Kauffman Fellows

New Report: Introducing the first-ever Kauffman Fund Returners Index! 🚀 At Kauffman Fellows, we believe venture capital empowers entrepreneurs to transform industries across software, biotech, fintech, AI, robotics, and beyond. But how do we measure success in venture capital? While traditional metrics like net MOIC (net-realized multiples of investment capital) are private, we created a proxy to evaluate VC success: the number of startups reaching $1B+ valuations, exits, and their corresponding exit values. 📊 What You’ll Find in the Report: ⚫ Global unicorn activity since 2016, broken down by country and sector. ⚫ An Index of Kauffman Fellows’ Venture Success. Key Insights: ✅ 1 out of 140 VC-backed startups becomes a unicorn. ✅ 1 in 5 unicorns globally have a Kauffman Fellow in the cap table. Shoutout to the thirty Fellows who topped the Kauffman Fund Returners Index: Allen Taylor (Endeavor Catalyst), Koichiro Nakamura (Sozo Ventures), Yinglan Tan (Insignia Venture Partners), Justin Fishner-Wolfson (137 Ventures), Fredrik Cassel  (Creandum), Mamoon Hamid (Kleiner Perkins), Shailendra J Singh (Peak XV Partners), Miriam Rivera (Ulu Ventures), Clint Korver (Ulu Ventures), Vinnie Lauria (Golden Gate Ventures), Eric Perez-Grovas (Wollef), Rob Rueckert (Sorenson Capital), Nathan Harroch (Ergeny Investments), Phil Wickham (Sozo Ventures), Patrick S. Chung (Xfund), Hian Goh (Openspace Ventures), Joon Sung Park (Legend Capital), Santi Subotovsky (Emergence Capital), Arjun Sethi (Tribe Capital), Cameron Teitelman (StartX), Jon Rezneck (Geodesic Capital), Alexandre Lazarow (Fluent Ventures), Mike McCauley (Garage Capital), Ken Elefant (Sorenson Ventures), Marlon C. Nichols (MaC Venture Capital), Srini Ananth (Intel Capital), Conrad Shang (Ensemble VC), Helen Pei-Hua Wong (AC Ventures), Ralph Taylor-Smith (ETS Strategic Capital), and SC Moatti (Mighty Capital). 🔗 Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gK68v-B7

We're excited to celebrate the Kauffman Fellows featured in Forbes Middle East’s Top Venture Capitalists 2024! Cheers to Dany Farha (KF Class 24), Abdulrahman (AIT) Tarabzouni (KF Class 22), Amal Dokhan (KF Class 27), Mohammed Almeshekah (KF Class 25), Sonia Weymuller (KF Class 24), Shane Shin (شين شن) 유근 (KF Class 24), Rakan AlRashed (KF Class 28), and Noor Sweid (KF Class 26) on their recognition. Full list link: https://lnkd.in/d9HYAb_4 #Forbes #VentureCapital #VC

2024 was a transformative year for fintech. Alexandre Lazarow (KF Class 19) highlights crypto's resurgence, a quiet IPO market, and emerging market resilience. https://lnkd.in/gB_UESup Crypto rebounded with Bitcoin Inc. reaching $100K, fueled by institutional interest, macro shifts, and U.S. election dynamics. Stablecoins gained traction in ecommerce and remittances, with their market cap hitting $1.3B. IPOs were rare, but M&A activity thrived. Notable deals included Capital One’s $35B bid for Discover Financial Services and Stripe’s acquisition of Bridge for over $1B. Emerging markets excelled with innovations like real-time money transfers in India and Brazil and global expansions by powerhouses like Nubank and Jio. Fintech is evolving—2025 will bring new surprises. #fintech #crypto #venturecapital #emergingmarkets

Calm/Storm continues to make waves in the HealthTech and FemTech investment space! Recognized as Europe's most active early-stage HealthTech investor for the third consecutive year by Financial Times and Sifted, Calm/Storm is shaping the future of digital health innovation. The firm closed 33 deals in 2024 alone (10 new, 23 follow-on), showcasing its commitment to driving impactful healthcare solutions. Additionally, PitchBook has named Calm/Storm as one of the world's top 10 most active FemTech investors. With 11 FemTech investments since 2020, Calm/Storm is a European leader in advancing women's health innovation, focusing on fertility, intimate health, and AI-powered healthcare. Notable 2024 investments include: -Béa Fertility (UK): Revolutionizing fertility treatments. -Meela (Sweden): A platform for therapist bookings. -Univa (UK): Developing digital care tools for eating disorders. Operating out of Vienna, Calm/Storm is investing from its second fund, having exceeded its €20M target and aiming for a final close of €40M in Q1 2025. With a ticket size of €250k–1M, the firm is empowering startups to bridge the gender health gap. Congratulations to Lucanus ⛵️ Polagnoli (KF Class 27) and Ekaterina Gianelli (KF Class 25) for driving change in health innovation! #VentureCapital #HealthTech #FemTech #KauffmanFellows

Kauffman Fellows saw some major wins this fall to wrap up the year, raising over $1.2B in funds for their firms! 🚀 MaC Venture Capital (Marlon C. Nichols, KF Class 18) raises its third fund in four years, an incredible feat at $150M. 🧪 Initiate Ventures (Jessica Owens, KF Class 12) debuts new $45M fund for tech-life sciences innovation. 🔬  Healthcare Raises: ◾ NaviMed Capital (Bijan Salehizadeh, KF Class 9) has secured an impressive $450M oversubscribed third fund, focusing on high-growth healthcare companies in the lower middle market.  ◾ Tribe Capital (Arjun Sethi, KF Class 23, Jake Ellowitz, KF Class 25, Jonathan Hsu, KF Class 22, Ted Maidenberg, KF Class 12, Alex Chee, KF Class 27) launches its first $50M healthcare fund. 🌍 MENA Region Momentum: ◾ BECO Capital (Dany Farha, KF Class 24, Yousef Hammad, KF Class 21, Mokhtar Ibrahim, KF Class 29) raises $20M for Saudi Arabia's startup ecosystem. ◾ Ibtikar Fund (Ambar Amleh, KF Class 23) secures $25M for Palestinian startups. ◾ Ahmad Takatkah (أحمد طقاطقه), KF Class 17 launches Revenya Capital with $2M for MENA tech startups. 🌏 South Asia Climate Impact: ◾ Avaana Capital (Swapna Gupta, KF Class 25) raises $135M Climate & Sustainability Fund for India's net-zero journey. ◾ Sarmayacar (Rabeel Warraich, KF Class 24) raises $15M Climaventures Fund for Pakistan-focused climate solutions. 🌏 Global Raises: ◾ MindWorks Capital (David Chang, KF Class 29) raises $220M Fund IV for early-stage venture capital investments in Greater China, Southeast Asia, and globally. ◾ Evolution Equity Partners (Sylwia Hadaj, KF Class 24, Karel Obluk, KF Class 19, Richard Seewald, KF Class 16) raises $125M for cybersecurity investments across North America, Europe, and Israel. ◾ Mistral Venture Partners (Code Cubitt, KF Class 25) raises $7.5M for its fourth fund. These raises demonstrate our network's commitment to driving innovation across healthcare, climate tech, cybersecurity, and regional ecosystem development. Congratulations to all of the Fellows! Looking forward to seeing the transformative impact of these investments. #KauffmanFellows #VentureCapital #Innovation #ImpactInvesting #Healthcare #CleanTech #Startups

How do you measure true success in venture capital? Fernando Fabre (KF Class 14) dives into the story behind the Kauffman Fund Returners Index in a guest post for Alexandre Lazarow’s (KF Class 19) 99%Tech blog. The Origin:  While discussing how Kauffman Fellows uniquely contribute to the VC ecosystem, we considered traditional benchmarks like the Forbes Midas List, which focuses on individual investors. To complement these existing metrics, we developed proxies—such as unicorn valuations and exits—to offer a broader framework for evaluating venture success. Highlights: ✅ 1 in 5 unicorns and $1B+ exits in the past decade had a Kauffman Fellow on the cap table. ✅ 75% of unicorns are minted outside Silicon Valley, spanning over 150 cities worldwide. ✅ The index recognizes contributions across all stages of venture, from pre-seed to late-stage investors. Explore how this new metric redefines the conversation on what it takes to create and scale category-defining startups. Link in comments! #KauffmanFellows #VentureCapital #GlobalInnovation #Unicorns #KFImpact

When a Kauffman Fellow writes a book, we celebrate!  Jenny Fielding (KF Class 23), Founder of Everywhere Ventures, is launching "Venture Everywhere" - a blueprint drawn from 15 years of investing across continents. Through intimate conversations with founders from Brazil to the Philippines, Jenny uncovers the patterns that drive entrepreneurial success beyond traditional startup hubs. Jenny shares: "This is NOT your typical business book! Venture Everywhere is a travel-themed adventure where bold entrepreneurs challenge convention and rewrite the rules of success." A unique lens into how great companies emerge from unexpected places. 🚀 #VentureCapital #GlobalEntrepreneurship #StartupEcosystem #EmergingMarkets #KauffmanFellows #Innovation

Early-bird applications for Kauffman Fellows Class 30 are open now through Dec 6 (11:59 PM PT)! Join the network behind 1 in 5 unicorn deals and gain access to elite co-investment opportunities, trusted diligence networks, and global VC partnerships. For nearly three decades, we've connected visionary VCs from top firms like Tribe Capital, Bessemer Venture Partners, Endeavor Catalyst, and many more, building a powerful ecosystem managing over $329B in investments. Save $150 on your application fee when you apply by December 6 (11:59 PM PT). The final deadline to apply for Class 30 is January 10th. #VentureCapital #KauffmanFellows #Investment #Leadership

Congratulations to Alaina Hartley (KF Class 29), Principal at Greycroft, for landing a spot on Forbes' 30 Under 30 list! This recognition spotlights her impact in early-stage consumer investments. Building on valuable experience at Snap Inc. and Bain & Company, Hartley joined Greycroft in 2018 and has been transforming the consumer investment landscape ever since. As Principal, she's led game-changing funding deals for emerging consumer brands including Ami Colé, Arey Grey, Experiment, and Haystack. Her leadership as Chief of Staff sparked real change through launching the Greycroft Fellowship program for underrepresented students and creating the firm's first Public Market Readiness Summit. This major industry recognition highlights her standout contributions in venture capital. 🌟 #ForbesUnder30 #VentureCapital #ConsumerInvestments #KauffmanFellows #Greycroft

As we wrap up our final day at #KFSingaporeTrek, we're inspired by the remarkable insights shared by our Fellows. We heard a powerful discussion on unlocking regional growth opportunities, featuring Phil Wickham (Charter Class, Sozo Ventures), Vinnie Lauria (KF Class 17, Golden Gate Ventures), Terry Chou (KF Class 29, Alpha Intelligence Capital), and Anthony Chang (KF Class 7, Galaxy Entertainment and Education and JoJo Education). Then Nick Nash (KF Class 19, Sea) detailed IPO preparation strategies and Helen Pei-Hua Wong (KF Class 8, AC Ventures) explored China's influence on global venture dynamics. The dialogue deepened with seasoned perspectives on global-local venture dynamics from Patrick Arippol (KF Class 27, Alexia Ventures), Ashish Agrawal (KF Class 23, Peak XV Partners), and Michael Fanfant (KF Class 27, Runa Capital). Amit Anand (KF Class 18, Jungle Ventures) and Jon Bradford (KF Class 27, Dynamo Ventures) shared their journey to billion-dollar milestones. Later we had a dynamic discussion on fund returners with Aakash Kapoor (Class 29, Peak XV Partners), Varun Malhotra (Class 25, Quona Capital), and Justin Hall (Class 20, Golden Gate Ventures). The afternoon featured Shailendra J Singh (KF Class 11, Peak XV Partners) discussing Peak XV Partners' evolution, followed by an intimate conversation with Gojek co-founder Kevin Aluwi and Pachara (Pinn) Lawjindakul (KF Class 25, Lightspeed) on building region-defining startups. We capped off the day with a final discussion with Sherman Williams II (KF Class 26, AIN Ventures) and Joyce Zhang, CFA,CAIA (KF Class 29, The Wallace Foundation) “Closing the Loop on Opportunity to and from SEA”. Our ecosystem gathering marks the end of an incredible first trek. Thank you to all who made it possible. We couldn't have done it without this powerful network of Fellows! #KauffmanFellows #VentureCapital #SoutheastAsia