Anthony Danon on Building Rerail and Scaling Startups

Anthony Danon is the GP of Rerail - Pre-seed / seed angel fund investing in founders that look to utilize fintech. He was earlier a partner at  Speedinvest and an investor at Anthemis In this episode, Anthony Danon, General Partner at Rerail, shares his journey from an unpaid internship at Anthemis to building Rerail, a $24M solo GP fund focused on fintech-powered businesses. Anthony discusses his early days of investing in fintech at Anthemis and Speedinvest, the decision to co-found Coco Fund with Carmen, and why he eventually launched Rerail. He explains his “Everything is Fintech” thesis, the value of founder obsession, and how he leverages his global network for deal flow, due diligence, and much more! Timestamps [00:01:45] – How Anthony started in VC through an unpaid internship at Anthemis in 2014. [00:04:30] – Early experience at Anthemis and how it shaped his understanding of fintech investing. [00:06:12] – Transition to Speedinvest and the shift to leading fintech seed investments in the UK. [00:09:10] – Building Coco Fund with Carmen and the decision to leave Speedinvest. [00:11:20] – Launching Rerail as a solo GP fund and focusing on fintech-powered companies. [00:14:00] – Explanation of the “Everything is Fintech” thesis. [00:16:30] – Three categories of fintech opportunities: Core fintech, fintech-powered, and fintech in regulated markets. [00:19:00] – Raising a $24M fund and targeting 25–30 investments. [00:21:10] – How Anthony analyzes deals and founder traits he looks for. [00:23:15] – Focus on founder obsession, unique insights, and clarity of vision. [00:25:30] – How he leverages his network of founders and operators for deal flow. [00:28:45] – Role of distribution and partnerships in helping portfolio companies grow. [00:31:20] – Co-investment strategy and working with other funds. [00:33:45] – Challenges and benefits of investing globally. [00:35:55] – Exciting fintech markets – mentions of India, LatAm, and Africa. [00:38:10] – Why Revolut succeeded in Europe but no equivalent exists in the US. [00:40:25] – How AI is shaping the future of fintech. [00:42:30] – Role of AI in digitizing intermediated markets like insurance and lending. [00:44:50] – How Anthony approaches early-stage investments in new markets. [00:47:10] – Importance of having a structured framework for exits and riding winners. [00:49:30] – Advice to first-time fintech founders on raising capital. [00:51:45] – Lessons from building Coco Fund and Rerail. Anthony’s Links  LDN– https://www.linkedin.com/in/anthony-danon-3409099b Website –  https://www.rerail.vc/ My Links  Podcast: https://lifeselfmastery.com/itunes Newsletter: https://partner-grow.beehiiv.com/subscribe YouTube:  youtube.com/lifeselfmastery Twitter: https://twitter.com/rohitmal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohit857/ Agency: https://bit.ly/41YuNnx