The Pitch

Susan Sierota wants to help dog owners keep their furry friends healthy with her pet-tech startup, Waggit. Can she convince the four investors that her smart collar will win best in show? Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Founder Paul Kesserwani says we’re all losing way too much money to fees — credit card fees, bank fees, ATM fees. And he thinks his company, Cushion, has the answer: A friendly bot that will battle those fees for you. Can he convince investors that there’s major money to be made in the fee-fighting business? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Why should you care about blockchain if you’re not a huge cryptocurrency nerd? Bandwagon founder Harold Hughes says it can help you score better seats to see your favorite team — and avoid the risk of walking up to the gate with a fake ticket. Can he convince investors his startup isn’t just a part of the blockchain bubble? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Blake Sorensen has a deathly nut allergy — one that's led to some harrowing trips to the ER. But then he decided that enough was enough. So he started a company, Blake’s Seed Based, to make snacks safe for people like him. Will the investors get on board with his mission? Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Atomos co-founders Vanessa Clark and William Kowalski want to build a nuclear-powered spacecraft for moving satellites around in orbit. Can they capitalize on all the new money flowing into the final frontier — or will their sci-fi ambitions be too much for investors to stomach? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The college dropout rate is high, and schools are paying the price... to the tune of billions of dollars every year. Marquett Burton says his education startup can help solve the problem. Will the investors agree? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Somewear founder James Kubik thinks going off the grid shouldn’t have to mean going out of cell phone range. That’s why he created a device that turns smartphones into satellite communication hubs. Can he convince investors to join him on the trail? Today's investors are Alexandra Stanton, Jake Chapman, Charles Hudson and Phil Nadel. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sophia Dominguez is on the show pitching SVRF, an augmented reality/virtual reality startup. But it can be tough to get investors excited about VR, which has attracted tons of hype—without much payoff. Can Sophia convince investors that VR’s time has finally come? Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Finnish entrepreneur Topias Soininen says his startup, Playven, will revolutionize the way people book tennis courts. But first, the investors have to figure out exactly what it is he’s pitching. Today's investors are Howie Diamond, Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Entrepreneur Julie Roth Novack says her party planning platform is exactly what event professionals have been missing. And it all hinges on a secret ingredient—something Julie calls "marketing gold". Now she just needs investors to fork over some gold of their own. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Cody Candee believes his company, Bounce, is the key to freeing us from the stuff we lug around all day. But can he convince investors that his temporary storage solution isn’t a liability disaster waiting to happen? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Nicole Verkindt, Michael Hyatt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Amazon is on track to grab nearly HALF of all online retail sales this year. But not if Chelsie Lee’s startup Shipsi has a say in the matter. She wants to give online retailers the ability to compete, by helping them offer super speedy shipping. But it might not be easy with the retail Goliath breathing down her neck. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

At The Pitch’s first-ever live show, three startups face off: Honeyfi, a budgeting app for couples; CBlocks, a cryptocurrency starter kit; and OpenBottle, an app to help people try high-end wines. But can the investors agree on which company should take home the prize? Today's investors are Jillian Manus and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Stefan Loble wows the room with his near perfect pitch for Bluffworks, a company that makes travel-business attire. But is his compelling story enough to get investors to sign on? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Tina Hedges believes the future of beauty is all-natural, organic products. But the investors aren’t sure what to make of her food-grade products for your face. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Founder David Sarabia’s experience with drug addiction inspired him to build an app, called inRecovery. It’s meant to help people who are in rehab. But can he get the rehab centers on board? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Margot Schmorak says half of all vacation rentals aren’t listed online—and she sees that as a big opportunity for her startup. But things get messy in the pitch room when Margot reveals that Hostfully comes with a little extra baggage. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Nicole Verkindt. You'll find Margot's AMA hosted on the /r/Entrepreneur subreddit. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Max Pouvreau has built gourmet pudding company Petit Pot with his Michelin star background and scrappy customer acquisition. Now he wants VC backing to take it to the next level—and potentially a big acquisition. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Max Tuchman is on a roll with Caribu, an app that lets parents and kids read together virtually. But can she convince investors that early success will lead to future returns? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Michael Hyatt, Nicole Verkindt and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jared Kugel needs a million dollars to get Tire Agent up and running. But things get tense in the pitch room when investors start questioning the value of his company. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The U.S. immigration system is a bureaucratic nightmare. And it’s only getting worse. Founder Xiao Wang has a plan to solve that with his startup, Boundless. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When you think of cutting edge technology, it’s unlikely vending machines pop to mind. But Dawn Dickson has a plan to change that with her startup, PopCom. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Craft cocktails are all the rage—but they tend come with high price tags and long wait times. Swig + Swallow founder April Wachtel wants to bring the craft experience out of the bar and into your home. Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Nicole Verkindt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When Tye and Courtney Caldwell were having trouble renting space in their salon, they thought: why isn't there an app for this? So they created one, ShearShare. But can they convince investors that their skills will transfer from the barbershop to the boardroom? Today's investors are Jillian Manus, Phil Nadel, Daniel Gulati and Nicole Verkindt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Facebook is the undisputed king of social networks. But Cesar Kuriyama thinks his app, 1 Second Everyday, could topple the giant. If he’s going to do that, he’ll need some serious cash. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati and Michael Hyatt. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The surprising story of what happened to one startup after its founders pitched to investors—and thousands of listeners. Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, James Altucher, Daniel Gulati and Matteo Terrevazzi. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Maria Schneider wants to take physical therapy out of the clinic and into the home with the help of a small device. But is her technology the answer patients and doctors have been waiting for? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, James Altucher and Daniel Gulati. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When scientist Amado Guloy saw an opportunity to combine farm animals and big data, he traded the laboratory for the boardroom and created Rex Animal Health. But can he convince investors he’s got what it takes to make it in the business world? Today's investors are Phil Nadel, Jillian Manus, Daniel Gulati and Charles Hudson. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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

David Dicko is bringing virtual reality to the skies. It’s an ambitious plan, and he’s going to need $1.8 million to take off in a punishing market. Will the investors trust his team to succeed where so many others have failed? 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

Most of us stop thinking about our food scraps once we take the trash to the curb. Not so for Amanda Weeks, who started a food waste company designed to reduce harmful greenhouse gases. Now she just needs investors to get behind her plan to save the planet. 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