Innovantage Podcast

What if mixed, unused LEGO bricks could become complete sets again — at industrial scale?
Ilya Malkin, founder of Sort A Brick, is building an AI-first automation company that does exactly that. Using computer vision, machine learning, and custom-built hardware, his team identifies, cleans, and sorts over 100,000 unique LEGO elements by shape, color, and print, turning chaotic brick bins into rebuildable sets.
After nearly 20 years in consulting, Ilya pivoted into hard-tech to solve a problem most people overlook: making large-scale LEGO refurbishment economically viable.
In this episode, we unpack the technology, the business model, and why AI-powered reuse could unlock a massive secondary market in construction toys.

Introduction 0:00
Meet founder and CEO of Sort A Brick Ilya Malkin 0:52
“We иuilt the world’s first industrial LEGO sorting machine” 8:08
From consulting to hardware tech business 15:43
How to find the right tech people for your startup? 19:11
Raising €2M for AI LEGO sorting 28:54 
How kidults are changing the toy business 37:31 
How does the technology work behind Sort A Brick? 45:25
Competing with LEGO or helping them? 55:07 
Brutal lessons from building a hardware startup 1:02:15 
Where to find Ilya 1:05:39

Connect with Our Guest
Ilya Malkin – https://www.linkedin.com/in/ilyamalkin/ 
Sort A Brick – https://www.sortabrick.com/en-de 
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov – https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/  
🎧 Listen Now
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes
Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 
Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 
TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial

What does it really take to go from founder to venture capitalist, and why are most startup ideas actually “bad ideas” at first?
In this episode, Raimonds Kulbergs shares the real story behind BADideas Fund, what founders consistently get wrong about fundraising, why most VCs will struggle in the AI era, and what separates ambitious startups from small ideas that never scale.
If you’re building a startup, raising funding, thinking about Y Combinator, or wondering whether AI is now mandatory for investment, this episode will reset how you think about venture capital and early-stage growth.

👇 useful links
Subscribe to our channel for more tech and business insights
Watch next: https://youtu.be/VkwqUmyoABY?si=hCM2dw282zPlRZfZ 

Connect with Our Guest
Raimonds Kulbergs – https://www.linkedin.com/in/raimondskulbergs/ 
BADideas.fund – https://www.linkedin.com/company/badideasfund/  
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/  

🎧 Listen Now
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes
Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 
Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 
TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial

China tech and innovation | Chinese economy | Silicon valley vs China | AI strategy

In our new episode, Pascal Coppens — sinologist, author, and tech entrepreneur with decades of experience working between China and Silicon Valley  breaks down how the Chinese economy actually works and why Western perceptions of China are outdated.
We cover how Chinese innovation differs from Silicon Valley, the role of competition and survival in Chinese business, the truth about Chinese electric vehicles and monopolies, why Europe struggles with strategic decision-making, and what the so-called AI race really looks like. 

👇 Useful links
Subscribe to our channel for more tech and business insights
Watch next: https://youtu.be/VkwqUmyoABY?si=hCM2dw282zPlRZfZ
 
Connect with Our Guest
Pascal Coppens – https://www.linkedin.com/in/pacovision/ 
Pascal’s website – https://www.pascalcoppens.com/ 
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/  

🎧 Listen Now
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes
Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 
Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     
Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 
TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial
#china #chinaeconomy #siliconvalley #innovation #ai #techstrategy

Are law firms using AI all wrong? The answer might cost you millions.

Aku Sorainen, Founder & Senior Partner at Sorainen and Chairman at Crespect, reveals why most legal tech investments fail and what actually works after 25 years of building his own systems. In this episode, we explore the dangerous gap between AI hype and real-world legal practice.

• Why Sorainen spent €2M building software after discovering global solutions were "years behind"
• The "chaos in, chaos out" problem: Why 25M documents can be a liability
• Why lawyers are using AI less for drafting in 2025
• The truth about junior lawyers and who survives the AI revolution
• How clients now use AI against their own lawyers

Connect with Our Guest
Aku Sorainen – https://www.linkedin.com/in/aku-sorainen/ 
Sorainen website – https://www.sorainen.com/  
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/  

🎧 Listen Now
Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 
Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

 

Watch us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast

 

Follow for More Insightful Episodes

Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 

Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 

TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial

What does it really take to succeed as a woman in tech leadership today?

In this episode of the Innovantage Podcast, we’re joined by Diana Gold — CTO | Head of Digitalization and Technology at Gijos, Partnership Associate Professor at Vilnius University, and PhD candidate at ISM University of Management and Economics.

In this conversation, Diana shares:
➡️Her journey from IT and consulting roles to becoming a CTO in the energy sector
➡️What women in tech leadership still struggle with — and what actually helps
➡️Why many digital transformations fail without cultural change
➡️How AI can both reduce and reinforce bias in hiring and leadership
➡️What skills matter most for women entering or reskilling into tech
➡️How public sector, private sector, and academia approach innovation differently

Whether you’re a woman working in tech, considering a career in technology, or a leader building digital and inclusive teams, this episode offers practical insights, real‑world experience, and a thoughtful look at the future of tech leadership.

Connect with Our Guest
Diana Gold – https://www.linkedin.com/in/dianagold1/ 
Connect with Max (Host)
Max Golikov –  https://www.linkedin.com/in/maxim-golikov/  

🎧 Listen Now

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/19M3HKc1pbeTkYcOeOkJc0?si=aab60a9ec2864ba2 

Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/pl/podcast/innovantage-podcast/id1749330437 

Watch us on YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/@InnovantagePodcast

Follow for More Insightful Episodes

Innovantage Podcast:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/innovantage-podcast/ 

Sigli:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/sigli/     

Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/sigli.gang 

TikTok: @innovantage / @sigliofficial