Neha Khera is a General Partner at 2048 Ventures.

2048 Ventures is a thesis-driven earliest-stage venture capital firm. They are founders, experienced operators, nerds and dreamers obsessed with the future. They've backed over 200 startups and have the experience and conviction to lead your pre-seed or seed round.

Takeaways

University of Waterloo's engineering program and co-op program provide a strong foundation for problem-solving and work ethic.

What it was like being one of Mejuri's earliest investors.

Learnings from investing at MaRS and 500 Startups/500 Canada.

Why Canadian founders run marathons and American founders run sprints.

Research is a valuable skill for investors, allowing them to make informed decisions and understand complex industries.

Investing in early-stage companies requires a focus on the team and their ability to execute.

The venture capital industry needs more diversity in terms of gender and background, and efforts should be made to support underrepresented founders and investors.

Nuances to being an emerging manager.

Chapters

00:00 University of Waterloo and Engineering

02:18 Transition to Venture Capital

04:22 Joining Mars and Formative Experience

06:19 The Strengths of Research in Investing

07:28 Early Investments and Evolving Decision-Making

09:31 Importance of Mentors and Networking

11:02 Investing in Majuri and Taking a Bet on Herself

13:35 Transition to 500 Startups Canada

15:47 Experience at 500 Startups Canada

16:41 Transition to 2048 Ventures

19:59 Choosing 2048 Ventures and Alignment with Alex

23:49 Navigating the Noise in the Market

25:36 Differences Between Canadian and American Founders

27:17 Encouraging Canadian Founders to Take More Risks

28:59 Raising a Fund and Challenges for Emerging Managers

34:53 State of the Market for Pre-Seed and Seed

36:20 Building Conviction in Founders and Developing Relationships

38:58 Misconceptions About Emerging Managers

41:38 Maintaining Communication and Support with LPs

44:36 Favorite Books and Excitement for the Future

46:17 Dealing with Hard Times and Maintaining Perspective

47:30 Open Call to Founders and Promoting Diversity

My podcast supporter!

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Fasken's Emerging Tech and Venture Capital⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ practice is comprised of 80+ dedicated legal professionals across the Canadian market. We're deeply involved in the startup ecosystem and have worked closely with founders from startup to scale-up to exit. Our team is a leading Canadian law firm for VC financings and tech M&A and act for many of the best-in-class startup and scale-up innovation-based companies and entrepreneurs in Canada.

Given this experience we understand market trends and can assist in guiding your company forward as you scale – we take a holistic and strategic approach to helping our clients achieve their goals and provide the full suite of services including corporate, corporate finance, M&A, commercial, IP, data and compliance, employment, tax and beyond. We are excited to help the next generation of unicorns!

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