Opto Sessions – Invest in the Next Big Idea

Opto Sessions – Invest in the Next Big Idea

Investment Opportunities: Opto Sessions brings you exclusive interviews with the world’s top investors, fund managers and CEOs, uncovering their secrets to success. Tune in to learn how to invest in the next big idea and gain actionable insights from the industry's sharpest minds.

Episodes

October 16, 2025 45 mins

Upstart co-founder and CTO Paul Gu joins OPTO Sessions to explain how AI underwriting powers 92% fully automated loans and lifts conversion to approximately 24% as the AI lending marketplace returns to profitability with triple digit revenue growth. He unpacks fraud controls, the Upstart Macro Index, and expansion into HELOC and auto. 

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The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only. Opto Markets LLC do...

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Box CEO and co-founder Aaron Levie returns to OPTO Sessions to reveal how AI agents are turning 90% of unstructured corporate data into instant answers, powering automation across roles. He maps where enterprise AI is headed, the real obstacles to adoption, and Box’s strategy for scaling AI workflows that deliver measurable business value.

If you enjoyed this interview, consider subscribing to our Substack channel for more in-depth ...

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Andy Marsh, Plug Power CEO, joins OPTO Sessions to discuss the current state and future of green hydrogen, emphasizing how hydrogen production can free up scarce grid electricity for other uses while accelerating national sustainability goals. He explains the company’s playbook to profitability - scaling electrolyzers, locking in offtake, and driving costs down - highlighting real-world deployments and growing customer momentum.

If ...

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Charlie Youakim, CEO and Co-Founder of Sezzle, joins OPTO Sessions to discuss company’s journey from startup to a leading public company in the fintech space, the evolution of Buy Now, Pay Later (BNPL) model and record growth in the past 12 months.

If you enjoyed this interview, consider subscribing to our Substack channel for more in-depth insights designed to help you invest smarter: https://optoforesight.substack.com/

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Nitesh Sharan, CFO of SoundHound AI, returns to OPTO Sessions to discuss the company’s accelerating momentum and why Voice AI is fast becoming the default interface of the future. As pioneers in the space, with deep AI roots, a strong patent portfolio, and an agnostic architecture spanning cloud, edge, and agentic AI, SoundHound is leading the evolution of natural human-machine interaction.

*$50B Frontier: https://www.marketsandmark...

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Victor Basta, Managing Partner and Co-founder of Artis Partners, joins OPTO Sessions to share his two-stage exit preparation process - designed to ensure companies are bought, not sold. He delves into why success often comes to those who exit uncomfortably early, the critical roles of boards and CEOs, and what it truly means to be prepared for an exit. 

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Sir Peter Beck, CEO and Founder of Rocket Lab, returns to OPTO Sessions a year after our first conversation to delve deeper into the company’s evolution as an end-to-end space provider, its growing role in national security, record financial performance following Q1 earnings, and the transformative impact of AI on the future of space exploration. 

If you enjoyed this interview, consider subscribing to our Substack channel ...

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Dr. Alan Baratz, D-Wave CEO, joins OPTO Sessions to discuss the current state and future of quantum computing, emphasizing the unique capabilities of D-Wave's quantum annealing technology. He explains how quantum computing can solve complex problems more efficiently than classical computers, highlighting real-world applications and the growing momentum in customer bookings. 

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In this week’s OPTO Sessions, Ashley Johnson, President and CFO of Planet Labs, explains how the company is using satellites and AI to deliver real-time insights about life on Earth. She breaks down Planet’s evolving business model, the move into satellite services, and how its data is helping governments, agriculture, and disaster response teams make faster, smarter decisions. 

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In this week’s OPTO Sessions, Craig Bealmear, CFO of Oklo, shares how the company is transforming nuclear energy with small modular reactors. He discusses Oklo’s unique business model model, rising demand from data centers, and the future of reliable, clean energy.

If you enjoyed this interview, consider subscribing to our Substack channel for more in-depth insights designed to help you invest smarter: https://optoforesigh...

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This week, Sebastian Schroetel, Senior VP of Product Management at UiPath, joins OPTO Sessions to explore the future of AI-driven automation. He shares how UiPath has evolved from robotic process automation (RPA) to end-to-end automation, integrating AI agents to enhance efficiency. 

If you enjoyed this interview, consider subscribing to our Substack channel for more in-depth insights designed to help you invest smarter: https://opt...

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In this week’s episode, James Campanini, Head of B2B at Logitech, shares how the company is enhancing smart meeting experiences and hybrid work. He discusses AI-powered solutions for seamless collaboration, room monitoring for better workplace efficiency, and Logitech’s vision for the future of digital workspaces. 

If you enjoyed this interview, consider subscribing to our Substack channel for more in-depth insights designed to help...

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This week on OPTO Sessions, Compounding Quality’s founder, Pieter, shares his insights on quality investing. His newsletter, read by LeBron James and Bill Ackman, focuses on investing in the world's best companies. In this episode, he discusses his shift from value to quality investing, defines quality stocks, and outlines key selection criteria. We also explore valuation techniques, significance of investment time horizons, a...

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January 31, 2025 35 mins

Christian Magoon, CEO of Amplify ETFs, joins OPTO Sessions to share expert insights into blockchain investing. We dive deep into performance of blockchain-related stocks in 2024 and analyze the impact of the Bitcoin halving cycle on the market. Christian discusses key investment opportunities within the blockchain space, trends among Bitcoin miners, and the future of blockchain technology beyond cryptocurrency. 

If you enj...

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This week, Michael Gayed joins Opto Sessions to discuss the current state of the global economy, from the implications of the reverse carry trade to 2025 market predictions and Trump’s policies. He explores Bitcoin’s role in modern finance, the challenges posed by high valuations & why China’s stock market could surpass the US in the coming years.

📲  *Invest in stocks & ETFs with OPTO* _Install app for free_ (🇺🇸...

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In this week’s OPTO Sessions, Aaron Levie, CEO and co-founder of Box, shares how the company has grown into a billion-dollar enterprise by revolutionizing content management in the cloud. He discusses Box’s innovative AI integrations, strategies in a competitive tech landscape, and the future of enterprise technology.

📲  *Invest in stocks & ETFs with OPTO* _Install app for free_ (🇺🇸 US only): https://optothemes.onel...

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In this week’s OPTO Sessions, Julian Brigden, Co-Founder and President of Macro Intelligence 2 Partners (MI2), shares his insights on the US macroeconomic landscape as the country adjusts to a second Trump presidency. He examines key trends and challenges facing investors, including the outlook for bonds, equities, employment, and inflation.

📲  Find top-performing stocks & ETFs Install app for free (🇺🇸 US only): ht...

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October 18, 2024 47 mins

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Nitesh Sharan is Chief Financial Officer at SoundHound [SOUN], a groundbreaking conversational and voice artificial intelligence (AI) company.

📲  Invest in stocks & ETFs with OPTO Install app for free (🇺🇸 US only): https://optothemes.onelink.me/BZDG/ti...

#ai #voiceai #soundhound...

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Marc Stapley, CEO at Veracyte, joins OPTO Sessions to discuss the company’s use of AI and machine learning, its strategic focus on the cancer diagnostics cycle, and how its acquisition of MRD platform C2i expands this focus to the post-treatment phase. Enjoy!


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The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only. Opto Markets LLC does not recommend any specific securities or investment strategies. Invest...

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Phong Le, President and CEO of MicroStrategy, discusses the company’s business intelligence tools and its bitcoin strategy with OPTO Sessions, explaining how in tandem they have enabled it to become one of the best-performing stocks on the S&P 500 in recent years. Enjoy!

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The content in this podcast is for informational purposes only. Opto Markets LLC does not recommend any specific securities or investment strateg...

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