Best Accel Podcasts (2025)

1
Pitching Jewelry for the Digital Age: Inside BlueStone’s Original Deck | PitchCraft Season 2 40:29

Play Pause

11d ago40:29

40:29

In this episode of PitchCraft Season 2, Gaurav Singh Kushwaha, Founder and CEO of BlueStone and Prashanth Prakash, Partner at Accel, revisit the 33-page idea-stage deck that launched one of India’s most enduring jewelry brands.Back in 2011, BlueStone didn’t even have a website or sales to show. It only had a conviction that India’s jewelry market w…

1
The Nine Essential Git Commands You Need to Know When Working With Git 20:24

2d ago20:24

20:24

In this episode, I share with you the nine essential commands that you need to know to get started working with Git. It starts off with git init and git clone and finishes up with git fetch and git pull. Admittedly, this episode is targeted at users who are newer to Git. But, even if you're a more seasoned user, there might be something in this epi…

1
Building Outreach to a $4bn unicorn and helping AI agents get paid with Paid.ai - Manny Medina, Co-Founder & CEO @ Paid.ai 50:38

4h ago50:38

50:38

This week on Riding Unicorns, we’re joined by Manny Medina, the visionary founder behind Outreach — the $4B sales engagement unicorn — and now co-founder & CEO of Paid.ai, a startup pioneering how AI agents get priced, paid, and scaled. We dive into Manny’s remarkable journey from zero to $250M+ ARR with Outreach, the gritty early days of selling d…

1
Lessons from Steve Mandel - [Joys of Compounding, EP.30] 1:24:13

2h ago1:24:13

1:24:13

Our teacher today is Steve Mandel, founder of Lone Pine Capital, one of the defining investment firms of our time. For starters, Steve is, without question, among the most important leaders in the investment management industry. Consider that Seth Klarman once called him, “the best industry analyst I've ever met, who became the best long short hedg…

1
Do you prefer using Git on the command-line or with a GUI? 17:28

4h ago17:28

17:28

Do you prefer using Git on the command-line or with a GUI? That's what I'm keen to find out in this episode of the podcast. Why? Because I’m an avid Git command-line user, and have been for over 10 years! But, recently, I’ve been experimenting with some of the GUI tools available for Git to see if if I’m missing out on anything, and how the experie…

1
Breaking Down Razorpay’s Original Pitch With Harshil Mathur | PitchCraft Season 2 37:19

11d ago37:19

37:19

In this episode of PitchCraft Season 2, Chandra Srikanth sits down with Harshil Mathur, Co-founder and CEO of Razorpay, and Vikram Vaidyanathan of Z47 to unpack the pitch deck that launched one of India’s most iconic fintech companies.Harshil looks back on Razorpay’s early days in 2014, when he and Co-founder Shashank Kumar were just two engineers …

1
Inside Swiggy's First-Ever Pitch Deck With Sriharsha Majety | PitchCraft Season 2 41:18

11d ago41:18

41:18

In the debut episode of PitchCraft's Season 2, Chandra Srikanth speaks to Sriharsha Majety, Co-Founder and CEO of Swiggy, and Accel's Anand Daniel as they deconstruct the company's first pitch deck that laid the foundation for one of India's most iconic consumer tech companies.Harsha reflects on Swiggy’s early days in 2014, when the team put togeth…

1
Reimagining Contracts for the AI Era: Inside SpotDraft’s Playbook | Inside the Engine Room 20:58

11d ago20:58

20:58

Contracts are the backbone of every business, every dollar in or out is tied to one. Yet, they remain one of the most antiquated, slow, and expensive parts of how companies operate. Legal workflows still rely on copy-paste, track changes, and armies of lawyers billing by the hour.SpotDraft is rewriting this story. By treating contracts as the harde…

1
Engineering Chemicals for the World: Scimplify | Decoding Manufacturing 33:33

11d ago33:33

33:33

India today stands at the cusp of a new wave in advanced manufacturing. With global supply chains shifting, demand for cost-effective innovation rising, and deep scientific talent at home, the country has a chance to create the building blocks of tomorrow’s industries. Specialty chemicals, critical to pharmaceuticals, agro, electronics, and more, a…

1
Solving India’s Traffic Crisis with Air Taxis: Sarla Aviation | Decoding Manufacturing 34:19

11d ago34:19

34:19

India today stands at a once-in-a-generation moment to establish itself as a global leader in advanced manufacturing. With deep-tech innovation, shifting global supply chains, and a rising domestic market that demands scale and affordability, the country has the chance to build world-class products, not just for India but for the world. Aerospace, …

1
Decoding Manufacturing | Teaser 1:26

8d ago1:26

1:26

Every economic superpower has been built on the backbone of manufacturing.Today, with global supply chains being rewritten and the world moving from cost to precision, resilience, and IP, India stands at a rare window of opportunity.Advanced manufacturing is no longer our quiet revolution.Decoding Manufacturing brings you the voices of India’s bold…

1
Building India's First AI Tutor: How Arivihan is Redefining Education | Decoding AI Episode 9 43:22

11d ago43:22

43:22

AI is rewriting the rules of education, turning personalized tutoring from a privilege of the few into a possibility for every student, regardless of where they live or what they can afford. For millions of students in India’s tier-2 and tier-3 towns, the barrier to quality learning has long been financial and geographic. Arivihan is breaking that …

1
Building AI4Bharat: Why India Needs Its Own AI Stack, With IIT Prof. Mitesh Khapra | Decoding AI Episode 8 42:55

11d ago42:55

42:55

It’s almost a consensus view that India can’t build its AI future on borrowed code. It needs infrastructure rooted in Indian languages, accents, and real-world use cases. At the heart of this mission is AI4Bharat, an open-source initiative building cutting-edge AI models for all 22 official Indian languages.In this episode of Decoding AI, Prayank S…

1
Building, Backing & Scaling in an AI-Native World with Kenneth Auchenberg, Partner @ AlleyCorp 47:26

3h ago47:26

47:26

In this episode we are joined by Kenneth Auchenberg, Partner at AlleyCorp — one of New York’s most prolific early-stage funds known for incubating companies like MongoDB, Business Insider, and Radical AI. Kenneth’s journey from coding at 16 in Copenhagen to shaping global developer ecosystems at Stripe and Microsoft gives him a unique lens into the…

1
Inside the Quantum Infrastructure Revolution with Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, Founder & CEO @ Nu Quantum 43:33

14d ago43:33

43:33

This week on Riding Unicorns, we’re joined by Carmen Palacios-Berraquero, Founder and CEO of Nu Quantum, a pioneering company building the networking layer for the quantum computing era. Carmen’s journey started in academia, researching quantum photonics, before she spun out Nu Quantum from the University of Cambridge. Now backed by top deep tech i…

1
Full Steam Ahead: Driving Change in Finance with Funto Agbeniga 48:40

12d ago48:40

48:40

Download our checklist, 6 practices of a fulfilling Finance career Enter the competition today: www.soldo.com/competition What does it take to keep a finance function firmly on track in one of the UK’s most asset-heavy industries? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Funto Agbeniga, Head of Finance at GB Railfreight, t…

1
Building the "Lovable of Marketing" with Patrick Haede, Co-Founder & CEO @ Superscale AI 56:31

13d ago56:31

56:31

In this episode, we're joined by Patrick Haede, the founder of Superscale AI, a breakout new startup transforming how digital products are marketed. 🚀 Inspired by Lovable’s success in democratising product-building, Patrick saw the next major frontier: distribution. In a world where anyone can now build a product, how do you market it effectively? …

1
Back to School with Chris Begg! - [Joys of Compounding, EP.29] 1:33:15

19d ago1:33:15

1:33:15

We've got just the class to help you get back into that learning machine mode. We're stoked to be joined by our good friend Chris Begg, founder of East Coast Asset Management and adjunct Associate Professor at the Helibrunn Center for Graham and Dodd investing at Columbia Business School. He teaches security analysis, perhaps the most legendary inv…

1
Scaling from startup to £70M+ funding in 16 months with Paul Anthony, Co-founder of Primer & Colossal 55:58

27d ago55:58

55:58

Paul Anthony is the co-founder of Primer, a rapidly growing payment orchestration platform with over 200 employees and more than £70 million in funding from top-tier investors including Seed Camp, Balderton, Accel, and Iconic. His journey began as the first employee at a FinTech startup (now called Depay), followed by a stint at PayPal's Braintree …

1
Simone Maini, CEO @ Elliptic, on Leading Through Crypto Winters and Building Elliptic into a Blockchain Analytics Leader 37:05

1M ago37:05

37:05

In this episode of Riding Unicorns, James and Hector sit down with Simone Maini, CEO of Elliptic, the world’s leading blockchain analytics company. Simone’s career path is anything but conventional — from a history degree and Deutsche Bank to leading a $100M+ funded crypto intelligence powerhouse. 🧠 After 8 years in banking and a stint in anti-mone…

1
From Finance to Focus: Building a Product-Led Culture at Yoto with CFO Ben Averis 49:43

1M ago49:43

49:43

Download our checklist, The 8 CFO Stategies for Smart Scaling Enter the competition today: www.soldo.com/competition What does it mean to build a finance function that is truly aligned with product, operations and customers? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Ben Averis, CFO of Yoto, the screen-free audio platform he…

1
Pattern recognition and backing Europe's next unicorns with Andrei Brasoveanu, Partner @ Accel 39:32

1M ago39:32

39:32

From international math olympiads to high-frequency trading to leading deals at Accel, Andrei Brasoveanu has carved one of the most impressive careers in European tech. After a decade on Wall Street as a quant, he joined Accel’s London office and quickly became one of their top investors—backing breakout companies like Celonis and, more recently, P…

1
Building Europe’s Investment Rails with Martin Kassing, Founder & CEO @ Upvest 40:12

3M ago40:12

40:12

This week on Riding Unicorns, we're joined by Martin Kassing, founder and CEO of Upvest, one of Europe’s fastest-growing fintech infrastructure companies. Martin’s journey spans private equity, Rocket Internet, multiple startups, and now leading a company that powers investment products for the likes of Revolut and N26. In this wide-ranging convers…

1
FinOps and Beyond: The Hybrid Role of a CFO-COO with Charlie Hunt 41:27

3M ago41:27

41:27

What if you could transform your finance operations by integrating technology and automation into every aspect of your business strategy? In this episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by fractional CFO-COO Charlie Hunt to explore how FinOps are reshaping the landscape of finance by shifting from isolated departments to integrated …

1
RU Summit 2025 with Yoann Pavy and Oana Jinga, in Partnership with Cooley LLP 33:43

3M ago33:43

33:43

In this special Riding Unicorns episode, recorded live during London Tech Week and hosted at Cooley’s London HQ, we bring you two candid conversations from the frontline of startup building. 🚀 First up: Yoann Pavy, a growth marketing veteran (ex-Deliveroo, Depop, Perkbox), shares why distribution-first thinking is flipping product development on it…

1
From Founder Failure to Building a €100M+ European VC Fund with Apostolos Apostolakis, Managing Partner @ VentureFriends 35:21

3M ago35:21

35:21

In this episode, we’re joined by Apostolos Apostolakis, the founder-turned-VC behind VentureFriends, a pan-European pre-seed and seed fund known for backing consumer and fintech breakouts like Plum, Blueground, Huspy, Carmoola and Instashop. Apostolos shares a remarkable story of resilience — from scaling a startup to €100M+ in revenue and 500 empl…

1
Investing as a multi-stage fund into Europe's top startups with Deepka Rana, Principal @ Northzone 35:00

3M ago35:00

35:00

In this episode, we’re joined by Deepka Rana, Principal at leading venture fund Northzone, early backers of Klarna, Truelayer, Spotify, iZettle, Kahoot, and Personio. Deepka shares her journey from physics at Imperial and investment banking to investing in some of Europe’s most exciting startups. We unpack: 💸 What it’s like to operate a billion-dol…

1
PRWeek Replay: AI Activated Discussion 28:32

4M ago28:32

28:32

This episode is a replay of special podcast hosted by PRWeek about the 2025 USC Relevance Report. This special PRWeek podcast, "AI Activated," brought together three PR industry leaders and PRWeek Hall of Famers to discuss AI's impact on public relations. Hosted by Steve Barrett, Editorial Director of PR Week, the conversation featured: Frank X. Sh…

1
Will Thorndike - Lessons from the Eternal Outsider - [Joys of Compounding, EP.28] 1:28:54

3M ago1:28:54

1:28:54

Our teacher today is Will Thorndike, co-founder of Compounding Labs and author of the acclaimed book, “The Outsiders.” In our opinion, Will has emerged as one of the most influential and innovative investor minds of the past few decades. And if you care about long-term value creation and the art of capital allocation, chances are you've also benef…

1
Building voice-AI infrastructure and scaling go-to-market globally with Carles Reina, GTM @ ElevenLabs & Angel Investor 48:20

3M ago48:20

48:20

In this episode of Riding Unicorns, we’re joined by Carles Reina, Go-to-Market Lead at ElevenLabs, an AI Audio research and deployment company that tripled it's valuation to $3.3BN in January, after confirming a new $180M funding round. From starting out as a banker in Barcelona to scaling Uber’s first European team, and now investing in over 70 st…

1
Mind The Gap: 2025 Global Communication Report Recap 47:36

4M ago47:36

47:36

Based on a survey of over 1,000 PR professionals, the 2025 Global Communication Report from the USC Center for Public Relations –in conjunction with Zeno Group and IABC – reviews how AI, hybrid work, generational shifts, influencer culture, and polarization are reshaping public relations. To download the report, go to this link To find information …

1
Europe's Role in the Global Tech Arena, a CFO’s View with Accel’s Ben Dooley 35:54

4M ago35:54

35:54

In the latest episode of The CFO Playbook, David McClelland is joined by Ben Dooley, CFO at Accel to explore nuances of the CFO role within lean, agile organisations with vast geographical footprints. Highlighting venture capital's vibrant evolution, Ben shares the ripple effect of successful startups and Accel’s strategic focus on early-stage tech…

1
Building the universal integration layer for modern products and raising a Series A from GV with Romain Sestier & Guillaume Lebedel, Co-Founders @ StackOne 47:42

4M ago47:42

47:42

In this episode of Riding Unicorns, we're joined by Romain Sestier and Guillaume Lebedel, the co-founders of StackOne, a rapidly growing startup that’s building the universal integration layer for modern SaaS and AI products. Hot off the back of their $20M Series A led by GV, the duo joins us to share their journey, insights, and lessons from the t…

1
Katie Koch - Be A Force Multiplier - [Joys of Compounding, REPLAY] 1:18:51

4M ago1:18:51

1:18:51

Our teacher today is Katie Koch. Katie is the President and CEO of the TCW Group, a storied firm with over 200 billion in assets under management and a fascinating 50-year legacy as a pioneer in the investment industry. Katie just took the TCW reins in 2023 after more than 20 years at Goldman Sachs. She joined Goldman right after college as the sel…

1
Life Actually: A No Bullshit Study on the Future Gen Z Wants ft 37:28

4M ago37:28

37:28

Eli Williams of Day One Agency joins the conversation to unpack findings from the agency’s latest report, Gen Z: Life, Actually. The study challenges common assumptions about Gen Z and reveals a generation that’s more multifaceted—and in some ways, more traditional—than many marketers assume. Through the lens of public relations and cultural insigh…

1
Capsule Scale-Up 50 Panel with Poly AI, Flo Health, Carmoola, & Xampla 46:55

4M ago46:55

46:55

Recorded live at the Capsule Scale-Up 50 event in London on 30th April 2025, this episode features a standout panel discussion moderated by our co-host James Pringle. The Scale-Up 50 is Capsule’s flagship celebration of the UK’s fastest-growing, most exciting scale-ups, recognising the founders, leaders, and investors driving the next generation of…

1
Building the Future of Marketing with Raffi Salama, CEO & Co-Founder @ Passionfruit 51:41

4M ago51:41

51:41

In this episode of Riding Unicorns, James Pringle is joined by Raffi Salama, Co-Founder & CEO of Passionfruit, a fast-growing marketing OS used by the world’s most ambitious brands to orchestrate campaigns across resourcing, planning, execution, and tracking. Raffi shares his journey from launching David Beckham’s Inter Miami football club to scali…

1
Building the premium venture studio and fund for consumer brands with Mike Jones, Founding Partner @ Science 51:18

4M ago51:18

51:18

Subscribe to the Reading Unicorns newsletter here. Follow Riding Unicorns on LinkedIn here. Subscribe to the Riding Unicorns YouTube channel here. In this episode we're joined by Mike Jones, Managing Partner at Science Inc., a trailblazing venture studio behind breakout brands like Dollar Shave Club, Liquid Death, and DogVacay (merged with Rover). …

1
Investing in the future of KidsTech, Gaming and Media with Dylan Collins, Founder @ SuperAwesome (acq. Epic Games) 43:47

4M ago43:47

43:47

Subscribe to the Reading Unicorns newsletter here. Follow Riding Unicorns on LinkedIn here. Subscribe to the Riding Unicorns YouTube channel here. In this episode of Riding Unicorns, we’re joined by legendary repeat founder Dylan Collins, known for building and exiting three companies—including SuperAwesome, acquired by Epic Games. Dylan takes us o…

1
The Future of PR: Exploring Four Generations in the Workforce 57:26

5M ago57:26

57:26

Fred Cook kicks off a timely conversation on the future of public relations—through the lens of generational differences and shared experiences. The episode unpacks key insights from the USC Center for PR’s 2025 Global Communication Report: Mind The Gap, which examines how four major forces—AI, hybrid work, media evolution, and polarization—are res…

1
Adapting to Market Fluctuations: A CFO's Guide to Consumer Behaviour with Claire Caulliez 26:29

5M ago26:29

26:29

Beyond the balance sheet, what strategies do CFOs in the fast-moving consumer goods industry deploy to stay ahead in a rapidly evolving market? In this episode, Claire Caulliez, CFO at Nestle Italy & Malta, gives David McClelland a behind the scenes insight into the unique challenges finance leaders face in an industry driven by high volume and fie…

1
E86: Inside Mischief VC's Evolution with Zach Perret and Lauren Farleigh 46:19

5M ago46:19

46:19

In this episode of Turpentine VC, Erik Torenberg interviews Lauren Farleigh and Zach Perret from Mischief VC, discussing their experiences as founders and how they leveraged those to build their venture firm. — 📰 Be notified early when Turpentine drops new publication: https://www.turpentine.co/exclusiveaccess — SPONSORS: ☁️ Oracle Cloud Infrastruc…

1
Sebastian Mejia - Scaling With Soul - [Joys of Compounding, EP.27] 1:31:21

5M ago1:31:21

1:31:21

Our teacher today is Sebastian Mejia. He combines intellectual range with emotional depth and is the co-founder of Rappi, the on-demand delivery platform that has become one of Latin America's most influential tech companies. In this episode, we discuss resilience, identity, intuition, and building companies with a sense of urgency and wonder. We …

1
A conversation with Chantelle Darby, Accel's VP of Communications 36:49

5M ago36:49

36:49

Burghardt Tenderich, Professor of Professional Practice at USC, speaks to Chantelle Darby, VP of Communications for the global Venture Capital firm, Accel. Chantelle started her career on the agency side before leading Yelp through an IPO and working with Sheryl Sandberg on Lean In. Chantelle covers these roles and offers crucial advice for student…

1
Investing in the B2B Fintech sector with Mark Beeston, Founder @ Illuminate Financial 41:09

5M ago41:09

41:09

Subscribe to the Reading Unicorns newsletter here. Follow Riding Unicorns on LinkedIn here. Subscribe to the Riding Unicorns YouTube channel here. In this episode of Riding Unicorns, James Pringle and Hector Mason are joined by Mark Beeston, Founder and Managing Partner at Illuminate Financial—a thesis-driven venture capital firm investing in B2B F…

1
Navigating the Spring Statement: What Next for UK Business? 52:54

5M ago52:54

52:54

Following the Chancellor’s Spring Statement, David McClelland is joined by an expert panel to explore how the Statement, alongside the wider economic landscape, will influence CFOs ability to plan, invest and drive confidence. Baroness Ayesha Hazarika MBE, Oli Lawson, CFO at Sigma Sports, and Helen Ashton, former CFO of ASOS, discuss the economic c…

1
a16z's Voice AI Investment Strategy 59:51

5M ago59:51

59:51

This week on Turpentine VC, we are releasing an episode from The Cognitive Revolution, hosted by Nathan Labenz. Nathan sits down with Olivia Moore and Anish Acharya from Andreesen Horowitz to discuss the trends, investment strategies, and future potential of AI voice technology in both B2B and consumer sectors, exploring its implications for variou…

1
The firm with a 1-in-6 unicorn investment rate. Staffan Helgesson, General Partner @ Creandum 47:48

5M ago47:48

47:48

Subscribe to the Reading Unicorns newsletter here. Follow Riding Unicorns on LinkedIn here. Subscribe to the Riding Unicorns YouTube channel here. This episode sees James Pringle and Hector Mason sit down with Staffan Helgesson, General Partner of Creandum. Creandum is one of Europe's top early stage investors focused on Seed and Series A across a …

1
E84: How Accel Captures Companies Outside Traditional VC Reach with Andrew Braccia 45:18

6M ago45:18

45:18

Andrew Braccia, partner at Accel for nearly two decades, sits down with Erik Torenberg to discuss the firm's evolution from Silicon Valley early-stage investor to global, multi-stage powerhouse. Braccia explains Accel's two major strategic shifts: global expansion with local teams in Europe, India, and beyond; and the launch of their growth fund in…

1
How CFOs are Leveraging AI for Enhanced Decision Making with IBM’s Monica Proothi 44:10

6M ago44:10

44:10

Organisations are making bold bets on AI for the long-term, with 89% planning to increase or maintain their AI investments in 2025*. Moving beyond experimentation, organisations are now zeroing in on the bottom line - and it’s CFOs who are responsible for making sure these investments deliver real business impact. In this episode, Monica Proothi, I…