Riding Unicorns: Venture Capital | Entrepreneurship | Technology
Riding Unicorns is the go-to podcast for anyone interested in venture capital and high-growth startups. Hosted by VCs James Pringle and Hector Mason, the show explores what it takes to build and back successful tech unicorns.
Each episode features candid conversations with top founders, operators, and investors unpacking the strategies, challenges, and insights behind scaling category-defining companies. From fundraising and product-market fit to hiring, growth, and beyond, no topic is off-limits. Whether you're a founder, VC, angel investor, or just curious about the world of startups, you’ll find valuable takeaways in every episode.
Riding Unicorns: Venture Capital | Entrepreneurship | Technology
David von Rosen, Founder of Lottoland on Majority Stake Investing, Loving Risk, Dubai’s Energy, and the Steve Jobs Turtleneck Story
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James sits down with Dr. David von Rosen, the serial founder behind Lottoland and 25 Degrees, and the Principal of the VONROSEN family office, through which he invests globally and pan-sector in fast-growth pre-IPO startups.
David does not pretend to have one neat playbook. He prefers volatility, backs ideas that feel genuinely new, and invests like an operator, often taking a significant stake so he can get involved properly.
We talk about:
- Why David prefers fewer bets with bigger ownership
- How he thinks about hiring generalists and spotting motivation over credentials
- What most people misunderstand about risk, and how his relationship with risk has changed with age
- Why Dubai feels like a magnet for talent, capital, and momentum
- The origin story of Lottoland, and the clever regulatory workaround that made it possible
- His future unicorn pick: Tytan Technologies
- Dinner party guests, featuring Alex Honnold and Rihanna
Plus, a brilliant story from David’s past: how his fashion brand ended up on Steve Jobs during an Apple WWDC keynote, and what happened next.
If you like founder psychology, unconventional investing, and real operator stories, you’ll enjoy this one.
