Raising venture capital in 2026 looks nothing like it did three years ago. Seed-strapped companies are hitting $6M ARR in six months. Pre-ChatGPT portfolios are re-platforming from scratch.

Matt Cohen, Founder and Managing Partner of Ripple Ventures, has backed 55+ companies through 13 exits since launching the firm. He joins Amar Varma on Mantle Mondays to break down what's actually getting funded right now — and what isn't.

00:00 Introduction to Venture Capital and Founder's Journey

05:54 The Evolution of Ripple Ventures and Investment Philosophy

12:09 The Importance of Long-Term Commitment in Venture Capital

17:37 The Role of Founders in Shaping the Future of Technology

23:41 Success Stories and Lessons Learned from Portfolio Companies

31:12 Navigating AI and Infrastructure in Tech

39:32 The Role of Relationships in Venture Capital

44:2 Personal Insights and Community Engagement

What does it actually take to manage wealth well after an exit?In this episode of Mantle Mondays, Chris Canavan, the General Manager for post-exit founders, breaks down how founders should think about managing post-exit wealth — from preparing your personal finances before liquidity to handling the operational, emotional, and strategic complexity that shows up after the deal closes.

AI makes it easier to ship. Ashok Sivanand, founder and former CEO of Integral, explains why that can be dangerous if founders confuse output with progress.In this Mantle Mondays conversation, Ashok breaks down how lean product teams actually win: identify the constraint, sequence the bottlenecks, and tie every prototype to a real business outcome. 00:00 Intro01:17 Ashok’s origin story05:18 Efficiency vs. effectiveness07:56 Silent killers before Series A17:18 AI experimentation and false progress21:56 Build vs. buy in the AI era27:43 The hidden cost of building in-house32:38 What Ashok is optimistic about34:23 Rapid fire