Associated

💎BONUS 💎 In this very special episode of Associated we do the unthinkable - we interview a Partner! Matt Penneycard is one of two Founding Partners at Ada Ventures, the fund investing in overlooked founders and markets. Matt's refreshing candour paves the way for a landmark episode of Associated in which we showcase the classic route into VC from the perspective of someone who went on to raise a fund based on the principle of investing in people and ideas from more unexpected places. To explore what career paths might look like for the more diverse cohort of junior VCs on the scene today, we discuss how Matt hired an Associate who went on to be the other Founding Partner of Ada Ventures, how they raised their fund, and tips for people looking to do the same.  Matt's LinkedIn Ada Ventures

Ready for a new take on the VC space? Join us this week, as we interview Shaun Hon, Director of Rainmaking Transport, Southeast Asia’s first corporate venture builder for the maritime industry. He delves into his background as an engineer and how that brought him to the VC industry and eventually the venture building space. In this episode, you’ll get a chance to learn about what venture building is, as well as corporate innovation, and how it could be an interesting alternative for those wanting to enter venture capital. Other discussion topics include the startup ecosystem in Asia and advice for anyone currently looking to enter venture capital or venture building.

This week we're joined by Shinaz Navas, Associate at Emerge Education. During our interview we learned more about Shinaz's experience founding his own EdTech startup and how he's implementing that experience and knowledge into investing in innovative new technologies in the education space. Education goes past K-12 and with COVID19, the need for new solutions becomes more urgent. He also delves into advice about how to position yourself based on transferable skills as a founder as well as how to differentiate yourself from other candidates when job searching or working in a new environment.  This episode is truly a wealth of information for anyone interested in breaking into VC, learning more about EdTech, or in general how to set yourself apart from competition.

This week we’re delighted to be joined by Yvonne Bajela, Principal at Impact X Capital. We hear about how Yvonne put her own spin on a relatively ‘traditional’ career path through investment banking and strategy consulting to corporate venture capital. By putting her skills to use in Ghana and Japan, Yvonne acquired a unique wealth of experience on both side of the investment table. Now she invests in underrepresented founders with Impact X!

This week we have another double dose on Associated- this time, courtesy of Speedinvest! Francesca and Petra chat to Gunita and Magda who are both investors at the fund- exploring their different journeys into venture capital, the unique platform value-add Speedinvest provides to its founders- and of course, what they're currently excited about and how they contextualise the start-ups they screen in the bigger picture of fund dynamics.

This week we're excited to be joined by Jacob Claerhout, Associate at Partech and founder of Merit, the 'Codeacademy for VCs'! Like us, Jacob feels strongly about broadening access to venture capital which is why he started Merit; to give anyone the opportunity to earn their stripes assessing early stage companies. We discuss how building something gives you a renewed respect for all founders, and how it's taking Jacob back to his background in engineering! Finally, as someone who's thought a lot about recruitment in VC, he shares his top tips for interviewing.  Jacob's LinkedIn Merit

Paul Lehair, Investment Manager at AlbionVC, joins us this week to share his brilliant story - not only did he have the pleasure of meeting Petra back when they both worked at Viagogo, but he was also one of the first business hires at Citymapper! We discuss how Paul went from studying Politics & Economics across three countries, to an M&A role at Citi, before he moved over to startups. Find out how his experience across these varied companies informs his approach to investing in B2B software companies for Albion.  Paul's LinkedIn AlbionVC

We're joined by Kate and Jessica, Associates in the Investment Team at 500 Startups who took pretty different paths to get there! We talk about how each of them is motivated by getting hands-on to support companies' growth, and what makes the fund's platform model special.  Kate's LinkedIn Jess's LinkedIn 500 Startups

What do politics and VC have in common? We find out this week as Francesca and Petra sit down with Magda Lukaszewicz at Balderton (fun fact:  she was one of the youngest politicians in Sweden ever)! Magda takes us on her journey from politician to start-ups, investment banking to venture capital. She talks about what she's seen and learned along the way and explains why keeping an open mind is so important in an investing role. 

In a first for Associated, we're joined by two guests this week! Kathy and Michael are both Principals at Downing Ventures where, although they tend to look at different types of companies, they work together closely. We talk about the benefits of friendship in working relationships - how real trust enables respectful challenge and leads to more comprehensive deal assessment. Kathy and Michael also discuss how they found the learning curve in VC, the journey from Associate to Principal, and they share tips on preparing for that VC interview!  Kathy's LinkedIn Michael's LinkedIn Downing Ventures