Kauffman Fellows’ Post

I found a TechCrunch piece highlighting the resilience and creativity of new venture funds, many navigating their first or second funds. Despite challenges, they're not just surviving but reshaping the VC landscape. It's a powerful testament to adaptability in the world of startup funding. #VentureCapital #Innovation #StartupFunding #Entrepreneurship #VC

Title: Revolutionizing Early-Stage Startup Funding: Schwab’s Game-Changer Charles Schwab is leveling the venture capital playing field launching Schwab Alternative Investment Marketplace. Designed for independent advisers and affluent investors, this platform makes alternative investments like venture capital, private equity, and hedge funds more accessible, breaking down the traditional barriers that kept them exclusive to institutional investors. For founders, this move could significantly widen the investor pool. Higher accessibility of alternative investments may help startups bolster their fund bases as potential investors have easy-to-use channels for backing early-stage ventures. Crucially, Schwab's platform is poised to lower the entry barrier for investment in startups - minimums start at $100k, a stark contrast with traditional venture capital minimums that often spiral into millions. This accessibility could motivate more startups to consider such platforms while securing their initial funding rounds. If you’ve got a killer start-up idea, this just might be the game-changer you need. With platforms like Schwab’s, the venture capital landscape is no longer a hard-to-reach vista but a tangible opportunity offering a wider range of accessible investment avenues. Mimicking institutional investors, can this democratization become a new norm? Will this spark a global shift making venture capital available to more investors and, in turn, more startup dreams turned into entrepreneurial realities? More about Schwab’s venture capital revolution can be read here: https://lnkd.in/gPePF7zn #schwab #venturecapital #startups #alternativeinvestments #changeiscoming #newrules #InvestmentTrends

Toronto, Canada based Radical Ventures recently raised its later-stage fund. 💸 US$800-million, with LP backing from Eric Schmidt’s family office, CPP Investments, TD Bank, PSP Investments, notable individual investors such as Fei-Fei Li, and Geoffrey Hinton, and others. 💡 Focused on later-stage #machinelearning and #artificialintelligence startups run by exceptional entrepreneurs with global ambition to build enduring companies. The VCs investments span multiple sectors including #healthcare, #finance, #infrastructure, #semiconductors, #manufacturing, among others. 🌍 #NorthAmerica 📈 Launched in 2017, Radical Ventures has backed AI start-ups including Cohere, Waabi, Untether AI, Xanadu, among others. 💭 “This new fund complements our early stage funds and enables us to partner with existing portfolio companies and new founders as they transform industries and build global businesses. We are fueling the next chapter of growth for scaling AI companies.” - Aaron Brindle, Radical Ventures partner 🗞️BetaKit https://lnkd.in/dRZtJhtZ 👏 For the #AudaciousInvestors unleashing innovation and empowering tomorrow🚀 Jordan I Tomi I Aaron I Aaron I Richa I Molly I Kristin I David I Rob I Salim I Sanjana I Ryan I Daniel I Blair I Team Radical Ventures …   #venturecapital #vc #funds #startups #entrepreneurs #funding #tech #ai #entrepreneurship #technology #innovation #canada #toronto #venture

There's never a dull moment in the day in the life of a #VC, whether it's evaluating potential #investments, strategizing with LPs, or guiding startups to success. As Jenny describes it, “As a VC, you get to wear many hats, from research to portfolio construction and management to marketing manager of your fund's brand to meeting with thousands of founders each year.” Read more on "How to Become a Venture Capitalist" in the Forbes article by Dasha Shunina: https://lnkd.in/d9EVdrYn cc Scott Hartley, Conor Harbeck, Eileen McRae #VentureCapital #Startups #Innovation #Investment #Entrepreneurship #VC #Fundraising #PortfolioManagement #StartupEcosystem

Venture capitalists (VCs) are not just financial backers but also mentors, advisors, and strategic partners. They manage funds from limited partners (LPs), support startups through various growth stages, and build significant relationships in the tech ecosystem. Tim Draper, founder of DFJ, highlights the high-risk, high-reward nature of VC investing. Diversifying portfolios is crucial as many investments may fail, but a few successful ones can yield substantial returns. Janelle Teng from Bessemer Venture Partners emphasizes the need for a deep curiosity for new technologies and a passion for supporting entrepreneurs. The daily life of a VC involves fund planning, fundraising, deal sourcing, evaluating investments, and supporting portfolio companies. Jenny Fielding of Everywhere Ventures explains that VCs wear many hats, making the role both challenging and exciting. The path to becoming a VC has evolved. While finance backgrounds were traditionally preferred, there’s now a trend towards individuals with hands-on experience as operators and founders. Amy Yin from defy.vc suggests immersing yourself in the tech ecosystem, gaining startup experience, building a reputation for being helpful, and starting to invest either through angel investing or by developing an investment thesis. Tim Draper sums it up: “It is a lot of luck, but of course, with a lot of hard work, you will get lucky more often.” If you’re passionate about technology and startups, this article is a must-read for understanding what it takes to thrive in this competitive field. Thank you, Dasha Shunina for all of your insight. #VentureCapital #Startups #Entrepreneurship #TechEcosystem #Investing #Mentorship #Innovation #CareerAdvice #Finance #TechIndustry

This article discusses the current landscape of venture capital funding, highlighting a shift in activity among top investors post the peak of global startup funding. In the midst of a decline in the number of large late-stage deals, Andreessen Horowitz emerged as the most active venture investor in post-seed rounds for Q1 of 2024. In studying the most active lead investors and seed investors, we are trying to showcase trends in investment patterns and the overall state of the seed funding environment. Notably, we observed a decrease in the number of mega-deals. What is also discussed is the presence and absence of key investors in the current market compared to previous periods of heightened activity. #vc #startups #vcfunding https://lnkd.in/eTTtDg-V

Edinburgh, with its highly educated workforce and thriving financial sector, has become a hotbed for startups. Here, we explore 10 VC firms that could be the perfect partners to fund your next venture in this vibrant economy. 💸 Learn how venture capital works and meet 10 VC firms eager to be part of Edinburgh's next big success story. Par Equity, Archangel Investors Limited, Old College Capital, Seed Haus, SIS Ventures, Pentech Ventures, Circularity Capital, Amati Global Investors, DSW Ventures, Maven Capital Partners 👏 #edinburgh #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #startup #startups #businessgrowth Read more 👇  https://lnkd.in/gKG_PzDS

🚀 Exciting News Alert! 🚀 We're excited to announce a new partnership with Zühlke Ventures, the venture capital arm of the Swiss-based Zühlke Group, driving innovation in HealthTech. 🌟💡 About Zühlke Ventures Zühlke Ventures supports high-tech start-ups in the Health Tech industry from early stage to exit. They finance ideas that hit the nerve of the market. Their goals are to recognize potential, get involved early, limit threats, and accept reasonable risks. The many assets Zühlke Ventures provides include sound financing, a wealth of management and technology experience, and a strong network. Their dedication to transforming visionary ideas into successful ventures perfectly aligns with Vestberry's mission to empower forward-thinking organizations on their journey to success. 💼✨ Zühlke Ventures excels in fostering an entrepreneurial mindset, bridging the gap between technology and business, and providing comprehensive support to startups. With a rich heritage in engineering, they have a proven track record of nurturing groundbreaking innovations and advancing a sustainable future. 🌱🔬 Collaboration with Purpose By implementing Vestberry's state-of-the-art portfolio intelligence software, Zühlke Ventures aims to: ➡️ Replace their existing Excel-based solution ➡️ Streamline their reporting process to reduce effort and increase accuracy Additionally, Vestberry will help to: ✔ Achieve efficient fund management for better resource allocation and improved decision-making ✔ Optimize investment performance tracking, enabling informed strategic decisions and maximized value creation ✔ Gain deeper insights into their portfolio companies while collecting financial KPIs and ESG metrics 🖥️📈 We are excited to collaborate with Zühlke Ventures and support their vision of driving innovation and technological advancements. Together, we look forward to making a positive impact and shaping the future of HealthTech! 🔬 Vestberry supports VC investors like Zühlke Ventures on their journey to success. Join us in embracing data-driven decision-making in venture capital. #Innovation #VentureCapital #Sustainability #TechFuture #Vestberry #ZuehlkeVentures #Entrepreneurship #portfoliomonitoring #datadrivenVC #BusinessTransformation

Excited to share our latest article on Medium! In "Founders & Funders: Two Sides of the Same Coin," Sonali Vijayavargiya dives deep into the often misunderstood dynamics between founders and funders. This piece sheds light on the symbiotic relationship that drives innovation, explores the shared challenges, and debunks common myths around venture capital and startup funding. If you're a founder, funder, or just curious about the inner workings of venture capital, give it a read! Let’s keep building the bridge between vision and venture. https://lnkd.in/eDcdYbmp #VentureCapital #Startups #Innovation #Founders

🕚Here’s a flashback to an exciting and audacious VC fund launch from earlier this year. 💸 In Q2 2024 California, USA based Crosslink Capital closed its tenth flagship venture capital fund, Crosslink Ventures X with $350M of capital commitments. 💡 Partnering with ambitious early-stage founders building category-defining companies. The VC invests from #preseed through to #SeriesA, with initial investments of $1M-$9M. 🌍 #NorthAmerica 📈 Founded in 1989, Crosslink manages over $4.6 billion in assets and has backed start-ups including BetterUp, Chime, Novo, AKUA, Darkhive, Hungryroot, among others. 💭 “Our seasoned team stands ready to guide founders through unpredictable market conditions and strives to capitalize on moments of prosperity with precision and confidence.” - David Silverman, General Partner at Crossline 🗞️Crosslink https://lnkd.in/eaaahNgd 👏 For the #AudaciousInvestors unleashing innovation and empowering tomorrow🚀 Michael I Phil I Gabby I Matt I Eric I I David I Maureen I Sofia I Thomas I Anduena I Alexis I Caitlin I Anisha I Team Crosslink Capital … #venturecapital #vc #funds #startups #entrepreneurs #funding #tech #usa #entrepreneurship #technology #innovation #California #menlopark