E303 | Super Angel | Angel investing insights with Mikko Silventola, Bolt's and Hugo's First Investor

Today, we are joined by Mikko Silventola for a new episode of the SuperAngel podcast. Mikko is an angel investor, and Venture Partner at Superangel. 😉Mikko invests his own capital, but also via Magnetic Global Fund (Index Ventures Angel Fund), and he likes to provide capital for the underdogs in the ecosystem. He was the first investor in companies like:

• Bolt (previously Taxify, first investor & hands-on advisor, raised >$2B from Sequoia)
• Hugo (raised >$100M from TMT Investments, DST Global etc. Acquired by Delivery Hero)
• PayMongo (raised >$45M from Stripe, Founders Fund, Thiel)

Mikko also has a solid track record in the internationalization of companies in Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. He spent the past 10 years in Asia and the Middle East operating in the private equity sector, focusing on advising early-stage companies, angel investing, M&A advisory, and fundraising.

Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀

Chapters:

02:30 Miko's Angel Investing Journey
03:32 Transition to Venture Business and Global Investments
07:23 Defining the Superpower of an Angel Investor
09:15 Strategic Angel Investing and Portfolio Management
10:20 The Art of Following On in Investments
12:44 Navigating Challenges and Opportunities in Venture Capital
22:05 Investment Philosophy and Identifying Potential Unicorns
26:12 Selecting the Right VCs and Avoiding Pitfalls
33:34 Personal Reflections and Life Lessons
35:13 The Concept of Life Design and Work-Life Balance
40:07 Investing Without Borders: A Global Perspective
40:28 Analyzing the Strengths of the Nordic and Baltic Startup Ecosystem