Found

This week Darrell and Becca are joined by Alex Rappaport, the CEO and co-founder of ZwitterCo, a startup that develops technology that filters waste water. Alex talked about how his childhood on the Potomac river inspired his future career in clean water. He also talked about what it was like to build a commercial business off of existing lab research. Lastly, he talks about his fundraising journey and how amateur boxing injuries may have helped his pitch.

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Check out the newest podcast from the TechCrunch Podcast Network: Inside Startup Battlefield, the four-part series that takes you behind TechCrunch’s Startup Battlefield competition. In this episode, our host and Startup Battlefield Editor Neesha Tambe breaks down how the Battlefield companies are selected for the TechCrunch Disrupt stage. Then we take a deep dive into what makes a pitch perfect with pitch coach and TechCrunch writer Haje Jan Kamps and Startup Battlefield judge and VC Nisha Dua. You’ll also hear from: Julia Somerdin from Labby, Young-Jae Kim and Tara Peters from Anthill, Quddus Pativada from Digest AI, Blessing Adesiyan from Mother honestly, Hikari Senju from Omneky, Mitch Tolson from Ally robotics, Elizabeth Lawler from App map, Aaron Hall from Intropic materials. Sheeba Dawood from Minerva.

New episodes of Inside Startup Battlefield drop every Monday. Be sure to check out all of the other podcasts in the TechCrunch Podcast Network: Found, Equity, The TechCrunch Podcast, Chain Reaction and The TechCrunch Live Podcast.

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

This week Darrell and Becca are joined by Ourside founder and CEO Keta Burke-Williams. They get into what it takes to innovate in a historically luxury industry, the challenges of raising capital as a Balck female solo founder with a consumer startup and, most importantly, how many solid colognes Darrell travels with. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Rosie Nguyen (or JasmineRiceGirl as her fans know her) is the co-founder and CMO of  PG-13ish content-creating platform Fanhouse. In this episode, Rosie talks with Darrell and Becca about her sometimes-scary experiences creating content on Twitch and OnlyFans that inspired the Fanhouse founding team to build a safer place for creators to monetize their content, how having a creator as a co-founder helped with their fundraising process, and how she balances being a first-time founder with building her community. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

This week Darrell and Becca are joined by Klarna’s Co-founder and CEO Sebastian Siemiatkowski to talk about how the company is expanding beyond by now pay later space to become a neobank. Sebastian walks us through his European startup journey, breaking into the US market, how the importance of calm leadership through a market downturn, and what’s next for Klarna. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Mir Hwang is the co-founder and CEO of GigFinesse. Mir talks about how his struggles to book music gigs as a teenager pushed him to launch the company that connects artists with venues for live shows. Mir also talked about how hard it was to steer the live music-focused business through the pandemic in an industry that was reticent to adopt tech to begin with. Plus, we learn about a fun venue that couldn't be more perfect for Darrell's future poetry residence.

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

This week we’re mixing it up on Found and welcoming special guest cohost, Neesha Tambe, the TechCrunch Startup Battlefield Editor. And we happen to be talking with Sheeba Dawood, the co-founder and CEO of Minerva Lithium—the 2022 Startup Battlefield winner. Minerva Lithium is a clean energy technology that has developed a Nano Mosaic membrane filter system for critical materials extraction from non-traditional water resources. In this conversation, Sheeba speaks candidly about the struggles she’s faced as a woman of color trying to innovate in the mineral manufacturing industry and what’s next for the company coming off of several pitch competition wins.

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

This week Darrell and Becca are joined by Brex co-founder and co-CEO Henrique Dubugras to chat about his corporate credit card and expense management startup. Henrique talked about what made him and his co-founder (Pedro Franceschi) decide to launch the company and why the friends, who met online as teenagers, decided to be co-CEOs. Henrique also talks about how Brex navigated changes at the startup this year, and how he personally handled layoffs, all while Darrell and Becca do a questionable job of hiding their disdain for Brex’s legacy competitor.

Take our listener survey and let us know a bit about yourself and what you think of Found

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Happy holidays! The found crew is taking a week off to relax so we are throwing it back to our anniversary episode. 

To celebrate our anniversary, we welcomed back four founders whose stories really stuck with us since we talked to them. In what Jordan called a “founder smoothie”, we talked with Brie Code from TRU LUV who was on our second episode, Earl Cole from SMART Tire Company who was on the following episode, as well as Aditi Shekar from Zeta, and Jelani Memory from A Kids Company About who joined us a few months later. They talk about perspective shifts they’ve experienced in the past year, their different takes on fundraising, and how they stay true to their respective core missions. 

Take our listener survey and let us know a bit about yourself and what you think of FOUND.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com
• Call us and leave a voicemail at (510) 936-1618

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Welcome back to found, the Stories behind the startups. This week co-hosts Darrell Etherington and Becca Szkutak talk with Alice Albrecht from Re:collect, a software tool that augments creativity by helping people focus, recall, and connect their ideas. The conversation covered a lot of ground from how to hone your pitch when your product is so cerebral, how technology can help creativity but Alice argues will never replace it, and how developing AI requires building safeguards from the jump.

Take our listener survey and let us know a bit about yourself and what you think of Found

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Take our listener survey for a chance to win a free year of TC+ at bit.ly/tcpodsurvey.

When Ceryl Sew Hoy had her first child, she discovered the importance of the infant gut microbiome. As a research-driven entrepreneur, she learned everything she could about gut health and how to help infants avoid the chronic health issues that occur if they don’t receive the essential microbiomes from the mother. Tiny Health was started to fill a gap in OBGYN care and provide the first-ever gut health test for babies and toddlers along with educational materials needed to course correct and set up infants for optimal gut health.  Darrell, Becca, and Cheryl also talk about being a product-focused founder, building customer trust, and Darrell’s constant tummy aches. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

We’re so excited to be back with new episodes of Found and to introduce you to our brilliant new co-host Becca Szkutak! In this episode, we talk with Valentina Milanova, the founder and CEO of Daye, a gynecological health company that’s working to close the gender pain gap and raise industry standards when it comes to women’s health products.

While researching menstrual pain relief and tampon manufacturing, Valentina found there was a shocking lack of innovation, research, and health and safety standards in gynecological products. So she started Daye and created the most absorbent organic tampon on the market and the only one that uses CBD to relieve menstrual pain that was designed with women in mind. Within the company,  Valentina is infusing her values into every aspect of the business from implementing a 4-day work week to improve mental health to hiring survivors of human trafficking to work in their manufacturing centers. In this episode, we  also touch on the challenges of fundraising when your product requires you to say “vaginal canal” at least once in your pitch, why Valentina will not be a serial entrepreneur, and why they don’t keep any tampon trade secrets.

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

At last month’s TechCrunch Disrupt, Jordan sat down with Serena Williams and her co-founder Alison Rapaport Stillman to talk about their investment firm, Serena Ventures. The conversation was so interesting, we couldn’t help but share it on the Found feed. Serena, Allison, and Jordan talk about her approach to startup investing, how competitive she is both on and off the court, and how the French Open distracted her from the missed investment she regrets the most. And she shares how you can still expect to see her play tennis—if you’re able to snag an invite to come to her personal court. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Shanthi Rajan is a career-long entrepreneur so when she realized the construction industry was in need of disruption, she was ready to build a solution. Linarc is a cloud-based construction management software that helps teams stay on track by centralizing the data to share meaningful information on timelines, budgets, and everything that keeps projects on track. In this episode, Darrell, Jordan, and Shanthi discuss breaking into a slow-changing industry, building a team with talent across the globe, and working with customers to build the most useful product possible. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Telehealth startups had a boom during the pandemic and for certain marginalized communities not having to physically go onto a traditional doctor’s office allows them to access specialized high-quality care. That’s where this week’s guests come in. Jerrica Kirkley and Matthew Wetschler are the co-founders of Plume, a telehealth company that focuses on transgender care. After Jerrica spent time working in the non-profit world she realized that to enact the change she wanted to see, a VC-backed startup could be a more direct route.  Along with providing great care, they’re also dedicated to combatting anti-trans legislation and gathering data on trans care that can help all physicians provide better holistic care. In this episode, they talk about their co-founder relationship, the importance of hiring a team that reflects the community they serve, and how they navigated fundraising in such a conservative environment. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

This week Darrell and Jordan talk with Scott Gravelle, the CEO and co-founder of Attabotics, a robotics company that specializes in distribution and supply chain. Scott talks about how he was inspired by the Cutter Ants to design a vertical warehouse and create an automated system that was not human-centric but instead functioned as a world that was great for robots. They also spoke about caring for mental health as a founder and developing new leadership skills for a virtual world. 

If you love live conversations with founders, you'll love TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco from October  18-20. Use code FOUND for 15% off your ticket. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

This time last year, we talked with Kiki Freedman the founder of Hey Jane, a virtual health care startup aimed at women with an initial focus on delivering remote abortion care. After the US Supreme Court's decision to overturn Roe V. Wade, access to abortion is in a more precarious position than ever. Listen back to how Hey Jane provides access to consultations with doctors, available 24 hours a day, and home delivery for FDA-approved abortion pills. And Freedman tells us about how her experience at Uber informed her founder mentality at Hey Jane, and how the startup hopes to change the healthcare industry.

If you love live conversations with founders, you'll love TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco from October  18-20. Use code FOUND for 15% off your ticket. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

When Phil Libin co-founded Evernote he spent tons of money making the perfect working environment with chic offices, a shuttle bus, and headphones to block out all of his employees' distracting co-workers. He’s since seen the work-from-home light and co-founded mmhmm to make working remotely more efficient and even more fun. In this episode, Phil breaks down his pyramid of communication, explains how embracing asynchronous videos changed everything about meetings at mmhmm, and why he will never go to work in the metaverse. 

If you love live conversations with founders, you'll love TechCrunch Disrupt in San Francisco from October  18-20. Use code FOUND for 15% off your ticket. 

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Welcome back to another bonus episode of Found. This week, producer Maggie catches up with Kathy Hannun from Dandelion Energy. Since we last talked, Dandelion’s team has grown, and through a new deal, their heat pumps are being installed in brand-new housing developments along with their retrofit business. Kathy and Maggie talk about this growth, how Kathy has found joy in her job again by stepping into the head of product role, and how the economic downturn has been a reminder to prioritize profitability.

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

After graduating college, co-founders Amar Shah and Sonia Nigam were bored with at their first ”real jobs” so through trial and error they came up with the idea to develop an API that processes donations called Change. They talk with Darrell and Jordan about getting their first customers by literally knocking on shop doors, growing the company while maintaining the close-knit culture, and why incorporating crypto payments was a key part of their growth.

Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each week.

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com

Found posts every Tuesday. Subscribe on Apple, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts to be alerted when new episodes drop. Check out the other TechCrunch podcasts: Equity and Chain Reaction. Subscribe to Found to hear more stories from founders each

Connect with us:

• On Twitter
• On Instagram
• Via email: found@techcrunch.com