Bryan Taylor, Advent’s Managing Partner: Europe is nearing its golden years of tech investing

Bryan Taylor has been investing in technology for over 25 years, the last six years at Advent as Managing Partner. He’s been involved in a number of major transactions, such as one involving Wiz, a leading cloud security company, and McAfee, a global provider of antivirus and cybersecurity solutions.

Boston-based Advent is a powerhouse of private equity. It’s been in the industry for more than 35 years and currently manages over $90 billion in assets. The firm consistently ranks among top PE firms with an unparalleled global presence, particularly in Europe.

In this episode of Deal Talk series with Steffen Pauls, Moonfare’s Founder and Co-CEO, Bryan shared his views on a wide-range of topics — from opportunities in AI, current state of dealmaking to how Advent wins deals. Some of the highlights include:

Exit strategy: “We systematically make exits part of our underwriting. We’re looking for what we call multiple exit ramps. Not just one but multiple options to exit. As a result, we’ve had great strategic exits in the last two years as well as fantastic IPOs.”

Long-term relationships: “We have 200 investment professionals who are creating deals from the bottom up, finding off-the-beaten-path opportunities. Often, when a deal starts, we have already spent years working with the management team to put together a value-creation plan to drive performance.”

Investing in Europe: “It feels as though we’re approaching the golden years of tech investing in Europe. There is a dynamic of increased spend around innovation. We have seen a maturing of a very large cohort of companies founded in the last 5–10 years that have figured out how to go across borders. And there is still a relatively benign competitive environment.”

Life advice: “You have to learn from other great investors; they are not born but grown. I emphasise to my kids: make sure you work with people you respect, align on values and feel they invest in you.”

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