#115: How the Middle East’s Startup Scene & Gulf SWFs Are Reshaping Venture Capital with Bunat Ventures’ Khalid Saad

Khalid Saad is a seasoned venture capitalist and FinTech entrepreneur with a proven track record of launching new ventures and accelerating existing ones. Over the years, he has partnered with startups and established companies on digital strategy, business development, partnerships, and market-entry plans—spanning payment systems, remittance services, crypto platforms, open banking, and more  . He is […]

#114: Research Driven VC Investing & AI ‘s Cultural Impact with Leonis Capital’s Jay Zhao

Jay Zhao Leonis Capital

In Episode #114 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Jay Zhao, Managing Partner at Leonis Capital, a research-driven VC fund backing technical founders building extraordinary products. We explore how research-driven theses are reshaping AI-first venture strategies, the rise of agentic software, and the compute-and-energy challenges behind today’s largest models. Unpacking the displacement […]

#112: Redefining Luxury Hospitality in Southeast Asia with ARYADUTA’s Ivan Casadevall

In Episode #112 of Geeks of the Valley, we sit down with Ivan Casadevall, the CEO of ARYADUTA Hotel Group, which operates 8+ upscale hotels. Explore how Indonesia’s most iconic hospitality brand is evolving in a post-pandemic world. ARYADUTA is a leading Indonesian hospitality group and one of the most trusted brands in the region. Today, […]

#110: Building Stablecoin Rails with $82M in Funding featuring Mesh’s Bam Azizi

Bam Azizi is the CEO and Co-Founder of Mesh, a fintech infrastructure company revolutionizing how businesses and users interact with financial systems through embedded crypto and stablecoin solutions. With over 300 integrations across exchanges, wallets, and financial institutions, Mesh empowers developers to seamlessly enable read, write, and transfer functionality within their applications. Under his leadership, […]

#108: Decoding Venture Capital Through Data-Driven Insights with Hatcher+’s John Sharp

John Sharp is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Hatcher+, a venture firm pioneering data-driven investment strategies. With a distinguished career spanning leadership, technology, and venture capital, he has played a pivotal role in transforming the investment landscape. Previously, John served as CEO of Authentium, where he co-authored three U.S. patents and developed cybersecurity solutions […]

#107: Investing Without Borders & Building Differentiation in a Crowded Market with Optimist Ventures’ Teddy Himler

Teddy Himler brings over 15 years of global experience at leading institutions, including Goldman Sachs, SoftBank, Comcast Ventures, and Antler, to his role at Optimist Ventures. Throughout his career, Teddy has cultivated deep expertise in global technology trends, innovative business models, and firm-building, with a focus on sectors such as artificial intelligence, insurance, healthcare, and […]

#106 Revolutionizing Global Healthcare Through AI from Opyl’s Saurabh Jain

Saurabh Jain is a seasoned leader in technology and healthcare, currently serving as the Executive Chairman of Opyl (ASX: OPL), a company pioneering AI-driven solutions for clinical trials. Appointed to this role on April 30, 2024, Saurabh spearheads Opyl’s mission to transform clinical trials through advanced AI technologies. His leadership has been instrumental in the development and launch of […]

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