EUVC

Robin Godenrath, managing director and founding partner of Picus Capital, discusses combining private equity and venture capital approaches in investment. They admire Subtle Ventures and emphasize the importance of talent and innovation in venture capital. The speaker shares their passion for work and making an impact, and offers tips for emerging VCs and lessons on raising capital.

Today we have Sarah Drinkwater with us. Sarah is the General Partner at Common Magic, a pre-seed/seed solo GP fund investing in and supporting founders building products with community at their core across Europe and the US.

Today we are happy to welcome Ambre Soubiran. A mathematician by training, she has spent the first decade of her career working in the equity derivatives and capital markets industry. Amber has a passion for world-changing technologies and is personally interested and invested in the digital assets space since 2012. Amber is currently the CEO of Kaiko, the reference market data provider in the blockchain industry. Kaiko is a global organisation with offices in NYC, London, Paris, and Singapore, servicing top-tier financial institutions and enterprises with reliable and actionable financial data.

Today we have Johannes Weber with us. Johannes is a serial entrepreneur and a pioneer in the field of impact venture capital in Europe. With his team in Munich, Berlin and London, he manages over €200M and invests in technology-based companies in areas such as climate, health and education (the so-called impact unicorns). Johannes has been interested in the interface between entrepreneurship and "personal mastery" for many years and is enthusiastic about bringing and passing on his knowledge to the companies he finances.Ananda Impact Ventures are investing out of Fund IV with a total 200€ AUM and an established portfolio of 35 companies and notable investments including E-DNA Company Nature Metrics, New Space Company OroraTech and Education Company One Day. At Ananda Impact Ventures, Johannes Weber focuses on TechBio, Education and Climate in Europe and led the investments into Closed Loop Medicine, One Day and Auticon.

Today, we have with us Saeed, Vice President of the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy, where he works towards transforming the city of Dubai into an international technology hub. Saeed was previously the Director of Dubai Future Academy, an initiative under Dubai Future Foundation. He has also led projects for the foundation such as the Global Coders Initiative, the 1 Million Arab Coders-project as well as the foundation’s upskilling program. Additionally, he has considerable experience at the Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Center as Mission Strategist for the Emirates Mars Mission and Program Director for the UAE's 100-year space exploration strategy, the Mars 2117 Programme.Jump to the parts that matter most to you 👀00:00:00 - Introduction to Saeed and the Dubai Chamber of Digital Economy00:02:10 - From the Space Program to Ecosystem Building & Venture00:06:08 - The Mars 2117 Program00:10:50 - The Trade & Commerce History of Dubai 00:13:02 - Dubai's Resilience and Business-Focused Mindset00:14:51 - Dubai as a Testbed for Innovation00:16:38 - The Evolution of the Funding Landscape00:18:32 - The Love for Experimentation in the Government of Dubai00:20:10 - Experimenting with Global Market Solutions in Dubai00:23:36 - Dubai as an Location for Engineering Talent00:25:22 - Dubai as a Gateway for Business Opportunities00:27:04 - Support for Investors in Dubai00:28:41 - Investing in Tech and Transforming Nations00:30:32 - Investment Opportunities for Family Businesses in Dubai00:32:11 - Family Business Investments and Market Access in Dubai00:33:45 - Connecting Businesses with Dubai00:35:37 - Expand Northstar and Market Access Opportunities00:37:24 - Launchpad Dubai and the Benefits for Companies00:39:09 - Creating the Perfect Ecosystem for Growth

Noor Sweid is the General Partner of Global Ventures, a UAE-based international venture capital firm with presence in Cairo, Jeddah, Riyadh, Tunis and Lagos. Noor was the Chief Investment Officer at The Dubai Future Foundation and Managing Partner at Leap Ventures.Prior, Noor joined her family business, Depa, where she scaled the business tenfold, executed four cross border acquisitions and led the region’s first IPO on the LSE and the NASDAQ Dubai, achieving a billion+ dollar valuation. Noor has also been recognized in Forbes’ World’s Top 50 Women in Tech, and the Arabian Business 100 Most Powerful Arab Women list. And to top it off, she has also received the prestigous Arab Woman Award for Finance.

Philipp von dem Knesebeck, Co-Founder of Blue Future Partners, discusses creating a fund of funds for portfolio diversification. They reflect on the financial crisis and the importance of liquidity. They also explore the potential of European venture and strategies and challenges in venture capital portfolio construction.

Today we have Sam Endacott with us. Sam is a Partner at firstminute, a $400m seed-stage venture fund based in London & Berlin to back founders across Europe (and opportunistically in the US and Rest of World). The fund has invested across all sectors and is a generalist VC but has typically focused on SaaS, DeepTech, Developer Tools and FinTech. firstminute is backed by over 130 unicorn founders in addition to current and former CEOs of Global Corporates.firstminute are investing out of Fund III with a total $100m AUM and an established portfolio of over 130 companies. Notable investments include A.Team, Storyblok, Robocorp, Engflow, Wayve, Klang, Clockwork Labs, Ramp, Element and Generation Home. The portfolio has raised follow-on financing rounds from Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, Atomico, Index, Benchmark, Coatue, Softbank, Tiger, General Catalyst, Northzone, Mubadala Capital, NFX, Balderton, D1, Felicis, Bain Capital and Tencent. At firstminute, Sam focuses on SaaS, Developer Tools, AI / ML and FinTech and has led investments into a number of the fund’s high performing companies such as Storyblok (raised $58m) and a number of recent deals in the AI / ML space which are not yet announced!

Today, we're happy to feature Francesco Simoneschi, Co-Founder and CEO at TrueLayer and angel with 60+ investments.In this episode, Francesco dives deep into his experience going from VC to angel investing, the nuances of angel investing, shedding light on some counterintuitive lessons he's learned along the way. He delves into the importance of trusting your instincts when assessing early-stage startups and why sometimes, early traction can be a red flag.Francesco also shares his strategies for making international investments and the value of building a network of trusted insiders in unfamiliar territories. Plus, he reflects on the soft skills and leadership qualities that he wishes he had focused on earlier in his career.Jump to the parts that matter most to you and watch our core highlights below 👀00:02:52 - On Starting TrueLayer in Italy 00:05:54 - Francesco’s 60+ angel portfolio & striking a balance as an operator00:07:30 - The complementarity of angel investing and being an operator00:08:44 - Angel Investing in the FinTech Ecosystem00:09:12 - Balancing Excitement and Discipline in Investing00:11:00 - Reflections on Investing in a Marihuana delivery startup00:14:16 - Investing in The Development of Wetware Computers00:15:45 - On The Drive of Entrepreneurs00:17:12 - Accessing European Capital for Early Stage Opportunities00:18:34 - Investing in Various Industries00:20:01 - Diversifying Portfolio as a Tech Entrepreneur00:22:54 - Balancing Risk and Fun in Angel Investing00:24:10 - Assessing Founders and Key Ingredients00:22:44 - The Importance of Financial Savvy and Diversified Portfolios00:24:26 - Mitigating Financing Risk00:26:16 - Investing Based on Value and Learning00:28:16 - Investing in Early Stages and Venture Funds00:30:08 - The Importance of Diversification00:32:03 - Trusting Your Instincts in Angel Investing00:34:00 - Capturing Signals in Investment Strategy00:35:48 - The Reality of Bridge Rounds00:37:39 - The Importance of Discipline in Angel Investing00:39:17 - Playing the Long Game00:41:11 - Importance of Soft Skills and Leadership in Education

Gloria Bauerlein, founder and general partner at Puzzle Ventures, discusses her journey into VC, tips for micro funds, nurturing relationships, and collaboration in the industry. She reflects on breakthroughs in venture capital and the importance of early believers. Gloria shares her journey into angel investing, the genesis of Puzzle Ventures, and the value of being seen as an angel investor. The role of LPs in allocation reserves and governance is also discussed. The chapter highlights the significance of luck, curiosity, and creating conditions for luck and serendipity.