Follow me @samirkaji for my thoughts on the venture market, with a focus on the continued evolution of the VC landscape.

In this episode, I have the pleasure of conversing with Gaurav Mathur, Partner at Pinegrove Capital Partners. Together, we dive into the evolving venture capital landscape, focusing on liquidity solutions and the rise of secondary markets. Gaurav shares insights from his extensive experience, discussing the growth in assets under management, the trend of companies staying private longer, and the changing dynamics for limited partners. We explore mechanisms for generating liquidity, such as continuation funds, strip sales, and secondary tenders, emphasizing the importance of alignment between general partners and limited partners.

About Gaurav Mathur and Pinegrove:

Gaurav Mathur is a Partner at Pinegrove Capital Partners. Gaurav Mathur is a seasoned finance professional with extensive experience in investment banking and venture capital. In 2023, he co-founded Pinegrove with Brian Laibow through the backing of a $500 million commitment from Sequoia Heritage and Brookfield.

THE ORG

Prior to founding Pinegrove, Gaurav spent 18 years at Goldman Sachs as a Managing Director in the Investment Banking Division, leading the US Equity Private Markets. He began his career at PwC in the Dispute Analysis & Investigations Group. Gaurav holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business/Commerce from the University of Virginia.Pinegrove Capital Partners is a venture investment platform that offers tailored solutions for fund managers, founders, and limited partners within the venture capital ecosystem. Their expertise includes fund of funds, venture debt funds, venture secondaries, and co-investments.

With combined assets under management exceeding $10 billion, Pinegrove is supported by sponsors such as Sequoia Heritage and Brookfield Asset Management. In May 2024, an affiliate of Pinegrove, backed by these sponsors, entered into a definitive agreement to acquire SVB Capital, the investment platform business of SVB Financial Group. This transaction was completed in September 2024.

Topics in this conversation include:

* Growth of AUM in Venture Capital (3:53)

* Data-Driven Insights on Liquidity (6:11)

* Private Markets Growth Forecast (11:03)

* Mechanisms for Generating Liquidity (17:00)

* Alignment in Continuation Structures (21:28)

* Sizing Continuation Funds (29:44)

* Exploring Strip Sales (31:36)

* NAV Lending as a Liquidity Tool (34:00)

* Growth of Liquidity Solutions (37:35)

* Technology's Role in Liquidity (41:14)

* Final Thoughts and Takeaways (45:55)

I’d love to know what you took away from this conversation with Gaurav Mathur. Follow me @samirkaji and give me your insights and questions with the hashtag #ventureunlocked.

If you’d like to be considered as a guest or have someone you’d like to hear from (GP or LP), drop me a direct message on X.