VC Evolve: Conversations About The Future of VC

About VC Evolve: Conversations About The Future of VC

Conversations about the future of VC. We talk about the Venture Capital model evolution: How has VC evolved in the past? What innovations are being introduced to the traditional VC model? What will it look like in the future? We also talk about VC data, VC books, VC tech stack, VC funds, VC skill set, challenges, opportunities, and more.

Publisher

Ahmad Takatkah (VCpreneur)

Category

business

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Oct 2023

Latest episode

25 Sept 2024

Latest episodes

11 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   25 Sept 2024

   The Evergreen Fund Model, Patience In VC, Collaboration Over Competition, & More: VC Evolve Podcast with Aboudi Al-Qattan of Dash Ventures

   VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah. Join VCpreneur Newsletter on https://www.vcpreneur.com/ VC Evolve Podcast: Conversations about the future of VC. We talk about the Venture Capital model evolution: How has VC evolved in the past? What innovations are being introduced to the traditional VC model? What will it look like in the future? We also talk about VC data, VC books, VC tech stack, VC funds, VC skill set, challenges, opportunities, and more. Available on: Youtube: VC Evolve Podcast https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFL2yie9W80O4CS12xIWId1H-IArYBxS7 Spotify: VC Evolve Podcast https://open.spotify.com/show/1A3VgrPti8J6YeZoP3Ie7U Apple: VC Evolve Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/vc-evolve-conversations-about-the-future-of-vc/id1710188809 Amazon: VC Evolve Podcast https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/57069b22-b10a-4bfd-a804-e6c5f89b9905/vc-evolve-conversations-about-the-future-of-vc --- This podcast is part of the bigger VC Evolve Project, that includes a VC book: "VC Evolve: Navigating the Art, Science, and Future of Venture Capital in an Ever-Evolving Startup Frontier" Available on Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0DFLY2WHL --- Guest Intro: Aboudi Al-Qattan isa principal at Dash Ventures, one of the longest-standing VC firms in MENA, with a 13-year track record of venture investing. Prior to Dash Ventures, Aboudi was the founder of AlTareeq, A social enterprise that empowered refugees across the Middle East by teaching entrepreneurship skills. And listen to this!! He was a professional basketball player! Who won 5 straight local championships! He also co-hosts “Beyond The Buzzer” a podcast that explores the interplay of adversity, success, and balance for high performance athletes. --- Highlights: --- 🏀 Aboudi's unique background as a professional basketball player adds a dynamic perspective to venture capital. 🌍 Dash Ventures focuses on startups with global potential, emphasizing long-term sustainability. 📈 The evergreen investment model allows for patient capital and flexibility in supporting portfolio companies. 💡 The importance of collaboration among VCs in the MENA region to build a thriving ecosystem. 🔄 Learning from failures is essential for improving the quality of startups in the region. 🚀 Growth funds are crucial for helping companies transition from early-stage to public markets. 📚 Continuous education and adapting strategies from developed markets can guide MENA’s VC ecosystem. --- Key Insights: --- 🌟 Patience in Venture Capital: Aboudi highlights that successful investing in the MENA region requires a long-term view, as many LPs have learned from past mistakes. The focus should be on nurturing businesses rather than seeking quick returns. 🏗️ Evergreen Investment Model: This model allows Dash Ventures to recycle capital from successful exits back into new investments, promoting sustainability and flexibility, which is essential in emerging markets. 🤝 Collaboration Over Competition: In a developing ecosystem, collaboration among VCs is necessary to foster growth and create a robust market, as mutual success benefits all players involved. 📊 Quality Over Quantity: The ongoing improvement in startup quality in MENA stems from past failures, where entrepreneurs now focus on sustainability and profitability, leading to more resilient ventures. 🚀 Role of Growth Funds: Establishing growth funds is vital for scaling startups from Series A to public offerings, which can enhance liquidity and attract more interest. 🔍 Learning from Global Markets: The MENA region can leverage lessons learned from developed markets, adapting successful strategies while avoiding common pitfalls, which can lead to a more sustainable ecosystem. 📖 Continuous Learning: Aboudi emphasizes the importance of ongoing education in the VC landscape, encouraging investors to stay informed about trends & best practices to better support founders. ---

2. 

   17 Jan 2024

   The Evolution of Impact Investing, Returns of Impact-Driven VC Funds, Women In Venture, The Future of VC, & more: VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Rama Chakaki of Transform VC.

   Guest Intro: Rama Sakaki is a partner at Transform VC. Rama is a Syrian American impact tech founder, investor, and philanthropist with 30 years of experience in media, telecom, EdTech, FinTech, and AI. Before TransformVC, Rama worked as a VC at Turn8. She also founded and led Baraka Ventures, and Baraka Advisors. As a founder, Rama co-founded KeyBridge, EdSeed, BakarakBits, Mint+Laurel, and Aya Animations. She’s a founding member of “Arab Women in Computing”, and “Women Angel investment Network (WAIN)”. In addition to her VC role, Rama runs an edTech nonprofit (VIP.fund) supporting youth impacted by conflict. In today's episode with Rama: 1. Transform VC's Impact-Driven Thesis: Transform VC looks for technology that serves social or climate aspects, addressing exclusions in sectors like health and education, and ensuring inclusivity in AI development. The firm focuses on startups that articulate and measure social impact metrics alongside financial success. 2. Evolution of Impact Investing: Impact investing has evolved from initiatives like microlending for poorer communities. Investors now look for founders disrupting traditional systems, balancing financial returns with social impacts. 3. Distinguishing Impact Investing from Other Terms: Terms like ESG, SRI, and impact investing, although similar, have nuanced differences. They all aim for environmental and social impacts, but impact investing specifically focuses on companies with a bottom line in these areas, in addition to financial returns. 4. Criteria for Impactful Companies: To be considered impactful, companies must holistically benefit all community stakeholders without negatively impacting any group. Examples include ensuring equitable access to solutions and avoiding practices that favor one group at the expense of another. 5. Returns on Impact-Driven VC Funds: Historically, impact investing was synonymous with patient capital and lower returns. However, advancements in technology like AI and network effects are changing this, allowing for high financial returns without compromising social impact. 6. Investment Requirements for Impact Startups: Impact startups don't necessarily require more capital than other startups. They may need more strategic and collaborative work upfront, including input from social scientists, to ensure their business models positively impact stakeholders. 7. Women in Venture Capital: Women represent a small percentage of check writers and manage a minimal amount of venture dollars. Networks like Global Women in VC aim to increase women's representation in venture capital. Increasing awareness, education, and showcasing role models are key strategies to encourage more women to enter the VC industry. 8. Innovation in the VC Model: The VC industry can benefit from using AI and other technologies to improve efficiency and accountability. There's a need for streamlined processes for founders to connect with VCs and for higher standards in impact investing. 9. Future of VC Industry: The VC industry is expected to grow, especially in emerging markets and industries requiring bold funding for novel ideas. There's an opportunity for more educational programs and awareness to encourage diverse participation in VC. 10. VIP Fund for Youth Impacted by Conflict: The VIP Fund is a U.S.-based charity focusing on higher education for youth affected by conflict. It provides online education and funds higher education, mainly in technical fields, to support students in conflict-affected regions. 11. Participation in VIP Fund: People can volunteer or donate to the VIP Fund through their website or the Ed Seed crowdfunding platform. VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah. Join VCpreneur Newsletter on https://www.vcpreneur.com/

3. 

   1 Jan 2024

   Managing $4B AUM With A Micro Team & Still Add Value! Asset Allocation Experiments, Evolving Tools For VCs, Future of VC, & more: VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Seth Levine of Foundry Group.

   Guest Intro: Seth Levine is a founding partner at the Foundry Group. The Foundry Group was founded in 2007, and today it manages more than $4 billion. It has invested in hundreds of companies and dozens of venture funds. Seth is also an author. He and Elizabeth McBride published the "New Builders" to Tell the stories of the next generation of underrepresented and minority founders. He also shares his thoughts on his blog, Sethlevine.com (https://www.sethlevine.com/). You can follow Seth Levine on X @Sether (https://twitter.com/sether) In today's episode with Seth: 1. Foundry Group's Approachable Image: Levine discussed Foundry Group's early strategy to seem more approachable through self-deprecating videos and humorous songs. This was a part of their ethos to demystify venture capital, contrasting with the historically opaque nature of the VC industry. 2. Focus on Transparency and Approachability: Foundry Group, under Brad Feld and Seth's guidance, worked towards making venture capital more transparent and approachable, exemplified by their book "Venture Deals" which explains term sheets and venture capital intricacies. 3. Managing a Large Portfolio with a Small Team: Despite managing billions and having a vast network, Foundry Group operates with a small team. They maintain a focused approach, selecting a limited number of passionate investments annually and providing essential support like hiring or firing CEOs and assisting with exits. 4. Adding Value Through Network: Foundry Group uses simple yet effective tools like Google Groups to facilitate robust interaction among portfolio companies, promoting a mesh network over a hub-and-spoke model. 5. Asset Allocation and Fund Management: Foundry Group has evolved its fund management strategy over the years, now operating with a single fund without specific allocations to sectors or stages, focusing on methodical portfolio management. 6. Evolving Tools for Venture Capitalists: Levine notes improvements in tools and logistics for VC fund management but acknowledges a lack of specific tools designed for the VC market, due to its relatively small size. 7. Identifying Trends in Venture Capital: Levine emphasizes the importance of understanding markets and trends deeply, sharing Foundry Group’s experience with Fitbit as an example of investing in emerging markets without being too early. 8. The New Builders Book and Focus on Diverse Entrepreneurs: Levine discusses his book "The New Builders," highlighting the changing face of entrepreneurs in the U.S., including women, people of color, and immigrants. The book calls attention to the need for supporting these new builders who are vital to the entrepreneurial landscape but often overlooked by traditional VC. 9. Future of Venture Capital: Levine sees an increasing diversity in the VC industry as a positive trend and believes there's room for innovation and new approaches in the venture model. 10. MENA Venture Capital Trends: Levine comments on the VC boom in the Middle East, particularly Saudi Arabia, noting the inevitable market cycles but expressing optimism about the long-term robustness of these emerging markets. 11. Closing Thoughts: Levine’s discussion reflects his deep understanding of the VC industry, emphasizing the importance of transparency, focus, and adapting to evolving market needs and trends. VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah. Join VCpreneur Newsletter on https://www.vcpreneur.com/

4. 

   11 Dec 2023

   Africa! Why Global VCs Are Investing In Africa, An Overview Of VC Market Cycles, Accelerators, Angel Investors, and more on VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Hisham Halbouny of P1 Ventures..

   Guest Intro: Hisham Halbouny is a GP at P1 Ventures, a seed stage firm focusing on African tech founders. Prior to P1 Ventures, Hisham was a Partner at Man Capital, where he led global private-markets investments including: Uber, Bolt, Airbnb and Fairmarkit. He is on the board of several high growth companies in Egypt, Nigeria, Kenya, the US, and India. In today's episode with Tracy: 1. How African entrepreneurial talent is more widely dispersed across the continent than venture capital funding, and what P1 Ventures is doing to change that. 2. What sectors and industries are startups and VCs are focusing on in Africa. 3. An overview of the African VC market cycles in the past 20 years. 4. The VC model in Africa and what VCs do to support their portfolio companies. 5. Accelerators and angel investors in Africa. 6. Exit potentials in Africa, and the comparison to LatAm markets. 7. The future of VC in Africa, and why many international VCs are dedicating funds to invest in African startups. VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah.

5. 

   6 Dec 2023

   More Allocations To VC, Challenges for Women as Founders, Employees, and VCs, AI Tools For VCs, AgeTech Investments, and more on VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Tracy Chadwell of 1843 Capital.

   Guest Intro: Tracy Chadwell is  Founding Partner at 1843 Capital. Among her notable investments is Beautycounter (a 1 Billion dollar exit) Tempo Automation (went public on NASDAQ), HopSkipDrive, and May Mobility. Prior to 1843 capital, Tracy was a partner at Baker Capital, a growth capital VC firm. and before that she was a lawyer doing cross-border transaction work between the US and Asia. Tracy is a Kauffman Fellow, and she’s on the the inaugural Forbes "50 over 50” list, and on Entrepreneur Magazine’s “100 Powerful Women.” You can follow Tracy on LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/tracychadwell/). In today's episode with Tracy: 1. The story behind the name 1843 Capital. 2. Capital managed by women VCs and invested in women founders, and equity compensation for women employees. 3. Attribution bias when investing in women led startups. 4. VC market cycles and why LPs are allocating more to venture than ever before. 5. Innovation in venture and the AI tools Tracy uses now. 6. Is the agency model the best way to add value and support portfolio companies? 7. Agetech and what you can do today to live longer! VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah.

6. 

   1 Dec 2023

   Venture Firms As Investable Companies, Academia & VC, Decisive Technologies, VC Innovation, Advice To Aspiring VCs, and more on VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Ernestine Fu of Brave Capital.

   Ernestine Fu is General Partner at Brave Capital. Over the past decade, she has worked across the full spectrum of startup investing, from angel investing, to VC funds for early and growth stage companies, and even negotiating mergers and acquisitions. Alongside her role at Brave Capital, she is also a Venture Partner at ALP, where she started her venture career. Ernestine was recognized on the inaugural Forbes Magazine 30 Under 30 list, the Vanity Fair Next Establishment list, and the Business Insider Silicon Valley 100 list. She is both a Kauffman Fellow and an Eisenhower Fellow. She co-authored two books: “Civic Work, Civic Lessons” and “Renewed Energy”. She completed her bachelor’s, master’s, Ph.D. and an MBA degree at Stanford University. And She is an inventor on numerous granted or in-process tech patents. You can follow Ernestine on Twitter (https://twitter.com/ErnestineFu) and LinkedIn (https://www.linkedin.com/in/ernestine/). In today's episode with Ernestine: 1. How the combination of academic and business careers help in Venture Capital and provides access to cutting edge technologies. 2. The top three things to work on as an aspiring VC. 3. The lack of diversity and underrepresented fund managers and founders in the VC industry, and how to be more inclusive. 4. Why and How VC Firms are now looked at as investable companies. 5. How to predict the next big thing in tech, and what exactly are "Decisive" technologies. 6. Disrupting the VC model and the future of VC in the next 5-10 years. VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah.

7. 

   15 Nov 2023

   A Comprehensive Summary of MENA's VC History, The Most Fundable Startups In MENA, Liquidity In Venture, and more on VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Khaled Talhouni of Nuwa Capital.

   Khaled Talhouni is a managing partner at Nuwa Capital. He has a long history of investing in the MENA region with stops at Accelerator Technology Holdings, TwoFour54, and Wamda Capital before starting Nuwa Capital. He also worked with ABAN, an angel group in Dubai. Khaled has worked in almost all stages, angel, seed, early and growth. He has seen it all, he's been actively investing in MENA since 2007. Khaled is also a musician. If you follow him on social media, you will see him once in a while playing his guitar. Khaled on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/khaledtalhouni/ Khaled on Twitter: https://twitter.com/khaledtalhouni Nuwa Capital website: https://www.nuwacapital.io/ Nuwa Capital podcast: https://www.nuwacapital.io/podcast In today's episode with Khaled: 1. A comprehensive history of VC in MENA, starting from the very early attempts in early 2000s and covering four market cycles, and ending with the current VC boom in Saudi. 2. Are we there yet? Is the VC market in MENA big enough compared to other emerging markets? 3. Is the global big VC crunch coming to Saudi soon? When will the dry power run out this year? 4. What kind of startups works best in MENA? And Why? 5. Saudi stock market growth, and its potential to be the most probable exit scenario to regional unicorns. 6. Disrupting the VC model with more liquidity, and how the lockbox venture funds model is not be able to compete with other asset classes. 7. Why it's important for a VC firm to have an active blog and a podcast? VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah.

8. 

   9 Nov 2023

   True Friendship With Founders, Impact A Billion, Make A $1B With Deep Tech, AI Agents Doing Our Job, Trends Crystal Ball, and more on VC Evolve Podcast with VCpreneur and Raed Masri of Transform VC.

   Raed Masri is a partner at Transform VC. Raed is a founder and a VC. As a VC, Raed worked with Mubadala Ventures and Data Collective VC. As a founder, he founded and led Jaguar Wireless Sky Surf, E Day, and lately, AI Explained. Raed also founded Cracking Silicon Valley, where he helped founders reach the VC community in Silicon Valley. Raed on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/raalmasri/ Raed on Twitter: https://twitter.com/raedona1 Transform VC website: https://transform.vc/ In Today's Episode with Raed Masri: How being true friends with your founders builds a totally different relationship. How the "Impact a billion, make a $1B" initiative is driving Transform VC investment thesis. How to run both a venture fund model and a venture studio model at the same time. How AI might make the VC job easier? AI agents talking to each other on behalf of GPs, LPs, and founders. Why Silicon Valley remains standing and standing tall? Active LPs are still allocating, even in this environment. Being a VC is not as cool as being a founder now! Who has more leverage? How good is your crystal ball to see the future tech trends? VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah.

9. 

   9 Nov 2023

   VC Boom In Saudi Arabia, LP Scene and Gov. Fund of Funds, Growth Stage Funding Gap, Potential Consolidation, Delaware of MENA, and more on VC Evolve with VCpreneur and Salem Washeely of Sadu Capital.

   Salem Washeely is partner & CFO of Sadu Capital. Salem has a long history of managing funds on both credit and equity sides, with stops at Saudi industrial development fund, Elm corporate VC arm, and Derayah. He has been a board member in many startups including Sayarah, and Zid, and now he’s a board member at DataLexing. Salem on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/salem-w-40276554/ Sadu Capital's website: https://www.sadu.vc/ In today's episode with Salem Washeely: The VC boom is Saudi Arabia. How the country's VC market evolve in less than 5 years. From a handful of VC firms to more than 70 firms investing $1B every year in tech startups. Who are the LPs behind all this VC expansion? IS it all Gov programs? And what do they look for in fund managers? Is there enough deal flow in Saudi or MENA to deploy all that capital? Are those new VCs competing or co-investing? Why adding value is more important in Saudi than in other emerging markets. Is there a Delaware-like jurisdiction to incorporate startups and Vc funds? Future expectations: More capital to deploy, but managed by less VC firms. Growth capital and tech IPOs in Saudi's stock market. VC Evolve Podcast is hosted by VCpreneur: Ahmad Takatkah.

10. 

    27 Oct 2023

    Borrowing Concepts from Web3 to Build VC Co-Investing Communities, DAO Economics In VC, Fractionalized Carry, New Asset Classes in VC, and more on VC Evolve with VCpreneur and Jules Miller of VC3 Labs

    Jules Miller is an investor three-time founder and corporate entrepreneur. She's a partner and us lead for Mindset Ventures, investing in seed to series B, enterprise tech startups. She's also a founder of VC3 Labs, an investment DAO for professional VCs with more than 200 VCs in 28 countries. Decentralizing deal flow, diligence, and portfolio support. Jules earned her BA from UCLA and her master's degree from the London School of Economics. She's a Kauffman Fellow and co leads Their blockchain special interest group. On Twitter: https://twitter.com/JulesEMiller (https://twitter.com/JulesEMiller) VC3 Labs Website: https://vc3labs.com/ (https://vc3labs.com/) In Today's Episode with Jules Miller: Is the Silicon Valley way the only way for startup investing? What alternatives are there in the market? and who's introducing new innovation in venture capital? What other asset classes are included in the VC model today? and Why? Is it good to continue holding after portfolio companies go public? How can funds with billions in AUM continue generating high returns? VC3 Labs as a new innovation in VC. Borrowing concepts from Web3 to build VC co-investing and co-learning communities. An investment DAO for VCs to share deal flow, due diligence, and scale co-investing. VC3 DAO and coopetition, and how VCs can generate higher returns together. The DAO economics when it's applied to the venture model. How does the DAO token get distributed? and how does it gain value? VCs as tech innovators, not just tech investors.

11. 

    3 Oct 2023

    Utilizing AI In Venture Capital, Data-Driven VCs, Online Private Markets, Liquid VC Funds, Alt Investments, and more on VC Evolve with VCpreneur and Chris Lustrino of KingsCrowd Capital

    Chris Lustrino is the managing partner at Kingscrowd Capital and founder and CEO of Kingscrowd. Kingscrowd Capital or KC Capital is the first data driven VC fund for the online private market. (KingsCrowd Website: https://kingscrowd.com/ (https://kingscrowd.com/)) (KingsCrowd Fund: https://kingscrowd.com/capital/ (https://kingscrowd.com/capital/)) In Today's Episode with Chris Lustrino: What is the online private market? How investing moved from being a paper process to an online activity, and how more people can invest in private companies now all over the world without being accredited investors. The different regulations to raise capital from the public as a private company: We talk about Reg CF, Reg A+, and Reg D 506(c) as new ways founders as well as VCs can utilize to raise capital publicly. We also talk about how VC-backed companies have raised community rounds to enable their customers become owners. Data-Driven Investing: How KingsCrowd Capital is collecting 300 data points to rate startups before making investment decisions, and how this level of transparency does not exist in traditional venture capital. We also talk about how AI is as good as the data you feed it, and how much we need better startup data sets. VC returns and market cycles: Why the VC returns have been declining over the past 10 years, and inefficiencies in the VC model. We also talk about diversity among venture capitalists.

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