From Failure to Funding: Sze Wong on Reinventing Venture Studios

From Failure to Funding: Sze Wong on Reinventing Venture Studios

Author: Stephen Statler July 15, 2025 Duration: 47:22

In this episode of the Mr. Beacon Podcast, Sze Wong—Co-Founder of Zenith Venture Studio—shares his journey from startup failures to building a venture studio that offers more than just funding. Learn how Sze helps non-technical founders turn deep industry knowledge into successful businesses, why boring problems are big opportunities, and how hands-on support beats traditional VC models. A must-listen for entrepreneurs, investors, and innovators alike.


Sze’s Top 3 Favorite Songs:



Mister Beacon is hosted by Steve Statler, CEO of AmbAI Inc. — creators of AmbientGPT, the AI assistant that connects people to places, products and the brands behind them. For brands AmbientGPT represents a way to go beyond optimizing your business with AI to securing a place in the new AI purchasing paradigm.


Our sponsor Identiv’s https://www.identiv.com IoT solutions create digital identities for physical objects, enhancing global connectivity for businesses, people, and the planet. We are also proud to be sponsored by Blecon http://www.blecon.net. Blecon enables physical products to communicate with cloud applications using Bluetooth Low Energy.


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Hosted by Stephen Statler, author of the book "Beacon Technologies," The Mr. Beacon Ambient IoT Podcast explores the quiet revolution happening at the intersection of our physical and digital lives. This isn't about far-off futures; it's about the proximity and location technologies being deployed right now, from Bluetooth beacons to broader ambient IoT systems, that are fundamentally changing how we interact with the world. Each episode features a direct conversation with the founders, engineers, and executives leading companies at the very center of this transformation. You'll hear specific, grounded discussions about the real-world challenges and opportunities in designing solutions that leverage location awareness. The dialogue goes beyond theory, delving into the practical business and technology decisions shaping this space. For anyone curious about how our environments are becoming smarter and more responsive, this podcast offers an essential, behind-the-scenes look at the people making it happen. Tune in for thoughtful interviews that cut through the hype to examine the actual tools and strategies building the connected world.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Mr. Beacon Ambient IoT Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Saving the Earth, One IoT Recipe at a Time with Rob Tiffany [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:11:14
Rob Tiffany, Research Director at IDC and author of “Saving the Earth with the Internet of Things,” joins Mr. Beacon to explore how IoT can tackle real-world challenges in agriculture, water, food and sustainable cities.…
LoRaWAN: The Fourth Pillar of Wireless Connectivity with Alper Yegin [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:30
What happens when IoT finally gets the connectivity infrastructure it has been waiting for?In this episode of the Mr. Beacon Podcast, Steve talks with Alper Yegin, CEO of the LoRa Alliance, about LoRaWAN and why he belie…
AI, What Is It Good For? With Curt Schacker of TrackVision [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:15
What is AI actually good for? Curt Schacker, Co-founder of TrackVision, joins me to answer that question with a real-world example that will resonate with anyone who has ever stared down a mountain of pre-project groundw…
The Truth About AI Content: Why C2PA Might Save the Internet [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 51:15
Dominique Guinard returns for his fifth appearance to explore C2PA, a rising standard for verifying digital content in the age of AI. As synthetic media becomes harder to detect, C2PA acts like a “nutrition label” for im…
The Smart Grocery Revolution: How Stretch Is Reinventing How We Shop [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 45:34
Andy Ellwood, Founder & CEO of Stretch, joins the Mr. Beacon Podcast to discuss reinventing grocery shopping with AI-powered insights. By turning shopping lists into smart comparison tools, Stretch helps consumers save t…
The Ambient IoT Tipping Point: Every Zebra Device is a Cloud Gateway [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:08:41
Simon Ford, founder of Blecon, returns to the Mr. Beacon Podcast to discuss a major milestone for the company and the broader IoT industry. Blecon’s new collaboration with Zebra enables existing frontline devices to beco…