Ep. 217: Turning sports narratives into "momentum markets" w/ Nick Meader from SpeedLabs

Ep. 217: Turning sports narratives into "momentum markets" w/ Nick Meader from SpeedLabs

Ep. 217 features Nick Meader, Co-Founder & CEO of SpeedLabs, joining Jesse Learmonth to discuss the company's $6.5 million seed round, the creation of "Momentum Markets," and why he believes the next generation of sports betting products will be built around live narratives rather than traditional betting markets.   Hear them discuss: * Nick’s journey from college bookmaker and betting entrepreneur to venture capital investor and founder of SpeedLabs * How a conversation with poker legend Phil Hellmuth and industry veteran David Woodley helped spark the creation of SpeedLabs * The concept behind Momentum Markets and why SpeedLabs is building live, narrative-driven betting products instead of traditional microbetting markets * How AI, proprietary modeling, and real-time game analysis power dynamic markets based on the storylines unfolding within each game * Why prediction markets may be better positioned than traditional sportsbooks to adopt innovative betting products and experiences * SpeedLabs’ dual go-to-market strategy, including B2B partnerships and a new consumer-facing gaming product set to launch later this year * The company’s $6.5 million seed round, led by gaming-focused investors with deep ties to companies like FanDuel and PrizePicks * Nick’s fundraising lessons, including why team quality, humility, and founder likability matter more than spreadsheets at the earliest stages * His perspective on the evolving relationship between sportsbooks and prediction markets, and why he believes the two are already converging at the user-experience level * The roadmap ahead for SpeedLabs, including launch partners, NFL season plans, and the long-term vision of making Momentum Markets a mainstream betting product   Learn more 👇 ➡️ SpeedLabs website [https://speedlabs.dev/] ➡️ Nick Meader on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicolas-meader/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]

Ep. 216: Childhood games with adult stakes w/ Jackson Erminio from Spina

Ep. 216 features Jackson Erminio, Founder of Spina, joining Jesse Learmonth to discuss building a skill-based gaming startup, solving the liquidity challenge, and creating a marketplace where players can compete head-to-head in games they already know and love.   Hear them discuss: * How Jackson went from selling sneakers and running a marketing agency to founding Spina, a real-money skill gaming platform built around familiar games like Connect 4, 8-Ball Pool, and Tic-Tac-Toe * Why Spina pivoted from betting on anything between friends to live, head-to-head skill games with matchmaking and optional voice chat * The startup's dual go-to-market strategy, combining a direct-to-consumer app with B2B partnerships for casinos, gaming platforms, and influencers * The liquidity challenge facing all multiplayer gaming marketplaces and the creative tactics Spina is using to ensure players can find opponents quickly * Early traction metrics, including strong repeat-play rates, growing organic app downloads, and surprising demand for Connect 4 compared to other games * Partnerships with companies like BetOpenly and Hub88, plus opportunities to power custom gaming experiences for influencers and content creators * Finding a technical co-founder through TikTok, and validating the concept before investing heavily in development * Why Jackson believes skill gaming is one of the industry's most overlooked categories and how it may benefit from a more favorable regulatory landscape than other gaming verticals * Lessons learned from bootstrapping, moving quickly, testing ideas in public, and focusing relentlessly on solving the most important problem first * Spina's vision for the future, including cross-platform liquidity, expanded distribution, and becoming the leading marketplace for real-money skill-based competition   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Spina website [https://spina.app/] ➡️ Jackson Erminior on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacksonerminio/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]

Ep. 215: Unpacking WagerWire's new prediction market license w/ Travis Geiger

Ep. 215 features Travis Geiger, Co-Founder & CXO of WagerWire, joining Jesse Learmonth at SBC Fort Lauderdale to discuss the company’s transformation into its vision for building a regulated prediction market ecosystem. Fresh off securing a license-in-principle in Gibraltar, Travis shares how the company is positioning itself at the intersection of gaming, finance, and innovation.   Hear them discuss: * Why WagerWire evolved into Wire Markets and how prediction markets became the company’s next major opportunity * The challenges startups face integrating with sportsbooks, and why innovation often struggles within the regulated betting ecosystem * Wire Markets’ Gibraltar licensing milestone, regulatory approach, and plans to build a compliant, responsible prediction market platform * Creating a builder-friendly ecosystem where founders, startups, and innovators can launch products and access new distribution opportunities through Wire Markets * The role of Starties and Betting Startups in supporting entrepreneurship and fostering a stronger betting innovation community * Responsible gaming, addiction concerns, and why prediction market operators must borrow best practices from both gaming and financial services * Gibraltar’s growing importance as an international hub for gaming, fintech, and prediction market businesses * The company’s fundraising plans, investor interest, and roadmap toward launching ahead of the next NFL season * Why Travis believes prediction markets represent a larger cultural shift than previous industry trends like DFS, microbetting, and sweepstakes * His vision for building a global, regulated financial marketplace around real-world events and information   Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/nCiKNa_3m_w].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ WagerWire website [https://www.wagerwire.com/] ➡️ Travis Geiger on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/travisgeiger/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]

Bonus Episode: First place at First Pitch w/ Andrew Gonzalez from ParlayX

This bonus episode features Andrew Gonzalez, Founder & CEO of ParlayX, joining Jesse Learmonth moments after winning the SBC Summit Americas First Pitch competition in Fort Lauderdale.    Hear them discuss: * Winning the SBC First Pitch competition, and what it means to him * Andrew’s entrepreneurial story, including leaving his market-making career, navigating multiple pivots, and betting on himself as a founder * The challenges institutions face with blockchain, compliance, and fragmented market access, and how ParlayX aims to solve them * Launch plans, institutional partnerships, and the growing opportunity at the intersection of prediction markets and financial infrastructure   Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/fayAzox91LY].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ ParlayX website [https://parlayx.com/] ➡️ Andrew Gonzalez on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewgonzalez15/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]

Ep. 214: Combining responsible gaming with player retention to fix a leaky safety net w/ Alec Gehlot from PlaySignal

Ep. 214 features Alec Gehlot, Founder of PlaySignal, a responsible gaming platform helping operators intervene earlier, reduce self-exclusions, and create healthier player experiences.    Hear them discuss: * The inspiration behind PlaySignal and why rising self-exclusion rates reveal a growing industry challenge * How PlaySignal’s traffic-light system helps identify at-risk behavior and intervene before players reach a crisis point * Why Alec believes responsible gaming should move from a back-office compliance function to a player-facing experience * The concept of “RG 3.0” and how behavioral science, player psychology, and real-time engagement can reshape responsible gaming * Balancing player protection and retention by helping operators act proactively rather than reactively * The pressures facing regulated operators, including higher taxes, tighter regulations, and competition from offshore markets * Why responsible gaming may become the strongest differentiator for licensed operators in the years ahead * How prediction markets and platforms like Kalshi are approaching self-exclusion and responsible participation * Alec’s decision to bootstrap PlaySignal and his approach to building a lean startup in the gaming industry * The entrepreneurial lessons he’s learned from boxing, resilience, and getting “punched in the face” while building a company   Catch the video version of this episode here [https://youtu.be/WU-33_4_0NQ].   Learn more 👇 ➡️ Play Signal website [https://playsignal.app/] ➡️ Alec Gehlot on Linkedin [https://www.linkedin.com/in/alecgehlot/]   📩 Get the top headlines from the industry's most promising growth-stage companies every week—totally free! Subscribe to the Betting Startups newsletter here: https://news.bettingstartups.com/ [https://news.bettingstartups.com/]