Nothing Ventured

Hosted by Aarish Shah - EmergeONE

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284

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Aug 2026

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EN-US

About the show

In conversation with the people who make the start-up world go round. Join Aarish Shah as he talks to founders, investors, and operators across the tech and venture ecosystem exploring some of the lesser-heard stories and challenges they've faced as they try to build the future.https://nothingventured.tech/Follow Nothing Ventured on socialTwitter https://twitter.com/NVPodFacbook https://www.facebook.com/NothingVenturedPodTikTok https://www.tiktok.com/@nothingventuredpodInstagram https://www.instagram.com/nothingventuredpod/

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September 3, 202658 min

Climate Tech, Batteries & The Future of Energy | Matthew Blain

What does the future of climate tech, energy and deep tech investing really look like? In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah sits down with Matthew Blain, climate tech investor at Voyager, to explore where venture capital is flowing, why climate tech is being misunderstood, and why the economics behind new technologies matter more than the narrative. Matthew shares his perspective on climate tech investing, batteries, renewable energy, nuclear power, robotics, AI and deep tech, explaining why Voyager looks for companies that are better, faster or cheaper than incumbent technologies rather than relying on green premiums or government policy. The conversation covers the rapid growth of battery storage, wind and solar, Europe's energy costs and competitiveness, the future of nuclear and small modular reactors, and why the battle against climate change increasingly happens upstream in supply chains and infrastructure. They also explore the gap between perception and reality in physical AI and robotics, whether general-purpose humanoid robots can compete with specialised machines, and how AI is changing software, finance and venture capital. In this episode: - Climate tech and the future of venture capital - Why narrative shouldn't replace product-market evidence - The exponential growth of battery storage - Renewable energy, energy costs and European competitiveness - Nuclear power and small modular reactors - Climate investing without relying on government policy - Deep tech, hardware and defensible IP - AI, robotics and physical AI - General-purpose vs specialised robotics - How AI is changing software and finance - Why unit economics ultimately win Find Matthew Blain online at: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthew-blain-vc Twitter: https://x.com/voyagervc?s=11 Voyager: https://www.voyagervc.com/team-members/matthew-blain This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Don’t miss the next insight! Join EmergeOne’s newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/emergeone/email-signup-form #StartupBanking #financialautomation #FintechStartup #ArtificialIntelligence #ClimateTech #VentureCapital #DeepTech #Energy #Batteries #AI #Robotics #ClimateInvesting #NothingVentured #VC Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 27, 202659 min

The Future of Space Tech, Deep Tech & Venture Capital | Maureen Haverty

What does the future of space tech look like and can the UK become a global deep tech powerhouse? In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with Maureen Haverty, Principal at Seraphim Space, to explore the rapidly evolving space technology and deep tech investment landscape. Maureen shares her perspective on space tech investing, nuclear innovation, deep tech startups, venture capital and the commercialisation of scientific research. They discuss why so much world-class engineering talent remains trapped in national labs and universities, the UK's fear of failure, and what needs to change to turn groundbreaking research into successful startups. The conversation also explores the growing role of generalist VC funds in space, SpaceX and Starlink, space sovereignty, geopolitical risk, satellite technology, defence tech and the impact of SpaceX's IPO on the venture ecosystem. They also discuss whether the UK should concentrate its startup ecosystem around London, why deep pools of capital matter for ambitious companies, and how founders can compete in markets dominated by giants like SpaceX. In this episode: - The future of space tech and deep tech investing - Why the UK struggles to commercialise world-class research - Nuclear technology and the UK's lost commercial opportunity - Getting scientists and engineers into startups - Generalist vs specialist venture capital - SpaceX, Starlink and the future of space investment - Space sovereignty and geopolitical risk - The impact of SpaceX's IPO on the space ecosystem - Building successful deep tech companies in the UK - Why startup talent and capital need to be concentrated Find Maureen Haverty online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/maureenhaverty/ Twitter: https://x.com/seraphim_space Seraphim Space: https://seraphim.vc This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://mailchi.mp/emergeone/email-signup-form Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe #AI #CFO #Fintech #Finance #AIinFinance #StartupBanking #FinancialAutomation #FintechStartup #ArtificialIntelligence #SpaceTech #DeepTech #VentureCapital #SpaceX #Startups #VC #Investing #NuclearEnergy #Entrepreneurship #NothingVentured Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 20, 20261 hr 0 min

How Deep Tech Is Reinventing Human-Computer Interaction | Jacques Blagburn

What will replace the touchscreen as the next generation of human-computer interaction? In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish Shah sits down with Jacques Blagburn from Fether Labs to explore the future of gesture control, wearable technology and human-machine interfaces. Jacques explains how Fether Labs is developing tendon sensing technology that can capture high-fidelity hand movements, offering an alternative to traditional camera-based tracking and EMG sensors. The conversation explores how this technology could unlock new applications across consumer electronics, robotics, gaming, AR/VR, smart devices and next-generation interfaces. Topics covered: • Gesture control and human-computer interaction • Tendon sensing vs EMG and camera tracking • Wearable technology and smart devices • Robotics, gaming and AR/VR • Deep tech and hardware startups • Commercialising academic research • Startup funding and grants • OEM partnerships and technology licensing • Product-market fit and customer feedback • Building the next generation of interfaces • Entrepreneurship, leadership and embracing discomfort #DeepTech #GestureControl #WearableTechnology #Robotics #Startups #HumanComputerInteraction #Hardware #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #NothingVentured Find Jacques Blagburn online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacquesblagburn/ Fether Labs: https://fetherlabs.com This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Don’t miss the next insight! Join EmergeOne’s newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/emergeone/email-signup-form #AI #CFO #Fintech #Finance #TreasuryManagement #AIinFinance #StartupBanking #FinancialAutomation #FintechStartup #ArtificialIntelligence Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 13, 20261 hr 8 min

Can AI Replace Financial Advisors? The Future of Fintech, Fundraising & Money | Laura Cornely

What happens when financial advice meets AI? In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with Laura Cornely, CEO & Co-Founder of Count, the UK’s automated financial advisor, to explore the future of fintech, financial advice and startup investing. Laura shares how Count is using technology to help people manage their money, build budgets, create rainy day funds and invest through personalised financial strategies. They discuss: - Can AI and automation replace human financial advisors? - Why financial advice needs a human touch - Building the UK’s automated financial advisor - The FCA sandbox and navigating fintech regulation - Why Laura and her husband chose to build a startup together - Fundraising, dilution and startup runway in 2026 - Why founders need to think differently about venture capital - The changing fintech investment landscape - AI, defensibility and what makes a startup truly difficult to copy - Whether technology is actually making our lives easier Laura also explains why she believes technology may have peaked in making our lives easier and why human connection could become even more valuable in an increasingly AI-driven world. If you're interested in fintech, AI, financial advice, venture capital, startup fundraising, FCA regulation, investing and the future of technology, this episode is not to be missed. Nothing Ventured explores the people, ideas and businesses shaping the venture ecosystem. Find Laura Cornely online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/laura-cornely-505083198/?locale=en Twitter: https://www.instagram.com/count_app/ Count Finance: https://count-finance.com This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Don’t miss the next insight! Join EmergeOne’s newsletter here: https://mailchi.mp/emergeone/email-signup-form #AI #CFO #Fintech #Finance #TreasuryManagement #AIinFinance #StartupBanking #FinancialAutomation #FintechStartup #ArtificialIntelligence Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

August 6, 202646 min

The Future of AI in Finance: Will AI Replace the CFO? | Pac O'Shea

What happens when AI meets finance, treasury management and the future of the CFO? In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Aarish sits down with Pac O'Shea, CEO and Co-Founder of Round Treasury, to explore how AI is transforming finance teams, startup banking and treasury management. Pac shares how Round Treasury is solving the challenges faced by high-growth and high-risk startups, from banking and liquidity to cash management and financial automation. Together, they discuss: 💰 Why startups often need multiple banks and the trade-off between trust, usability and liquidity 🤖 How AI is changing the finance function and what CFOs should be automating first 🏦 Why Round built treasury infrastructure before AI features 📊 How AI can automate transactional finance and free CFOs to focus on strategy 👤 Why human-in-the-loop AI is still critical for high-risk financial decisions ⚡ The rise of AI workflows, agents and automated finance operations 🔐 Why trust, compliance, auditability and guardrails matter in AI-powered finance 🧠 Whether an AI CFO could ever replace human judgement and experience 🚀 How CFOs can start experimenting with AI without becoming overwhelmed 🔮 Why the future of finance could move beyond traditional SaaS interfaces If you're a CFO, founder, fintech operator, finance professional or startup leader interested in AI, automation, treasury management and the future of financial technology, this episode is essential listening. Find Pac O'Shea online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pac-o-shea/ Twitter: https://x.com/POS_js Round Treasury: https://roundtreasury.com This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://mailchi.mp/emergeone/email-signup-form Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe #AI #CFO #Fintech #Finance #TreasuryManagement #AIinFinance #StartupBanking #FinancialAutomation #FintechStartup #ArtificialIntelligence Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 30, 20261 hr 2 min

The Future of AI Startups: Ex-Google Leader Explains What Founders Must Build Next | Milena Nikolic

The next generation of billion-dollar startups won't win because they build better AI. They'll win because they build better experiences. In this episode of Nothing Ventured, host Aarish Shah sits down with Milena Nikolic former Senior Engineering Director at Google, former CTO of Trainline, and Co-Founder of Heighway Labs—to explore how AI is fundamentally changing product design, startup strategy, customer acquisition and the future of search. After more than a decade leading engineering teams across Google Search, Android and Google Play, Milena explains why startups now have a unique opportunity to outpace Big Tech, why distribution is becoming harder than software itself, and how AI-native products need completely new user experiences. In this episode we discuss: - Why AI won't replace great product thinking - The future of Google Search and AI-powered discovery - Why startups can now beat Big Tech - Building products that scale from day one - The rise of Generative UX - Why "vibe coding" changes software—but not entrepreneurship - AI agents, automation and the future of work - Startup product strategy and go-to-market - Building customer-first companies - Why UX is becoming the biggest competitive advantage in AI Whether you're a founder, product manager, software engineer, investor, or anyone building AI products, this episode is packed with practical insights on where technology is heading next. Subscribe to Nothing Ventured for weekly conversations with the founders, investors and operators shaping the future of startups, venture capital and technology. Find Milena Nikolic online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/milena-nikolic-015748117/ Heywa Labs: heywalabs.com This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/ Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe #AI #Startups #VentureCapital #ProductManagement #Google #ArtificialIntelligence #GenerativeAI #StartupFounder #TechPodcast #ProductDesign #UX #Entrepreneurship #Innovation #VC #NothingVentured Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 23, 20261 hr 17 min

AI Bubble, Dead SaaS & Why the UK Needs a Quantum Lane | Ben Prade

Ben Prade is a Partner at Bullhound Capital (formerly GP Bullhound), where he's spent close to a decade building out the firm's growth investment strategy across frontier tech. In this episode, he joins Aarish to unpack why venture capital still doesn't know how to price AI companies and what that means for founders, funds, and the future of software. 📌 In this episode: 💰 Why SaaS multiples break down for AI companies and the case for usage-based pricing 🪙 Tokenomics: the biggest unsolved problem in AI right now 💀 The "SaaS-pocalypse" — is software really dying, or just changing shape? 📖 Why fundraising is fundamentally a storytelling process ⚛️ The UK's quantum bet: Oxford Quantum Circuits' £260m round and government backing 🌍 Sovereign LPs vs. unrestricted private capital — the trade-off funds can't avoid 📈 Late-stage capital in Europe — concentrate power in a few lead investors, or chase the US model? 🐒 Managing the "inner monkey" — the human side of building, investing, and storytelling 💬 "Fundraising is a storytelling process, always. One of the most wonderful things about humans is that they will ignore facts and figures and always believe a good story." — Ben Prade Find [guest name] online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-prade-182b8513a/ Twitter: https://x.com/Pradey Bullhound Capital: www.bullhoundcapital.com This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/ Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe #VentureCapital #DeepTech #QuantumComputing #AI #Tokenomics #StartupFunding #FractionalCFO #NothingVentured #EmergeOne Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 16, 20261 hr 21 min

Building Trust, Chasing Deals, and the Death of the Career Ladder | Samira Sohail

Samira Sohail has built products at the BBC, led product at edtech unicorn Newsela, run a venture studio for family offices, and invested in 60+ startups. Her career doesn't follow a straight line and she thinks that's exactly the point. In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Samira Sohail and host Aarish cover: 🔹 Why the "career ladder" is giving way to curiosity-led, nonlinear careers 🔹 The real difference between family office capital and venture capital 🔹 How trust, taste, and judgment become the scarce resources as AI commoditizes intelligence 🔹 Why showing up in person still beats a cold LinkedIn message 🔹 What edtech got wrong the first time and where personalised, AI-driven learning is headed 🔹 Hiring for aptitude over credentials, and what "badges" will mean in an AI-saturated world About the Guest: Samira Sohail built digital products at the BBC (iPlayer, BBC News, BBC Sport, BBC Earth) and led product at Newsela, a K-12 curriculum platform used in 90% of US schools. She founded Luxor Beta, a product and venture studio for high-net-worth individuals, family offices, and private equity teams, and has invested in 60+ seed startups with 4 exits. She hosts the podcast Samira Stalks. Find Samira Sohail online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/createsandbreaksthings/ Luxo Beta: www.luxobeta.com This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/ Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe #NothingVentured #VentureCapital #FamilyOffice #CareerAdvice #EdTech #FutureOfWork #StartupFounders Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 9, 202653 min

Why I'd Walk Away From Revenue | Flexzo Ai Jack Henderson

Jack Henderson bootstrapped his first healthcare business, KPI Health, to £20M+ revenue with no outside investment before exiting in 2023. Now he's building Flexzo AI an AI-driven workforce infrastructure aiming to break the NHS's dependency on staffing agencies backed by $20M+ in venture funding. In this episode of Nothing Ventured, Jack and host Aarish cover: 🔹 The 1 mistake healthcare operators make when moving into tech 🔹 Why Flexzo runs 39 small, hyper-specialised AI agents instead of one large model 🔹 Why Jack would walk away from revenue to protect his product roadmap 🔹 His 3-part test for when AI can safely replace a human decision 🔹 Why the NHS has 100,000 vacancies and 20,000 jobless newly qualified nurses at the same time 🔹 Bootstrapping vs. venture and being honest about the "slog" either way About the Guest: Jack Henderson is founder and CEO of Flexzo AI, building AI-led workforce infrastructure for healthcare. He previously co-founded and exited KPI Health, and is an active angel investor at pre-seed and seed. Find Jack Henderson online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jack-henderson-18a78b173/ Twitter: https://x.com/FlexzoAi Flexzo AI: https://flexzo.ai This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/ Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe #NothingVentured #HealthcareAI #VentureCapital #NHS #StartupFounders #HealthTech Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

July 2, 20261 hr 6 min

The Skills Crisis No One's Talking About | Drew Allen

What if the future of manufacturing is actually a return to the past? In this episode, Aarish sits down with Drew Allen, CEO of Grace Technologies, to explore why American and Chinese manufacturing dominance came from operators who also designed the machines and what happened when we lost that craft. They dig into: - How the PLC dumbed down the factory floor operator - Why creativity needs to be democratised beyond the R&D lab - Why hard technology has finally become a serious investable asset class - The skills gap threatening Western industrial resurgence - Why the UK keeps building world-class companies and then losing them - How adventure lies on the other side of yes Drew leads Grace Technologies, an electrical safety and predictive maintenance company operating across 60 countries, sits on the advisory board of Atom Power Inc., and hosts his own podcast, The Factory Futurist. Find Drew Allen online at: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/allendrew/ Twitter: https://x.com/GraceTechIA Grace Technologies: https://gracetechnologies.com This episode is sponsored by EmergeOne, fractional CFOs for venture backed tech startups from Seed to Series B. Get in touch at https://emergeone.co.uk/contact-us/ or join the CFO team at https://emergeone.co.uk/join-the-cfo-team/ Sign up for EmergeOne’s weekly newsletter, Off Balance at https://off-balance.beehiiv.com/subscribe #Manufacturing #HardTech #VentureCapital #NothingVentured #Industrial #Startups #Entrepreneurship #FactoryFuturist #GraceTechnologies Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See https://pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.