“The VC Shine Has Worn Off”: Debating If and How to Raise

“They Asked Me to Take This Off My Deck” — On Building in Femtech

Femtech is one of those terms everyone uses and no one quite agrees on. Is it a category? A movement? A funding thesis? This episode is a collaboration with the FemTech Real Money Talks podcast. We brought together Elena Lipilina — host, and founder of a femtech startup herself — and Mayra Hurtado, leader of Femtech Mexico and founder in her own right. Together we get into the big questions: where the money in femtech actually flows, what's blocking it, why the category is so hard to define — and whether emerging markets are the next frontier. Because if the term is still confusing, the opportunity isn't. *** Listen to the FemTech Real Money Talks wherever you get your podcasts: https://kite.link/femtech-real-money-talks [https://kite.link/femtech-real-money-talks] *** Contact us:  Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com *** Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 [https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125] *** Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ *** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw== [https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw==] *** Youtube: https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0 [https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0] *** This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio

Building in Public: The Business Asset You're Not Using Yet

Fifteen years ago, we had no idea who was behind the brands we used. Today, the game has changed — and your online presence can be one of your biggest business assets. Building in public lets you attract future customers before your product even exists, test product-market fit without heavy investment, and connect with exactly the right people at the right time. In this episode, we sit down with a founder and a communications expert who have both built their online brands with intention — to talk strategy, missteps, and everything in between. *** Contact us:  Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com *** Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 [https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125] *** Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ *** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw== [https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw==] *** Youtube: https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0 [https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0] *** This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio

Raising Capital in LATAM and MENA: ‘‘You Need Money to Get Money’’

When it comes to funding in emerging markets, different rules apply. This episode, we brought a founder from Egypt, a founder from Brazil, and a European investor to uncover just that. How do the options — and the odds — shift between Europe, LATAM, and MENA? What are the unwritten rules? And how do founders keep building when capital is scarce and ecosystems are still taking shape? The silver lining? Tough conditions make resilient businesses.  *** Contact us:  Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com *** Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 [https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125] *** Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ *** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw== [https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw==] *** Youtube: https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0 [https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0] *** This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio

Shutting Down a Startup: Legal and Emotional Survival Guide

We talk so much about fundraising, scaling, and exits. But almost never about what happens when you realise it’s not going to work. So where do you go from there? How do you handle the guilt, the investor conversations, the legal details, and the reality of closing a company — financially, professionally, and personally? In this episode of Women in the Building, we’re joined by an investor who has backed over 200 companies and a competition law expert who’s also been a tech founder. We break down why startups really fail, why funding is often just a symptom, how to spot product–market fit issues, and how to know when to pivot — or walk away. *** Contact us:  Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com *** Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 [https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125] *** Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ *** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw== [https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw==] *** Youtube: https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0 [https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0] *** This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio

“The VC Shine Has Worn Off”: Debating If and How to Raise

Venture capital used to be the default path for growth. That’s no longer the case, as VC capital is no longer a default requirement to launch and build a company. In this episode, we look at how the role of VC has changed, what alternatives founders have today, and when raising venture is still the right move. We’re joined by a VC operator, and a two-time founder who’s seen both sides: building one company with VC funding, and another entirely through bootstrapping. *** Contact us:  Email: aurora@auroratechaward.com *** Website: https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125 [https://www.auroratechaward.com/?utm_source=podcast_description&utm_medium=podcast&utm_campaign=women_in_the_building_271125] *** Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/ [https://www.linkedin.com/company/auroratechventures/] https://www.linkedin.com/company/aurora-tech-award/ *** Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw== [https://www.instagram.com/auroraventures_?igsh=MW0wZnM2anBiZzA0Zw==] *** Youtube: https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0 [https://youtube.com/@auroravc_official?si=YVcd55NKdlzEHEq0] *** This podcast is produced by Libo/Libo studio