Marcelo Claure is the Founder & CEO of Claure Group, a multi-billion-dollar global investment firm. He is the Executive Chairman and Managing Partner of Bicycle Capital, a $500M Latin America-focused growth equity fund, and was appointed Chairman in Latin America of SHEIN, the global #1 on-demand fashion company in the world. Claure was also the CEO of SoftBank Group International where he launched SoftBank's $8B Latin America Funds, and had direct oversight for SoftBank's operating companies. As an entrepreneur, Marcelo built Brightstar from a small local distributor to the world's largest global wireless distribution and services company. In addition, Claure led the turnaround of US wireless telecommunications company Sprint and helped orchestrate its US$195 billion merger with T-Mobile.
Shu Nyatta is the founder of Bicycle Capital. Before Bicycle, Shu was most recently a Managing Partner at SoftBank Group International, where he launched and managed two separate funds - the SoftBank Latin America Fund and the Opportunity Fund for early-stage investments in US-based founders-of-color. In the first part of his SoftBank career, Shu was a founding Partner of SoftBank's Vision Fund. Several companies have retained him on their boards as an independent board member following his departure from SoftBank, including Lemonade (NYSE: LMND), Kavak and Tribal Credit. Shu also serves on the board of Endeavor Global - the leading global community of, by and for high-impact entrepreneurs.
In Today's Episode Featuring Bicycle Capital We Discuss:
1. From Deploying $10BN at Softbank to Founding Bicycle Capital:
- What was the founding moment for Marcelo and Shu in the founding of Bicycle?
- What does Shu believe is Marcelo's superpower? How has working with Marcelo changed the way he thinks?
- Why does Marcelo believe that he is not a good investor? How does Shu make him better, specifically?
2. Lessons from Investing $10BN at Softbank:
- What are 1-2 of the biggest lessons from investing $10BN over the last few years at Softbank?
- How did missing OpenAI and Nubank impact how Shu and Marcelo think and invest today?
- Why was losing $150M on Softbank's FTX investment, the biggest lesson of Marcelo's career?
- What are Marcelo and Shu doing differently at Bicycle, having seen how it went at Softbank?
3. The Venture World is Changing:
- Why do Marcelo and Shu believe the world of venture is changing? How is it changing most?
- Why are founders going directly to LPs to raise rounds today, over going to VCs?
- Do Marcelo and Shu believe that many VCs provide value?
- Who will win in the next 10 years of venture? Who will lose?
- Why do Marcelo and Shu believe you should not invest in founders that do not take your advice?
- Do Marcelo and Shu agree with the statement that "the best founders do not need your help"?
4. LATAM is Under Construction: It is Time to Build:
- What are the two reasons that the next decade will be the best ever for LATAM?
- What are the biggest misconceptions about the LATAM tech market?
- How do Marcelo and Shu answer the question of the lack of liquidity available with few M&A deals taking place and very few LATAM companies listing on the NASDAQ?
- How do Marcelo and Shu evaluate the withdrawal of foreign capital from LATAM tech markets? Is it good or bad? Have a load of US funds lost money on early-stage LATAM deals?
