Associated

Once again we're recording remotely, and this time we're thrilled to be joined by Nick Sando of Octopus Ventures (and, briefly, his cat). Before he joined Octopus to invest in the Future of Money, Nick was a founder himself - we discuss the highs and lows of entrepreneurial life, and how those experiences inform his approach to investing and supporting portfolio companies.  Nick's LinkedIn Octopus Ventures

Kicking off Season 2 we've got Bethany Greer, Associate at Bethnal Green Ventures. For the first time on Associated we're recording remotely because of the global situation with COVID-19, but it hasn't stopped us! We get into how social distancing measures might impact the future of work, which is an area Bethany's fund looks at as part of their remit investing in early stage tech for good. And we talk about Bethany's unconventional path to VC - including a cool little thing she did post-interview that she believes secured her the role at BGV! Bethany's LinkedIn Bethnal Green Ventures 

Petra and Lois sit down with Abi Mohamed, one of the busiest ladies in the business. She wears so many hats - founder, scout, developer, programme manager - it's a miracle she found the time to chat! They discuss Abi's role at TechNation,  her experience of angel investing and scouting for VC funds, and some of the reasons women are still less likely to pursue a career as a developer. Abi's on Twitter @abii_mohamed  Community Growth Ventures

This week we’re joined by Sarah Nöckel, the founder of Femstreet and investor at Dawn Capital! We find out more about what goes on behind the scenes at one of Europe’s largest VC funds focusing on investments into B2B software and fintech, how to carve out a niche for yourself in the industry and discuss the classic question: what’s harder- being a VC or a founder? PS. Check out Femstreet here: https://www.femstreet.com/

What does it take to work at Seedcamp - one of the most influential early stage funds? Kyran Schmidt fills us in: on how he went from intern to associate, the foremost qualities Seedcamp looks for in founders, and current areas of interest for the fund.

It's Christmas Eve and we have a special episode for you today! The holidays are a great time to unplug and catch up on your reading, so we've recorded an episode talking about literary works that have inspired us as well as what we're reading at the moment. Happy Holidays, we'll see you in 2020!

Petra and Francesca spend some time with Dele Akinyemi on this episode; Dele is an Associate for MMC Ventures, a fund investing in early stage UK start-ups. From East London to Indonesia, Dele has quite literally crossed the globe in his career so far and lets us in on how all the different pieces – medicine, consulting, start-up operations -  fit together. Dele's LinkedIn  MMC

On this episode, Petra and Francesca sit down with Freddie Evans, Associate at Augmentum Fintech. Freddie explains how Augmentum’s unique public structure sets them apart in the venture landscape and how it benefits entrepreneurs; he also delves into characteristics he thinks make a great investor, explains what the first day in VC is really like and what habits he had to unlearn while transitioning into venture from consulting.

Lois and Francesca chat with Eva Rez, Senior Investment Manager at Sky Ventures. They discuss how corporate venture differs from institutional VC (Eva has experience of both!) and delve into some of the partnerships she's facilitated at Sky. Eva also talks about her route into the investment industry, and how she studied venture capital in San Francisco. Eva's LinkedIn Sky Ventures

Lois and Francesca chat to Emma Steele, Investment Manager at Fair by Design. They discuss Emma's career trajectory, the remit of the Fair by Design Fund, and how impact investing works.  Fair By Design Emma's LinkedIn