VC10X - Venture Capital Podcast

Anand Rajaraman is a serial entrepreneur and venture capitalist known for co-founding Junglee, which was acquired by Amazon, and Kosmix, acquired by Walmart. He was Senior Vice President at Walmart Global eCommerce and is a founding partner at Rocketship.vc.Rajaraman is also the co-owner of the San Francisco Unicorns, a Major League Cricket team. Anand has invested early in companies like Facebook and Lyft and focuses on backing high-growth startups globally, but in this episode we will limit our conversation to owning a cricket team and maybe do another episode later to talk about Anand's entrepreneurial & investing success.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comSan Francisco Unicorns website - https://www.sfunicorns.com/Major League Cricket (MLC) website - https://www.majorleaguecricket.com/Anand Rajaraman on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anandrajaraman/In this episode, we talk about -- Why did he decide to buy a cricket team- The business angle of owning a sports team- Key revenue streams for franchise cricket leagues & teams- Leveraging data & technology in all aspects of team management- The signing of 2 Australian legends: Pat Cummins as a player, & Shane Watson as the coach- The emotional toll of owning a sports team& lots moreTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to Anand Rajaraman and the podcast episode(03:48) Why Anand decided to buy a cricket team in Major League Cricket (MLC)(05:18) Choosing the San Francisco Unicorns and the reasoning behind the team name(07:23) Parallels between business world and owning a sports team(10:59) Applying data and analytics to team management(13:35) Investment perspective on owning a sports team(18:26) Revenue streams for cricket leagues and teams(22:30) Player acquisition and salary cap details(23:52) Player selection strategy for the team(27:53) Discussion about Pat Cummins joining the team(33:11) Hypothetical scenario of Indian players in MLC(34:17) Emotional aspects of owning a sports team(40:12) Reflections on the 2024 season and reaching the championship match(42:43) Growth of cricket in the USA and impact of the 2023 World Cup(45:23) Long-term vision for team ownership(46:20) How to follow San Francisco Unicorns and Major League CricketFor sponsorship or guest appearance requests, write to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe to VC10X on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Andrew Reilly is a Managing Director at VCFA, the world's first secondary focused fund. Andrew joined VCFA in 2017 primarily to focus on origination and development of venture and growth equity secondary opportunities.Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comVCFA website - https://vcfa.com/Andrew Reilly on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrew-k-reilly-5782a019/

Hunter Somerville is a Partner at StepStone Group, an asset management firm with over $150BN+ in assets under management. Hunter focuses on venture capital and growth equity investments which includes fund investments, directs, and secondaries.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comStepStone Group - https://www.stepstonegroup.com/Hunter Somerville on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hunter-somerville-2a24117/In this episode we talk about -- The different strategies they invest in at StepStone private equity & VC team- Key things you look for in fund managers- The different risks they are undertaking when backing a fund- Common mistakes new GPs make- How big is the opportunity in the secondary market? - His advice to GPs aspiring to build the Sequoia of tomorrow& lots moreTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(05:23) Hunter's background and career journey(06:26) StepStone's investment strategies(09:04) Key characteristics and criteria for primary fund investments(11:31) Managing DPI and liquidity in early-stage venture investments(14:09) Evaluating secondary investments and portfolio strategies(16:27) Risks associated with fund investments(20:10) Building relevance and value for venture capital funds(23:03) Common mistakes made by new General Partners (GPs)(24:45) StepStone's approach to growth stage direct investing(27:08) Comparing risk and return across different investment strategies(30:19) The secondary market opportunity and its growth(34:17) Liquidity dynamics in venture capital investments(36:10) Advice for GPs aspiring to build the next Sequoia or A16Z(37:46) Emerging trends and exciting investment areas in venture capital(40:28) Rapid fire round of questions about StepStone's investment approachFor sponsorship or guest appearance requests, write to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe to VC10X on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Kalpesh Dave has over 20 years of experience in banking, investments, and wealth management. As the Deputy Chief Executive Officer at BajajCapital Ltd, his focus is on delivering value-added solutions to HNI/UHNI/Family offices and NRI clientele.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs, family offices & asset managers - https://podcast10x.comBajaj Capital - https://www.bajajcapital.com/Kalpesh Dave on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kalpeshdave-domainexpert-investments/In this episode, we talk about:- The growing private wealth landscape in India- How many wealthy families are there in India and how fast is that number growing?- How the Indian wealthy manage their wealth - How do they build wealth allocation strategy for their clients- Exciting opportunity areas for wealthy families& lots moreTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(03:44) Background and history of Bajaj Capital(05:25) Discussion about the private wealth landscape(08:31) Definition of HNI (High Net Worth Individual) and UHNI (Ultra High Net Worth Individual)(09:27) Missing pieces in wealth management and how Bajaj Capital is addressing them(11:38) Perspective on current equity market conditions(14:14) How families are managing assets during market fluctuations(18:10) Discussion on asset allocation strategies(20:17) Dos and don'ts of wealth management(23:06) What family offices and wealthy families are currently excited about(25:55) Global asset investing for Indian wealthy families(28:07) How Bajaj Capital sources high-quality deals for clients(32:00) Common mistakes wealthy families make in managing wealth(35:01) Biggest learnings from working with wealthy families(39:34) How to connect with Bajaj Capital and learn more about their servicesFor sponsorship or guest appearance requests, write to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe to VC10X on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Jason G. Mandel is an experienced Wall Street executive, a renowned author, and founder & CEO of the Mandel Family Office. Jason has over 30 years of experience helping clients build wealth through tax elimination strategies.Links:⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs, family offices & asset managers - https://podcast10x.comDemand Transparency Book - https://www.amazon.com/DEMAND-TRANSPARENCY-Street-Rising-Destroying-ebook/dp/B0CN4ZWQ6XMandel Family Office - https://themandelfamilyoffice.com/Jason Mandel on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandeljason/In this episode, we talk about -- The risks associated with real estate investing- What are principal protected assets?- Why he thinks 401(k) is a fraud- Life Insurance as a vehicle for tax saving and investment growth- Insurance vs 401(k), what's better for retirement planning?- How to finance your tax-free retirement plan?- Insurance as a tool to protect assets during divorce- What is PPLI and how it can be used to save taxes on all types of assets?- How can Family Offices operate more like banks?& lots moreTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(03:18) Real estate investing and its risks(12:23) Principal-protected assets(23:40) Credibility of principal-protected assets(24:33) Accessibility of tax-saving investment tools(35:09) Comparison of 401(k) vs. life insurance(42:31) Using life insurance as asset protection during divorce(46:34) How family offices can operate more like banks(52:25) Closing remarks and contact informationFor sponsorship or guest appearance requests, write to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe to VC10X on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Amit Patel is one of the Managing Director at Owl Ventures, one of the largest Edtech venture capital firm with over $2 billion in AUM. Amit has served on the board of directors and led investments in many of the world's leading education technology companies.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comOwl Ventures website - https://www.owlvc.com/Amit Patel on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/amitashwinpatel/In this episode, we talk about - - How they look at the Edtech landscape at Owl Ventures?- How do they identify promising Edtech startups?- What does the future of education look like?- Exciting trends they're closely tracking- Role of AI in personalised learning- How did they manage to scale Owl Ventures to over $2 billion in AUM in just over a decade of existence?& lots moreTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction(03:07) Amit Patel's personal story and career in education(05:38) Discussion on the current state of education system(08:31) Owl Ventures' journey and growth to $2 billion in assets(11:42) Reasons behind Owl Ventures' success(13:16) EdTech sector categorization and segments(15:06) Global perspectives on education technology development(18:40) Evolution of EdTech since Owl Ventures' inception(23:08) How Owl Ventures selects and picks companies to invest in(26:18) Advice for new EdTech founders(32:06) Current state of EdTech and future outlook(35:32) Most exciting opportunity areas in EdTech(38:21) Portfolio construction and investment strategy(41:04) Biggest learning from investing in EdTech companies(42:28) Rapid fire round of questions about Owl VenturesFor sponsorship or guest appearance requests, write to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe to VC10X on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.

Greg Ho is the President & Head of Social Impact at Spring Mountain Capital ($1.6B AUM). Greg formerly spent 16 years at McKinsey, where he helped expand the firm into 30+ new countries and oversaw the launch of its $20B investment arm as CFO. In 2001, Greg founded SMC alongside Launny Steffens, and later its social impact arm, the West Harlem Innovation Network.Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comSpring Mountain Capital website - https://www.springmountaincapital.com/Greg Ho on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gregory-ho-68126215

Muthu Muthiah is the CIO at Children's Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA), one of the largest pediatric care providers in the United States. At CHOA, Muthiah leads the investment office, which manages the system's long-term $6.4 billion investment portfolio. Previously Muthu has been in several allocator roles at different types of institutional pools of capital.Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comCHOA's website - https://choa.org/Muthu Muthiah on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/muthumuthiah/

Wendy Craft is a family office veteran, she has worked with multiple wealthy families helping them with asset allocation, risk management, tax optimization, governance, risk management & more. Wendy serves as CEO for Elle Family Office, a single family office in Atlanta, GA. The office handles the holdings of the Lazarian family which include real estate, exotic cars and various other investments.Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comWendy Craft on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/wendy-craft-7281176

Grady Buchanan is a Co-founder & Managing Director at NVNG, a fund of funds with corporations as limited partners investing into venture capital funds.Before launching NVNG, Grady worked with the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation's (WARF) $3B investment portfolio.Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comNVNG website - https://nvngia.com/Grady Buchanan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gradynvng

Promise Phelon is an operator turned investor. She is the Founder & Managing Partner at Growth Warrior Capital where they are investing in Seed & Series A enterprise AI companies.Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comGrowth Warrior Capital website - https://www.growthwarriorcapital.com/Growth Warrior Capital YouTube - https://youtube.com/@growthwarriorcapital?si=U7j97S7O0pjW_dekPromise on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/promisephelon

Neil Greene is the founder of Jaboy Productions, a bespoke event company with a primary focus on producing conferences and networking events for RIAs, Family Offices, Professional Athletes, and High Net Worth Investors.Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comJaboy Productions website - https://jaboyproductions.com/Neil Greene on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/neil-greene-2003571

Colin Gardiner is the founder & GP of Yonder Ventures where he is investing in early-traction marketplace startups. Colin is also an experienced marketplace operator and was formerly the CPO & CRO of Outdoorsy, a highly valued outdoor experience marketplace.In this episode, we talk about -- Colin's story and how he started investing- Their investment thesis at Yonder- What are marketplaces?- Why marketplaces make great business opportunities?- Use of AI in marketplaces& lots moreLinks: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comYonder Ventures website - https://www.yonder.vc/Yonder-8ee3fa1f28f7420ca780f62f293b86cbSubscribe to Take Rate newsletter by Colin - https://www.gardinercolin.com/Colin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/colingardine

James Keston is the owner of USL soccer team Orange County SC.The Californian club, which plays in the US second tier, is renowned for its trailblazing nature on and off the field - they are renowned for their player development and have sent more players to Europe than any other American team in recent seasons. They won the championship in 2021 and consistently compete on the field with this youth-development-focused model.Off the field they have many innovative commercial deals, and recently completed a US fan fundraise initiative that was very successful, they also launched one for the UK market too.In this episode we talk about -- What made James buy a soccer team?- How does the club make money?- What are his return expectations from the investment?- The big opportunity in the player transfer market- Importance of management in sports team's success& lots moreTimestamps:(00:00) Introduction to James Keston and Orange County SC(03:30) James' background and how he purchased Orange County SC in 2016(06:07) Restructuring the team after acquisition(08:34) Player development approach(11:17) Club revenue streams(13:21) Differences between owning a team in MLS vs USL(15:37) Expected returns and investment in a sports team(19:15) Motivations for owning a sports team(20:54) 2020-2021 championship season(23:22) Importance of management in sports team success(25:03) Coaching decisions and hiring process(29:10) Long-term goals for Orange County SC(31:29) Potential MLS ambitions(33:09) Closing remarks and ownership roundsLinks:⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs -https://podcast10x.comOrange County SC website -https://orangecountysoccer.comUK fundraiser -https://europe.republic.com/orange-county-scOrange County SC on Instagram -https://www.instagram.com/orangecountysoccer/Orange County SC on LinkedIn -https://www.linkedin.com/company/orangecountysc

Salvatore Buscemi is the Co-founder & Managing Partner at Brahmin Partners where he works with the 0.001% of wealthy families, guiding them to opportunities that many cannot access due to a lack of buy-side networks. Salvatore has managed money successfully for almost 20 years through the creation of multiple portfolios into various cross-asset platforms Salvatore is also a 3X published author. He has graciously offered to send a copy of his book to our listeners if you write to him. In this episode, we talk about - - How the top 0.001% invest? - What are statement assets? - What makes alternative investment appealing to ultra high net worth families? - How impact investing is reshaping priorities of wealthy families - Importance of networking & influence in getting into high quality deals & lots more Timestamps: (00:00) Introduction to Salvatore Buscemi and Brahmin Partners (03:34) How ultra high net worth families preserve wealth across generations (04:40) Statement assets and investment strategies of the top 0.001% (07:11) Why most families lose their wealth by the third generation (08:24) Appeal of alternative investments for ultra high net worth families (10:05) Impact investing and reshaping priorities of wealthy families (13:02) Building and maintaining high net worth networks (14:05) Legacy building and succession planning (16:07) Reputation and trust in investment decisions (17:55) Role of family governance in maintaining financial stability (19:28) Preparing the next generation to handle wealth responsibly (20:28) Unique advantages of private investment clubs and societies (21:59) Brahmin Partners' approach to investing (23:17) Perspective on family office investing (24:47) Common mistakes family offices make (26:30) Investment strategies in the current interest rate environment Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Brahmin Partners website - https://brahminpartners.com/ Salvatore's email - sal@brahminpartners.com Salvatore on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/salvatore-buscemi Salvatore on X - https://x.com/SMBuscemi

Manish Patel is the Founder of Nava Ventures. Manish has 14+ years of experience in venture capital, helping startups secure Series A funding. He also led product teams at Google and teaches design thinking at Stanford. In this episode we talk about - - Manish's story and how he got into investing - The investment thesis at Nava Ventures - How to apply design thinking to build great products? - What makes a company Series A worthy? - His biggest learning investing in startups over the years & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Nava Ventures website - https://www.nava.vc/ Manish on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/manishpatelli

John Messervey is an organization behavior consultant who advises high wealth families throughout the United States and overseas. Among the earliest family business/wealth consultants, John has consulted with more than 400 families throughout the U.S., Europe, and Asia since 1985. He often guides families, owners and managers through very difficult conversations and is known for his consultations with very complex family challenges. In this episode, we talk about: - Key challenges wealthy families are facing today - How is the new generation different from the previous generations in wealth management? - Why it's so important to tell the family wealth creation story to the new generation? - How do wealthy families do parenting right? - How important is marriage in wealth growth and continuity? - Why he actively recommends pre-nupital aggreement in marriages? - How should families approach dispute resolution? - What do high performing, multi-generation family offices get right? & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com John Messervey's Website - https://www.privatefamilyadvisor.com/ John on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-messervey-5219778

Kevin Jiang is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Mangusta Capital, a venture capital firm investing in Consumer and Vertical AI businesses shaping the future. Prior to starting Mangusta Capital, Kevin was part of the founding investment team at Softbank Vision Fund, leading the coverage of Software and Logistics growth equity investments in North America. In this episode we talk about - - Kevin's story and why he started Mangusta Capital - Why he chose to focus on vertical AI startups - How he got connected with the Del Vecchio family which then made the $50M anchor LP commitment in Mangusta Capital fund 1 - How will AI change the world we live in? - Is AI a threat to knowledge workers? - What qualities make founders win big? & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Mangusta Capital website - https://www.mangustacap.com/ Kevin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jiangkevin

Andy Mitchell is the CEO and Managing Director of Lega Serie A USA. Based in New York, Andy is a former Facebook tech executive heading up Serie A's efforts in North America. Nine of the 20 teams in Lega Serie A are now American-owned, and there's a great deal of focus on the US as a market from a sporting and commercial perspective. In this episode we talk about - - The significance of Lega Serie A - Growth strategies they are implementing to grow Lega Serie A in the North American region - Why is soccer not a popular sport in the US and how it's gaining popularity - What is the business appeal for US businessmen to buy a team in Lega Serie A - How does the league make money - Preparations for the 2026 world cup & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Lega Serie A website - https://www.legaseriea.it/en Lega Serie A on Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/seriea_northamerica/?hl=en Lega Serie A newsletter - https://www.calcioweekly.com/ Andy Mitchell on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andymitchell1/

Caroline Winnett is the Executive Director at Berkeley SkyDeck, a startup accelerator working with startups from across the world. SkyDeck offers all the benefits of a traditional accelerator along with the vast resources of the world's number one ranked public university. Formed as a partnership between UC Berkeley's Haas School of Business, the College of Engineering, and the Office of the Vice Chancellor for Research, SkyDeck offers a powerful environment for startups to grow and launch. In this episode, we talk about: - What is the Skydeck fund? - Why was the Skydeck accelerator founded? - How is the program structured, and on what all fronts does it try to help the company? - Who can apply to be a part of the SkyDeck accelerator? - What does it take to build and keep the reputation of the world number one public university? - How does the accelerator benefit UC Berkeley, the institution? - The significance behind the name "SkyDeck" - Should VCs use the name of the school a founder has attended, as a criteria for evaluating a startup worthiness for funding? - What's the DEI approach at Skydeck? & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Berkeley SkyDeck website - https://skydeck.berkeley.edu/ Berkeley SkyDeck on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/skydeck-berkeley/ Caroline Winnett on Medium - https://carolinewinnett.medium.com/

Michael Wallach is a Vice President at Levy Family Office, a single-family office that invests directly in companies and funds across sectors, stages, and regions. In this episode, we talk about - - The Levy Family Office, and their investment strategy - Importance of value alignment for family offices - What key things do they look for in General Partners? - Their portfolio construction strategy at Levy SFO - How they bring structure to family office investing - How they decide when to exit an investment when they can stay invested as long as they like & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Michael Wallach on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-wallach-8b75291

Anurag Chandra is a board trustee at San Jose Federated City Employees Retirement System (FCERS), and chair of the investment committee. Anurag is also the CIO of a single family office where he is managing their liquid and illiquid portfolio, while running a venture studio. In this episode, we talk about - - How different is the approach to asset allocation at institutional funds versus a single family office - How do pension funds allocate to venture capital asset class - What's the role of a board trustee in a pension fund - How should fund managers build relationships with institutional limited partners - Some common mistakes GPs should avoid while fundraising - Why he is extremely bullish on India - His biggest learning investing & allocating over the years & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Anurag Chandra on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/anchandra

Matt Curtolo has nearly two decades of experience as an investor and allocator in private markets. He has overseen hundreds of general partner relationships and was responsible for over $5 billion in commitments. In this episode, we talk about: - Matt's story and how he started investing - The different types of institutional LPs and their approach to venture capital allocation - Why LPs need to keep deploying into venture capital asset class especially during downcycles - How should emerging managers approach fundraising - Common mistakes GPs make while fundraising - How should GPs think of generating DPI in a fund - Key metrics every GP should track & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Matt Curtolo on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-curtolo-caia

Alexandra Vidyuk is a Partner at Beyond Earth Ventures, a Venture Partner at Aloniq, and Founder of Space Ambition. Alexandra is deeply passionate about DeepTech and scientific evolution. Here are the topics we covered: - What SpaceTech/DeepTech opportunities is she most excited about? - What are the major hurdles in colonizing Mars? - Space Tourism: Will we in our lifetimes be able to space travel to see different planets, asteroids, galaxies?- Can Space Travel reverse ageing? - How do we minimize carbon emissions in SpaceTech? - How does she segment the SpaceTech landscape? She also gives us a view into future of SpaceTech in the next 10, 30, 50 years Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Beyond Earth Technologies - https://beyondearth.tech/ Alexandra Vidyuk on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandrausynina Space Ambition Substack - https://spaceambition.substack.com/

Andrew Haughian is a General Partner at Pangaea Ventures. Andrew joined Pangaea Ventures in 2006. His core expertise lies in helping companies navigate the early-growth stage of their development as they build high-performance teams, cultivate a culture of excellence, and nail product-partner-market fit. In this episode, we talk about - - How has the Hardtech ecosystem evolved over the past 2 decades? - Their investment plan for the new $85 million fund V - How should Hardtech founders approach product market fit? - Some exciting Hardtech companies they have backed - Why they invest at the commercialization stage - Common mistakes Hardtech founders make & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Pangaea Ventures website - https://www.pangaeaventures.com/ Andrew on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrewhaughian

Albert Azout is a Co-founder & Managing Partner at Level Ventures, a fund of funds investing in venture capital fund managers & entrepreneurs building at the intersection of science & technology. In this episode, we talk about - - The investment thesis at Level Ventures - What they look for in fund managers - Common mistakes GPs make while fundraising - How Fund of Funds can generate top quartile VC returns - How co-investments are a great way to generate cash flow in a fund of funds - What are the most important traits in successful GPs & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Level Ventures website - https://levelvc.com/ Albert Azout on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/albertazout

Julia Gudish Krieger is a Managing Partner at Pari-Passu Venture Partners. Julia is an experienced venture capital investor and technology start up founder. Previously Julia was an investor at Insight Partners, where she invested over $100M in marketplace and SaaS companies globally. In this episode, we talk about - - The investment thesis at Pari-Passu Venture Partners - How the Pari-Passu investor app enables accredited investors to get access to top deals - What does it take for a startup to succeed - How the Pari-Passu network helps portfolio companies succeed - One thing Julia would like to change about venture capital & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Download the Pari-Passu app - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/paripassu-invest-with-top-vcs/id6451420779 Follow Julia on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/yuliyagudish

Dhruv Dhanraj Bahl is the founder & Managing Partner at Eternal Capital, an India-focused early-stage fund. Dhruv was previously CBO of merchant lending at Bharatpe, and had leadership stints at Paytm & Airtel Payments Bank. In this episode, we talk about - - Dhruv's story and how he started investing - Dhruv shares his experience being an LP in VC funds vs doing direct investments - The different stages of a startup - How should founders approach early-PMF - Why he is extremely bullish on the India opportunity - His biggest learning investing in startups & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Eternal Capital website - https://www.eternalcapital.vc/ Dhruv on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/dhruv-dhanraj-bahl-3857a033 Dhruv on X - https://x.com/dhruvdbahl

Bill Baumel is Managing Director at Ohio Innovation Fund. He is a seasoned venture capitalist who spent more than 20 years investing in Silicon Valley before returning to his home state to found the Ohio Innovation Fund in 2016. His investment areas include SaaS, big data, cybersecurity, and medtech, and his past investments have resulted in 5 IPOs and 15 major acquisitions. Bill has been recognized as one of the Venture 100 Top VCs based on exits. In this episode, we talk about: - Bill's story and how he started investing - Why he moved from Silicon Valley to Ohio - How has the Ohio startup ecosystem evolved over the years - How he evaluates startup deals - Having a very hands-on approach to helping portfolio companies succeed - Perceived impact of recent Fed's rate cuts on venture capital & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Ohio Innovation Fund website - https://www.ohioinnovationfund.com/ Follow Bill on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/billbaumel

Marc Cohen is a Partner at unbundled vc. He is a two-time Al operator turned VC investor with a 1.98x multiple and 54% IRR. He did his Masters in AI in the year 2001 from the University of Sussex. He also co-created the world's best poker Al before DeepMind existed. In this episode, we talk about: - Marc's story and how he started investing - How to separate signal from noise in the AI hype? - How Marc uses ChatGPT to get things done - Some exciting portfolio companies he has backed & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Unbundled VC - https://www.unbundled.vc/ Follow Marc on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcnigelcohen Follow Marc on X - https://x.com/unbundledvc Posts Marc made on social media about his VC10X appearance - https://www.linkedin.com/posts/marcnigelcohen_whats-been-my-biggest-learning-investing-activity-7243563590996168704-8j-P https://x.com/unbundledvc/status/1837798395202679010

Ben Borodach, is the Co-founder and CEO of april, the AI-driven tax filer embedded in 20+ fintechs. In under two years, april has successfully launched in all 50 states as an embedded tax technology, forging partnerships with over 20 fintech leaders, including Gusto and Acorns. In this episode, we talk about - - Why did Ben choose to build april? - How did april get its first few customers? - Their approach to hiring - Fundraising advice for founders & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com april website - https://getapril.com/ Follow Ben on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/benborodach

Scott Van den Berg is the founder & General Partner of Hotstart VC, a venture capital fund that invests in celebrity-led brands. In this episode, we talk about - - What are celebrity-led brands? - What edge do celebrity-led brands have over traditional startups? - Why celebrities are starting their own brands? - Some popular celebrity-led brand success & failure stories - How they evaluate a celebrity led brand for investment? - The impact celebrity-led brands have on the wealth of the celebrity & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Hotstart VC website - https://hotstart.vc Follow Scott on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-van-den-berg-22b534150

Ryan Austin is the CEO of Arondight Advisors, where he leverages his network of family offices to connect startup founders & fund managers with the right people to fund their business. In this episode, we talk about - - How Ryan built relationships with family offices? - The $84 trillion wealth transfer - How is the new generation different from the previous generation in managing family assets - Why family offices are a great source of patient capital for startups? - What do family offices look for in businesses? & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Arondight Advisors website - https://arondightadvisors.com/ Follow Ryan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-a-austin

Jonathan Lacoste is the founder & General Partner at SpaceVC investing in pre-seed frontier tech startups. SpaceVC has recently closed a 22.5 Million fund II. In this episode, we talk about - - The new fund with an expanded focus on frontier tech - Fundraising learnings from raising fund 2 - Some breakout companies from fund 1 - Exciting opportunities in frontier tech - SpaceX Vs Boeing in bringing back astronauts - Biggest learning investing in startups & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com SpaceVC website - https://www.spacevc.com/ Follow Jonathan on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jonathanlacoste Follow Jonathan on X - https://x.com/lacostejonathan Follow SpaceVC on X - https://x.com/TheSpaceVC

Isaac Richard III is an entrepreneur and CEO of Mavros Capital, a fully integrated multi-family office with the mission to shape the future of how significant wealth is managed, how capital is deployed and how legacies are extended across generations. In this episode, we talk about - - What are multi-family offices and how are they different from single family offices? - What all services do multi-family offices offer? - What all asset classes are multi-family offices interested in? - What mistakes most families make in managing wealth? - How do more families optimize for succession and build a multi-generation family office? & lots more ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Mavros Group website - https://www.mavrosgroup.com/ Follow Isaac on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacrichard

Gili is a co-founder and Managing Partner at ICI Fund. Gili's vision is to transform critical industries with AI tech solutions led by Israeli founders. In this episode, we talk about - - Gili's story and how she started investing - How has the ICI fund evolved overtime? - What does she look for in a business while evaluating an investment opportunity? - Perspective on the Israeli startup ecosystem currently - How they help Isareli founders get access to the US markets? & lots more Links: ⭐Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com ICI fund website - https://ici.fund/ Follow Gili on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/gilielkin

Justin Pollack is the Managing Director, Private Funds Group at PineBridge Investments. PineBridge Investments is a private equity firm managing over $150 billion in AUM. Justin is responsible for oversight of the global investment program of the Private Funds Group. In this episode, we talk about - - What is private equity? - What are the different types of deals that private equity firms do? - How different is private equity from venture capital? - How do PE firms evaluate businesses? - What are leveraged buyouts? - How do private equity firms operate? - Portfolio construction approach at PE firms & lots more Links - ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com PineBridge Investments - https://www.pinebridge.com/ Follow Justin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/justinpollack

Aakash Kumar is a Managing Director at Z47 & DeVC. Aakash likes to partner with founders in that early stage to enable them to generate maximum momentum. In the past, as an active angel investor, he has enabled 100+ founders to start and build compelling businesses. In this episode, we talk about - - Aakash's operator experience at companies like Housing(dot)com & Hotstar - The investment thesis at Z47 - Why did they rebrand from Matrix Partners to Z47? - The thinking behind investing in companies like Ola Electric, Razorpay, OfBusiness in the early stages? - The massive India opportunity - Common mistakes founders make in the early stages of the business & lots more Links: ⭐Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Z47 - https://www.z47.com/ DeVC - https://www.devc.com/ Follow Aakash on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kumaraakash Follow Aakash on X - https://x.com/RTinkslinger

Mitchell is an early-stage investor, technical startup founder, and former senior government official.  As the Founder and General Partner of Futureland Ventures, Mitchell invests in transformative AI and deep tech startups. Futureland has been investing in visionary founders building novel solutions for difficult problems such as compute, supply chain, climate change, transportation, IoT, and robotics.  In this episode, we talk about - - Mitchell's story and how he started investing - How Mitchell's past experience in government and policy gives him an edge in spotting opportunities early - Their focus on AI & Deep tech startups - How does the government think about technology policies that foster innovation - How Futureland gets allocation in competitive deals & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Futureland Ventures website - https://www.futurelandventures.com/ Follow Mitchell Kominsky on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/mitchellkominsky

Rob Liu is the founder of Athena VC, where he is aiming to help 500 founders from developing countries start their businesses by matching their salaries for 6 months. Rob is also the founder of ContactOut, a bootstrapped email prospecting tool, which has made over $10 million in revenue. In this episode, we talk about - - What is Athena VC? - How they are matching salaries to back high-potential folks to start companies - What they look for in candidates while evaluating them for the program - How they help founders find the right thing to work on - How is the Athena VC program structured? & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Rob on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/robliu Follow Rob on X - https://x.com/RobLiuLiu Athena VC website - athena.vc

Elena Itskovich is a Founding GP at Nest Catalyst. She is a scientist turned investor and is investing in scientists turned founders who are building Life Sciences startups. In this episode, we talk about - - Elena's story and how she started investing - Do scientists make good founders? - The investment thesis at Nest Catalyst - Are scientists naturally good at business or does that require some training? - Some exciting portfolio companies & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Elena on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/elena-itskovich Nest Catalyst website - https://nestcatalyst.com/

Eleanor Kaye is the Managing Director of the Newton Venture Program. Newton is a joint venture between LocalGlobeVC and London Business School. Their mission is to ensure that the next generation of investors represents the world we live in. To do this, they provide executive education programmes to help people from under-represented backgrounds access or accelerate careers in VC.  To date, over 3,000 people from over 48 different countries have been through their programmes. In this episode, we talk about - - Eleanor's learnings from her stint at Palantir and the move to Newton Venture Program - What is the Newton Venture Program? - The current state of diversity in venture capital - Who can apply for the program? - How is the program structured, and what all will be covered? - What are the benefits of the program? & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Newton Venture Program on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/newton-venture-program/ Follow Newton Venture Program on X - https://x.com/NewtonProgramVC Apply at https://newtonprogram.vc/ Follow Eleanor on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/eleanorkaye

Siddharth Singhai is the chief investment officer and portfolio manager of Ironhold Capital, a global value-based hedge fund. Ironhold Capital delivers opportunities on a global scale in regions that are often poorly understood and widely overlooked by Wall Street counterparts. In this episode, we talk about - - What are Hedge Funds? - How are Hedge Funds different from Venture Capital & Private Equity? - What are the benefits of investing in Hedge Funds? - What are the risk/return profile for Hedge Funds? - The different approaches to Hedge Fund investing & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Siddharth Singhai on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/siddharth-singhai-3545a7144 Ironhold Capital website - https://www.ironholdcapital.com/

Tom Waterhouse is the founder of WaterhouseVC.com, a wholesale fund that specializes in investments in the gaming/wagering industry. Tom comes from a long line of bookmakers dating back four generations. The Waterhouse family has been at the forefront of the wagering industry for over 100 years. In this episode, we talk about - - How does the gambling industry work? - How does the money flow in the gambling industry? - Regulations in the gambling industry - The tech side of gambling - 3 pillars of asset management at Waterhouse VC & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Tom on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-waterhouse-a2630132 Waterhouse VC website - waterhousevc.com

Jenny Fielding is Co-founder & Managing Partner at Everywhere Ventures, a pre-seed focused venture firm investing around the world. Prior to co-founding Everywhere, Jenny was the Managing Director at Techstars for 7.5 years where she led investments into companies that now have a market cap of over $10B. In this episode, we talk about - - Jenny's story and how she started investing - Why Everywhere Ventures has a global investment focus - How community is the life-blood of Everywhere Ventures - Tips on how to build and nurture a founder community - Importance of personal branding for VCs - How they source high-quality startups from around the world at the earliest stages & lots more Links: ⭐Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Jenny on X - https://x.com/jefielding Everywhere Ventures - https://everywhere.vc

Tony Meadows is a Partner at Sinefine, an investment platform backing female led/co-led VC firms. Before joining Sinefine, Tony held the position of Portfolio Manager for a $70 billion pension fund called Pennsylvania Public School Employees Retirement System or PSERS in short. His responsibilities included overseeing a mature portfolio of private equity investments and participating in advisory board meetings. In this episode, Tony shares: - His story of transitioning from managing an institutional fund to Sinefine, backing female GPs - How do big institutional LPs think about the venture capital asset class? - How can GPs build relationships with institutional LPs? - How much % allocation does venture capital get from an institutional fund? - Why do institutional LPs prefer brand name funds? - Why consistency is very important for LPs deploying into VC asset class & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Tony Meadows on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/tonymeadows Sinefine website - https://www.sinefine.co/

Rishabh Goel is the Co-Founder and CEO of Credgenics, a tech-enabled debt resolution platform working with 100+ banking and NBFC clients like HDFC, ICICI, Mahindra Finance, etc with an overall loan book touching $60 billion. In this episode, we talk about - - Rishabh's journey from IIT to starting Credgenics - Why did he choose to solve the problem of debt collection?- How did they think about Go-To-Market in the early days of the business?- How they got their first banking client?- How did they identify Product Market Fit?- Scaling culture as the company grows & lots more Links: ⭐Sponsored by Podcast10X - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Follow Rishabh Goel on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/goelrishabh/ Credgenics website - https://www.credgenics.com/

Kate Nevin is President of TSWII Capital Advisors and Portfolio Manager for both TSWII and TSWS focused on investments in hedge funds, venture capital and other alternative strategies. Her career has spanned more than two decades, beginning as an analyst in New York City in the early 2000's with Lehman Brothers. After marrying and relocating to Charleston, SC, Kate joined TSW where she has been actively managing portfolios for over twenty years. In this episode, we talk about - - Kate's story and how she started investing - Having a multi-asset class investing approach at TSWII - Managing liquidity and long term investments within the portfolio - How investments in the next 30 years will be done differently than the past 30 years - Investing into diverse GP teams with atleast 50% female GPs - Advice for female fund managers & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com TSWII website - https://www.tswii.com/ Follow Kate Nevin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/kate-nevin-2690a1221

Sarah Antor is a Founding GP at Helena Capital. Helena Capital is a lead investor into female-founded/led tech businesses ripe to scale globally and raising their Series B+ round. The $200m inaugural HCP Growth Fund I is focused on Deep Tech, Fintech, and Impact in Europe and the US. In this episode, we talk about - - How investing in female founders returns 2x as compared to investing in an all-male team - How investing in late-stage female founders helps Helena Capital derisk the investment - Is there a bias against female founders when it comes to venture capital investing - Why more VCs need to start looking out for and investing in female-led startups - Tracking female founders right from pre-seed stage even though Helena Capital only invests at Series B & beyond - Potential exit patways & timeline for portfolio companies & lots more Links: ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Helena Capital website - https//helenacapital.vc Reachout at team@helenacapital.vc Follow Helena Capital on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/company/helenacapital/ Follow Sarah Antor on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/sarahantor

Victoria Palatnik is a Managing Partner at Raw Ventures, a premier venture capital firm investing in exceptional startups and talented teams. With a distinguished career as a three-time CEO, founder, board member, and super angel, Victoria has built an impressive track record in digital media, EduTech, HealthTech, and big data sectors. In this episode, we talk about - - Victoria's story & how she started investing - What's the investment thesis at Raw Ventures - What's more important: founders or idea? - The mediatech landscape - Some exciting portfolio companies & lots more Links : ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Raw Ventures website - https://www.rawventures.com/ Follow Victoria on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/victoria-palatnik

Chris Rizik is the Managing Partner of Renaissance Venture Capital, a first-of-its-kind fund of funds formed by a consortium of Fortune 1000 and major private corporations. Renaissance works to attract capital to Midwest-based startups, and to strategically connect venture capital funds and start-up companies with major corporations looking for innovation. In this episode, Chris shares - - Insights from his two decades of experience investing into VC funds - What do they look for in VC funds? - How it's much harder to raise a VC fund in the current environment - What's the biggest determinant of success in VC funds - Importance of standing out for GPs trying to approach limited partners & lots more Links - ⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.com Renaissance Venture Capital - https://renvcf.com/ Chris Rizik on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-rizik-674300 Chris Rizik on X - https://x.com/ChrisRizik