Key Topics Covered:

• How AI is creating frictionless, “walk-in-and-go” retail experiences for modern consumers
• The challenge of legacy systems and how Tote is modernising retail without costly hardware upgrades
• Lessons from building and scaling startups, including culture, hiring, and staying efficient in high-growth environments

We cover:

1. How AI coaching platforms help professionals improve sales, communication, and leadership skills.
2. The role of simulation and real-time feedback in modern training.
3. How organisations can use AI to scale learning and develop stronger teams.

🎙️ A great conversation for anyone interested in AI, leadership development, and the future of workplace training.

We cover:

1. How Rocketlane helps professional services teams plan, manage, and deliver projects in one unified platform
2. The rise of AI agents and how they’re transforming service delivery, documentation, and execution
3. Lessons from building and scaling a category-defining SaaS company in the age of AI

🎙️ A must-watch conversation for founders, operators, and anyone building or scaling services-driven businesses.

We cover:

1. How AI-powered fact-checking works and why misinformation spreads so easily online
2. The role of AI in detecting false or misleading content at scale
3. The future of truth, free speech, and trust in the age of algorithms

Sandeep shares how Precanto’s AI-powered analyst helps enterprises forecast, plan, and answer budget questions in real time-freeing finance teams from manual reporting and enabling them to focus on strategy. We also dive into real customer results, the future of FP&A as a service, and lessons from building an AI startup as a first-time founder.

Key topics:

1. AI-driven forecasting and FP&A
2. 30–40% productivity gains for finance teams
3. Self-serve financial insights for business leaders
4. Founder lessons on scaling and resilience

David breaks down real-world use cases across finance, telecom, and emerging sectors, discusses the growing risks around AI misuse, deepfakes, and unsafe deployments, and offers a forward-looking perspective on where AI security is heading as agents and physical AI become more common. Key topics covered in this episode:

1. AI security, red teaming, and building guardrails for enterprise AI systems
2. The future of AI agents, physical AI, and emerging security risks
3. Real-world use cases in regulated industries like finance and telecom
4. Founder insights on fundraising, scaling teams, and building in a new category

If you’re building with AI, investing in AI, or simply curious about how the future of AI will be kept safe, this is an episode you don’t want to miss.

Quentin shares his journey from investment banking to entrepreneurship and explains how Mendo is solving one of the biggest challenges in AI today: driving real adoption inside companies. In this episode, they discuss:

1. Building Mendo before the AI boom and evolving with the market
2. Helping employees adopt AI through in-flow learning and gamification
3. Scaling strong company culture with near-zero turnover
4. Fundraising, growth, and expanding into the US
5. Advice for founders: talk to users early and often

A must-listen for founders, operators, and anyone navigating the future of work with AI.

A few things we covered:

• Sandra's journey to founding Plurall AI
• Why companies are pivoting to these research methods.
• How the future of Deep-Fakes / Cybersecurity looks with AI being introduced.
• How Sandra has been on both sides of the Deep-Fake world.

A few things we covered:

• Addy's journey into founding Cashew.
• Why companies are pivoting to these research methods.
• How the future of consumer insights looks with AI being introduced.

We dive into:

•⁠ ⁠The rise of deepfakes and AI-powered fraud

•⁠ ⁠How SLMs deliver privacy, speed, and reliability where LLMs fail

•⁠ ⁠Why chip shortages shouldn’t prevent national security

•⁠ ⁠Building mission-driven teams in high-stakes environments

•⁠ ⁠Yagub's personal journey as a repeat founder obsessed with trust, safety, and impact

Whether you're an AI builder, founder, or simply curious about the future of security, this episode delivers clarity within chaos, straight from one of the sharpest minds in the field.

• Why pre-emptive cybersecurity is the future.
• Majority of breaches are a known factor to that company.
• Tina's journey into founding CyDeploy
• How the Pre-emptive market will excel with AI being introduced.

Welcome to Sastra Spotlight - a podcast exploring the real stories behind building and backing great startups.

Tanya Sethi and Brodie Reid-Owen are sitting down with the founders bringing bold ideas to life and the VCs who bet on them early.

If you’re a founder, startup operator, early-stage investor, or just someone who loves hearing how ideas become impact - this podcast is for you!

Follow Sastra Spotlight and join us as we explore the intersection of people, capital, and possibility.