Ventures from The Valley

What if crypto becomes bigger than artificial intelligence and transforms the entire global financial system?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, Victor Orlovski sits down with Marcelo Sampaio, Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of Hashdex, to explore the future of cryptocurrency, Bitcoin, blockchain technology, and the growing intersection of AI and digital assets.Marcelo shares his journey from Microsoft and Oracle to Silicon Valley entrepreneurship and the founding of Hashdex in 2018. He explains how the company helped pioneer crypto index investing and launched what he describes as the world’s first crypto ETF, navigating regulatory challenges and opening new opportunities for investors.But the conversation goes far beyond Bitcoin.Victor and Marcelo discuss why blockchain and crypto are fundamentally connected, how tokenization could reshape traditional financial markets, and why AI agents may depend on decentralized infrastructure.In this episode:• How Marcelo Sampaio went from Microsoft and Oracle to founding Hashdex• The story behind launching an early crypto index ETF• Why Marcelo believes crypto could become bigger than AI• Bitcoin vs. diversified crypto index investing• Why blockchain needs crypto to function• How AI and blockchain could transform digital ownership and identity• The future of tokenization, stablecoins, and financial infrastructure• What institutional adoption means for the crypto market• Why regulation can delay innovation but rarely stop it• Lessons in entrepreneurship, leadership, and resilienceMarcelo also reflects on building Endless, an ambitious technology company focused on bringing affordable computing to emerging markets, and shares what the Stanford Executive Program taught him about leadership and emotional intelligence.From crypto ETFs and institutional investing to artificial intelligence and the future of digital value, this conversation explores how emerging technologies could reshape the way we invest, build businesses, and exchange value.About R136 VenturesR136 Ventures invests in and supports technology companies, helping founders unlock their potential and scale their businesses.Learn more: https://www.r136.vc/?utm_source=youtube💬 Do you agree with Marcelo that crypto could eventually become bigger than AI? Why or why not?Subscribe to Ventures from the Valley for more conversations with entrepreneurs, investors, and technology leaders shaping the future of business.This conversation is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial or investment advice.

What happens to freight brokerage when AI agents can book shipments, negotiate rates, handle compliance, and communicate with other AI agents?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, Victor Orlovski sits down with Jeff D’Angelo, CEO of Fura, to explore how AI is transforming freight and logistics — and how Fura has built an AI-native model in one of the largest and most fragmented industries in the U.S.Jeff shares how Fura combines freight brokerage, technology, and a roll-up strategy to acquire traditional businesses and make them more efficient through AI and automation. He explains how the company grew its run rate from roughly $10 million to more than $100 million in two years while combining organic growth with acquisitions.They also discuss Donna, Fura’s AI agent that now books more than 40% of shipments, and why Jeff believes logistics is moving toward a world of AI-to-AI booking, insurance, compliance, and autonomous transportation.The conversation also explores:• AI and automation in freight brokerage• Fura’s freight roll-up strategy and 10x growth• AI agents and the future of logistics• How automation changes the cost per transaction• Why AI adoption requires changing the business itselfThis episode is brought to you by R136 Ventures.🌐 Learn more about R136 Ventures: https://www.r136.vc/💬 How quickly do you think logistics will move from human-to-human transactions to AI-to-AI?👍 Like, subscribe, and follow Ventures from the Valley for more conversations with founders and technology leaders building the next generation of companies.

In this special episode of Ventures from the Valley, Victor Orlovski turns the conversation around and shares his own perspective on AI, investing, fintech, and what it means to build in a world where technology is evolving faster than ever.Drawing on his experience as a developer, banking technology executive, founder, and growth investor at R136 Ventures, Victor explains why AI has fundamentally changed the economics of building. Products that once required millions of dollars, dozens of engineers, and years of development can now be built in days. But as building becomes easier, choosing what to build becomes much more important.Victor shares why R136 is increasingly focused on problems that remain difficult to solve, why he believes the greatest AI value will move from infrastructure to applications, and why the traditional app economy may eventually give way to fleets of intelligent agents.The conversation also explores:• AI applications vs. infrastructure• The rise of AI agents and agentic commerce• Why the traditional app economy may be disappearing• How AI is transforming companies and productivity• The future of fintech and payments• Why people matter more in an AI-native worldThis episode is brought to you by R136 Ventures, investing in ambitious companies building the next generation of technology.🌐 Learn more about R136 Ventures:https://www.r136.vc/💬 What do you think will create more value over the next decade: AI infrastructure or AI-native applications?Timecodes:00:00 - The AI-Native Future00:37 - A Different Episode02:07 - Victor’s Builder Mindset04:02 - Building Got 100x Easier06:03 - What Becomes Valuable07:17 - Late-Stage AI Founders11:34 - The AI Investment Boom13:05 - Infrastructure vs Applications19:36 - The End of Apps24:02 - Software With a Soul26:27 - A Future of AI Agents30:30 - The AI Adoption Gap33:01 - Reinventing Organizations37:04 - AI Inside R13643:54 - How AI Creates Value46:48 - Stop Chatting, Start Building51:05 - The Future of Fintech53:31 - Agentic Commerce58:54 - R136’s Investment Thesis

What if sending money across borders could become instant, reliable, and almost free?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, host Victor Orlovski sits down with Josiah Senu, founder of Zuba a fintech company building what Josiah describes as the world’s most reliable bank.Josiah shares his journey from a British-Nigerian upbringing to Harvard Law School, fintech, payments, and building financial infrastructure for emerging markets. He explains why cross-border payments remain broken, why remittance fees are still too high, and how stablecoins can fundamentally change the cost of moving money around the world.In this conversation, we discuss:• Why sending money home can be a life-or-death issue• What founders should understand about Africa and Nigeria• Why Nigeria is one of the most important fintech markets• How stablecoins reduce the cost of cross-border payments• Why Zuba is focused on affordability, speed, and reliability• How AI and blockchain can help fight financial fraud• Why customer care still matters in the age of AI• What it takes to build a global fintech company• How Josiah thinks about talent, focus, discipline, and obsessionThis episode is brought to you by R136 Ventures, supporting visionary founders building the next generation of fintech, B2B, and AI-driven companies.🌐 Learn more:https://www.r136.vc/💬 Would you trust a stablecoin-powered bank to move your money across borders?___________________________________________________________________________R136 Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based multi-stage VC firm with a focus on scaling mid and late-stage B2B and fintech startups.Our mission is to propel creative entrepreneurs to a faster growth trajectory. We help founders scale their mid-to-late stage startups, bringing with us a distinctive fusion of expertise and past experiences that are key in unlocking their true potential. With many of our team having previously held CEO, CTO and other c-level positions, we understand the challenges and opportunities of both startups and major corporations. Our contribution doesn't just stop at vision and strategy; we actively shape your execution and help in talent acquisition. With a legacy of managing assets exceeding $400 million and having financially backed more than  30 innovative companies, our record speaks for itself.🌐 Learn more: https://www.r136.vc/#venturecapital #startups #R136 #fintech #stablecoins

What happens when AI stops being just a tool… and becomes a relationship?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, host Victor Orlovski speaks with Eugenia Kuyda — founder of Replika and Wabi — about the future of emotional AI, AI companions, consumer technology, and the next wave of human-computer interaction.Eugenia shares the deeply personal story behind Replika, how the loss of her best friend inspired one of the world’s first AI companion platforms, and why millions of users formed emotional connections with AI long before ChatGPT existed.They also discuss:• The early days of conversational AI before transformers• Building emotional intelligence into software• Why Replika had 1.5M users on the waitlist before launch• The rise of ChatGPT and OpenAI• Why emotional AI may become bigger than assistants• The future of AI relationships and digital companions• Why AI could replace millions of jobs• The next generation of AI interfaces through Wabi• Consumer AI vs enterprise AI• The future battle between Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and startupsThis conversation explores one of the biggest questions of our time: can AI truly understand humans — and what happens if it does?Watch the full episode and subscribe for more conversations with world-class founders, investors, and AI pioneers.Learn more about  R136 VenturesWhat do you think — will emotional AI help humanity or make people more isolated?#venturecapital #R136 #AI #Replika #EugeniaKuyda

What if you could build a multi-million dollar SaaS company… without a sales team or paid ads?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, host Victor Orlovski sits down with Robin Alex, co-founder of HighLevel — an AI-powered business platform serving 70,000+ agencies and over 1 million businesses worldwide.Robin shares how HighLevel scaled from early struggles and high churn to becoming one of the fastest-growing SaaS platforms — by focusing on agencies instead of SMBs, building strong community-driven growth, and aligning incentives at scale.⸻💡 What you’ll learn:• Why selling directly to SMBs failed — and what worked instead• The real reason agencies became the growth engine• How a simple pivot changed everything• Why HighLevel never relied on a traditional sales team• The strategy behind 40% lifetime affiliate commissions• How to scale a SaaS company profitably from day one• The truth about product-market fit most founders misunderstand• How AI is changing (but not replacing) service businesses⸻This episode is brought to you by R136 Ventures, backing the next generation of B2B and AI-driven companies.🌐 Learn more:https://www.r136.vc/💬  Would you rather build a startup with VC funding or stay fully profitable from day one?

How do you build companies worth hundreds of millions - and aim for a trillion-dollar venture platform?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, host Victor Orlovski sits down with serial entrepreneur Daniel Dippold.Daniel is a 3x founder with over $300M in collective startup value, a Cambridge machine learning graduate, and an angel investor in 60+ startups since 2020 with multiple unicorn investments.He is also the founder of EWOR, a fellowship that supports top tech founders globally with up to €500,000 and bespoke mentorship from unicorn founders (Adjust, ProGlove, SumUp).In this conversation we discuss:• How Daniel evaluates exceptional founders• Why venture capital is a heavy-tailed industry• How EWOR helps founders build unicorn companies• The infrastructure behind startup success• Why small teams can build billion-dollar companies• The future of AI startups and foundation models• How venture investors identify breakout founders• Why the best founders focus on talent, money, and distributionDaniel also shares his perspective on AI disruption, venture capital, and the future of trillion-dollar companies.This podcast is brought to you by R136 Ventures, supporting visionary founders building the next generation of B2B and fintech companies.🌐 Learn morehttps://www.r136.vc/💬  What matters more for startup success — the founder, the idea, or timing?

What actually drives venture capital decisions - data, FOMO, or storytelling?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, I sit down with Stephane Nasser, Co-Founder & CEO of OpenVC - a free fundraising platform that has facilitated over $1 billion in startup funding for 25,000+ founders since launch.We unpack how early-stage fundraising really works, why most founders make the same avoidable mistakes, and how OpenVC is building infrastructure to modernize venture deal flow.Stephane shares his journey from startup accelerator operator to building OpenVC into a global discovery engine for founders and investors without taking equity or success fees.In this episode, we discuss: • How OpenVC connects founders and 6,000+ investors worldwide • The biggest pitch deck mistakes founders don’t realize they’re making • Why FOMO is the real driver of venture investing • How to structure a fundraising narrative investors actually understand • The psychology behind deal flow and investor decision-making • Why most founders should climb the learning curve before pitching • How Product Hunt helped OpenVC gain early traction • Why venture capital is still a niche but powerful asset class • The long-term vision of OpenVC as deal flow infrastructure • Whether venture capital itself could be disruptedIf you’re a founder raising Pre-Seed, Seed, or Series A or an investor looking for high-quality early-stage deal flow - this conversation will sharpen your thinking.R136 Ventures supports visionary founders scaling B2B and fintech companies across the United States.🌐 Learn more: https://www.r136.vc/Would you build your fundraising strategy around FOMO or fundamentals?

What if aging isn’t inevitable — but a solvable problem?And what if the biggest opportunity in healthcare isn’t treating disease, but preventing it entirely?In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, I sit down with Omri Amirav-Drory, General Partner at NFX, to explore one of the most ambitious frontiers in venture capital: longevity, biotech, and the intersection of biology and technology.Omri leads pre-seed and seed investments at NFX and focuses on what he believes is the ultimate mission — ending involuntary death. We talk openly about why aging is the root cause behind most diseases, how AI is transforming biotech, and why longevity represents a $38 trillion per year opportunity in additional healthy life.This is a deep, honest conversation about conviction, risk, optimism, and why the future of healthcare looks nothing like today’s system.⸻In this episode, we discuss: • Why aging is the root cause of 9 out of 10 deadly diseases • The real difference between lifespan and healthspan • Why longevity could unlock $38T per year in economic value • How NFX evaluates early-stage biotech and tech-bio startups • The power-law logic behind seed investing • Why most VCs miss the biggest opportunities by being pessimistic • AI’s three major waves in biotech and drug discovery • Why GLP-1 drugs changed healthcare economics forever • Precision medicine, biomarkers, and the limits of simulation • Whether humans alive today could realistically live to 160 • Replacement biology, regeneration, and the ethics of enhancement❓ Do you believe aging will be cured in our lifetime — or is it science fiction?___________________________________________________________________________R136 Ventures - a Silicon Valley-based multi-stage VC firm with a focus on scaling mid and late-stage B2B and fintech startups.Our mission is to propel creative entrepreneurs to a faster growth trajectory. We help founders scale their mid-to-late stage startups, bringing with us a distinctive fusion of expertise and past experiences that are key in unlocking their true potential. With many of our team having previously held CEO, CTO and other c-level positions, we understand the challenges and opportunities of both startups and major corporations. Our contribution doesn't just stop at vision and strategy; we actively shape your execution and help in talent acquisition. With a legacy of managing assets exceeding $400 million and having financially backed more than  30 innovative companies, our record speaks for itself.🌐 Learn more: https://www.r136.vc/

Most people think disruption is about technology.In reality, it’s about winning inside chaos, regulation, and imperfect systems — before the rules catch up.In this episode of Ventures from the Valley, I sit down with Lane Kasselman, President of Blockchain.com and one of the earliest executives at Uber, to unpack what it truly takes to scale category-defining companies in the most regulated environments on earth.We talk candidly about how Uber forced regulation to follow adoption, how that mindset carried into Blockchain.com, and why the next crypto cycle will look fundamentally different from the last.This is not a conversation about hype.It’s a masterclass on building real companies that survive cycles, scrutiny, and scale.⸻In this episode, we cover: • Why Uber’s “win or lose” culture still defines category winners • How Blockchain.com scaled from 100 to 600 employees in under a year • What founders misunderstand about regulation in tech and crypto • Why emerging markets are driving real crypto adoption — not speculation • How stablecoins are already replacing fiat in parts of the global economy • Why the next crypto downturn won’t look like 2022 • How AI agents will quietly make crypto the backbone of global payments • The leadership shifts required to scale from startup to global platform • Why hiring true operators — not just insiders — changes everything • The single most important mistake founders make in regulated industries⸻❓ If regulation is inevitable, should founders fight it — or design their strategy around it from day one?