Axel Bichara, Co-Founder and General Partner of Baukunst: $100 Million Raised for Venture-Driven Growth at the Intersection of Technology and Social Change

In today's episode of Category Visionaries, we speak with Axel Bichara, Co-Founder and General Partner of Baukunst, a VC fund that backs creative technologies, about the key criteria they look for in prospective partners before making that ever-important early stage investment. From identifying extraordinary individuals to making sure there’s a market to be exploited, Baukunst focuses on the spaces in which technological innovation and social changes can precipitate new ways of living and almost endless opportunities.

We also speak about Axel’s background in investment and how it brought him to found Baukunst, changes in the VC space as it emerged from a fledgling funding opportunity to a major source of market capital, and how running a VC firm can end up consuming your entire life.

Topics Discussed:

• Axel’s background in the investment space, from the early days of venture capital and his days as a student to founding Baukunst
• Changes in the VC sector, from fringe finance to some of the world’s largest capital funds
• Why generalization in an investment space focusing on innovation is unlikely to be a winning strategy in the long term
• Why efficiency and low burn rates are key for new investments until you can be sure of product market fit
• The potential pitches Axel and Baukunst are looking for in the future, and how to prepare yourself for investment