Episodios

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

    292: Done Deal: Ollie Walsh on Pipit’s 12-Year Journey to Qenta
    May 2 2025

    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 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
    Más Menos
    36 m
  • 291: Scaling Without VC: The Long Game with Fergal McGovern from VisibleThread

    291: Scaling Without VC: The Long Game with Fergal McGovern from VisibleThread
    Apr 18 2025

    This week, I had the absolute pleasure of sitting down with Fergal McGovern, founder and CEO of VisibleThread, for one of the most enlightening founder chats I’ve had in a while.

    Fergal’s been building for decades—starting with enterprise systems in the '90s, then launching and selling his first startup SteelTrace, and eventually pivoting VisibleThread through the 2008 crash into a trusted platform serving global leaders like Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Comcast, and government agencies across the U.S., Canada, and Australia.

    What I loved about this conversation is how practical and honest Fergal is—especially when it comes to the real story behind fundraising. He’s been through the early seed round, the post-pivot rebuild, and the tough decision to fuel growth with debt instead of chasing a VC path that didn’t quite fit.

    In this episode, we get into:


    - Why 50% growth year-over-year is solid—but not VC-sexy


    - What makes a startup truly “VC-eligible” (and what doesn’t)


    -How Fergal built a repeatable sales playbook before hiring reps—and why that mattered more than headcount


    - The thinking behind VisibleThread’s expansion into a second product—basically Grammarly for secure, regulated environments


    - Why GenAI and agents aren’t always the right tool—and when logic still wins


    - And yes, how designing gardens relates to building great UX


    If you’re a founder figuring out your funding path—or just trying to scale without losing your mind—this one’s for you.


    Resources:

    The Hard Thing About Hard Things, Ben Horowitz

    Episode 170 of the Full Ratchet podcast: Craig Wortmann - Sales Mastery & Storytelling at Scaling Startups


    Connect with Fergal McGovern and VisibleThread:

    Fergal McGovern: LinkedIn

    VisibleThread: 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
    Más Menos
    45 m
  • 290: The Ethical Hacker Mindset with Yev Broshevan from Hacken

    290: The Ethical Hacker Mindset with Yev Broshevan from Hacken
    Apr 11 2025

    This week, I sat down with Yev Broshevan, co-founder and Chief Business Development Officer at Hacken, a leading blockchain security firm focused on making Web3 a safer, more trustworthy place for everyone. Even better? Yev’s birthday is the same day this episode drops - happy birthday, Yev!

    Yev’s story goes way back to her early days as a cybersecurity engineer in Ukraine, where weak institutions and a hacker’s curiosity led her deep into the world of Bitcoin back in 2014. Since then, she and her Hacken co-founders have been building a mission-driven business around ethical hacking—using a mindset of creativity and values to secure everything from smart contracts to crypto exchanges.

    In this episode, we get into:

    • Why the hacker mindset isn’t just about code, it’s a way of living—and solving problems

    • How HackenProof, their bug bounty platform, now has over 45,000 ethical hackers keeping Web3 projects secure

    • Why smart contract audits are just one layer—operational security and key management matter just as much

    • How AI is reshaping both sides of the security equation: as a powerful ally and a new threat vector

    • Why Yev’s now channeling her hacker brain into biohacking—optimizing health and performance like it’s just another system to tune

    We also talk about Hacken’s move into the US, how the security landscape has evolved since the early days of crypto, and what the industry still needs to get right to earn back trust.

    From Web2 to Web3 to Human 2.0, this one’s got layers.

    Connect with Yev Broshevan and Hacken:

    Yev Broshevan: X/Twitter | LinkedIn

    Hacken: X/Twitter | 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
    Más Menos
    39 m
  • 289: BlackRock’s BTC Flex | On-Chain Politics | Tokenized Fund Liquidity | SBF Still Scheming | Laura Walsh

    289: BlackRock’s BTC Flex | On-Chain Politics | Tokenized Fund Liquidity | SBF Still Scheming | Laura Walsh
    Apr 4 2025
    This week, I’m joined by the ever-insightful and gloriously unfiltered Laura Walsh for a whirlwind spin through the crypto-political multiverse. From BlackRock’s Larry Fink flirting with Bitcoin as the next global reserve currency to Trump-World and Cowboy State stablecoins, this episode has more layers than a Siberian haplogroup.What’s inside?Larry Fink’s crypto come-up – From “index of money laundering” to “Bitcoin might dethrone the dollar”? BlackRock’s shifting narrative and what it really means.Bitcoin as collateral – Is BTC ready to step into the reserve asset big leagues, or are we still in the pool noodle phase of macroeconomic modeling?The Trump Token-verse – Meme coins, stablecoins, and the political gamification of crypto. Spoiler: It’s not a joke just because it’s April Fool’s.The great stablecoin expansion – From USD1 to USYC, Pete and Laura unpack where stablecoins are headed, why transparency matters, and how to make sense of the growing crowd — without losing your shirt.Ondo’s liquidity leap – Tokenized treasuries meet real-time settlement. Is this the workaround we’ve been waiting for?Digital identity vs. digital anonymity – Institutional KYC meets privacy paranoia. Can we have both?Wyoming’s legal side-quest – The Cowboy State wants its own stablecoin. The Constitution might have a word.The 23andMe acquisition rumor – Is your genome going on-chain? What could possibly go wrong?Plus: Canadian election shout-outs, doomsday memes, and Laura’s adventures dodging gun racks and memecoins.Also in this episode:CryptoMondays Ireland is back on April 7th, with a fireside chat (or maybe just vibes) between Pete and Alejandro Gutierrez from Solana Superteam Ireland.ETH Dublin is heating up with Vitalik Buterin and Stani Kulechov joining the speaker lineup from May 23–25.And yes, Sam Bankman-Fried wants to be friends with Diddy again. That’s... a whole thing.Connect with Laura Walsh: LinkedIn | X(Twitter) Leave a review and subscribe onApple PodcastsSpotifyMoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: info@norioventures.comFollow on X(Twitter): Pete Townsend | MoneyNeverSleeps Follow on LinkedIn: Pete Townsend | MoneyNeverSleeps MoneyNeverSleeps newsletter on Substack
    Más Menos
    42 m
  • 288: Anthony Rose, SeedLegals | 99 Problems (But My Legals Ain’t One)

    288: Anthony Rose, SeedLegals | 99 Problems (But My Legals Ain’t One)
    Mar 28 2025
    Anthony Rose is the co-founder and CEO of SeedLegals, the #1 platform for startup funding and legals in the UK. But long before he was helping tens of thousands of founders raise capital and avoid legal potholes, Anthony was in the digital trenches – first turning the music industry on its head with Kazaa, then helping reinvent online streaming at the BBC with iPlayer, before building and selling a few startups of his own.In this episode, we go deep into what it really means to have founder-problem fit, the magic of applying a product mindset to gnarly challenges like startup legal docs, and how Anthony is now taking SeedLegals across the pond to crack the US market.We also talk about reinventing yourself as a founder, knowing when to build vs. when to sell, and why your legal docs should be like the owner’s manual in your car – built on all the ways things can go wrong.If you’ve ever tried to sell an unfinished product, pitched into skepticism, or had a strange love affair with a weirdly specific problem – this one’s for you.KEY POINTS FROM THIS EPISODEFounder-Problem Fit: Anthony thrives on solving the problems nobody else wants—like turning legal complexity into a smooth, scalable product experience for startups.The Productization of Law: From auto-generated funding docs to clauses like “No Pay, No Play,” SeedLegals is redefining how legals should work at early stage.From iPlayer to Legal Tech: The shift from media to law wasn’t planned—it was sparked by a party in Rome and a technical founder’s obsession with inefficiency.Scaling the Right Way: Anthony explains why raising too much money too soon can kill your startup’s focus—and how lean execution wins.Going Global, One Event at a Time: With SeedLegals now expanding into the US, Anthony is pounding the pavement in NYC to build community-led growth from the ground up.Selling as a Founder: Why the first sales hire outperformed Anthony—and how he learned to switch from “builder brain” to “buyer focus.Connect with Anthony Rose and SeedLegals:SeedLegals WebsiteFollow SeedLegals on LinkedIn Connect with Anthony Rose on LinkedInKEYWORDS:SeedLegals, Anthony Rose, Pete Townsend, MoneyNeverSleeps, startup legal docs, founder problem fit, UK startups, US expansion, startup funding, cap tables, term sheets, startup founder tips, legal tech, product development, startup fundraising, iPlayer, Kazaa, venture capital, VC advice, New York startups, scaling globally, early stage startups, startup mistakes, how to pitch, founder legal protection, Techstars Web3, startup acceleratorLeave a review and subscribe onApple PodcastsSpotifyMoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: info@norioventures.comFollow on X(Twitter):Pete Townsend: https://twitter.com/petetownsendnvMoneyNeverSleeps: https://twitter.com/MNSshowFollow on LinkedIn:Pete Townsend: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-townsend-1b18301a/MoneyNeverSleeps: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28661903/MoneyNeverSleeps newsletter: https://moneyneversleeps.substack.com/
    Más Menos
    51 m
  • 287: Worlds Colliding | The Great Web3 Crossover with Alejandro Gutierrez

    287: Worlds Colliding | The Great Web3 Crossover with Alejandro Gutierrez
    Mar 21 2025
    In this week’s episode, I’m joined by my good friend and returning guest co-host Alejandro Gutierrez, and we get into the thick of what I like to call “worlds colliding” — the convergence of Web3 and TradFi that’s playing out in real time.From Robinhood stepping into prediction markets, to ETF filings for Solana, XRP, and even Sui, and even the Fed making front-page crypto headlines, this one's packed with all the signs that the walls between the old and the new are coming down fast.What we cover this week:ETH Dublin is back and bigger than ever – With Ethereum co-founder Vitalik Buterin and Aave founder Stani Kulechov confirmed to speak, the Irish Web3 scene is officially on the global map.Crypto Mondays Ireland kickoff – We kicked things off with a great crowd, bridging Web2, Web3, TradFi and crypto over pints and pizza (note to self: apply for a PizzaDAO grant next time).Robinhood enters prediction markets – A natural next step as U.S. regulatory winds start shifting, and another signal that mainstream fintech is eyeing the Web3 playbook.ETFs and tokenized RWAs are on the rise – With filings for DOGE, XRP, and SUI ETFs, and $18B+ in RWAs already on-chain, the signs are clear — TradFi is getting comfy with digital rails.Crypto’s macro moment – When CoinDesk leads with “Fed holds rate steady,” you know we’ve officially crossed over into traditional markets territory.Why FIFA Coin is a terrible idea – Props to Pet Berisha for breaking it down. We don’t need a FIFA token when stablecoins already do the job (with way less drama).Solana Talent Hub in Ireland – Alejandro and the team are building a home for the Solana ecosystem at Dogpatch Labs every Friday. If you're Solana-curious and based in Ireland, get involved.Links & Resources:ETH Dublin – May 23–25, Solana Talent Hub @ Dogpatch LabsSporting Crypto by Pet BerishaBrian Armstrong’s Farcaster postTokenized RWA tracker – rwa.xyzCentrifuge/BlockTower report on tokenizationFollow our guest co-host Alejandro Gutierrez:X(Twitter): https://twitter.com/A_gutierroLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alejandro-gutierrez-98979b43/Leave a review and subscribe onApple PodcastsSpotifyMoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: info@norioventures.comFollow on X(Twitter):Pete Townsend: https://twitter.com/petetownsendnvMoneyNeverSleeps: https://twitter.com/MNSshowFollow on LinkedIn:Pete Townsend: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-townsend-1b18301a/MoneyNeverSleeps: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28661903/MoneyNeverSleeps newsletter: https://moneyneversleeps.substack.com/
    Más Menos
    27 m
  • 286: Introducing the Techstars Web3 Accelerator Class of 2025

    286: Introducing the Techstars Web3 Accelerator Class of 2025
    Mar 18 2025
    In this episode, we’re announcing the Techstars Web3 Accelerator Class of 2025 featuring founders from the six web3 startups that Techstars are investing in and accelerating in 2025 and beyond. Get ready for insights from:Satyam Agrawal, founder of 0xBridge, enabling seamless, non-custodial, and efficient two-way Bitcoin movement across blockchains, allowing users to mint 1:1 pegged BTC without relinquishing control of their original assets.Ry Leong, co-founder of Autonom, powering perpetual trading of real-world assets (RWAs) by incorporating a decentralized system to detect and resolve data inaccuracies, enabling seamless integration of market utilities into crypto economies.Mike Maguire, co-founder of DABL, a real-time monitoring and automated hedging platform that uses institutional-grade models to enhance risk management for crypto lending platforms and traditional financial institutions in digital assets.Rami Akeela, co-founder of Nera Systems, a comprehensive Privacy Enhancing Technology (PET) platform that enables enterprises to securely deploy AI and machine learning on sensitive data through encrypted, decentralized solutions that keep data within enterprise boundaries while maintaining utility⁠.Ilya Lebedev, co-founder of nodes.garden, a one-click multichain node management platform that simplifies the complex process of setting up and managing blockchain nodes for both testnet and mainnet environments, requiring no technical expertise from users⁠.Jeremy Prasetyo, co-founder of TRUSTBYTES, creating the world’s first security operations system allowing projects to see, understand and act on their risk posture with confidence.All of these founders just completed Week 1 of the 13-week Techstars Web3 accelerator. As all of the founders for the six startups are scattered around the world, they all traveled to Dublin for Week 1 as Ireland is a fantastic place to build relationships fast.In the pressure cooker of a mostly virtual 13-week accelerator program, it’s crucial for the founders to get their relationships off the ground with the Techstars team and with each other, as their accelerator classmates should become the best founder support group they’ll ever have.After an intense first week of workshops, mentors, pitch-building, and then live pitching at the big Techstars Web3 launch night at Toners in Dublin which doubled as the very first CryptoMondays Ireland event, the founders decamped to go virtual for the next 5 weeks before meeting in London in April and then NYC during NYTech Week for Demo Day in the first week of June 2025.LINKS & RESOURCES:Learn more about the Techstars Web3 Accelerator:WebsiteLinkedInX/(Twitter)Connect with each startup:Satyam Agrawal, founder & CEO of 0xBridge, Mason Burkhalter, co-founder & CEO of AutonomMike Maguire, co-founder & CEO of DABLRami Akeela, co-founder & CEO of Nera Systems.Ilya Lebedev, co-founder & CEO of nodes.garden.Jeremy Prasetyo, co-founder & CEO of TRUSTBYTESKeywords: #techstars #mentors #web3 #accelerators #entrepreneurship #podcast #startupecosystem #cryptolending # #privacy #oracles #bitcoinliquidity #security #blockchainnodesLeave a review and subscribe on:Apple PodcastsSpotifyMoneyNeverSleeps (website)Email us: info@norioventures.comFollow us on X(Twitter):Pete Townsend: https://twitter.com/petetownsendnvMoneyNeverSleeps: https://twitter.com/MNSshowFollow us on LinkedIn:Pete Townsend: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-townsend-1b18301a/MoneyNeverSleeps: https://www.linkedin.com/company/28661903/MoneyNeverSleeps newsletter: https://moneyneversleeps.substack.com/
    Más Menos
    7 m
  • 285: Startup Smarts & Web3 Wisdom | Highlights from the Past Year

    285: Startup Smarts & Web3 Wisdom | Highlights from the Past Year
    Feb 21 2025

    This week, we’re taking a look back at some of my favorite moments from the past year—the conversations that stuck with me long after we hit stop on the recording. If you missed them the first time around, now’s your chance to catch the highlights!

    And here’s the kicker—every one of the eight segments I pulled together features a mentor from the Techstars Web3 Accelerator that I lead. It’s part highlight reel, part "thank you" to these incredible people who help founders navigate the startup grind. A huge shoutout to Mai Santamaria, Patrick Pinschmidt, Hesus Inoma, Rita Martins, Alejandro Gutierrez, Laura Walsh, Philipp Pieper, Timo Lehes, and Arabian Prince from NWA for sharing their wisdom.

    A number of these guests will also be joining us at the Techstars x Crypto Mondays Ireland event that Hugh McGirr and I are hosting in Dublin on Monday, March 10th at Toner’s Pub. If you’re around, come reconnect with old friends, meet new builders, investors, and operators across Web2, Web3, and enterprise, and hear from our Techstars Web3 Class of 2025. You might even enjoy a pint of Guinness while you’re at it. Check out the Luma linkto register here.

    LINKS:

    Keywords: #techstars #mentors #web3 #cbdc #beststartupinsights #entrepreneurship #podcast #startupecosystem #venturecapitalinsights #blockchaintrends #AI #crypto #fintechinnovations

    Leave a review and subscribe on

    • Apple Podcasts

    • Spotify

    • MoneyNeverSleeps (website)

    Check out all of the original episodes we featured:

    • 241: Money Talks with Mai Santamaria | Binance and CZ | Argentina's New President | Vitalik's Techno-Optimism Manifesto | Blockchain and AI Intersect

    • 248: Venture Investing and Connecting the Dots with Patrick Pinscmidt

    • 257: How I Got To Techstars on a Flywheel | Hesus Inoma Interviews Pete Townsend | Venture With Hesus

    • 264: Rita Martins | Author of Web3 in Financial Services

    • 269: Working in Web3 | Real World Asset Tokenization in Finance and Beyond | Guest Co-Host Alejandro Gutierrez

    • 266: Crypto Politics: Unpacking Trump's Campaign Promises with Laura Walsh

    • 277: Straight Outta Crypton | Swarm and the Rise of RWAs | Timo Lehes and Philipp Pieper

    • 283: Arabian Prince | The N.W.A Pioneer Empowering the Next Tech Generation

    Email us: info@norioventures.com

    Follow us on X(Twitter):

    • Pete Townsend:https://twitter.com/petetownsendnv

    • MoneyNeverSleeps:https://twitter.com/MNSshow

    Follow us on LinkedIn:

    • Pete Townsend:https://www.linkedin.com/in/pete-townsend-1b18301a/

    • MoneyNeverSleeps:https://www.linkedin.com/company/28661903/

    MoneyNeverSleeps newsletter:https://moneyneversleeps.substack.com/
    Más Menos
    41 m
adbl_web_global_use_to_activate_webcro805_stickypopup