EUVC

Today, we have Steffen Pauls with us. Steffen is a Founding Partner at 7GC, a €400M Growth venture fund based in Berlin, and founded the firm in 2015 to bring growth investment opportunities to a network of key decision-makers, industrial families, and entrepreneurs in Europe.7GC is investing out of Fund II with a total €400M AUM and an established portfolio of 15 companies and notable investments including Jackpocket, Jio, Hims & Hers. Steffen focuses on Sars, FinTech, and AI.Steffen is a serial entrepreneur who has founded several businesses; among others, he co­founded and acted as CEO of the first five AG (sold to a PE investor). In addition, Steffen is the founder of Moonfare, a financial services technology firm, which he currently runs as the acting CEO.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀Chapters:00:03:14 - From Private Equity to Venture Capital00:06:16 - Moonfare's Global Expansion Journey00:09:14 - The Importance of Patience in Investing00:15:15 - The Future of AI Regulation00:18:12 - Europe's Struggle to Catch Up in AI00:21:02 - The Imbalance of Data Ownership00:33:36 - Democratizing Private Equity Investment00:36:38 - Investment Pre-Selection Process00:39:39 - Moonfare: An Innovation in the Market00:42:31 - The Different Players in the Industry00:45:36 - Moonfare: Building a Community00:48:43 - Democratization of Private Equity00:51:44 - Learning from the Challenges of Starting Moon Fare00:54:49 - The Importance of Culture in Building Great Companies00:58:04 - Trends in Investor Behavior01:01:22 - The Importance of Independence and Speaking Up01:04:26 - The Dangers of Being Cyclical01:07:33 - The Value of University Education

Cornerstoned by Isomer Capital, very early Ventures is built to capture the opportunity in three foundational Web3 pillars: Decentralized Infrastructure, Real World Impact, and Public Markets Opportunity.The very early team has already established a solid initial portfolio in lockstep with leading web3 funds like a16z, Dragonfly, and 1kx. This is evidence that the best founders choose to work with the very early team not just for the capital, but for the value add.At the core of Web3 lies the possibility of separating money from state. Creating a new global monetary system that transcends borders, redefines property rights, and empowers individuals like never before. This transformation may represent the biggest opportunity of our lifetimes, and we are thrilled to be part of this paradigm shift.With the speculative excess and hype cleared from much of the Web3 ecosystem, the emerging Web3 bull market appears to be driven by applications that genuinely add value and are built on robust foundations, rather than fleeting fantasies. We believe Web3 is finally reaching the level of maturation we’ve all been waiting for, leading to the founding of projects with tangible benefits and sustainable models instead of mere speculation. And it is these projects that the very early team is helping to bring about.If you would like an intro to the very early team, don’t hesitate to reach out.

Welcome to a new episode of our special series At The Cap Table.Today, we are joined by Sarah Finegan, an Investor at Antler, in a conversation with Susan Lin, a Partner & Investor at Felix Capital.Susan is an investor at Felix Capital. Over the past 10+ years, Susan has advised, invested, and worked in a range of consumer and technology companies in their journeys to grow and scale. Susan joined Felix Capital from HgCapital, a London-based private equity fund where she focused on software investments and portfolio companies. Prior to HgCapital, Susan was a management consultant at Bain & Company in San Francisco, Singapore, and London, advising private equity and growth capital funds on potential investments and CPG and e-commerce companies on go-to-market, M&A, and growth strategies.Felix Capital is a venture capital firm for the creative class, operating at the intersection of technology and creativity. The fund focuses on digital lifestyle across multiple verticals, investing in authentic consumer-facing brands and platforms and related enabling B2B technologies. Their mission is to be a partner of choice for entrepreneurs with big ideas and help them build category-defining companies that move the world forward.Chapters:00:00:00 Introduction and Welcome00:02:16 Susan's Journey into Venture Capital00:02:51 The Impact of Parents' Entrepreneurship00:04:31 Susan's Career Path and Experiences00:05:34 Transition into Investing and Joining Felix Capital00:06:54 Understanding Felix Capital and Its Approach00:12:44 Opportunities in Consumer Investing00:18:22 Impact and Positive Change in Investments00:20:47 Outlook on Investing and Advice for Founders00:26:10 Diversity in Europe's Tech Ecosystem00:29:35 Advice to Younger Self and Conclusion

Jonathan Sibilia, a Partner at Molten Ventures, shares insights on exit strategies in VC, the impact of AI, and the importance of collaboration. He discusses the evolution of venture capital, the role of founders and VCs in exit strategies, and the reality of today's investment environment. The podcast explores the significance of strategic planning, fostering trust in the ecosystem, and the value of uniqueness and vision in fundraising.

Join us for a new episode of the NEUVC series dedicated to those embarking on their journey in the VC. In this episode, Freddie Macpherson, Associate at Isomer Capital, and Linda Võeras, Investment Manager at Karma Ventures, are joined by Ondrej Bartos, General Partner at Credo Ventures.Ondrej is the Founding GP at Credo Ventures, a 75m€ Seed stage venture fund in Prague (and a bit elsewhere!) to back Central Eastern European Tech Startups.Credo is investing out of Fund IV with a total €250M AUM and an established portfolio of 60 companies and notable investments, including UI Path, ProductBoard, PriceFX, Resistant AI, and Eleven Labs.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀Chapters:00:02:00 - Focus on Early Stage Investments00:04:10 - Spotting Patterns in Venture Capital00:06:17 - The Beginning of Venture Investing in the Region00:08:39 - The Growth of Tech Talent in the Region00:11:00 - The Growth and Progress of the CE Region00:12:59 - Building Relationships through Networking00:15:08 - Finding Great Deals in the Startup World00:17:25 - Learning from Investments and Founders00:19:49 - Evaluating the Right Investment00:21:50 - The Risk of Investing in Startups00:24:13 - The Role of Luck in Success00:28:26 - The Importance of Founder in Startup Investment00:30:45 - The Importance of Respect and Honesty in Relationships00:35:16 - Listening and adding value in boardrooms00:37:38 - The Role of a Board Member00:39:53 - Skills for Success in Venture Capital00:41:53 - The Importance of People in Venture Capital

Today, we are joined by Tej Panesar. Tej is a Partner at Prism Ventures, the UK-based institutional investor focused on the life sciences and healthcare sectors.Prism invests in the best-of-breed funds managed in the US, UK, and Europe through fund of funds and co-investment programs. He previously worked as an Investment Director at British Patient Capital, a UK government-backed institution very similar to the EIF and one of the largest investors in UK venture capital.With +425M pounds invested in the UK and Europe, Tej led investments into famed firms like IQ Capital and SV Health. Tej and his team have a wide lens across the life sciences and healthcare industries but a strong focus on traditional biopharma and areas like tech bio.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction about Prism Ventures00:03:55 - From Crowdfund Platforms to Venture Capital00:11:09 - LP Perspective on High-Tech Work00:14:50 - The Non-Binary Nature of the Life Sciences Sector00:18:34 - The Exciting Opportunities in Biotechnology and Healthcare00:26:28 - Adoption Challenges in the Health Sector00:30:23 - The Value Equation of Learning Technologies00:34:01 - Symbiotic Approaches in Life Sciences00:37:50 - Focus on Life Science and Healthcare00:41:36 - Investing in Europe vs the US00:45:18 - Portfolio Construction and Diversification00:49:18 - Building a Long-Term Institution00:53:04 - Diversity and Culture in VC Firms00:56:50 - Evaluating Team Culture and Portfolio Construction01:00:29 - The Importance of a Viable Business Plan01:04:04 - Scaling the Fund Size01:07:48 - Investing as a Team

Experts from venture capital firms share key strategies for managing relationships with LPs, emphasizing transparency and communication. They discuss streamlining LP onboarding, evolving market dynamics, data in investment decisions, and strategies for fund liquidity. The importance of education and transparency in private markets is highlighted, along with real-world experiences and lessons from leading professionals in the field.

In this episode of our NEUVC series dedicated to those embarking on their VC journey, Freddie Macpherson, Assoicate at Isomer Capital, and Linda Võeras, Associate at Karma Ventures, are joined by Helery Pops, co-founder and Honey Pot Guardian at Honey Badger Capital. However, things move quickly in this world, so since the recording of the episode, Helery has joined Practica Capital as an Investment Manager whilst still working with and supporting the Honey Badger Capital portfolio and team 🦡 .Helery has mastered the customer's language by doing sales and customer research in Pipedrive before moving to the product team to help build the tool that Pipedrive is today. With a love for good product design for both software and hardware, she joined the ranks of Ampler Bikes with the mission to help make the cities less car-centered.Speaking to about 20 start-ups every week, Helery has seen pitch decks in all shapes and sizes and will definitely ask how much research went into figuring out the problem space that the start-up is solving.Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀Chapters:00:00:00 - A Conversation On Investing in Sustainability and Impact00:01:42 - Helery’s Professional Background and Evolution in Career00:03:05 - Discovering a Superpower in Starting from Zero00:06:05 - The Importance of Inbound Deal Flow00:07:36 - Providing Value without Control00:09:10 - Flexibility and Expectations in VC Investments00:10:36 - Leveraging Value in Product Management00:13:29 - Understanding What Partners Want00:15:03 - Making Money and Impact00:16:33 - Combining Science and Business to Make an Impact00:17:59 - Supporting Founders without Investment00:19:25 - Learning from Others' Knowledge of Geothermal Energy00:20:52 - The Importance of Having Like-minded People00:24:01 - Impact Investing in Green Tech00:25:35 - Constraints on Impact Investing and the Future00:27:15 - Creating a Deel Flow for Ourselves00:28:39 - Crucial Skills in the VC Industry

Nicholas Nelson, an internationally recognised defence investor and thought leader, discusses the rise of defence tech in Europe and the potential missed investment opportunities in the sector. He also talks about the impact of changing geopolitics on technology and venture capital, as well as the reception of defence tech investments by various types of limited partners.

Edwina Johnson, Head of Global at Alloy, shares insights on angel investing, evaluating investment opportunities, and collaborating with VCs. The importance of strong founders and building a network are also discussed. International investments and the role of angels in the investment network are highlighted. Quick buy round on angel investing.