The Pitch

The apps on our smartphones seem to be engineered for addiction. Alon Shwartz wants to fight this with an app of his own: unGlue. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After John Renaldi lost track of his kid on a trip to downtown Chicago, he vowed never to be in that situation again. So he created Jiobit, a tiny geotracker for kids. Can he convince investors that his device stands out among a sea of competitors? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, James Altucher and Daniel Gulati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Hunter Rosenblume is pitching Lunar Wireless, a company he co-founded as an answer to pricey cell phone plans. But getting investors to gamble on a 22-year-old who claims he can take on a decades-old industry is a hard sell. Is a healthy dose of FOMO enough to change their minds? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Romy Raad and her cofounder have created Metabrew, a healthy beverage they believe could replace your morning coffee. But can they get investors buzzing about this plant-based substitute? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The founders of Harper Wilde want to take the B.S. out of bra shopping. That means convincing our investors that they’ve found a way to turn it from a major inconvenience into an easy at-home experience. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Sterling Smith left his job as a software developer to start Sandbox Commerce, he knew he had the skills to build great mobile apps. But in a world where it seems everybody has an app, can he convince investors there’s really an opportunity here? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, James Altucher and Daniel Gulati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Co-founders Kevin Allen and Moses McCall think rowing is the next big trend in fitness. To cash in on their hunch, they need to convince investors they can make waves in a space already crowded with competitors. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

You’re probably familiar with Jillian Manus the investor — but in this episode, we dig in a little deeper to understand how she became the VC force she is today. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

After Ismail Salhi discovered his father’s old record collection gathering dust in the attic, he teamed up with Johanna Hartzheim to create Qleek. Together they hope to marry the nostalgia of vinyl with the convenience of digital music. But first they need investors to catch on to their tune. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, James Altucher and Daniel Gulati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Mike Slagh left the military, he wanted to find a job in tech, but he couldn’t get his foot in the door. And then he found out that he was one of approximately 300,000 service members who every year struggle to make the transition back into the workforce. So Mike decided to do something about it and started Shift.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, James Altucher and Daniel Gulati. Our show is produced by Josh Muccio, Kareem Maddox, and Molly Donahue. We are edited by Devon Taylor. Our Theme Music is by Breakmaster Cylinder, with original music composed by The Muse Maker, Bobby Lord and Haley Shaw. We were mixed by Enoch Kim with help from Matt Boll. Lisa Muccio plans our recording events and thanks to Asthaa Chaturvedi for her reporting on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Miki Agrawal made headlines with the success of her first company Thinx—until she became the headline. Now she's ready for a comeback with Tushy, her new business built on making bidets mainstream in America. But first she has to convince investors she's learned from her past.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, James Altucher and Daniel Gulati. Our show is produced by Josh Muccio, Molly Donahue, and Kareem Maddox. We are edited by Devon Taylor. Our theme music is by Breakmaster Cylinder, with original music composed by The Muse Maker, Bobby Lord, and Person B Productions. We were mixed by Enoch Kim with help from Matt Boll. Lisa Muccio plans our recording events and thanks to Asthaa Chaturvedi for her reporting on this episode. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The entrepreneurs usually own the spotlight on our show. But venture capital is a two-way street. On today’s episode, we hear from the people who make deals happen: our investors. Who are they and how did they become the ones calling the shots? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel and Daniel Gulati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entrepreneur Laura Bilazarian has an innovative solution for helping companies find great talent. But to convince investors, she’ll need to walk a razor’s edge between confidence and cockiness. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman, Howie Diamond and Sheel Mohnot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Haydn Sonnad pitches his plan to revolutionize regional transit on the back of Tesla’s electric charging network. But there’s a catch: this entrepreneur has to run his company between English class and Algebra. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond. Extra: Haydn asks Elon Musk a question Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Two entrepreneurs believe they have the secret to making premium instant coffee. Will their startup hold up to a taste test with investors?  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Co-founders Meghan Carreau and Alex Payne are pitching their food delivery service built on noble ideals of making kids healthier and reducing headaches for parents. Can the founders convince investors that their startup will actually deliver on those promises? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman, Howie Diamond and Sheel Mohnot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Could a little sensor designed to measure punches be the next big hit in a long line of fitness fads? The founders of Hykso think so. Now they just need to last a few rounds in the ring with our investors.  Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The social media landscape is a veritable graveyard of failed startups, but Matthew Peltier believes his company, Shimmur, is different. With a growing user base and a solid plan for revenue, he’s almost ready to go... all he needs now is a few hundred thousand dollars from investors. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Between classes, part-time jobs, and social lives, college students Evan Thomas and Troy Pettie have been moonlighting to build a business they hope will bring millennials back into casinos. Will our investors be willing to take a gamble on Guru Games? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman and Howie Diamond. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Concussions have cast a major shadow over contact sports, from youth leagues to the pros. But entrepreneur Anthony Gonzales thinks he can fix it by putting a gadget in the mouths of athletes. Now he just has to convince investors to put their dollars behind his idea. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Jake Chapman, Howie Diamond and Sheel Mohnot. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices