Kingscrowd Podcast

Brian Belley and senior investment associate Teddy Lyons dig into the rise of retail allocations in IPOs—from directed share programs (DSPs) at Lyft/Uber/Airbnb/Rivian/Reddit to broader retail windows via brokerages (e.g., FIGS, Robinhood, Bullish). They unpack why consumer-brand IPOs led the way and whether B2B/pharma could follow. The pair then connect public-market signals (e.g., headline short...

This week, Brian Belley and Scott Kitun unpack the biggest private-markets headlines: Morgan Stanley’s move into secondaries via a leading pre-IPO platform, the surge of H1 2025 secondary volume past $100B (with Evercore on 52%), and why that matters for liquidity. We also break down the Republic “MIRA tokens” model—how mirror/forward exposure differs from owning shares, accreditation/filings nuan...

What actually happened to exits and failures in investment crowdfunding—and how should investors react? In this episode, Brian Belley and Scott Kitun unpack Kingscrowd's latest dataset (650+ recorded outcomes through Q4-to-date 2025). We cover how 2023’s spike in shutdowns/bankruptcies cooled in 2024–2025, why exit volumes remain muted, and the macro and operator realities behind both (rates, liqu...

Register free for ICW25: kingscrowd.com/icw25 This week on the kingscrowd podcast, Brian Belley and Scott Kitun break down Robinhood’s proposed NYSE-traded venture fund —how it differs from interval funds, why it could trade at a premium/discount to NAV , and what this might unlock (or disrupt) for retail investors. Then, Teddy Lyons joins to cover an acquisition update: Healthcare Originals (HCO)...

Save your spot for ICW25 (free): kingscrowd.com/icw25 This week, Brian Belley and Scott Kitun go rapid-fire on the biggest shifts bringing private markets to retail — and preview investment crowdfunding week (ICW25) , a four-day virtual event from Kingscrowd (Sept 29–Oct 2). In this episode: Republic’s SpaceX “Mirror” token (506(c), accredited only) and the broader tokenization push Nasdaq’s filin...

This week’s Kingscrowd podcast spotlights Investment Crowdfunding Week (Sept 29–Oct 2) —a multi-day, retail-first event where founders meet capital and investors meet opportunity. Brian Belley and Scott Kitun preview sessions on today’s evolving paths to the public markets (Reg A, mini-IPOs, tokenized securities, and the late-stage access retail increasingly wants), noting the timely backdrop of b...

This week on the Kingscrowd Podcast, Brian Belley, Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau, and Teddy Lyons break down where equity crowdfunding dollars are flowing across the U.S. by city and state over the past 18 months. Expect familiar hubs like Boston, San Francisco, and Los Angeles, but also surprises like Las Vegas and Denver/Boulder . Teddy then reviews Foment Bio , a biotech startup developing non-viral g...

The latest Kingscrowd Podcast dives into three major developments for private market investors. The team dissects Boxabl’s $3.5B SPAC deal and the implications for different classes of crowdfunding shareholders. They explore pending House bills that could expand accredited investor qualifications beyond wealth thresholds, opening up new opportunities for informed retail investors. And they unpack...

In this week's Kingscrowd Podcast , Scott Kitun takes over as host, joined by Kingscrowd's Brian Belley, Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau, and Teddy Lyons, for an engaging conversation about an emerging trend: investing directly in individuals—such as YouTube creators and professional athletes. The team dives into platforms like Gigastar , CrowdSurf , and Finlete , examining how these companies let retail i...

On this week's Kingscrowd Podcast, Brian Belley and Senior Investment Associate Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau discuss Substack's recent Series C funding at a $1.1 billion valuation—what it means for retail investors who participated in their 2023 Wefunder round. Later, they break down Kingscrowd’s H1 2025 Crowdfunding Industry Report, highlighting key investment trends, the resurgence of Reg A+ raises, a...

On this week's Kingscrowd Podcast , Brian Belley and Scott Kitun dive into SoFi's latest announcement offering private market opportunities like Fundrise and ARK Invest to everyday retail investors. Later, Senior Investment Associate Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau joins to discuss Gigastar, an innovative platform allowing retail investors to back YouTube creators through revenue-sharing tokens. They explo...

This week's Kingscrowd Podcast discusses the rise of tokenized equities and Republic's new Mirror Tokens. Brian, Scott, and Teddy break down the opportunities and hidden risks for retail investors looking to access big-name private companies through tokens, and debate whether this innovation is truly beneficial or a risky bet.

In this week's Kingscrowd Podcast, Brian, Scott, Léa, and Teddy explore unexpected investor risks in crowdfunding, sharing real stories of IPOs and acquisitions that didn’t go as planned for investors. Plus, the team analyzes why some pre-revenue startups get high valuations—and what it means for your investments.  

This week on the Kingscrowd Podcast, the team shares highlights from the recent Atlanta Startup Showcase, featuring pitches from high-potential companies like Doc2Doc Lending, RISE Robotics, Healthcare Originals, and Vegetable + Butcher. Plus, Léa reveals fresh data on platform switching among repeat crowdfunding issuers—uncovering why startups move between major equity crowdfunding platforms and...

In this week's episode of the Kingscrowd Podcast, Brian Belley, Scott Kitun, Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau, and Teddy Lyons cover: Key takeaways from the SEC's newly released Reg CF crowdfunding report and what data is missing. The realities and implications of asset sales as an exit strategy for startups, using Hello Woofy as a recent example. A detailed deal review of Siren Biotechnology, a groundbreak...

In this week’s Kingscrowd Podcast, Brian Belley, Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau, and Teddy Lyons explore down rounds —funding rounds at reduced valuations—and their impact on investors. While commonly viewed negatively, down rounds can offer strategic investment opportunities when understood in context. They examine real-world examples, including Elemental Health, to explain how investors should approach...

On the latest episode of the Kingscrowd Podcast, host Brian Belley teams up with Senior Investment Associates Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau and Teddy Lyons, along with industry expert Scott Kitun, to explore startup valuations and learn lessons from a recently failed startup. Segment 1: Revenue Multiples by Industry (2025 Update) The Kingscrowd team examines the latest data on revenue multiples, offering...

  On this week’s episode of the Kingscrowd Podcast, host Brian Belley is joined by senior investment associates Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau and Teddy Lyons for a three-segment deep dive: Segment 1: Rating Equity Crowdfunding Platforms Kingscrowd's Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau presents fresh data on how major equity crowdfunding platforms—including Republic, StartEngine, Wefunder, and niche players like Honey...

In this episode of the Kingscrowd Podcast, host Brian Belley is joined by industry insider and The Scott Show host Scott Kitun to discuss the fundamental shift in venture capital as traditional "venture factory" models collapse. Hear insights from Scott’s conversation with Sam Lessin (founder of Slow Ventures ) about the rise of "Zombie Unicorns," why IPO pathways are stalled, and how the new "Reg...

On this special episode of the Kingscrowd Podcast, we're joined by Gerry Hays, founder and CEO of Doriot. Gerry shares the vision behind Venture Staking , a new model designed to revolutionize early-stage investing by allowing investors to secure future investment rights at minimal upfront costs. Later, Kingscrowd’s Senior Investment Associate Teddy Lyons breaks down the latest healthcare and phar...

This special Kingscrowd Podcast episode features founder & CEO Chris Lustrino discussing Kingscrowd’s strategic acquisition of CrowdCheck. Learn how combining CrowdCheck’s industry-leading regulatory expertise with Kingscrowd’s data-driven advisory platform creates a groundbreaking solution for startup founders navigating Regulation CF and Regulation A raises. Chris also shares insights into the v...

In this week's Kingscrowd Podcast, Brian Belley shares exclusive insights straight from the SEC’s recent Small Business Forum . Get the inside track on potential regulatory shifts—including higher Reg CF and Reg A+ funding caps—and what these changes mean for private investors and startup founders. Plus,  Léa Bouhelier-Gautreau and Teddy Lyons dive into how recent tariff uncertainty is impacting U...

In this week's Kingscrowd Podcast episode: Reg CF Trends in March: Brian and Scott dive into the significant uptick in Reg CF funding, analyzing March's $44 million raise—up 58% month-over-month—and exploring its implications against the backdrop of recent public market volatility. Public vs. Private Market Investing: Scott discusses the benefits of diversification into private markets during turb...

In this week's Kingscrowd Podcast: Newsmax IPO Analysis: The team breaks down Newsmax's unprecedented Reg A+ IPO, its explosive first-day trading activity, and implications for the online private market. Tax Season Essentials: Brian and Teddy dive into the nuances of LLCs versus C-Corporations, discussing tax implications, K-1 forms, and the QSBS tax benefit. 00:00 Introduction 01:03 Darren Marble...

Women Funding Gap Chart: https://kingscrowd.com/article/the-deal-funding-gap-for-women-founders-explained Hamilton Lane + Republic Infrastructure Fund: https://republic.com/hamilton-lane-private-infrastructure-fund Hamilton Lane & Republic Partnership: Scott Kitun details the innovative partnership between Hamilton Lane and Republic, democratizing private equity investment in infrastructure for re...