Inside Startup Investing with Chris Lustrino

Hosted by Kingscrowd, Sam Fiske

Technology Investing

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Episodes

186

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Join Chris Lustrino as he talks to startup founders, angel investors, fund managers, investing platform executives, and more about the online private markets. Inside Startup Investing gives listeners the inside scoop on alternative investing such as startups from an investor and founder perspectives.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 14, 202629 min

Rejuvenate Bio CEO on Gene Therapy for Aging Pets and Humans

Rejuvenate Bio CEO Dan Oliver joins Chris Lustrino to discuss the company’s gene therapy platform for aging-related disease. A spinout from George Church’s lab at Harvard Medical School, Rejuvenate Bio is developing therapies designed to change gene expression profiles associated with aging rather than edit or replace a patient’s underlying genome. Dan explains how the company uses viral delivery to help the body produce beneficial proteins over time. The conversation explores Rejuvenate Bio’s dual strategy across animal health and human health. Dan explains why dogs offer both a meaningful commercial market and a scientifically useful path for developing aging-related therapies, especially because dogs age faster than humans and owners increasingly view pets as family members. Chris and Dan also discuss Rejuvenate Bio’s partnerships with animal health companies, its development and commercial milestone agreements, its recently closed round backed by Merck Animal Health, the FDA approval process for veterinary products, and the company’s long-term plan to generate first-in-human clinical data that could create major partnering, acquisition, or public market opportunities.

July 30, 202626 min

Avadain CEO Brad Larschan on Bringing Graphene to Commercial Scale

Avadain CEO Brad Larschan joins Chris Lustrino to discuss the company’s effort to commercialize one of the most promising materials in advanced manufacturing: graphene. Brad explains what makes graphene so powerful, why it has been difficult to manufacture at scale, and how Avadain is working to create a technical pathway for large, thin, defect-free graphene production. The conversation explores the potential applications of graphene across aerospace, drones, critical minerals, building materials, energy storage, and other industrial use cases. Brad also outlines Avadain’s capital-light strategy of licensing its production technology to established chemical and advanced materials companies rather than manufacturing graphene itself. Chris and Brad discuss the company’s pilot plant, commercialization risks, recently completed $5 million crowdfunding raise, and long-term vision for building recurring royalty revenue from graphene production.

July 17, 202628 min

Influence Mobile CEO Daniel Todd on Building a $28M Mobile Gaming Rewards Business

Influence Mobile founder and CEO Daniel Todd joins Chris Lustrino to discuss how the company built Rewarded Play into a major rewards platform for mobile gaming. Influence Mobile helps game developers acquire and retain high-value players by offering rewards to users who discover, play, and spend inside mobile games. Daniel explains how his decades of experience in internet advertising and rewards programs led to the company’s current model, why older women are among the most valuable mobile gaming audiences, and why mobile gaming’s scale is often underestimated. The conversation also covers Influence Mobile’s $28 million revenue base, its Android success, upcoming iOS expansion, white-label opportunities, and the long-term vision for a broader rewards ecosystem. View Influence Mobile on Kingscrowd

July 9, 202629 min

Hill Road Pictures on Film Investing, Creators, and Comedy

Hill Road Pictures’ Frank Peluso and Bob Vanech join Chris Lustrino to discuss So I’m the Crazy One , an upcoming R-rated comedy built around a creator-driven film finance model. Frank shares his Hollywood background, including work with Nick Cassavetes, while Bob explains how his experience in digital media, YouTube networks, and equity crowdfunding shaped the film’s financing strategy. The conversation explores how Hill Road is combining independent film production, content creator casting, audience ownership, Reg D and Reg CF fundraising, and direct-to-consumer monetization. Frank and Bob argue that creator audiences can help both fund and market films, while giving investors a more understandable product than many traditional startup opportunities. Key Highlights Hill Road Pictures is producing So I’m the Crazy One , an R-rated comedy designed for creator-driven distribution. Frank Peluso brings deep Hollywood experience, including work with Nick Cassavetes and Alpha Dog . Bob Vanech brings creator economy, digital media, and equity crowdfunding experience. The team plans to cast content creators with large built-in audiences. Hill Road is using a structure designed to give creators and investors direct participation in the project. The film is targeting a relatively lean production budget compared to traditional studio comedies. The team sees potential upside from theatrical, streaming, direct-to-consumer, and “Creator’s Cut” monetization.

July 2, 202626 min

Lumida Wealth CEO Ram Ahluwalia on the Future of AI-Powered Wealth Management

Lumida Wealth founder and CEO Ram Ahluwalia joins Chris Lustrino to discuss how the company is building an AI-powered wealth management platform for sophisticated investors. Ram frames Lumida as a next-generation investing platform designed to combine the best parts of brokerage accounts, financial advisors, market intelligence, and AI-powered portfolio tools into one experience. The conversation explores why traditional 60/40 portfolios may not fit the next generation of investors, how Lumida uses AI agents and factor models to surface investment ideas, and why Ram believes investors increasingly want more control, better insights, access to pre-IPO opportunities, and a stronger sense of community. Chris and Ram also discuss Lumida’s growth, revenue traction, customer profile, business model, and long-term vision for an AI wealth advisor that can eventually understand an investor’s full financial picture, goals, risk tolerance, and portfolio needs.

June 24, 202628 min

TerraCycle CEO Tom Szaky on Building a Profitable Circular Economy Business

TerraCycle founder and CEO Tom Szaky joins Chris Lustrino to discuss how the company built a global waste management business around recycling the products most local systems reject. Tom explains why many materials are technically recyclable but economically unattractive for traditional recyclers, and how TerraCycle solves that gap through brand-funded programs, paid zero-waste boxes, and commercial recycling services. The episode digs into the business mechanics behind TerraCycle’s model, including partnerships with major CPG brands, consumer adoption, processing facilities, and the economics of hard-to-recycle items like coffee capsules, razors, and cigarette butts. Tom also discusses TerraCycle’s profitability, dividend history, acquisition strategy, and why he believes waste remains one of the least innovative large industries. Highlights include... TerraCycle focuses on recycling waste streams that are not accepted by local recycling systems. The company works with major brands and retailers to fund free recycling programs for consumers. Tom Szaky says the key is making sustainability valuable to brands through market share, engagement, and customer loyalty. TerraCycle has built multiple business lines, including brand-funded programs, direct recycling products, and commercial regulated-waste services. The company has been profitable for years and has consistently paid dividends to earlier shareholders. TerraCycle is raising capital to accelerate growth through acquisitions in specialty recycling. Resources View Terracycle on Kingscrowd Subscribe to the newsletter

June 18, 202627 min

What It Takes to Build a Flying Car Company

Doroni Aerospace founder and CEO Doron Merdinger joins Chris Lustrino to discuss the realities of building a flying car company and why he believes electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) vehicles will become a major new category of transportation. Doron shares how a lifelong fascination with aviation and emerging drone technology inspired him to launch Doroni nearly a decade ago and pursue the vision of making personal flight accessible to everyday consumers. The conversation explores Doroni's progress toward commercialization, including FAA-certified prototype flights, evolving regulatory frameworks, production plans, and the company's growing preorder base. Doron explains how Doroni's vehicle is designed to fit inside a garage, charge similarly to an EV, and operate under the FAA's new sport aircraft regulations, potentially lowering barriers to personal flight. Chris and Doron also discuss infrastructure needs, manufacturing challenges, safety systems, funding requirements, battery technology, and what widespread adoption of flying cars might realistically look like over the next decade. The episode offers a candid look at one of the most ambitious sectors in transportation and the hurdles that remain before flying cars become part of everyday life.

June 11, 202627 min

How Chris Graebe Built a Portfolio of Startup Winners

Chris Lustrino sits down with Chris Graebe, founder of IPO Deal Hunter and one of the longest-tenured private market investors in the equity crowdfunding ecosystem. Together they discuss the state of startup exits, liquidity events, IPOs, and what investors should be looking for when evaluating private companies. Drawing from years of experience and several successful outcomes, Graebe shares how he identifies founders, evaluates opportunities, and balances short-term liquidity plays with long-term moonshot investments. The conversation explores BeatBox Beverages' acquisition by Anheuser-Busch, one of the largest crowdfunding-backed exits to date, and the lessons investors can learn from backing strong founders in highly competitive industries. Graebe also discusses recent IPO successes including Starfighters Space and Premier American Uranium, highlighting how new pathways from Reg A and Reg CF offerings to public markets are creating liquidity opportunities for retail investors. Whether you're interested in startup investing, crowdfunding, IPOs, or building a diversified private market portfolio, this episode provides an insider's perspective on where liquidity is emerging and how investors can position themselves for future opportunities. Resources Sign up for Kingscrowd Sign up for the free newsletter

June 4, 202623 min

DealMaker CEO Rebecca Kacaba on the Rise of Retail Investors

This week on Inside Startup Investing , Chris Lustrino sits down with Rebecca Kacaba, co-founder and CEO of DealMaker , one of the leading platforms powering retail capital raises for private companies. Rebecca discusses the growing influence of retail investors across private markets and IPOs, why companies like SpaceX, Reddit, Gemini, and others are increasingly allocating shares to retail participants, and how community ownership is becoming a strategic advantage for modern brands. The conversation explores DealMaker's unique approach to capital formation, helping companies build and own their own investor communities rather than relying solely on marketplace traffic. Chris and Rebecca also discuss repeat issuers, investor engagement, liquidity opportunities, sports ownership, regulatory developments, and the long-term future of retail investing. If you want to understand where private markets, equity crowdfunding, and retail ownership are heading over the next decade, this is a must-listen episode. Highlights include...

May 28, 202625 min

Inside Oxeia Biopharma’s Mission to Heal Brain Damage From Concussions

On this episode of Inside Startup Investing , Chris Lustrino speaks with Dr. Michael Wyand, CEO of Oxeia Biopharma , a clinical-stage biotech company developing a potential breakthrough treatment for concussions and persistent concussion symptoms. Oxeia is leveraging ghrelin, a naturally occurring hormone involved in brain energy regulation and neural repair, to help heal the inflammation and cellular damage caused by traumatic brain injuries. With promising Phase 2a data showing an 85% responder rate among treated patients, the company is pursuing what could become the first FDA-approved pharmaceutical treatment specifically targeting concussion recovery. Chris and Michael discuss the science behind concussions, how brain damage occurs after impact, why “just rest” has remained the standard of care for decades, and how Oxeia’s therapy could fundamentally change the treatment landscape for athletes, veterans, and millions of patients suffering from lingering neurological symptoms. They also dive into the company’s clinical pathway, the business opportunity behind concussion therapeutics, the role of neurogenesis in recovery, and the broader future potential for treating conditions like CTE, Parkinson’s disease, and ALS. If you want to understand the future of concussion recovery, brain health innovation, and biotech investing, this is an episode you won’t want to miss.