Creating Synergy Podcast
#79 - Niki Scevak, Co-founder of Blackbird Ventures on his early Investment in Canva, and what he looks for when investing in Start-ups
Niki is the Co-founder of Blackbird, a venture fund that exists to supercharge the most ambitious founders. Blackbird Ventures is one of the leading Venture Capital funds in Australia and NZ, counting companies such as Canva, Culture Amp, and Safety Culture as part of its portfolio.
Niki Co-founded Blackbird in 2012 with an initial $29M. That initial fund proved to be hugely successful, with the fund selling 40% of fund 1 for $100M. The sale provided a guaranteed 3x return to all 96 investors who contributed to fund 1 while retaining an interest in the 12 portfolio companies with a carrying value of $6.50 per $1 invested.
On today’s show, Niki shared his journey from starting a business with his University friend, Mike Cannon Brookes, whom you may know as the founder of Atlassian, all the way to co-founding Blackbird Ventures and how he became known as the 'Godfather' of Venture Capital here in Australia.
He also shared the Blackbird’s investing philosophy, "Taking a chance on the hungry, not the proven" which means he is more interested in those who are passionate to succeed than those who possibly have already proven themselves, and also discussed why "investing is more phycological than it is data and analytics".
Niki also shared with us :
- What are some of the key qualities he looks for in entrepreneurs which lead to success,
- The pivotal role organisational Culture plays in startups
- What the Australian Start-Up Scene looks like over the next 5-10 years
- His advice for entrepreneurs to attract investors
- His beliefs in the constant need for Personal growth
- What does the future look like for Blackbird Ventures.
Books mentioned in this episode:
- Poor Charlie's Almanack - The Wit and Wisdom of Charles T. Munger By: Charles Thomas Munger
- Zero to One - Notes on Startups, or How to Build the Future By Peter Thiel, Blake Masters
Where to find Niki Scevak:
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