OVNIs Ep. #93 - June Angelides - From $1K Angels to $1.5M Checks: Building Conviction at Samos VC

Marie Outtier welcomes investor–operator June Angelides for a candid conversation on the journey from Lagos to London, from SVB to founding Mums in Tech, and ultimately to investing at Samos VC. June shares how motherhood, identity, and learning to code shaped her founder empathy and “servant leadership” style—being truly on-call for portfolio teams while building conviction in uncertain markets.

The episode gets tactical: demystifying angel checks via syndicates, asking for information rights, and getting back to basics on revenue. June spotlights recent health-tech bets (e.g., continuous hormone monitoring, postpartum care), her African syndicate Lavarie across Nigeria, Kenya, Ghana, and South Africa, and practical advice for founders—including tapping the UK’s EIS/SEIS. In a rapid-fire close, she names AI as the pitch-room buzzword and Carol Dweck’s Mindset as a lasting influence—underscoring her mission to open doors for overlooked builders.

[00:00:00] Intro by Marie; who June is (Lagos → London, Mums in Tech, Samos VC, investor lens).

[00:01:00] Origin story: family background, moving to London at 17.

[00:01:48] UCL economics; first role at Thomson Reuters and the newsroom energy.

[00:03:05] Joining Silicon Valley Bank; vision to sit at the heart of the UK innovation ecosystem.

[00:04:12] Maternity leave → learning to code; deciding to build something.

[00:05:10] Launching Mums in Tech; SVB sponsorship; on-site childcare for a pilot.

[00:06:12] 8-week curriculum; 100 sign-ups; bridging founder–engineer communication and tools.

[00:07:39] From shy to intentional leadership; creating space for others’ ideas.

[00:08:54] 12 cohorts / 250 women; funding & representation gaps push her toward VC.

[00:10:00] Samos VC thesis: sector-agnostic, patient capital; seven years in; starting to angel invest.

[00:11:28] Syndicates 101 (Odin/AngelList, SPVs); small checks, one cap-table line, big signal.

[00:13:40] Risk mindset; how early angels add momentum and help with institutional references.

[00:21:38] Women’s health bets: Level Zero Health (hormones) and Hester Health (postpartum); AI tailwinds.

[00:23:34] Geography & check sizes: UK/EU/US; up to $1.5M; occasional flex into quantum.

[00:24:05] Lavarie African syndicate; Nigeria/Kenya/Ghana/South Africa; examples (Rayness, Chaodec).

[00:31:16] Rapid fire & wrap: AI buzzword; revenue > hype; book—Mindset; reframing failure and closing.

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