In this episode of the Unicorn Ventures Podcast, we sit down with Steve Torso, Founder of Wholesale Investor and CapitalHQ, to unpack what’s really broken in private capital markets — and what founders, fund managers, and advisors must do differently to raise capital successfully in 2026 and beyond.

With over 16 years at the centre of private capital ecosystems, Steve has helped connect more than 45,000+ high-net-worth investors, family offices, venture capital firms, and professional investors with companies and funds across Australia, Singapore, the UK, India, and global markets. In this conversation, he cuts through the noise and explains why most capital raises fail long before investors say no.

A central theme of the episode is infrastructure.

Steve explains why capital raising breaks down when founders treat it as a series of disconnected conversations rather than a structured system. Fragmented investor communication, repeated due diligence questions, poor information flow, and inconsistent follow-up quietly erode trust and momentum — even when the opportunity itself is strong.

This is exactly the problem CapitalHQ was built to solve: an AI-powered operating system for capital raising, investor relations, M&A, and business sales. The platform enables founders and fund managers to centralise deal information, streamline due diligence, automate investor updates, and focus on high-quality conversations instead of administrative drag.

The episode also explores how AI and automation are reshaping private capital markets — not by replacing relationships, but by strengthening them. Intelligent deal rooms, analytics, investor engagement tools, and matchmaking technology are fast becoming essential as private credit, succession-driven exits, and global investor access accelerate.

• Why repeated investor questions signal poor information architecture

• How to structure a capital raise so investors can self-educate without friction

• What serious investors look for before committing capital

• How to build long-term investor relationships instead of transactional raises

• Why capital raising is becoming an operational discipline, not a sales exercise

The conversation also highlights the ongoing role of Wholesale Investor in curating high-quality investment opportunities and hosting leading private capital events, including Emergence, Venture & Capital, and sector-specific showcases across life sciences, healthcare, renewables, fintech, SaaS, private credit, and scale-up innovation.

This episode is essential listening for founders, CEOs, fund managers, advisors, and operators who want to raise capital with clarity, credibility, and confidence — while positioning their business for the next decade of private markets.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

• Why repeated investor questions signal poor information architecture

• How to structure a capital raise so investors can self-educate without friction

• What serious investors look for before committing capital

• How to build long-term investor relationships instead of transactional raises

• Why capital raising is becoming an operational discipline, not a sales exercise

The conversation also highlights the ongoing role of Wholesale Investor in curating high-quality investment opportunities and hosting leading private capital events, including Emergence, Venture & Capital, and sector-specific showcases across life sciences, healthcare, renewables, fintech, SaaS, private credit, and scale-up innovation.

This episode is essential listening for founders, CEOs, fund managers, advisors, and operators who want to raise capital with clarity, credibility, and confidence — while positioning their business for the next decade of private markets.

Most founders think marketing and PR are cost centers.
That mindset quietly destroys valuations.

In this episode of Unicorn Investors Network, we sit down with Jonathan Englert, founder of AndIron, to unpack how strategic storytelling directly drives revenue, trust, and exit value — and why AI has just made communications mission-critical for startups.

Jonathan shares real-world examples where clear, disciplined storytelling added an estimated $10M to a company’s exit, why founders often become the biggest bottleneck to growth, and how LLMs like ChatGPT now shape your startup’s narrative whether you participate or not.

If you’re a founder, operator, or investor navigating growth, fundraising, or AI disruption — this conversation is essential.

• Why marketing & communications are revenue drivers, not expenses

• The hidden way founders become a “toxic handbrake” on their own company

• How premature PR and rushed announcements permanently damage credibility

• Why AI models trust third-party media more than your website

• How to build a core story that scales across products, markets, and funding rounds

• Why AndIron replaces hourly billing with aligned incentives and equity

Large Language Models don’t return links — they return narratives.

That means:

• Your media footprint = your AI-generated reputation

• Consistent third-party coverage increases AI recommendation likelihood by 3–5x

• Startups without a clear story risk being misrepresented or invisible

This episode explains how founders can actively shape their AI story instead of reacting to it.

Jonathan Englert is the founder of AndIron, a strategic storytelling firm partnering with founders to build category-defining companies.
With a background in journalism (Columbia University, The New York Times) and startup scale-ups, Jonathan helps companies turn narrative clarity into measurable enterprise value.

Unicorn Investors Network connects founders, operators, and investors to real conversations about scaling companies, securing capital, and building long-term value — without hype, fluff, or pitch decks.

00:00 – Why founders misunderstand marketing
05:30 – The “toxic handbrake” founder mindset
14:10 – How bad PR permanently damages startups
24:45 – Strategic storytelling as a valuation lever
38:20 – AI, LLMs, and the future of brand trust
52:00 – AndIron’s equity-aligned model

Startup growth • Founder mindset • Strategic storytelling • AI & investing • Venture capital • Exit strategy

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If this episode made you rethink how you tell your startup’s story, share it with another founder.

🎯 What You’ll Learn🤖 Why This Matters in the Age of AI🧠 About the Guest🚀 About Unicorn Investors Network⏱️ Chapters (Optional – Add Timestamps After Edit)🔔 Subscribe for More Conversations On:

What does scaling really look like behind the numbers?

Boards, capital, governance — and a rare, grounded discussion on medicinal cannabis with Brett Schwarz.

In this episode of Unicorn Ventures, host Sean Scoffield sits down with Brett Schwarz — a rare operator who has worked across the full spectrum of business: founder, CFO, CEO, board director, and capital strategist.

Brett has helped raise more than $75 million, guided companies through IPOs, scaled businesses from early-stage to $90M+ in revenue, and rebuilt organisations facing operational, financial, and governance pressure.

This conversation goes well beyond surface-level business advice.

IN THIS EPISODE, WE EXPLORE:

• What scaling really looks like behind the numbers

• How boards actually function — and where founders get it wrong

• The realities of raising capital without losing strategic control

• The hidden risks and responsibilities that come with growth

• A thoughtful, commercially grounded discussion on medicinal cannabis — including regulation, business models, and long-term viability

Rather than hype or shortcuts, this episode focuses on decision-making under pressure, governance maturity, and building sustainable businesses that last.

If you’re a founder, CEO, or executive navigating complexity — or evaluating your next strategic move — this episode is designed to help you think more clearly, not faster.

WHY THIS EPISODE MATTERS

Most business conversations focus on growth.

Very few explore the trade-offs, risks, and decisions that determine whether growth actually creates value.

This episode is for leaders who care about:

• Commercial outcomes over noise

• Clarity before execution

• Long-term advantage, not short-term wins

LISTEN IF YOU’RE ASKING:

• How do boards really influence company outcomes?

• What should founders understand before raising capital?

• How do experienced operators think about risk and responsibility?

• What does sustainable scaling actually require?

• How does medicinal cannabis operate as a regulated, commercial industry?

🎧 Subscribe to Unicorn Ventures for grounded conversations with founders, operators, and investors who have actually built, scaled, and sustained meaningful businesses.

💬 If this episode sparked a thought or challenged your perspective, join the conversation in the comments.