Georgina Nelson: From Leveraged Finance Lawyer to a Billion-Rating Founder

Georgina Nelson: From Leveraged Finance Lawyer to a Billion-Rating Founder

From psychology to leveraged finance law to scaling a billion-rating startup across continents – Georgina Nelson holds nothing back. Georgina is the founder of TruRating, the real-time consumer transaction data company behind 1 billion+ verified ratings, built with ~$40M raised through a deliberately unconventional path. In this episode, David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Georgina to unpack the unfiltered reality of taking a UK company into the US: why she chose Atlanta over New York and Silicon Valley, the "euphoria-then-ghosting" cycle that catches every founder off guard, the at-will employment shock, and how she keeps one culture alive across multiple continents. Plus the origin story you won't forget – including buying the trurating.com domain hours after her C-section. In this episode: * Why she left "the safety" to build TruRating * Using Australia as a "Petri dish" before the US * Raising ~$40M through angels and family offices – not the traditional VC route * The neurochemistry of founders and "delusional optimism" * Why Atlanta: payments, talent, and cost * Loneliness, culture, and finding your "American character" * Being a British female founder in the US * The euphoria → ghosting go-to-market trap * At-will employment and the pace of US hiring * The hardest lesson no playbook teaches 🔗 CONNECT WITH Georgina Nelson LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-nelson-11ab0631 [https://www.linkedin.com/in/georgina-nelson-11ab0631] TruRating ⮕ https://trurating.com [https://trurating.com] 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose] 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley] 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI  This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion, from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co [https://www.usxp.co] Scaling Stateside ⮕ https://www.scaling-stateside.com [https://www.scaling-stateside.com] 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #ScalingStateside #DeepTech #VentureCapital #EuropeanFounders #USExpansion #PreSeed #FlyVentures #StartupPodcast

Why European Founders Are Afraid to Sell the Future (And How to Fix It) | Deep Tech Investor Matt Wichrowski | Fly Ventures Partner

In this episode of the Scaling Stateside podcast, David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Matt Wichrowski, Partner at Fly Ventures — a first-check VC built for technical founders that other funds are afraid to back. Matt splits his time between California and London and has spent over a decade at the heart of European deep tech, from Entrepreneur First to co-leading the pre-seed round of WAVE, one of the UK's most ambitious autonomous vehicle companies. This one is packed with insight for any technical founder thinking about raising or expanding to the US. What we cover: - The "animal founder" — what VCs are really looking for and why there are no metrics for it - Why European founders go to the US too late — and why the staggered approach no longer works - How Fly Ventures does technical due diligence when there's no product, no revenue and no comps - Pre-seed valuation explained simply: why it's more like valuing art than running a DCF - The cultural gap between US and European founders — and why Americans learn to sell in kindergarten - Why the founder must be first on the ground in the US, every time - What to prioritise if you're 12 months away from making the move - Matt's advice for deep tech founders just getting started 👇 Don't forget to subscribe for more insights on scaling your startup in the US! 📍 KEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Introduction 01:16 Meet Matt Wichrowski & Fly Ventures 02:00 First paying job 03:21 From Chicago to London: the transatlantic journey 06:55 Why European capital holds founders back 09:24 The animal founder — what great looks like 14:00 Fly Ventures' investment thesis explained 17:15 Deep tech timelines and what you tell LPs 19:29 How to do technical due diligence at pre-seed 21:34 Best sources of deal flow 25:15 What to do 12 months before moving to the US 31:04 US vs European founders: the biggest differences 33:59 Coaching reserved technical founders to sell 36:40 How VCs think about pre-seed valuation 40:40 Advice for deep tech founders just starting out 44:05 Events, sourcing and how to get on Matt's radar ABOUT OUR GUEST: MATT WICHROWSKI Matt Wichrowski is a Partner at Fly Ventures, a first-check pre-seed VC built for technical founders that other funds are afraid to back. Originally from Chicago, Matt has been embedded in the European startup ecosystem since 2015 — starting at Entrepreneur First, and now splitting his time between California and London as part of Fly's transatlantic investment approach. At Fly, Matt focuses primarily on deep tech and frontier technology — backing founders building at the cutting edge of what's possible, from autonomous vehicles to robotics to biotech. He co-led the pre-seed round of WAVE, one of the UK's most ambitious autonomous vehicle companies, and has spent years cultivating one of the strongest deep tech networks across the US and Europe. Outside of investing, Matt writes the Reshare newsletter, where he shares what he's reading and thinking about across frontier technology. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Wichrowski LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mattwichrowski Site ⮕ https://www.mattwichrowski.com  Fly Ventures ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/company/fly-venture 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/ 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion — from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co Scaling Stateside ⮕ https://www.scaling-stateside.com  🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #ScalingStateside #DeepTech #VentureCapital #EuropeanFounders #USExpansion #PreSeed #FlyVentures #StartupPodcast

Scaling Stateside — 10 Episodes In: What We've Learned & Where We Go Next

David and Matt sit down to reflect on Season 1 of Scaling Stateside — 10 episodes of real conversations with founders who've expanded to the US and VCs who are funding that journey.  In this episode, they talk about what they've learned, what surprised them, and the patterns they keep seeing across every conversation. They also share some big news: Scaling Stateside is evolving from a podcast into a full platform — with live events, workshops, a US Readiness Assessment tool, and partners including Wilson Sonsini, HSBC Innovation Banking, and Frazier Deeter.  If you're a European founder thinking about US expansion or raising from US VCs, this is the episode that lays out where we've been and where we're going. 🗓 First live event: US VC Fundraising Workshop — April 21st, London  🔗 Register at scaling-stateside.com 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose  LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley  LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/ 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI  This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion—from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co/ 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #SeriesA #SiliconValley #TechFounders #ScalingStateSide #DelawareFlip

Raising a Series A in 2026: What US Investors Actually Want | Daniel Glazer | Wilson Sonsini

Are you a UK or EU founder trying to raise venture capital in the US? You might be pitching the wrong numbers. In this episode of Scaling State Side, David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Daniel Glazer, Head of the London Office and US Expansion Team at Wilson Sonsini. Dan breaks down the exact math Silicon Valley VCs use to evaluate startups, the critical differences between US and European term sheets, and whether or not you *actually* need to do a Delaware Flip to secure funding in 2026. If you are planning to cross the pond to raise your Series A, this episode is your ultimate playbook for navigating American VC culture, dilution norms, and founder revesting clauses. ABOUT OUR GUEST: DANIEL GLAZER Daniel Glazer is the Founding Partner of Wilson Sonsini’s London office and Head of the firm's U.S. Expansion Group. As a leading American technology lawyer, Dan specializes in helping high-growth UK and European startups successfully navigate their U.S. life cycle, from initial expansion and securing Silicon Valley venture capital, to navigating U.S. exits (M&A/IPO). With decades of experience, he is the ultimate bridge for international founders looking to decode American VC norms and scale stateside. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Daniel Glazer LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcglazer/ Wilson Sonsini ⮕ https://www.wsgr.com/en/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/ 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/  🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion — from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co/  🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way. #VentureCapital #StartupFunding #SeriesA #SiliconValley #TechFounders #ScalingStateSide #DelawareFlip

How a UK Founder Got A16Z to Fly to London (And Invest) | Riya Grover | Sequence

In this episode of Scaling Stateside, David Rose and Matt Oxley sit down with Riya Grover, the serial entrepreneur behind the food-tech startup Feeder (successfully exited) and the current Co-Founder and CEO of Sequence. Riya breaks down the raw reality of building a US category leader from London, the intentional shift away from "dead" cold outbound sales motions, and the distinct mindset required to pitch—and win—tier-1 Silicon Valley venture capital like Andreessen Horowitz (a16z). If you’ve ever wondered how to crack the hyper-competitive US market, or whether to make that crucial jump across the pond to build a local cultural hub, this conversation is for you. 📍 KEY TOPICS & TIMESTAMPS 00:00 Intro & Riya’s early "hustle years"  04:29 From Oxford and Investment Banking to Tech  07:31 The accidental genius: How internal software led to her first exit  11:17 The founding of Sequence and solving the B2B billing nightmare  17:44 Why you can’t win the US from Europe (and opening a NY HQ)  25:09 "Cold outbound is dead": Modern B2B GTM strategies  34:08 How a UK startup got A16Z on their cap table  36:08 The biggest differences between pitching US vs. UK VCs  39:30 Riya's top advice for founders raising US capital ABOUT RIYA GROVER Riya Grover is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sequence, a B2B finance automation platform that helps teams streamline their order-to-cash and accounts receivable processes using flexible, AI-native software. A serial entrepreneur, Riya previously founded and successfully exited Feeder, a B2B food marketplace, where an internal software tool ultimately drove the company's acquisition value. Known for her highly intentional go-to-market strategies and strong leadership, Riya successfully transitioned from a traditional investment banking career (post-Oxford and Harvard Business School) into building venture-backed tech companies. Today, she leads Sequence across dual headquarters in London and New York, building a global category leader backed by top-tier investors like Andreessen Horowitz. 🔗 CONNECT WITH Riya Grover LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/riya-grover-a22a4822/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/riya-grover-a22a4822/] Sequence ⮕ https://www.sequencehq.com/ [https://www.sequencehq.com/] 🔗 CONNECT WITH David Rose LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidbrose/] 🔗 CONNECT WITH Matt Oxley LinkedIn ⮕ https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/ [https://www.linkedin.com/in/mdoxley/] 🏢 POWERED BY WILSON SONSINI  This episode is powered by Wilson Sonsini, the leading law firm for technology and growth companies. Wilson Sonsini helps European founders navigate US expansion — from entity formation and regulatory compliance to VC fundraising and M&A. Their deep cross-border expertise ensures you structure it right from day one. US Expansion Partners ⮕ https://www.usxp.co/ [https://www.usxp.co/] 🔔 Subscribe for more conversations on scaling to the US the right way.