About this episode

Matt Cohen discusses how to secure VC funding in 2026 and what investors look for in startups.

Originally recorded as Matt Cohen’s guest appearance on Mantle Mondays hosted by Amar Varma. In this special episode of Tank Talks, Matt Cohen joins Amar Varma on Mantle Mondays for a candid conversation about how to get VC funding in 2026, what early-stage investors actually look for, and where the next wave of breakout startups is being built. As the Founder and Managing Partner of Ripple Ventures, Matt shares his path from RBC trading desks and public markets to startup operating experience, angel investing, and eventually building one of Canada’s most active early-stage venture firms. He breaks down how founders can stand out in a crowded market, why validated problems and technical execution matter more than hype, and what separates companies that can raise from companies that get left behind. The conversation also dives into how Matt evaluates founders before product-market fit, why recruiting ability and fundraising skill matter as much as product vision, and how AI, deep tech, biotech, aerospace, and software-enabled physical systems are reshaping venture capital. Matt also opens up about Ripple Ventures’ own evolution, the firm’s investment philosophy, and how Ripple OS…

People in this episode

Host: Amar Varma

Guest: Matt Cohen

Topics covered

• VC funding
• early-stage investing
• startup evaluation
• venture capital
• AI in startups
• founder-investor fit

Keywords

• VC funding
• startup fundraising
• early-stage investors
• Ripple Ventures
• founder evaluation
• investment philosophy
• AI startups

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Ripple Ventures, RBC, Mantle Mondays

More episodes of Tank Talks By Ripple Ventures

• Bring it Home: Canada's Regulatory Gridlock & Real Estate Recovery with Jon Love of KingSett Capital · May 7, 2026 · 44 min
• The Rundown 4/15/26: Canada’s AI Crackdown, the Exit Tax Backlash, Cohere’s Germany Deal, and Hootsuite’s Reset · April 15, 2026 · 26 min
• Demystifying Venture Debt: Funding Growth with Less Dilution with Marshall Hawks · April 9, 2026 · 60 min
• What Makes a Startup “Click”, Before it Even Exists? with Matt Cohen · April 2, 2026 · 59 min
• The Rundown 3/30/26: Ontario’s $4B AI Fund, SpaceX’s IPO, and Why Claude Is Winning Enterprise · March 30, 2026 · 20 min
• Canada’s $35 Billion Arctic Push, the New Cost of War, and Building Sovereign Capability with Glenn Cowan of ONE9 · March 26, 2026 · 54 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Tank Talks By Ripple Ventures podcast page.