How Nomad's Thinking Has Changed in Manager Selection with Jordan Nel of Hummingbird Ventures
Dec 6, 2023
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Jordan Nel from Hummingbird Ventures discusses identifying outlier venture funds, shifting from winning to picking, signal in track records, changing the venture landscape, competitive edge in venture investing, scaling VC funds, effective communication and brand strategy, opportunities in deep tech, and advice for LPs and fund managers.
Investing in outlier venture funds involves identifying unique insights and non-obvious edge in companies and founders.
Successful investments in deep tech require thematic conviction, expertise, and an ability to navigate the unique dynamics of the sector.
Deep dives
Identifying Outlier Venture Funds
In this podcast episode, Jordan Nell from Hummingbird Ventures discusses how to identify outlier venture funds. Hummingbird Ventures follows a founder-centric approach, focusing on exceptional individuals rather than specific markets or sectors. They look for founders with non-traditional backgrounds, exceptional talent, and a unique approach. The goal is to invest early and heavily in these exceptional founders and support them throughout their journey. The criteria for identifying outlier venture funds is based on bottom-up asymmetry and data points that validate the fund's investment behavior. Superior judgment, the ability to preempt inflection points, and a non-consensus approach are key factors. Overall, the focus is on picking differently rather than winning or sourcing differently.
Changing Focus: Picking Versus Winning
The podcast delves into the shift from winning to picking when it comes to venture capital investing. According to Jordan Nell, this change is influenced by capital scarcity. In a less competitive market, the focus shifts to picking exceptional investment opportunities rather than relying solely on winning deals. Picking well becomes crucial in an environment where access to deals is not as widespread. The emphasis is on identifying unique insights and non-obvious edge in companies and founders. This requires a different approach to due diligence, where data points validating the founder's thesis and the GP's ability to navigate the investment landscape become important. Developing a strong sense of taste in people and ideas and avoiding consensus deals are keys to success in this shifting landscape.
Evaluating Venture Funds in a Changing Landscape
The podcast explores how the venture capital landscape is changing and the evolving challenges faced by LPs when evaluating funds. The traditional model of venture capital revolves around a 2 and 20 fee structure and top-down allocation strategies. However, given the changing market conditions and the scarcity of capital, LPs need to rethink their approach to fund evaluation. Jordan Nell suggests that relying heavily on past performance and re-upping without considering changing circumstances may not be the best strategy. Instead, a commitment to mutual excellence, continuous evaluation of a fund's value proposition, and a focus on how the GP sees the world become crucial factors in fund selection. Additionally, LPs should consider the competitive edge of GPs, their ability to navigate changing markets, and their willingness to reinvent themselves to avoid becoming complacent.
Investing in Deep Tech
The podcast delves into the opportunities and challenges of investing in deep tech. While there is increasing interest and funding in deep tech companies, finding managers who can navigate this complex landscape is a challenge. Deep tech requires expertise in diverse areas such as life sciences and advanced manufacturing, which differ significantly from traditional venture funding models. Exceptional talent and exceptional companies drive success in deep tech, and investors coalesce around such companies once they achieve market leadership. Jordan Nell suggests that investing in deep tech necessitates selecting GPs who are familiar with the ecosystem and understand the challenges, rather than being mere tourists. Thematic conviction, expertise, and an ability to navigate the unique dynamics of deep tech are crucial for successful investments in this space.
Effective Communication and Brand Strategy (22:21)
The argument against most fund of funds (26:08)
Opportunities in deep tech (28:30)
Advice for fellow LPs and fund managers (31:26)
Hummingbird Ventures is a global generalist seed investment fund, investing in outlier founders at the earliest stage of their journey. With a mission to identify and support innovative entrepreneurs, Hummingbird Ventures has established itself as a key player in the venture capital landscape. The firm is known for its strategic approach to investing, providing not only capital but also valuable expertise and guidance to help startups navigate the challenges of growth and development. Hummingbird Ventures has a diverse portfolio across various sectors and geographies, contributing to the advancement of groundbreaking ideas and technologies in the ever-evolving startup ecosystem.
Passthrough turns investor onboarding into a solved problem – it seamlessly manages subscription document distribution, execution, and compliance in minutes. As a leader in fund workflow automation for investors, fund managers, and other fintechs, Passthrough provides an integrated platform solution that makes the subscription document process turnkey for investors with replicable and verifiable identity information built in for future use. In addition to subscription documents, Passthrough also offers a full service KYC/AML product that streamlines collecting information from investors and screening them against sanctions lists so fund managers can remain compliant.
Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. Follow along and subscribe at swimmingwithallocators.com.
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