MoneyNeverSleeps

Pete Townsend | Early-stage Startup Investor

A weekly podcast that looks inside the minds of entrepreneurs and at the crossover of startups, enterprise, finance, technology and life as we know it, hosted by early-stage startup investor Pete Townsend.

  1. 7月29日

    298: Techstars Web3 Demo Day 2025: Live from NY Tech Week

    This week, we're doing something different on MoneyNeverSleeps. You're coming inside the room for the Techstars Web3 Demo Day 2025, recorded live at Civic Hall in NYC during NY Tech Week, where we brought 5 incredible Web3 startups to the stage for a standing-room-only crowd of founders, investors, and builders. These aren’t founders chasing hype - they’re building with traction, with purpose, and with an eye on the next version of the internet. Along the way, you’ll hear: A powerful fireside chat with Clarisse Hagege, founder and CEO of Dfns, on her journey from TradFi to web3 and the reality of raising in tough marketsStartups introduced by their mentors and customers, not just the usual emcee banterClosing thoughts on what Techstars Web3 has meant to me and to Hugh McGirr, my partner in building this since 2021You’ll hear from: 🧠 Autonom – web3’s first full-context real-world assets oracle 🛡️ DABL – the essential risk layer for onchain hedging 🔐 Nera Systems – privacy-enhancing tech for secure data sharing in AI workflows 🌱 nodes.garden – one-click platform for running testnet nodes and earning token rewards 🔍 TRUSTBYTES – bringing predictive intelligence to institutional walletsWhether you’re a founder, investor, or web3 builder—this one captures the energy, the ambition, and the conviction of what’s next. 🎥 Watch the full video on YouTube: Techstars Web3 Demo Day 2025 LINKS: Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website) Email us: info@norioventures.com Pete Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

    1 小時 1 分鐘
  2. 6月23日

    297: Grit, Mud & $400K | Jesse Phillips | Trustware Co-Founder & CEO

    This week, I caught up with Jesse Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Trustware, and one of the most quietly determined founders I’ve ever backed. I invested in Jesse and his co-founder Jonathan Frazier through the Techstars Web3 accelerator in 2023, and since then, Trustware⁠ have done what most early-stage startups only dream of—shipping a real product, signing real customers, and generating real revenue… all on just $400K in capital and a team of six. In this conversation, Jesse and I get into what it really takes to build through the mud - when you’ve got more vision than runway, and the only way out of the mud is through the mud. We talk about the early decisions that shaped Trustware’s roadmap, the week Jesse had to tell his team he couldn’t promise their next paycheck, and why raising less money actually made them a stronger company. Trustware is building what Jesse calls “a switchboard for crypto” - a way for wallets and apps to exchange any asset for any other asset(s) across chains and identity layers. It’s a big vision with a deeply pragmatic approach - and one that’s already helping crypto-native teams clean up the mess under the hood. This one’s a masterclass in staying focused, tuning out the hype, and building for the long game. The early decision to bootstrap and stay leanHow Trustware helps wallets and apps simplify cross-chain opsWhy team culture matters even more when the money’s tightWhat Jesse learned about founder storytelling while fundraisingThe value of persistence over polish in the early inningsLINKS: Trustware:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn |  Discord Jesse Phillips:   X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn  Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website) Email us: info@norioventures.com Pete Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  In this episode:MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

    53 分鐘
  3. 6月13日

    296: The Unstoppable Founder | Allard Luchsinger from Techstars

    This week, I sat down with my longtime Techstars colleague and friend Allard Luchsinger, Managing Director of the ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator in Amsterdam. Allard and I have been on each other’s investment committees for years, so this conversation hits a bit differently. We’ve traded notes across dozens of startups, and we’ve seen each other call the shots on what makes an unstoppable founder. That theme became the golden thread through this episode. We get into Allard’s journey from building startups during the dot-com era, to co-founding a zero-commission trading platform years before Robinhood, to leading one of Europe’s most respected fintech accelerators. We also dig into: His experience investing in African fintech and why mobile-first changed everything The early signals from AI and how they mirror fintech’s formative years The conviction you need to invest at pre-seed when all you have is a deck, a founder, and a feeling The power of mindfulness, presence, and early-morning meditation Why stablecoins and tokenized assets are quietly rebuilding the financial rails from the inside out This one’s full of hard-earned wisdom from someone who knows both sides of the founder–investor equation, and delivers it all with a calm clarity that hits home. LINKS: Connect with Allard Luchsinger on LinkedIn  ABN AMRO + Techstars Future of Finance Accelerator:  Website  |  LinkedIn Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website) Email us: info@norioventures.com Pete Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

    51 分鐘
  4. 5月30日

    295: VC For the Rest of Us | Shuttle | Scott Ashmore and Rob Halligan

    This week, I’m joined by Scott Ashmore and Rob Halligan, co-founders of Shuttle - a platform giving individuals access to venture capital deals that have traditionally been reserved for the ultra-wealthy. Scott and Rob are best friends of 25 years, first-time founders, and the type of guys who rolled up their sleeves, built something that didn’t scale, tore it all down, and came back with something far more powerful - and regulated - with Shuttle. We get into: Their early days of investing together that kicked it all offThat raw turning point moment at Web Summit 2022 when they knew the original plan wasn’t going to workWhat it took to get regulated and launch a platform built for the digitally-native, tech-savvy retail investorWhy retail investors should have a front-row seat to venture capital opportunities—and how Shuttle is making that happenThis is a story of friendship, frustration with the status quo, and the belief that access to financial upside shouldn’t be limited by your net worth. Learn more about Shuttle:  Shuttle enables busy professionals to co-invest alongside well-known venture capital firms, regardless of their knowledge, network or net worth. Since launching in December last year, they've already enabled their customers to invest alongside 15 VC funds. LINKS: Shuttle:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn |  Unsophisticated Investor Newsletter Scott Ashmore:  LinkedIn Rob Halligan:  LinkedIn Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website) Email us: info@norioventures.com Pete Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

    48 分鐘
  5. 5月23日

    294: Superteams, Startups and Stablecoins - Solana’s Bet on Ireland

    This week, I’m joined once again by Alejandro Gutierrez, now officially leading Solana Superteam Ireland, a new initiative powered by the Solana Foundation to accelerate Web3 innovation across the entire island of Ireland. In this conversation, Alejandro and I go deep on how Solana Superteam Ireland came to life, why the momentum is building so quickly, and what this means for Ireland as a Web3 hub. Alejandro shares how he went from convincing Dogpatch Labs to give him a table and a few chairs to creating a thriving Talent Hub that’s now attracting builders every Friday. That energy evolved into the Dublin BuildStation, a collaborative space supporting 19 project submissions to the recent Solana Colosseum Hackathon. From stablecoin payments and agentic AI to health tech and startup funding, we talk about the intersection of talent, ecosystem development, and the future of digital finance on Solana in Ireland. In this episode: How Alejandro kicked off Solana Superteam Ireland from the ground up The role of Dogpatch Labs and Solana Foundation in backing Irish builders Why Ireland is uniquely positioned for Web3 leadership The Dublin BuildStation and how it supports founders Emerging verticals in Solana: payments, AI, and healthcare The potential for a silent stablecoin revolution in the Irish payments landscape The importance of community, continuity, and open collaboration What’s next: Dublin Startup Village, university engagement, and more EVENTS: Dublin Tech Week - May 23rd- 30th, 2025 - full event listing CryptoMondays Ireland with ETHDublin, Solana Superteam Ireland & Techstars - 26th May 2025 Techstars Web3 2025 Demo Day at NYTechWeek (NYC) - 4th June 2025 LINKS: Solana Superteam Ireland:  Website  |  X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn Alejandro Gutierrez: X/(Twitter)  |  LinkedIn Leave a review & subscribe on: Apple Podcasts  |  Spotify  |  MoneyNeverSleeps (website) Email us: info@norioventures.com Pete Townsend:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  MoneyNeverSleeps:  X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

    31 分鐘
  6. 5月2日

    292: Done Deal: Ollie Walsh on Pipit’s 12-Year Journey to Qenta

    This week, I’m welcoming back Ollie Walsh, formerly the co-founder and CEO of Pipit Global, and now, the President of Qenta, following Qenta’s recent acquisition of Pipit.  This is Ollie’s fourth appearance on MoneyNeverSleeps, making him the all-time guest record holder on the show. This conversation is a special one. Not only has Ollie been building something purpose-driven and globally relevant for over a decade, but I’ve also had the privilege of sitting on Pipit’s board since 2019 and seeing the full journey from the inside. In this episode, we dive into the first public conversation about Pipit’s acquisition by Qenta. US-based Qenta is rethinking how money moves around the world, blending fintech, blockchain, and impact into one powerful payments platform. In this episode, Ollie and I get into the weeds on what it really takes to build a startup with social impact at its core, what it feels like to finally get a deal across the line after years of trying, and how it all unfolds when you're leading with purpose rather than flash. We also get into: The “rollercoaster on fire” of startup life What makes a startup acquirable, especially in emerging markets Why leading with social impact turned out to be Pipit’s greatest strength Lessons learned the hard way: cap tables, crowdfunding, and mental resilience Ollie’s unexpected deep dive into Daoism and Tai Chi, and how it shaped his founder mindset This one’s packed with honest reflections, tactical insights, and a rare look inside the real M&A journey from a founder who lived every second of it. If you're building with purpose, fundraising under pressure, or just trying to stay centered through it all, this one’s for you. Connect with Ollie Walsh and Qenta: Ollie Walsh: LinkedIn Qenta: LinkedIn  |  Website⁠ Leave a review and subscribe on Apple Podcasts Spotify MoneyNeverSleeps (website) Email us: info@norioventures.com Connect with Pete Townsend and MoneyNeverSleeps: Pete Townsend: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  MoneyNeverSleeps: X/Twitter  |  LinkedIn  |  Newsletter

    36 分鐘

簡介

A weekly podcast that looks inside the minds of entrepreneurs and at the crossover of startups, enterprise, finance, technology and life as we know it, hosted by early-stage startup investor Pete Townsend.