#494 Trust is the New Traction: PR, Fundraising, and the AI Discovery Shift with Mauro Battellini

The CTO Show with Mehmet Gonullu

In this episode, Mehmet sits down with Mauro Battellini, co-founder of Black Unicorn PR, to break down why PR is no longer optional for startups—and how the rise of AI-powered search is changing what investors and customers see first.

From fundraising strategy to media perception, Mauro explains how to build legitimacy, earn visibility, and outperform better-funded competitors—even if you’re not in Silicon Valley.

Whether you’re a first-time founder or a repeat entrepreneur, this episode will shift how you think about storytelling, credibility, and why “earned media” may be your strongest asset in the AI era.

🔑 Key Takeaways

• When PR matters: The signals investors, regulators, and enterprise clients look for beyond the pitch deck

• AI’s impact on perception: How tools like ChatGPT and Perplexity influence investor research and due diligence

• Personal branding vs. thought leadership: Why founders must be discoverable—before the product is

• PR in emerging markets: How startups from Central & Eastern Europe or MENA can play the global media game

• Fundraising and credibility: How the right PR at the right time can shorten investor cycles

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📚 What You’ll Learn

• How to identify your startup’s PR timing based on traction and stakeholder needs

• Why earned media is becoming more powerful than paid ads in the AI era

• The difference between “spray & pray” and strategic media outreach

• How journalists evaluate startups—and how founders can become go-to voices

• Real-world examples of how PR directly impacted fundraising outcomes

🧑‍💼 About Mauro Battellini

Mauro is the co-founder of Black Unicorn PR, an agency laser-focused on early-stage tech startups. With a background in sales, market research, and e-commerce, Mauro brings a unique lens to PR that aligns brand perception with business outcomes. His mission: help founders from non-traditional ecosystems punch above their weight in global markets.

https://www.blackunicornpr.com/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/mauro-alexis-battellini/

Episode Highlights & Timestamps

00:00 – Intro and Mauro’s journey from sales to startup PR

04:30 – Why Black Unicorn PR was founded to fix broken agency models

06:45 – When founders should start thinking about PR

10:15 – The mindset shift: PR isn’t about vanity—it’s about trust

14:00 – Thought leadership vs. personal branding in founder visibility

18:20 – Why emerging markets struggle with global media presence

22:40 – How PR helped Lithuanian startups get into international coverage

26:30 – What PR looks like during a fundraising round

30:45 – AI’s disruption of SEO and search discovery

33:10 – Why PR is becoming essential in the AI discovery layer

36:00 – The rise of solo journalists, niche media, and credibility loops

38:20 – Practical advice: what AI sees when someone Googles you

42:00 – Why PR is your startup’s trust layer in the noisy digital world

45:00 – Final tips: how to map stakeholders, focus outreach, and treat journalists like investors