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EUVC is your go-to podcast for everything European VC. Co-hosted by Andreas Munk Holm and David Cruz e Silva, EUVC features some of the most prominent people from the European...
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EUVC is your go-to podcast for everything European VC. Co-hosted by Andreas Munk Holm and David Cruz e Silva, EUVC features some of the most prominent people from the European VC industry, giving you a fresh new perspective on the industry and geo we love.
Follow us and stay in the loop with everything European VC on eu.vc
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Mid Year Review 2024: European Fundraising Sentiment with Chris Wade, Isomer Capital | E338
24 JUL 2024 · In this episode of the EUVC podcast, David discusses with https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wade-isomer/, Founding Partner at https://www.linkedin.com/company/isomer-capital/.
David and Chris discuss the current sentiment in the European venture capital ecosystem. They touch on topics such as VC sentiment, comparisons to previous years, LP appetite, the potential IPOs of https://www.revolut.com/ and https://www.klarna.com/, the rise of AI and semiconductor companies, and the geopolitical and economic uncertainties affecting the industry.
Chris also reflects on the positive and negative developments in 2024 and the importance of humanity prevailing over negative forces.
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Chapters:
01:19 VC Sentiment in 2024
02:36 Comparing 2021 and 2024
04:01 European Venture Capital Landscape
05:00 The Power Law in Venture Capital
11:06 Emerging Managers and AI
13:26 The Importance of Exits
23:58 The Semiconductor Renaissance
27:39 Global Political Climate and Its Impact
30:31 Predictions and Reflections
31:40 Standing by Predictions
32:45 Interest Rates and M&A
34:48 AI's Impact on Venture Capital
38:49 Regulation and Ethics of AI
46:51 Geopolitical Tensions and Defense Tech
57:53 Personal Growth in 2024
01:01:12 The End of Mega Funds Era
[Startups in Focus] Carlos Espinal & Ryan Donnelly on AI governance and compliance - navigating the future | E337
23 JUL 2024 · This is the second of the “https://seedcamp.com/podcasts/” series, where Carlos Espinal from Seedcamp chats with https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-donnelly-enzai/, co-founder and CEO of https://www.enz.ai/. Their conversation revolves around:
- the impact of AI as a technological revolution similar to the mobile shift, dotcom boom, and web invention
- the importance of regulations and standards in ensuring AI’s responsible use and trustworthiness
- the challenges and opportunities in AI adoption
- Enzai’s mission of enabling organizations to leverage AI technology effectively and responsibly, in compliance with emerging regulations
- Enzai’s vision of enabling trust in AI
- future regulatory landscapes and the necessary frameworks for AI adoption
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to the AI Technological Revolution
00:36 Meet Ryan Donnelly: Co-founder and CEO of Enzai
01:14 The Inspiration Behind Enzai
02:19 Understanding Enzai’s Customers
03:13 The Role of Regulations in AI
05:07 The Evolution of AI Regulations
10:26 The Importance of Standards in AI
14:20 Enzai’s Vision for the Future
15:49 Final Thoughts and Call to Action
Achievement of The Year Finalist: On resilience and making difficult decisions - TourRadar's story E336
18 JUL 2024 · In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses with https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-wade-isomer/, Founding Partner at https://www.linkedin.com/company/isomer-capital/, and https://www.linkedin.com/in/travispittman/, co-founder and CEO of https://www.tourradar.com/, one of the finalists in the Achievement of the Year category at this year’s https://www.eu.vc/p/the-european-vc-awards.
https://www.tourradar.com/ is an Organized Adventure Platform, offering the world’s largest selection of multi-day adventures worldwide. TourRadar’s online platform seamlessly connects travelers and travel agents with 2,500 multi-day operators, offering 50,000 adventures in more than 160 countries globally.
Travis has raised $60m of capital from https://www.linkedin.com/company/speedinvest/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/hoxton-ventures/, and https://www.linkedin.com/company/cherry-ventures/ and, in 2018, raised a C round led by https://www.tcv.com/ (TCV). https://www.linkedin.com/company/isomer-capital/ and https://www.lgtcp.com/venture-capital also joined this round. The company’s GMV grew to 9 figures in 2019, then 2020 started very well with all-time high monthly revenues until Feb 2020 when Covid hit revenues went negative as customers asked for their money back as they were unable to travel.
To ensure the business's survival, they made significant cuts to their workforce and reduced salaries. Travis emphasized the importance of transparency in communication during uncertain times. Despite the difficulties, TourRadar was able to recover and is now back at a revenue level above pre-COVID levels and more profitable. They have also expanded their product offerings, particularly in the payments and affiliate networks areas.
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Chapters:
00:00 Introduction and Background of TourRadar
10:49 Pre-COVID Success and Funding Journey
15:06 Understanding and Improving Unit Economics
23:50 Prioritizing Customer Support and Making Difficult Decisions
26:14 Adapting and Navigating Through the Crisis
36:00 Transparency and Communication in Uncertain Times
40:13 Expanding Product Offerings: Payments and Affiliate Networks
48:14 The Future of TourRadar: Mobile App Development and Search Experience
53:44 Prioritizing Mental Health and the Role of Supportive Investors
Mikhail Taver, Taver Capital on a deep dive into robotics and AI in the industrial sector | E335
16 JUL 2024 · In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses with - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mtaver/, Founder and Managing Partner of https://www.taver.capital/, with a target fund size of $20M.
Taver Capital is a fund based on Delaware, US, focused on early-stage global AI startups from the industrial sector. They have already invested in companies like http://www.earth-ai.com/, https://www.theverge.com/2016/3/9/11186094/facebook-masquerade-face-swapping-app-acquisition (acquired by https://www.facebook.com/), https://www.idrnd.ai/ (acquired by https://www.miteksystems.com/), and https://web.sayana.app/hh/ (acquired by https://www.headspace.com/
In this conversation, Andreas discusses with Mikhail his experience in robotics and AI investing, the potential of AI in various industries, the challenges of communication between startups and corporations, the impact of regulation on technological progress, and the importance of education and networking in fundraising. They also touch on the topic of mentors and the need for founders to find their own path.
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Chapters:
00:12 Tavar Capital II: Focus and Investments
03:34 Passion for Robotics and AI
03:53 Mikhail's Journey into Robotics and AI
06:36 AI in Industry: Early Examples
08:11 Earth AI: A Success Story
08:47 Predictive Maintenance and More
09:28 VC Metrics of Success
11:07 Challenges in Industry Disruption
12:09 Communication Gaps Between Startups and Corporations
15:07 GP-LP Dynamics in Venture Capital
18:24 Communication Gaps Between Startups and VCs
21:19 Working with Generalist VCs
23:04 Regulation and Technological Progress
31:45 Advice for Emerging VCs and Founders
Empowering women in innovation and venture - CO-INVESTIN roundtable | E334
11 JUL 2024 · In this roundtable discussion, experts from European venture capital and innovation ecosystems share insights on empowering women in these fields. The conversation addressed the importance of female representation in venture capital, investment in women-led startups, women's challenges in these industries, and initiatives to support female entrepreneurs.
The dialogue also touches on inclusive innovation policies, the impact of parental leave on careers, and strategies for long-term solutions to encourage more women to pursue careers in science, technology, and engineering.
Our guests were:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ralitsa-zhekova-52209b42/, Executive Director at https://www.rapiv.org/en/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/nangianomics/, Partner at https://www.speedinvest.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/iacymerman/, General Partner at https://www.fundingbox.vc/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonevait/, General Partner at https://firstpick.vc/
The roundtable happened as part of the https://t.co/2vJSMRBn5C, an EU-funded project to connect our beautiful European investment ecosystems while strengthening transparency and inclusion across the ecosystem ✊.
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Chapters:
07:04 Inclusive Innovation Policies
09:52 Challenges in Female Representation
11:53 Breaking Barriers in Venture Capital
21:47 High Churn Rates Among Women in Venture
27:36 Strategies for Retaining Women in Venture
30:57 Empowering Women in the Workplace
31:58 Challenges Faced by Women and Ethnic Minorities
32:06 Balancing Parenthood and Career in Venture Capital
33:19 Parental Policies in Small vs. Large Funds
34:07 Personal Experiences with Parental Leave
36:35 The Reality of Parenthood in High-Level Careers
40:02 Gender Roles and Societal Expectations
43:56 The Importance of Open and Transparent Relationships
51:15 Encouraging Women in STEM
Angel investing insights with Sarah Harvey, Advisor at Tunic Pay | E333
10 JUL 2024 · Join us as https://uk.linkedin.com/in/tomwilsonseedcampfrom http://seedcamp.com/and https://uk.linkedin.com/in/anthony-danon-3409099bfrom http://cocoa.vc/talk to https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarah-harvey-a3a33410/, Advisor at https://www.linkedin.com/company/tunic-pay/.
In this episode of the Super Angel podcast, Sarah Harvey discusses her career transition from strategy roles in both corporate and non-profit sectors to operating roles in startups, eventually starting her journey into angel investing.
Sarah shares insights from her experiences with different startups, including https://toughmudder.com/, https://squareup.com/us/en, and https://prodigyfinance.com/, and highlights the importance of networking, the impact of her work in health tech during COVID-19, and her approach to angel investing. She also emphasizes the significance of diversity on cap tables and how her unique background adds value to the companies she invests in.
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Chapters:
02:30 Discovering Angel Investing
03:03 First Steps in Angel Investing
03:18 Bringing Experience to Angel Investing
03:58 Memorable Deals and Investments
04:37 The Value of Angel Investing
05:25 Personal and Professional Growth
05:48 Encouraging Female Angel Investors
07:22 Transitioning to Investment Strategies
07:44 Investment Focus and Portfolio
09:04 Evaluating Founders
10:04 Value Proposition to Founders
11:07 Future Portfolio Development
14:59 Collaboration and Networking
16:48 Core Learnings from Angel Investing
Carlos Espinal, Seedcamp on "Fundraising field guide" his latest startup founder's guide to all things fundraising | E332
9 JUL 2024 · n this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses with https://www.linkedin.com/in/carloseduardoespinal/ , Managing Partner at https://www.linkedin.com/company/seedcamp_2/.
Carlos Eduardo Espinal is a Managing Partner at Seedcamp, arguably, Europe's leading seed fund, first launched in 2007 to support European entrepreneurs truly compete on a global scale. With investments in over 460 companies including publicly listed Romanian-founded, https://www.linkedin.com/company/uipath/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/wiseaccount/ and unicorns https://www.linkedin.com/company/revolut/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/wefox/ and https://www.linkedin.com/company/pleo-company/. Carlos is a published author, fellow podcaster and has been on the https://www.linkedin.com/company/forbes-magazine/ Midas List as one of the most influential VCs in Europe for more or less as long as yours truly has been alive.
In today’s discussion, we're talking about the third edition of the "https://www.fundraisingfieldguide.com/" the latest startup founder's guide to all things fundraising launched by Carlos. This third edition captured a very interesting period in VC, marking the completion of VC market’s full fundraising cycle.
The first edition of the book was written during the linear growth curve of the post-2008 era. The second during the “bubble” in valuations formed post-COVID where we saw large injections of capital into private markets leading to an exponential growth period for startups. This third edition covers the collapse of that “bubble”, and highlights common pitfalls you should avoid as an early-stage founder (such as taking too much money).
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Chapters:
06:23 The Challenges of Access to Knowledge and Best Practices
09:12 The Three Cycles of Carlos' Book
13:09 The Success of VC as an Asset Class
16:24 The Emergence of Many Unicorns
26:18 Added Pressure on Founders to Tell Compelling Stories
28:41 The Focus on Sustainable Business Models
33:45 The Balancing Act: High-Growth Potential vs. Stable Business Models
38:32 The Cyclical Nature of Venture Capital
43:09 Creating Liquidity and Attractiveness for Companies
46:20 Supporting Struggling Companies and Making Difficult Decisions
49:47 The Challenges and Benefits of the Large Portfolio Model
56:20 The Impact of Financing Terms and Structures
01:13:39 Changing Attitudes to Tech Entrepreneurship and the Role of VCs
Sion Evans, VenCap on big vs. small funds, manager selection, performance & portfolio concentration | E331
4 JUL 2024 · In this episode of the EUVC podcast, Andreas discusses with https://www.linkedin.com/in/sionevans1/, Senior Investment Manager at https://www.vencap.com/, currently investing out of a $340M fund with $2.0bn in total AUM.
VenCap was founded in 1987 and is one of the longest-established FoFs around. They are headquartered in the UK and are backing the leading Tier 1 firms from globally — with just 12 core relationships! They count 47 underlying unicorns with notable mentions being the likes of https://www.google.com/, https://www.facebook.com/, https://www.airbnb.com/, https://www.coinbase.com/, https://www.bytedance.com/en/, and https://stripe.com/.
In today’s discussion, we're talking about manager selection and big versus small funds, a topic we're constantly debating on LinkedIn, as well as how Sion and Andreas thinks about fund sizing in Europe.
Sion emphasizes that good funds outperform, regardless of their size, and whatever the strategy, manager selection is the most important factor in venture.
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Chapters
00:11 Overview of VenCap's Investment Strategy
03:13 Debating Big vs. Small Funds
04:50 The Importance of Manager Selection
05:42 Analyzing Fund Performance Data
09:39 Fund Sizing in Europe
14:46 VenCap's Global Investment Approach
26:40 Fund Size and Investment Strategy
27:58 Fund Sizes and Portfolio Construction
28:35 Early Stage vs. Growth Stage Strategies
29:02 Global Investment Approach
30:08 Performance Consistency Across Strategies
31:21 Risk and Return in Venture Capital
32:31 Building and Maintaining Relationships
35:14 Performance Dispersion in Venture Capital
44:11 Secondary Investments and Strategy
49:17 Reflections and Personal Insights
Giulia Van Waeyenberge, Sofina Group on why you need talent, money, and network to build a great ecosystem | E330
2 JUL 2024 · In this episode, we welcome https://www.linkedin.com/in/giulia-van-waeyenberge-7880bb2/ to the pod. Giulia is an experienced investor and judge in the https://www.eu.vc/p/say-hello-to-the-european-vc-awards and a Managing Director at https://www.sofinagroup.com/, an investment holding company with more than 9 billion in AUM.
Sofina Group is a global investor investing mainly in the Venture and Growth stages. Its sectors include digital, healthcare and life sciences, consumer, education, and sustainable supply chain sectors. Sofina has a direct investment strategy, investing from a series B/C until IPO and beyond. They also invest in venture and growth capital funds on a global basis. They invest from their balance sheet and take a long-term view. Sofina is also a shareholder in Vinted (a second-hand marketplace), Mistral AI, Cleo (an AI chatbot providing financial advice to young adults), and ByteDance.
On the fund side, they have long-standing relationships with US managers where they have invested for several decades in firms like https://www.sequoiacap.com/, https://www.iconiqcapital.com/, and https://lsvp.com/. In Europe, they invested in several European GPs, some more emerging than others. In the seed stage, they have a partnership with https://www.pointnine.com/, https://www.moonfire.com/, https://atlanticlabs.de/, https://seedcamp.com/, https://visionaries.vc/, https://stride.vc/, and https://hoxtonventures.com/. On the seed/series A stage they have invested in https://www.blossomcap.com/, https://singular.vc/, and https://alven.co/. On the platform side, they have in funds like https://northzone.com/, https://www.balderton.com/, https://atomico.com/, https://dawncapital.com/, and https://www.felixcap.com/.
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Chapters
05:49 Direct Investments and Partnerships
06:16 Allocation and Investment Decision-making
07:40 Investing from a Balance Sheet
08:39 Investment Pace and Diversification
09:08 Allocation to Venture and Growth
10:44 Investing in Venture for Multiple Decades
22:56 Views on the European Venture Ecosystem
25:12 Maturity of the European Ecosystem
28:37 US Investors' Perspective on Europe
32:37 Venture in Eastern Europe
33:37 Long-Term Orientation and Dealing with Challenges
37:58 Shoutout to Ophelia Brown of Blossom
39:25 Learnings from the Last 10 Years
41:30 Tips for Emerging VCs in Fundraising
42:44 Counterintuitive Lessons in Venture
Roundtable discussion on ESG becoming a core part of doing business in Europe | E329
27 JUN 2024 · In today’s episode, Andreas discusses the importance of ESG in the venture capital industry with our four guests:
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/henry-philipson/, Director of Marketing and Communications at http://www.beringea.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleigh-brown-853698254/, Sustainability Manager at http://www.atomico.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/antonia-whitecourt-40722750/, Director at https://seedcamp.com/
- https://www.linkedin.com/in/grace-savage-b18429152/, ESG Lead at https://www.moltenventures.com/
We are talking about ESG in VC because https://www.esgvc.co.uk/ recently published an https://www.esgvc.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/ESGVC_BVCA_InsighttoImpact.pdf collected from 587 startups backed by leading VC firms, including Atomico, Molten Ventures, Bringea, and Seedcamp. ESG_VC is a global network of more than 300 VC firms enabling start-ups to tackle ESG.
Join us while diving into the value of ESG for startups, how VCs are working with founders to drive forward the sustainability agenda, and what the future of European ESG looks like. We also address the buzz surrounding ESG, emphasizing the need to focus on building well-governed and responsible businesses.
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Chapters:
00:34 Deep Dive into the ESG Report
07:11 Importance of ESG in Startups
07:36 Historical Context of ESG
09:15 Operational vs. Strategic ESG
10:19 Challenges and Opportunities in ESG
11:14 Backlash and Misunderstandings of ESG
12:32 Divergence in ESG Practices
16:32 Future of ESG in European VC
19:38 Materiality and Practical Implementation
25:25 Carbon Footprint and Environmental Impact
35:17 Diversity and Talent in Startups
EUVC is your go-to podcast for everything European VC. Co-hosted by Andreas Munk Holm and David Cruz e Silva, EUVC features some of the most prominent people from the European...
show more
EUVC is your go-to podcast for everything European VC. Co-hosted by Andreas Munk Holm and David Cruz e Silva, EUVC features some of the most prominent people from the European VC industry, giving you a fresh new perspective on the industry and geo we love.
Follow us and stay in the loop with everything European VC on eu.vc
show less
Follow us and stay in the loop with everything European VC on eu.vc
Information
| Author | The European VC |
| Organization | The European VC |
| Categories | Investing , Entrepreneurship , Tech News |
| Website | www.eu.vc |
| hello@eu.vc |
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