#125: From Tsinghua to Wall Street, Building a Six-Layer AI Investment Thesis with Quartus Capital’s Afzal Tarar
Afzal M. Tarar, Chairman and Managing Partner of Quartus Capital Partners, joins us to share his extraordinary journey from studying AI at Tsinghua University in the 1980s to becoming a pioneer in AI-focused growth equity investing. We dive into Quartus’s unique six-layer AI investment framework that separnfrastructure plays from vertical AI solutions in healthcare, logistics, […]
#124: Crypto’s Maturity and the Rise of Private Equity with Maelstrom’s Akshat Vaidya & Adam Schlegel
Akshat Vaidya – Managing Partner & Co-Founder, Maelstrom Akshat Vaidya is the Managing Partner and Co-Founder of Maelstrom , the family office founded by BitMEX co-founder Arthur Hayes. In this role, Akshat leads Maelstrom’s investment strategy across its multiple verticals, including venture investments, liquid markets, and private equity deals. He oversees the recently launched Maelstrom […]
#119: The Next Frontier of Fintech & Localized AI with Kadan Capital’s Felix Frenzel
Felix Frenzel is the Founding Partner of Kadan Capital , a Singapore-headquartered early-stage venture capital firm backing category-defining startups across Southeast Asia and beyond. At Kadan, he focuses on high-impact companies in fintech and artificial intelligence , targeting ventures with strong early traction and potential for rapid scale. Before co-founding Kadan Capital, Felix built his […]
#118: Breaking Barriers in Embedded Finance and Emerging Markets with Saison Capital’s Qin En Looi
In Episode #118 of Geeks of the Valley , we sat down with Qin En Looi , Partner at Saison Capital. Backed by Credit Saison (Tokyo-listed, ~US$30B AUM), Saison has 100+ direct investments and 15+ fund investments across Asia and LATAM. We unpack why operator experience produces better investor how Qin En’s time scaling Glints […]
#116: Scaling Human-Centric Brands Through Private Equity with Monogram Capital’s Jared Stein
Jared Stein is a seasoned private equity investor with deep expertise in scaling high-growth, human-centric consumer brands. Since co-founding Monogram Capital in 2014, he has overseen the firm’s strategy and management, while originating, due diligence process and structuring investments that have turned emerging companies into category leaders. He has led Monogram’s investment in Chewy.com and […]
#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
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 […]
#113: Wall Street To Web3, Decoding Crypto Mergers and Acquisitions With Dragonfly’s Rob Hadick
In Episode #113 of Geeks of the Valley, we sat down with Rob Hadick, General Partner at Dragonfly, a leading $2.5bn crypto-focused global investment firm. We explore the seismic shifts in the VC ecosystem, the rise of trade-sale mergers and acuisitions, and the resilience of certain sub-sectors from an investing lens. A focal point of […]
#111: Transparency in Venture Capital: Building a Web3 Ethos with Blockchain Founders Fund’s Aly Madhavji
Join us for an insightful conversation with Aly Madhavji, Managing Partner at Blockchain Founders Fund, as we explore the significance of transparency in venture capital and its impact on Web3 ecosystems. Aly, recognized globally as a leader in blockchain innovation, shares his approach to investment, venture building, and go-to-market strategies across the USA, APAC, MENA, […]
#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 […]
