Inside Startup Investing with Chris Lustrino

On the Inside Startup Investing podcast, Chris Lustrino speaks with Katrina Spade, Founder and CEO of Recompose. Katrina offers a fresh perspective on the funeral industry by introducing a sustainable and environment-friendly alternative to traditional death care: human composting. With a unique blend of personal curiosity and environmental responsibility, Katrina discusses the journey of founding Recompose and its mission to transform the way we perceive and handle death, turning it into a regenerative process for the Earth. Highlights include… Katrina's personal journey: Her curiosity about post-death options during her architecture graduate studies and her dissatisfaction with traditional methods (1:18). Founding story (4:11) The business model (18:20). Walk through of the fragmented funeral industry (14:37). The burial processes and the value of offering a third, eco-friendly option (21:13). The comforting idea of folding the human body back into the ecosystem (23:23). The personal side of being in the funeral industry (26:13

Chris Lustrino is joined by Alli Schaper, the co-founder, and CEO of Supermush. They discuss Alli's personal journey and her deep connection with functional and psychedelic mushrooms. Alli shares how these experiences inspired her to start Supermush; a company focused on making mushroom-based products more accessible to the public. Despite being in an emerging and competitive market, Supermush has rapidly gained significant traction. Alli provides insights into the company’s strategy, operations, challenges, and plans. Highlights include… Alli shares her personal experiences with mushrooms and how they changed her life (0:50). The genesis of Supermush and the company’s mission (10:30). The traction Supermush has gained in a short amount of time (18:20). Alli dives into the operational challenges and strategies for a mushroom-based company (27:45). The competitive landscape and Supermush’s differentiation (35:00). Discussion on the future plans and vision for Supermush (43:10).

Inside Startup Investing hosts Courtney Boyd Myers, the founder and CEO of AKUA, a company committed to transforming ocean farming into a mainstream source of food and offering consumers sustainable, plant-based options. Courtney shares the story of AKUA's origins, the challenges they've faced, their business model, and future goals. Highlights include… The discussion about the benefits of kelp as a superfood, the process of turning it into a delicious product, and AKUA's best-selling Kelp Burger. (02:30) She delves into AKUA's primary marketing channels and the effectiveness of Instagram for engagement and Facebook for customer acquisition. (04:12) Courtney addresses the supply chain costs related to growing kelp and the current oversupply in the kelp farming industry. (19:47) She highlights AKUA's climate goals and the potential of being an acquisition target for big CPG brands looking to fulfill their climate commitments. (21:23) Courtney shares her personal challenge of stepping into operations and finance roles, emphasizing the necessity of wearing many hats as a founder. (22:46)

In this episode of Inside Startup Investing, Anthony Tassone, the founder of Truleo, discusses how his company uses AI to transcribe and analyze police body camera footage to improve policing standards. Anthony dives into the potential of their AI platform to provide valuable insights from unreviewed body camera data, reduce administrative burdens, and increase the professionalism and accountability of police officers. He also shares his thoughts on the sales cycle in the public safety space, the potential for expansion beyond policing, and Truleo's current fundraising efforts. Highlights include… Truleo uses AI to transcribe and analyze police body camera footage, making it easier for police departments to review and learn from their interactions with civilians. (8:32) The platform helps reduce the administrative burden on police officers and provides essential insights to improve their professionalism and reduce potential misconduct. (13:51) The company sees potential for expansion beyond policing, such as in 911 call centers or any profession where measuring professionalism is essential. (23:20) Truleo is raising capital through crowdfunding to fund the expansion of its success team and invest in its quality of service. (26:39)

In this episode of Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino interviews Collin Castellaw, Co-Founder of PlayersTV. They discuss the shift in athletes’ perspective on content creation, the rise of PlayersTV, the potential for athlete-driven content, and the future of the sports media landscape. Highlights include… The genesis of PlayersTV and how it's become a one-stop-shop for athlete-driven content. (02:07) The power of athletes controlling their narratives and building their brand independently. (03:50) The business model of PlayersTV, including revenue sources from advertising, subscription, licensing, and merchandising. (05:40) Castellaw dives into PlayersTV's plans to penetrate the NFL scene and further expand to other sports, domestically and internationally. (21:15) Reviewing ESPN's shift to streaming services and how this trend impacts PlayersTV. (26:33)

In this episode of Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino interviews Linh Dao Smooke, the chief operating officer of HackerNoon. HackerNoon is a platform where technologists publish their stories. Chris and Linh delve into the origins of HackerNoon, the platform's community-focused approach, and its ability to empower writers to monetize their content. Linh provides insight into their partnerships, funding, future vision, and her advice for potential writers who wish to contribute to HackerNoon. Topics include... -The early days of HackerNoon, including how the company was founded and its primary goal (11:27) -HackerNoon's decision to move away from Medium and the importance of owning their content and creating a user-friendly interface (12:55) -HackerNoon's community-focused approach and the advantages of its small team, (18:46) -HackerNoon's future vision (20:43).

In this episode of Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino talks with Manish Kapoor, the founder and CEO of TruKno, a cybersecurity startup. They discuss the unique AI-driven cybersecurity approach TruKno uses, the team's diverse background, their journey to find product-market fit, the company’s current fundraising efforts, and more. Topics include... How TruKno uses advanced AI algorithms to filter out irrelevant information and only present the most critical threats to its clients (02:28) Two use cases where the company feels it has achieved good product-market fit and experiments with other potential uses (13:10) The team behind TruKno, which consists of employees with diverse backgrounds and skills, spanning across four continents and speaking 11 languages (14:29) Current fundraising efforts, including how TruKno plans to use funds (15:53) The solution for maintaining customer stickiness and upselling (18:13) How TruKno could potentially be an acquisition target for larger cybersecurity firms (20:58) The importance of being in the right space at the right time (22:35).

In this episode of "Inside Startup Investing," Chris Lustrino engages in a lively conversation with Maria Springer, chief executive officer of Capital Department. They delve into how her company is providing a unique blend of fundraising expertise to help ambitious startups secure the financial backing they need to succeed. Maria gives insight into the challenging world of fundraising, the role her company plays in navigating this complex process, and the characteristics of the founders they typically work with. Topics include... How Capital Department bridges the gap between founders and investors and provides crucial expertise (07:55) Some of the top mistakes founders make in the fundraising process (13:15) The typical client profile for Capital Department (18:05) Why startups choose Capital Department for their fundraising needs (21:35).

In this episode of Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino speaks with John Panaccione, CEO of Folla Capital, a company specializing in regulatory crowdfunding. Panaccione discusses the evolution of crowdfunding, the impact of recent regulatory changes, and how Folla Capital helps startups navigate this landscape. He emphasizes the importance of extensive due diligence for securing investment, whether through traditional methods or crowdfunding. He also highlights the different strategies required for startups with different exit strategies and growth targets. This insightful discussion offers a deep dive into the world of crowdfunding and its growing relevance in startup investing. Topics include... How regulatory changes have expanded the pool of potential investors for startups (9:30-11:50) How Folla Capital helps startups navigate the crowdfunding landscape, offering services ranging from choosing the right crowdfunding exemption to preparing for due diligence (16:20-18:00) The importance of extensive due diligence when seeking investment, regardless of whether a startup is seeking funding through traditional channels or via crowdfunding (21:40-23:16) Different strategies that startups may need to employ depending on their exit strategies and growth targets (26:08-27:34).

In this episode of Inside Startup Investing, Chris Lustrino interviews Etan Butler, chairman of Dalmore Group, to discuss the growing landscape of online private markets and fractional ownership. Etan shares insights on Dalmore's all-in-one solution for issuers and platforms, the increasing sophistication of issuers, and the growing demand for private alternative investments. They also cover the complexities of managing payments in the industry and how developments in secondary markets, blockchain, and tokenization may impact the space in the coming years. Topics include.. Introduction to Dalmore Group and its all-in-one solution (06:15) Increasing sophistication of issuers and demand for private alternatives (21:17) Complexities of managing payments in the industry (24:04) Future trends in secondary markets, blockchain, and tokenization (27:24).