founding Doss, Arnav was a founding engineer at Siteline, where he built critical infrastructure and experienced firsthand the limitations of legacy ERP systems and complex enterprise integrations. Earlier in his career, he held engineering roles at Rubrik, Uber, VMware, and AeroFS, while also serving as a venture partner at Contrary Capital. A computer science graduate of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Arnav is focused on building flexible, AI-native operating systems that replace decades-old enterprise software and bring modern technology to the industries that power the real economy.TopicsBringing modern technology to manufacturing, logistics, and other "dusty" industriesLessons from scaling engineering teams and building products in complex enterprise marketsHow DOSS rebuilds ERP from first principles for dusty industries like construction and logistics#ModernERP #DustyIndustries #DOSS #UXRevolution #TechCommunity
Transcribe →Guy Arazi, Pi Security Co-Founder and CEO on AI-Powered Cloud Security
1w ago01:02:28Tap to summarizeGuy Arazi is the Co-Founder and CEO of Pi Security, a cybersecurity company building a new approach to securing AI applications and systems. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Before founding Pi, Guy was a senior security researcher at Microsoft, where he led security research initiatives, discovered more than 150 vulnerabilities, founded Microsoft's ransomware detection vertical, and served as technical lead for the MSRC Vulnerabilities & Mitigations team. He was also a founding member of the XCloud Research team at Palo Alto Networks, helping develop advanced cloud threat detection capabilities. With deep expertise spanning vulnerability research, cloud security, ransomware defense, and AI security, Guy is focused on helping organizations secure the next generation of AI-powered products and infrastructure.TopicsThe emerging security risks facing AI applications and autonomous systemsLessons from discovering hundreds of vulnerabilities at MicrosoftWhy traditional cybersecurity approaches are struggling in the AI era#Cybersecurity #AISecurity #ArtificialIntelligence #CloudSecurity #Startups
Transcribe →Daisy Cai, B Capital General Partner on AI and Technology Investing
1w ago00:50:01Tap to summarizeDaisy Cai is a General Partner at B Capital, where she invests in AI and technology companies across the U.S. and Asia. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Her portfolio includes category leaders such as Reflection AI, Apptronik, Writer, EvenUp, and Kaon, while previous investments include Profound Bio, which was acquired by Genmab, and GeekPlus, which later went public. Prior to B Capital, Daisy was a Partner at SoftBank Vision Fund and held investing roles at Goldman Sachs and TA Associates. She began her career as a chip architect at AMD, giving her a unique perspective that spans semiconductors, AI infrastructure, enterprise software, robotics, and growth investing.TopicsInvesting in the next generation of AI, robotics, and autonomous systemsWhat separates breakout AI companies from the rest of the marketLessons from investing through multiple technology cycles at SoftBank and B Capital#AI #VentureCapital #Startups #Robotics #EnterpriseAI
Transcribe →Dan Mishin, Manifest OS CEO on Building AI-Native Legal Firms
1w ago00:57:20Tap to summarizeDan Mishin is the Founder and CEO of Manifest OS, a company building AI-native infrastructure for next-generation law firms. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Previously, he founded June Homes, a technology-driven flexible living platform that scaled to over $50M ARR, $1.3B in assets under management, and profitability while raising more than $70M from investors including SoftBank, Menlo Ventures, Kleiner Perkins, First Round Capital, and others, before its acquisition and transition to Chairman. Earlier, he founded Bear Hostels and later expanded it into a large regional hospitality business across the CIS region, which was ultimately acquired through Planet of Hostels. Across multiple ventures in real estate, hospitality, and AI, Dan has focused on building and scaling capital-efficient, category-defining companies that transform traditional industries through software.TopicsHow Manifest OS powers AI-native law firms for accessible high-quality legal representationFrom Bear Hostels CIS market leader to SoftBank-backed June Homes: hospitality to real estate techScaling marketplace and real estate platforms from 0 → $50M+ ARR#LegalTech #PropTech #Entrepreneurship #VentureCapital #Scaleups
Transcribe →Nikita Rudin, Flexion CEO on Reinforcement Learning for Humanoids
2w ago00:58:26Tap to summarizeNikita Rudin is the Co-Founder and CEO of Flexion Robotics, where he is building humanoid robots powered by large-scale simulation and reinforcement learning. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~He previously spent more than four years at NVIDIA, helping advance high-performance physics simulation and AI training systems for robotics. Nikita earned his PhD from ETH Zurich, where his research focused on deep reinforcement learning for legged robots and contributed to some of the field's most influential academic work. Combining deep expertise in robotics, simulation, and AI, he is focused on making humanoid robots smarter, more capable, and commercially deployable in real-world environments.TopicsHow Flexion Robotics scales simulation and RL training for agile humanoid robots at production scaleLessons from NVIDIA on building AI infrastructure for roboticsThe path from robotic demos to commercially valuable humanoid workers#Robotics #Humanoids #AI #ReinforcementLearning #EmbodiedAI
Transcribe →Josh Araujo, Forterra CEO on Scaling Autonomous Defense Systems
2w ago01:04:01Tap to summarizeJosh Araujo is the CEO of Forterra, where he leads the company’s mission to deploy autonomous ground vehicle technology at scale.~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Since joining in 2021, he helped lead Forterra’s growth from Series A through Series C while developing its Autonomy-as-a-Service business model and serving as COO before becoming CEO. Prior to Forterra, Josh was CFO of OGT Engineering & Construction and spent nearly a decade on Wall Street at Jefferies and Lazard, advising aerospace, defense, and industrial companies on M&A and capital markets transactions. Before entering finance, he served as an officer in the U.S. Marine Corps. His career spans military leadership, investment banking, operations, and executive management, giving him a unique perspective on scaling mission-driven technology companies.TopicsLeadership Lessons Across Military Service, Finance, and Autonomous systemsHow Forterra successfully scaled from its Series A in 2021 to its Series C in 2025From Prototype to Deployment: Building Culture and Alignment in Defense Tech#DefenseTech #Autonomy #Robotics #Leadership #Startups
Transcribe →Kevin Peterson, Bedrock Robotics CTO on Embodied AI and Autonomy
2w ago01:11:12Tap to summarizeKevin Peterson is the Co-Founder and CTO of Bedrock Robotics, where he is building advanced embodied AI systems to transform how robots operate in the physical world. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Previously, he led perception for Waymo Via’s autonomous trucking division, working on large-scale real-world autonomy systems for logistics. Before that, he served as an Autonomy Architect at Caterpillar following its acquisition of Marble, a robotics company he co-founded and led as CEO, focused on automating goods movement in industrial environments. Earlier in his career, Kevin was CTO at Astrobotic, where he led engineering for lunar landers and spacecraft systems developed for NASA missions. He holds an MS from Carnegie Mellon University and has spent his career building perception, control, and autonomy systems across self-driving vehicles, robotics, and space exploration.TopicsHow Bedrock Robotics combines deep Embodied AI with safety for real-world autonomyLessons from Waymo on perception at scale in autonomous truckingDesigning robotics systems for industrial automation and logistics#Autonomy #EmbodiedAI #SelfDrivingCars #SpaceTech #DeepTech
Transcribe →Rasmus Holst, Zensai CEO on Human Success Operating Model
2w ago01:08:33Tap to summarizeRasmus Holst is the CEO of Zensai, the Human Success platform helping organizations improve learning, performance, and employee engagement in the age of AI. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Since becoming CEO in 2022, he has led the company's transformation from LMS365 into Zensai, growing revenue from roughly $14 million ARR to more than $30 million, completing multiple acquisitions, launching the Human Success category, and scaling the business toward the $100 million milestone. Prior to Zensai, Rasmus served as CRO at Wire, where he led the company's enterprise go-to-market expansion from zero to hundreds of customers, and previously held COO, GM, strategy, and product leadership roles across Huddle, Syniverse, MACH, and Oracle. Over a global career spanning Europe and the United States, he has helped build and scale technology businesses across SaaS, communications, enterprise software, and workforce technology.TopicsHow Zensai Human Success replaces traditional HR with learning and performance at AI scaleScaling Zensai from 14 million to 30 million ARR through three acquisitions and category creationLeadership lessons from operating across countries and Silicon Valley#Leadership #FutureOfWork #HumanSuccess #Startups #EnterpriseSoftware
Transcribe →Ben Cera, Polsia Founder on Autonomous AI Companies
2w ago01:00:44Tap to summarizeBen Cera is the Founder of Polsia, an autonomous AI platform designed to run companies around the clock by planning, building, and promoting products with minimal human involvement. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~This episode is brought to you by Nebius — the ultimate cloud for AI innovators.Nebius provides AI infrastructure you can count on, combining reliability and speed with flexibility and engineering support unmatched by hyperscalers.AI leaders like Meta, Shopify, and Higgsfield already partner with Nebius to run their AI workloads. Plus, venture-backed startups can save up to $150,000 on compute costs when they apply for access. Visit nebius.com or nebius.com/startups to learn more~~~~~~~~~~~~~Before Polsia, he was Employee #2 at CloudKitchens, where he co-founded Future Foods alongside Travis Kalanick and helped scale the business across product, operations, strategy, and market expansion. Earlier, Ben co-founded Hutch, a venture-backed 3D rendering and interior design startup backed by Founders Fund and Zillow, and founded multiple consumer technology companies spanning social, location, and mobile products. With a background that spans entrepreneurship, engineering, product development, and quantitative finance, Ben is focused on pushing the boundaries of autonomous AI systems capable of building and operating businesses at scale.TopicsHow Polsia runs 8700+ plus companies autonomously with one founder and zero employeesLessons from scaling Future Foods at CloudKitchens with Travis KalanickFrom Hutch 17 million raised to AI agents: 20 year founder journey to autonomous companies#Startups #Automation #Entrepreneurship #FutureOfWork #SaaS
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