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Why Women’s Health, Parenting, and Sports Are the Next Big Bets in Venture ft. Rachel Springate

Sep 9, 2025

Rachel Springate, Co-Founder & General Partner of Muse Capital, shares her journey from luxury partnerships to venture capital, focusing on neglected areas like women’s health and parenting. She discusses the unique challenges in investing in women's health, emphasizing the potential of AI and proprietary data. Rachel also highlights the exciting opportunities in women's sports and the importance of authentic partnerships. Tune in for insights on avoiding hype-driven investing and supporting recession-proof markets.

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ANECDOTE

Dealroom Introductions Sparked A Partnership

Rachel met her future partner Asya while negotiating a deal between a startup and Spotify and spent a year working against each other on that deal.
Their complementary skills and trust from that long negotiation led them to start a consultancy and eventually Muse Capital.

ADVICE

Only Activate Talent When Authentic And Ready

Do pursue celebrity partnerships only when the alignment is authentic and the talent has personal conviction in the product.
Do wait until your product and operations can handle the inbound demand before activating talent.

ANECDOTE

Personal Health Crisis Shaped The Thesis

Asia's breast cancer diagnosis and Rachel's caregiving experience together catalyzed their focus on healthcare and women's health.
That personal experience led them to found Muse and pursue overlooked care opportunities.

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What does it take to raise and run a venture fund focused on the overlooked—and why women’s health, parenting, and sports are the future?

In this episode, Mike sits down with Rachel Springate, Co-Founder & General Partner of Muse Capital, to unpack her journey from luxury partnerships and entertainment to building a venture capital firm with a mission. Rachel shares how she and her partner Assia uncovered their thesis through personal experience, why women’s health remains one of the most underserved opportunities in venture, and how Muse balances investing in overlooked sectors with the hype cycles of AI and beyond.

Here’s what you’ll learn:

✅ How Rachel’s career in partnerships and entertainment shaped her investing style

✅ Why Muse Capital doubled down on women’s health long before it was popular

✅ What LPs really said when Rachel and Asya pitched Fund I—and how they overcame it

✅ How Muse approaches partnerships with celebrities and Fortune 500s authentically

✅ Why proprietary data in women’s health and family tech is a hidden AI moat

✅ The thinking behind Muse Sport and investing in women’s sports + SailGP

✅ How to avoid hype-driven investing and focus on recession-proof markets

✅ Rachel’s one-sentence mission for Muse: “Investing in companies that should exist”

👉 If you’re a founder, investor, or operator navigating consumer, healthcare, or sports in 2025, this episode is packed with insights you won’t want to miss.

Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:00 Rachel’s path from luxury partnerships to venture

06:00 The authentic way to approach celebrity + startup partnerships

11:00 Founding Muse Capital & the personal experience that shaped its thesis

16:00 Raising Fund I with a contrarian focus on women’s health

22:00 How Muse filters noise from venture hype cycles

27:00 Early conviction in MIDI Health and spotting overlooked opportunities

35:00 How Muse helps portfolio companies through partnerships

38:00 The origin of Muse Sport and investing in women’s teams & leagues

44:00 The SailGP Italia story & sports investing strategy

47:00 Books Rachel recommends (professional & personal)

50:00 Muse’s mission distilled

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