EUVC

Simon Lohmann, Head of Platform & Investor Relations at Cavalry Ventures, discusses building the platform, challenges in the VC industry, adjusting valuations, and the role of a platform team in venture capital.

Today we are welcoming Bastian Larsen, Founding Partner of BlackWood Ventures, a pan-European early-stage VC fund focused on Fintech, Web 3.0 and Cleantech. Blackwood has a value-creating approach that leverages AI to minimize biases and a proprietary pan-European network of over 1200 angels. BlackWood had a $10m first closing in early April this year, with a $50m target. As of today, BlackWood has made investments across 5 countries in just 6 months, counting companies like Qaptis, Trips and Fingreen AI.We wanted to bring Bastian on because BlackWood, just as ourselves, build on a strong angel community, so for this episode, that’s where we focus 👀Chapters:00:02:54 - From London to New York: Bastian’s Journey into VC00:04:17 - Building the European VC Market00:05:37 - A Pivotal Moment in Venture Capital00:06:57 - The Power of a Small Positive Impact00:08:22 - The Lack of European Growth Stage Funds00:09:41 - Launching Growth Stage Funds00:11:03 - Building Blackwood and Overcoming Hurdles00:12:15 - Leveraging the Power of Angel Networks00:13:30 - Building Relationships with Angels00:14:41 - The Importance of Angel Networks in Startup Investing00:16:00 - The Importance of Feedback and Strategic Investments00:17:16 - Leveraging the Network for Co-investment and Cash Injection00:18:33 - Investing and Dividing Deals00:19:54 - Monetization and Scaling Up00:21:15 - Personalized Approach in Angel Investing00:22:52 - Jacob Kilgard: A Backer of Blackwood00:24:10 - Fundraising success and trust in our network00:25:28 - Staying Curious and Building Relationships00:26:46 - Building a Common Vision00:28:01 - Comparing Opposites and Writing Children's Books00:29:22 - Fundraising and Leveraging Networks in the VC Industry00:30:43 - Drop Us a Review and Join the Blackwood Gang

In this podcast, Chris Wade, founding partner of Isomer Capital, discusses the shifting landscape of international collaboration in scientific research and innovation. They explore breakthroughs in energy, space technologies, and generative AI, as well as the challenges and opportunities in the world of AI. The podcast also highlights the evolving dynamics of startup ownership and control, using Open AI's public board deliberations as a case study. Throughout the discussion, the importance of staying optimistic, adaptable, and globally connected is emphasized.

It was awesome hosting more than 600 European venture investors for our Roundtable on strategies for winning with non-dilutive funding in Europe 📺 In case you missed it, you can rewatch the session above, read the quick recap below or tune in on Spotify or Apple to get it right into your ears 🎧.You’re in for a treat with the magnificent panel consisting of:Gilles de Malbosc, Chief Investment Officer at Harmony Family OfficeBailey Morrow, Managing Director at HSBC Innovation BankingHemal Fraser-Rawal, General Partner at White Star CapitalBenjamin Rieder, Founder & CEO of LevenueGo to eu.vc to read the full recap and watch the recording of the roundtable 👀Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to the Round Table Discussion on Non-Diluted Financing and Revenue Based Financing00:02:52 - The Difficulty of Company Financing00:05:33 - Using Recurring Revenue as Collateral for Financing00:08:12 - Investing in RBF as an MFO00:11:16 - Risk and Reward in Venture and RBF00:13:47 - Varying Capital Stack for Companies00:16:17 - Financing for Entrepreneurs and Investors00:18:43 - The Benefits of Non-Dilutive Capital00:20:45 - Non-dilutive Capital and Cap Table Management00:22:55 - Blending Debt and Equity Instruments00:25:22 - Uses and Benefits of Short-term Working Capital Finance00:27:57 - Complementing Equity in Financing00:30:13 - Investing in Alternatives00:32:57 - Risk and Data in Private Markets00:35:36 - Loss Rates in Private Credit and Alternative Finance00:37:59 - Investing in Venture-backed Companies00:40:25 - Risk Management and KPIs in Lending00:42:30 - Choosing the Right Business Partner00:44:54 - Fraud Stories and Short-Term Analysis00:47:25 - Financing Options for Venture-backed Companies00:49:46 - The Importance of Partnering with VCs and Being Creative in Venture Debt00:52:05 - Short-Term Capital for Companies & Investors00:55:00 - Non-Dilutive Financing00:57:40 - Closing Remarks

Leading VCs attending COP28 discuss the evolution of climate tech, increasing role of VCs in shaping environmental policy, perspectives on future of climate finance and technology, transitioning away from fossil fuels, investing in climate tech, environmental space, early stage climate in the GCC, climate investment in the Middle East, tech tipping points in addressing climate change, generating collaborative spaces for climate action, next generation and climate accountability, investing strategies in the GCC, global nature of climate innovation, fundraising in the GCC, investing in climate in emerging markets, growth and challenges in the Global South within the climate sector, the missing piece of finance in COP28, hopes for commitments, funding, and collaboration in the climate space.

Today we have Hampus Jakobsson, founding GP of Pale Blue Dot with us for a very special episode dedicated wholly to raising a fund virtually. It came about because Hampus casually mentioned that he hadn’t traveled a single mile in the raise of Fund 2, which of course had us thinking: "Wow, we need to share this story! So strap in!"Hampus is a GP at Pale Blue Dot, an early stage venture fund in Sweden to back European Climate Tech companies. PBD are investing out of Fund 2 with a total 200M$ AUM and an established portfolio of 32 companies and notable investments including Monta, Patch, OverStory, ClimateX and Opna.Prior to co-founding Pale Blue Dot, Hampus was a Venture Partner at science fund Blue Yard and a prolific angel investor with more than 100 angel investments. He is a software engineer turned founder, turned angel investor, turned VC. When not working with ambitious climate people Hampus cooks, reads and thinks.We’ve had Hampus on before (episode #115 🎧) and we whole-heartedly recommend you go check it out if you haven’t yet, ‘cos Hampus is hands-down one of our best guests on the pod. Smart, candid, top performing, and a rapid talker like none other!Go to eu.vc to watch the whole interview 👀 Chapters:00:02:45 - The Motivation Behind Saying No to Traveling for Fundraising00:04:56 - Building a Deck for Fundraising00:06:47 - Defining Your Fundraising Strategy 00:14:28 - Effective Meetings and Learning Opportunities00:16:16 - Building Trust Virtually00:20:06 - Being a Real Person00:22:07 - Working with What You're Good At00:28:09 - Dealing with Different Investment Perspectives00:32:01 - Importance of Handcrafted Relationships00:35:47 - The Quick Fire Round00:37:54 - The Dangers of Coming Into Wealth00:42:26 - Parenthood and the Love for Kids

Today, Freddie Macpherson, analyst at Isomer Capital, and Linda Võeras, associate at Karma Ventures, are joined by Paul Gillespie, Managing Director at Sheffield Haworth, a global executive search firm with a specialty in deep tech. With over 20 years in the industry, he co-founded Gilmore Stevens, focusing on building executive teams for venture-backed businesses. After merging with Sheffield Haworth to expand globally, Paul now leads their deep tech practice, covering sectors from semiconductors to nuclear fusion. An electronic engineer by training, he thrives on the cutting-edge innovation in deep tech, despite the opportunity to retire. His recent projects include a significant investment deal with a French chip company, underscoring his commitment to the ever-evolving world of technology.Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction to Paul Gillespie and the Importance of Talent in High Growth Companies00:02:24 - Deep Tech and the Exciting Era of Technology00:04:43 - Discovering Your Superpower in the Industry00:06:54 - Finding the Right Chief Operating Officer00:08:54 - The process of executive search00:11:11 - Creating a Viable Target List for Candidates00:13:28 - The Importance of Assessing Candidates Beyond Interviews00:15:43 - Approaching the Right Search Agency00:18:03 - The Importance of Having a Mentor and Advisor00:20:13 - The Importance of Critical Hires00:22:26 - Attracting Talent with the Wow Factor00:24:30 - Key Factors for Startup Success00:26:50 - The Power of Evangelizing and Positioning Propositions00:28:56 - Common Mistakes in Hiring a CFO00:31:18 - Issues with CEO Hiring00:33:39 - The Importance of Feedback Loops and Communication 00:35:57 - The Importance of Good Hiring00:38:09 - The Role of Investors in the Hiring Process00:40:18 - Replacing Founder CEOs00:42:44 - The Role of the CEO in Company Growth00:45:05 - Skills for Success in Investment Roles00:47:18 - Understanding the Difference Between Titles and Skills00:49:24 - The Importance of Mentors and Retention in Hiring00:51:40 - Reflecting on Linder's Career

Join us as Tom Wilson from Seedcamp and Anthony Danon from Cocoa talk to Harsh Sinha, Wise-CTO about his angel investing journey, thesis and strategy and core learnings.Harsh is a seasoned technologist with a passion for creating innovative, scalable, and customer-centric digital experiences. With a strong foundation in team building and a knack for impactful business strategies, he's played a pivotal role in developing server-side technologies and enhancing consumer experiences on web and mobile platforms.His professional journey includes a significant tenure at PayPal as Director of Product, where he spearheaded the product strategy and development of mobile applications and software for mobile wallet experiences. Join us as we dive into Harsh's insights and experiences in powering global financial infrastructure and pushing the boundaries of technology in finance.Chapters:00:00:00 - Introduction to the Super Angel Pod00:02:32 - Building Experiences & the Primacy of Passionate Builders00:07:19 - On Non-Technical Founders and Becoming More Objective00:11:42 - Core Learnings from Angel Investing00:13:52 - Finding a Middle Ground00:16:06 - Balancing Diversification and Time to Support Founders00:18:17 - Assessing Founders and their passion for solving problems00:20:25 - Three Core Learnings: Team, First Principles, and Avoiding Bias00:22:35 - Being Naive in Angel Investing and the Importance of Passion00:24:44 - The Reality of Investments00:26:55 - Lessons in Angel Investing & Investing Across Europe and Asia00:31:19 - The Access Issue in European Markets00:33:32 - Building a Global Lens and Investing Internationally

Greg Dewerpe, founder & CIO at A/O, discusses building Europe's biggest solo GP with 250m€ AUM. Topics include challenges in career transition, power of visualization, building A/O, challenges of the industry, team risk, growth and improvement, bullying, work-life balance, confidence in entrepreneurship, challenges and opportunities of VC in real estate.

We’re kicking the Super Angel series into a whole new gear for 2024 by introducing Seedcamp-partner Tom Wilson as our new co-host 🥳 alongside the existing host team of the amazing Anthony Danon from Cocoa, David and Andreas 🎙️But before celebrating Tom, let us just pause and extend a heartfelt shoutout to Anthony Danon, whose contributions as a co-host have been pivotal to the Super Angel Podcast so far 💖. Anthony's vast network, particularly potent within fintech (but, tbh, generally quite mindblowing), has brought forth some of the most brilliant founders and operators to our platform.But there’s another reason why Anthony is the perfect host for the series: with just shy of twenty angel investments made prior to launching his angel fund Cocoa, his money is where his mouth is - and with two portfolio unicorns, that’s a good place 🦄.Anthony's deep understanding of the VC space and his dedication to bridging the gap between angels and VCs have been invaluable. His efforts have not only sculpted the podcast's feel, but also its success.Thank you, Anthony. We can’t wait to continue on our joint journey for decades to come 🚀Welcoming Tom Wilson to the host team 🎧Tom comes to us with a wealth of experience from Seedcamp, where he has worked closely with some of the most promising startups in Europe. But Seedcamp is way more than just one of Europe’s top tier seed VCs with a ludicrous track. Ever since their founding in 2007, Seedcamp has been dedicated to connecting VCs and Angels across Europe having built its own fully-fledged network economy where 1,000+ founders, experts, angels and VCs come together to make each other stronger.Or as Tom said in connection to the launch of Seedcamp VI:"It does make sense to build a village around the founders for that initial phase and so with our very collaborative approach, and the fact that we had the chance over the past years to work with pretty much everyone that invests early in Europe, we can be a catalyst to really help entrepreneurs find the best partner for that round."Being a catalyst for finding the right partners. That’s exactly what the eu.vc pod is about - be that as an LP, a co-investor or a founder. Connecting Europe. The super angel series being specifically designed to champion the amazing angels across the continent.By joining the Super Angel Podcast, Tom brings the collective wisdom of Seedcamp to the forefront, offering listeners a unique insight into the journey of tech investing from the ground up​​.In case you should’ve missed some of our Super Angel episodes (which you’d be excused for, we’re keeping a pretty good pace on the pod), we’ve collected them all for you on the playlist below 🎧