ACT | E364 | The Power of Experience: Nicola McClafferty’s Journey from Investor to Founder and Back as a Series A+ Investor

Welcome to a new episode of our special series, At The Cap Table.

Today, Sarah Finegan, Senior Investor at Antler has a discussion with Nicola McClafferty, Partner at Molten Ventures. Molten Ventures, formerly Draper Esprit, is a venture capital firm investing in high-growth technology companies with global ambitions, with offices in London and Dublin. Molten is publicly listed on the London Stock Exchange and takes flexible and patient capital to invest across primary, secondary, and fund funds. Molten invests ~$200 million a year across Seed - Series B stage companies with ~$2 billion AUM.

Nicola spent 5 years as a venture capital investor with Balderton Capital and media consultancy Ravensbeck, focusing on early-stage technology and digital consumer investments. She graduated from University College Dublin with a degree in International Business and French.

In this episode of *At The Cap Table*, Nicola will share her insights and experiences in a dynamic and wide-ranging discussion. We’ll dive into Nicola's personal journey, her work at Molten Ventures, and her industry expertise, offering a mix of personal and business insights. Stay tuned for an engaging and informative conversation!

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

Chapters:

00:14 Meet Nicola McClafferty
00:32 Nicola's Unique Career Path
03:40 Early Career in Investment Banking
05:01 Transition to Venture Capital
07:34 Building and Scaling a Business
08:00 Challenges and Exit Strategy
08:34 Return to Venture Capital
09:00 Key Learnings as a Founder
09:39 Empathy and Understanding Founders
11:20 State of Entrepreneurship in Europe
15:38 Excitement About the Irish Market
19:00 Molten Ventures' Unique Model
24:59 Trends in Pre-Seed and Seed Stage
28:53 Focus on Consumer Software and AI
33:57 Advice for Founders: Zero to One
39:00 Final Thoughts and Personal Insights