🐾 Meet Hedda Båverud Olsson, Founder & CEO of Lassie — the startup transforming pet insurance and pet health. From McKinsey & EQT Ventures to raising €50M+ and now also crossing €70M+ in annual revenues , Hedda’s journey is packed with bold moves, big lessons, and surprising insights into the booming pet industry.

In this episode:

✅ How Lassie rewards pet owners for keeping their pets healthy

✅ The challenge of disrupting a regulated industry

✅ Finding the right co-founders and building a top-tier team

✅ Using AI to scale and acquire customers creatively

✅ Lessons from raising millions and breaking into competitive markets

Whether you’re a founder, pet lover, or just curious how a startup can change an entire industry, this conversation is a must-watch.

📍 Timestamps:

00:00 Sharing Your Idea Early

00:49 Intro to Hedda & Lassie

01:51 From Consulting to Founder

06:37 Navigating Regulation

09:48 Raising the First Angel Round

13:00 Building the Right Team

17:37 Leveraging AI for Growth

19:40 Go-to-Market Strategy

26:34 Brand vs Conversion

30:06 Overcoming Breaking Points

33:42 Scaling & Leadership

38:05 Pet Industry Trends

41:54 Lessons Learned

Youtube: https://youtu.be/0fniIhtRqak

📌 Connect with Hedda and Lassie: https://www.lassie.co/en

📌 Join The Startup Leap Community: subscribe.thestartupleap.io

#PetTech #StartupStories #LassieApp #Entrepreneurship #AI #PetInsurance #StartupLife #TheStartupLeap

Welcome to Startup Leap! In this episode, we dive deep into the journeys of student founders from undergraduates to PhDs who have turned their academic projects, wild ideas at university into industry-transforming startups.

Join us as Maria and Yvonne bring real stories from founders like the co-founder of Shazam, fintech innovators, and graduates who took the bold step to build their companies even before completing their studies. Hear insights from entrepreneurs across various industries, their experiences during their MBAs, and the critical decisions they faced. Whether you're a curious student or a future founder, this episode is packed with inspiration and practical advice to help you take the leap.

00:00 Welcome and Introduction

00:17 Diving into Founder Stories

01:08 Shazam: From MBA Project to Apple Acquisition

02:33 Luna: The MBA Entrepreneurship Project

03:34 Finding Your Path in Entrepreneurship

05:19 Gravity Sketch: From Academic Research to Startup

07:58 Josh Sandler: Accidental Entrepreneur to Serial Founder

09:38 Carmelle's Financial Tech Journey

11:12 Ivan Beckley: Medical Student to Health Tech Founder

12:18 Riham Satti: Neuroscientist to Tech Founder

13:12 Founder Dilemma: To Leap or Not to Leap

17:06 Benjamin Fernandez: Young FinTech Visionary

19:58 Dare Okodjou: Raising Capital from Classmates

21:30 Reflections and Closing Thoughts

Youtube: https://youtu.be/tALAnfyiZ1M

🎧 Want to get inside scoop? Join our newsletter on subscribe.thestartupleap.io/subscribe

👉 Tell us what you think in the comments, we’d love to hear from you!

#StartupLeap #StartupStories #Founders #Entrepreneurship #StartupLife #TechStartups #StudentFounders #BusinessSuccess #Innovation #StartupMindset #FounderJourney #BuildTheFuture

In this episode of The Startup Leap, Maria and Yvonne sit down with Tessa Clarke, co-founder of Olio, the mission-driven app turning surplus food into community sharing. With over 7 million users in 60 countries, OLIO is tackling the global food waste crisis while proving that purpose-driven businesses can scale.

Tessa shares:

✅ Her journey from senior leadership at Dyson to startup founder

✅ The “light bulb” moment that sparked OLIO

✅ Navigating brutal fundraising rounds and finding conviction-based investors

✅ Building a thriving consumer marketplace

✅ Balancing profit and purpose while scaling globally

✅ Lessons from becoming a B Corp certified company

Whether you’re passionate about sustainability, building marketplaces, or scaling mission-driven startups, this conversation is packed with insights you can use.

📍 Timestamps

00:00 Fundraising Challenges in the Early Days

01:23 The Light Bulb Moment: Birth of OLIO

02:41 From Corporate Career to Startup Life

04:13 The Global Food Waste Problem

07:18 Early Market Research and Validation

10:27 Monetization Strategies and Challenges

14:36 Fundraising Journey and Investor Criteria

18:39 Personal Growth and Resilience

22:42 Building a Consumer Marketplace

34:48 Balancing Profit and Purpose

39:28 Final Reflections and Founder Advice

Youtube: https://youtu.be/nw1zCqhm9o0

📧 Join The Startup Leap Newsletter for exclusive founder tips and behind-the-scenes insights: subscribe.thestartupleap.io/subscribe

#OlioApp #TessaClarke #FoodWaste #Sustainability #Bcorp #MissionDrivenBusiness #StartupStories #Entrepreneurship #TheStartupLeap #MariaRotilu #YvonneBajela #MarketplaceStartups #ScalingStartups #ImpactBusiness