
Kruze Consulting's Founders and Friends Podcast for Startups
Top startup founders, venture capitalists, and advisors interviewed by Scott Orn of Kruze Consulting, the accounting firm to VC funded startups. Hear from startup founders about how they began their startup journeys, where they had challenges and the strategies that help them scale their businesses. VC’s discuss what they look for in a startup and their current technology investment thesis.
And technology recruiters, attorneys, real estate professionals and startup lenders share tactics that founders can use to win in today’s competitive market.
Latest episodes

Nov 20, 2024 • 23min
Westaway provides legal services to startups for fixed fees
Kyle Westaway of Westaway (https://westaway.com) discusses the law firm's startup-friendly products, including fixed-fee pricing for legal services.
Kruze Consulting (https://kruzeconsulting.com/#contact) is regularly reviewed as one of the preeminent providers of finance, accounting, tax and HR services to high-growth companies. For our offices in San Francisco, San Jose, Santa Monica, New York and now Austin, TX, our experienced team serves venture and seed backed companies in diverse industries from SaaS to biotech to hardware to eCommerce.

Nov 10, 2024 • 17min
Banc of California provides financing solutions to startups
Michael David of Banc of California (https://bancofcal.com) explains how Banc of California works with startups to deliver specialized banking services.
Kruze Consulting offers solid financials to help de-risk your startup's next venture capital round. Work with a startup expert! Kruze bookkeepers (https://kruzeconsulting.com/startup-bookkeeping) will help your startup have accurate, up-to-date financial statements that you can use to manage your business' growth and cash flow.

Nov 7, 2024 • 26min
Mercury CEO Immad Akhund on Building a Full-Stack Financial Platform
Immad Akhund, Mercury (https://mercury.com) CEO & Co-founder, discusses building a financial technology platform now profitably serving thousands of startups and businesses. Mercury is a fintech company, not an FDIC-insured bank; banking services are provided by Choice Financial Group, Column N.A., and Evolve Bank & Trust (Members FDIC); Mercury Treasury is offered through Mercury Advisory, LLC (an SEC-registered investment adviser).
Learn why Kruze Consulting is one of the leading accounting firms in San Francisco and Silicon Valley by serving funded, early-stage companies. Our clients have raised over $15 billion in venture capital and seed financing, and our research and development tax credit (https://kruzeconsulting.com/research-and-development-tax-credit-us) work has saved clients millions of dollars in burn rate and payroll taxes. Contact Kruze to learn more.

Oct 17, 2024 • 24min
Perplexity revolutionizes the way people discover information
AJ Audino of Perplexity (https://perplexity.ai) explains how the company is revolutionizing search engines by using AI.
Learn more about why we are one of the best accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms serving VC-backed companies by visiting the Kruze Consulting reviews page (https://kruzeconsulting.com/customer-reviews). Or, read the Kruze blog to see examples of the best VC pitch decks or learn what the average startup CEO salary is. Trust Kruze for great podcasts like this one, and other great content designed to help startup founders grow their businesses, raise capital and more.

Jul 22, 2024 • 25min
Citizens Private Bank delivers tailored banking to startups
Sam Heshmati of Citizens Private Bank (https://www.citizensbank.com/homepage.aspx) discusses their tailored banking solutions and high-touch service.
Find out why Kruze Consulting is one of the leading accounting firms in San Francisco and the US, serving funded, early-stage companies. Kruze clients have raised over $15 billion in venture capital and seed financing, and our research and development tax credit (https://kruzeconsulting.com/research-and-development-tax-credit-us) work has saved clients millions of dollars in burn rate and payroll taxes. Contact Kruze to learn more.

Jul 8, 2024 • 19min
Avidbank Focuses on Startup Banking Services
Sam Bhaumick, EVP of Venture Lending at Avidbank (https://www.avidbank.com), explains how Avidbank offers venture debt and cash management services to startups.
Learn more about why we are one of the best accounting, tax and bookkeeping firms serving VC-backed companies by visiting the Kruze Consulting reviews page. Or, visit the Kruze website to find information about the Best Startup Credit Cards or learn what the average startup CEO salary (https://kruzeconsulting.com/blog/post/startup-ceo-salary-report) is. Trust Kruze Consulting for great podcasts like this one, and other great content designed to help startup founders like you, grow their businesses, raise capital and more.

Jun 16, 2024 • 21min
HSBC Expands Their Startup Services
Sunita Patel, representing HSBC, discusses the bank's expanded services for startups after acquiring SVB UK. She highlights HSBC's strategic shift towards supporting early-stage companies with a dedicated team boasting over 10 years of experience. The conversation explores the importance of relationships within the startup ecosystem, emphasizing collaboration among startups and VCs. Sunita also addresses financing challenges and the mutual benefits of strong bank-startup partnerships, making a compelling case for HSBC as a reliable banking ally.

Jun 2, 2024 • 14min
Vimcal lets busy founders manage schedules efficiently
John Li of Vimcal (https://www.vimcal.com) explains how the software allows busy founders and executives to effectively and efficiently manage their schedules.
Kruze offers experienced M&A Accounting expertise for Startups. Founders building world-class startups trust Kruze Consulting to help them be prepared for financial and tax due diligence. We know what it takes to exit your company - on average, one to three of our clients are acquired every month! Talk to our experts (https://kruzeconsulting.com/#contact) and let them help you save time and money!

May 20, 2024 • 23min
Ascent Energy Ventures invests in startups focused on applying digital tools to the energy industry
David Forsberg of Ascent Energy Ventures (https://www.ascentev.com) discusses Ascent's unique investment focus on digital tools for the energy industry, and explains how he reviews potential investments.
Find out why Kruze Consulting is an experienced finance and accounting firm for startups in San Francisco, Silicon Valley, and the US. Our clients have raised over $15 billion in venture and seed financing (https://kruzeconsulting.com/startup-venture-capital-finance-experts), and our team knows how to navigate the VC diligence process. Get in touch with Kruze experts now!

May 6, 2024 • 55min
Pitch Guide is an AI tool that analyzes and improves pitch decks
Haje Kamps explains how Pitch Guide (https://pitch.guide), an AI tool that analyzes pitch decks, helps founders improve their fundraising pitches by suggesting improvements and enhancements.
Kruze Consulting is a leader in Startup Tax (https://kruzeconsulting.com/startup-taxes) Filings, Payroll Tax Savings from R&D Tax Credits, professional advice, and more! Find out why hundreds of seed and venture-funded startups trust Kruze Consulting’s tax experts, software, and process to save them time and hassle.
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