Podcasts about Secondaries

Who dares to make predictions in the current landscape? We do!  Our Predictions are back. Will our track-record continue on a high or will we be fundamentally wrong? Listen in to our Predictions for 2026 Navigation: Intro What will 2026 be all about? AI, AI and … more AI The big Hardware movements Of Start-ups and VCs Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Conclusion Our co-hosts: Bertrand Schmitt, Entrepreneur in Residence at Red River West, co-founder of App Annie / Data.ai, business angel, advisor to startups and VC funds, @bschmitt Nuno Goncalves Pedro, Investor, Managing Partner, Founder at Chamaeleon, @ngpedro Our show:   Tech DECIPHERED brings you the Entrepreneur and Investor views on Big Tech, VC and Start-up news, opinion pieces and research. We decipher their meaning, and add inside knowledge and context. Being nerds, we also discuss the latest gadgets and pop culture news Subscribe To Our Podcast Bertrand Schmitt Introduction Welcome to Tech Deciphered Episode 74. That would be an episode about some predictions about 2026. What will be 2026 all about? I guess this year is probably starting with a bang. We saw the acquisition of xAI by SpaceX. We saw an acquisition from Grok by NVIDIA. What’s your take about what would be the big themes in 2026? I guess it would be for sure about AI and space. Nuno Goncalves Pedro What will 2026 be all about? Yeah. I predict a year that will be a little bit more of a year of reckoning in some way. There will be a lot of things that I think we’ll start seeing through. The fact that we are in the midst of an amazing transformational era for technology, the use of AI, but at the same time, obviously, a ridiculous bubble that is going alongside it as we’ve discussed in previous episodes. I think that we’ll start seeing some early reckonings of that, companies that might start failing, floundering, maybe a couple of frauds along the way, etc. I’ll tell you what I will not make many predictions about today, which is geopolitics. Geopolitics, I will not make predictions at all. Who the hell knows what’s going to happen to the world this year in 2026? I don’t dare making any predictions on that. Back to things where I would make predictions. I think on AI, we’ll have a little bit of reckoning. We’ll talk about it a little bit more in detail during this episode. Interesting elements around the hardware and physical space. Physical space, we just dedicated a full episode to it. We won’t go into a lot of details on that, but definitely on the hardware side, we’ll talk a little bit more about it. The VC landscape is going through an incredible transformation. We’ll talk about it today as well and some of our predictions for this year. What will happen to the asset class? It seems to be transforming itself dramatically. Obviously, that has a very direct impact on startups, so we’ll talk about that as well. And then to close a little bit the chapter on this, we will address some regulatory and geopolitical, let’s call it, headwinds without making maybe too many complex predictions. We shall see. Maybe by that time of the episode, we will be making some predictions. You guys should stay and listen to us, and maybe we will actually make some predictions about the geopolitical transformations that we will see this year in the world. Then last but not the least, we’ll talk about fintech, crypto, frontier tech, and a couple of other areas before concluding the episode. A classic predictions’ episode. We normally have a pretty good track record on some of these, but right now, the world is going a bit interesting, not to say insane. Bertrand Schmitt Yes, and going back to some news, Groq technically was not acquired, but, practically, it’s as if it got acquired. I’m talking about Groq, G-R-O-Q. The AI semiconductor company focused on inference AI, and it was late December. It was a way to end the year. This year, we started again with an acquisition of xAI by its sister company, SpaceX. I guess that’s where we are starting. AI, AI and … more AI We are going to start on AI. That’s definitely the big stuff. Everything these days, I guess, is about AI or has to have some connection with AI, or it doesn’t matter. I think every company in the world has seen that. You have to have the absolute minimum on AI strategy. You better execute on this strategy and show results, I would say. For the companies that were not AI native, you truly have to have a way to transform yourself. I guess at some point, the stretch might be too much, and it’s not really reasonable. Then you maybe better stay on what you are doing, especially if you’re in tech, you better be moving faster to AI. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to highlight, and I think throughout the episode, you’ll see that there’re obviously a lot of implications that would manifest themselves into capital markets. I mean, we’ll specifically talk about VCs and startups later on. But the fact that everything needs to be AI, the fact that there’s so much innovation happening right now, in my opinion, and this is maybe the first pre-topic to AI, is we’ll see a tremendous increase in M&A activity this year across the board. I mean, we’ve seen already some big acquihires we mentioned in some of our previous episodes, but we’ll see a lot more activity on M&A this year. Normally, that’s a precursor to the opening of capital markets. I predict also that there will be a reopening of the IPO market that never really reopened last year, to be honest. M&A, a lot more, reopening of the IPO market. Normally, it happens in the second or third quarter of the year. That’s what my M&A friends tell me. First quarter of year, everyone’s figuring out stuff. Then last quarter of the year, things should be more or less closed. Maybe the third quarter is the big quarter. We shall see. But definitely, as a precursor to our conversation today, I think we’ll see a lot of M&A, and we’ll see reopening of the IPO mark. Bertrand Schmitt I guess last year was not as big as you could expect on M&A given the tariff situation announced in April and May. I mean, it became quite tough to do IPO in such market conditions. Definitely, we can hope for something dramatically different in 2026. I guess talking about public markets and IPO, I guess the big one everyone is waiting for is SpaceX. SpaceX getting even more interesting with its xAI acquisition. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Do you think that because of the acquisition, it’s more likely that it will happen this year, or because of the acquisition, it’s less likely that it will happen this year? Bertrand Schmitt That’s a good question. My guess is the acquisition of xAI is all about xAI needing more financing and cheaper financing. This acquisition is a pathway to that. SpaceX being a much bigger company, a company that is also making much more revenues. I could bet that there is higher probability that, actually, SpaceX will go public in order to finance itself. At the same time, will it have enough time to prepare itself for the IPO given this acquisition just happened? Can they do that in 6 months? I mean, if anyone can do it, I guess it’s Elon Musk. It’s a strategy to present an even more attractive company with an even more interesting story, a story of vertical integration from AI to space. I guess the story as it’s presented itself right now, it’s one about having your AI data centers in space. Because in space, you have much better solar energy production with solar panels. You have a perfect cooling situation because you are in space. Thanks to Starlink, you have the mean to communicate between the satellites and with Earth itself. I think if someone can pull up a story like AI data center in space, I guess Elon Musk can. There is, of course, a lot of questions about is it practical? Is it economical? Yes. I certainly agree. I’m not clear on the mass, and can you make it work? Again, I mean, Elon Musk single-handedly, with SpaceX, managed to transform the space market on its head. I mean, they are the biggest satellite launching company in the world. They have the most satellites in the world. I mean, I’m not sure I would bet against him, and I guess I would probably believe that he could pull up something. Time frames, different story. The 2-3 years data center in space for AI as cheap as on Earth, I have more trouble with that one. I mean, it’s a usual suspect with Elon Musk. You promise something unachievable in a few years, but, ultimately, you still manage to reach it in 5 or 10. Again, I would not bet against the strategy. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yeah. I’ve talked to a couple of space experts, people that have launched rockets, and have worked JPL, NASA, and a couple of other places, etc. For what it’s worth, their feedback is, “No way in hell, and we’re decades away.” We’ll see. I mean, to your point, Elon has pulled very dramatic stuff. Not as fast as he normally says he’s going to pull it, but within a time span that we all see it. Difficult to bet against him. In terms of actually the prediction, maybe to respond to the prediction as well, will SpaceX IPO? I’m going to make a prediction that has a very high likelihood of missing the mark, but I think Tesla’s going to buy and merge them both into it. It’s going to become a public company through Tesla. That’s my hypothesis. Bertrand Schmitt No. That’s supposed to be it. That’s how you solve that. Nuno Goncalves Pedro And Elon controls the whole universe. X, xAI, Tesla, SpaceX, all under one umbrella beautifully run. And SolarCity is well in there, of course, so wonderful. Bertrand Schmitt That’s possible. Certainly, you are not the only one thinking Tesla will acquire or merge with SpaceX. To remind everyone, Tesla is around 1.3, 1.5 trillion market cap. Depending on the day, SpaceX seems to be valued at similar range, 1.2, 1.3 trillion. It looks like it’s the most valued private company at this stage. These are companies of similar size, so that’s one piece of the puzzle. When you think about the combined company, we could be talking about a 3 trillion entity. Playing right here with the biggest companies in the marketplace today. Nuno Goncalves Pedro With a couple of tweets from Elon, it will rapidly get to 4 to 5 trillion. Bertrand Schmitt That’s so tricky. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Yes. On AI and back to AI, one thing I think that we’re about to see is this will probably be the year of agentic AI. Obviously, we predict a lot of growth on that side of the fence, in particular on the enterprise B2B side. We see a lot of opportunities coming through. From our perspective, at least at Chamaeleon, we generally believe that there’s going to be a lot of movements on agentic AI. It’s also going to be probably the year of the first big fails of agentic AI that will be newsworthy. There will be some elements about that loop and how it gets closed that will happen. I think we might see some scandals already. We’re already seeing the social network of bots talking to bots. We will see other scandals going on this year even in the consumer space and in the bot to bot space, which we now can talk about or in the AI agent to AI agent space. My prediction is we will see some move forwards. There’ll be some dramatic funding rounds along the way. We’ll see a couple of really cool things out of the gates coming out that are really impressive, but we’ll also see the first big misses of the technology stack. I don’t think we’ll go fully mainstream yet this year, so it’s probably maybe something more for 2027 along the way. That would be my prediction again. I think enterprise will lead the way. We’ll definitely see a lot of stuff on consumer as well that is cool. Then we’ll all have our own personal assistance in our hands, basically, literally in our phones. Bertrand Schmitt Going back to agentic AI, we also started the year with some pretty dramatic move. I mean, the launch of Clawdbot, renamed OpenClaw. I mean, this stuff took fire in like a week or 2. It was coded by just one person who actually didn’t even code the product but used AI to build the product, 100% used AI, proposing some new ways also to leverage AI to do coding. He has a pretty unique approach. It’s not vibe coding. I would say it’s a better way to do that. Then the surprising evolution with the launch of a social network for AI agents, Moltbook. I mean, this stuff, probably there is some fake in it. But at the same time, I think it’s quite impressive because it’s the first time we see truly 100,000 plus agents communicating directly to each other. Yeah. I mean, that’s the first time we see surfacing the possibility of some sort of hive mind on the Internet. It’s pretty surprising. Right now, all of this is a hack done in a few days. By end of year, by 2 years, 3 years, we might discover that, actually, the best approach to AI might not be the AI assistant like we are doing today, but a combination of hundreds of thousands of AI working closely together. We might be witnessing the first sign of new intelligence in a way. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Things like this social network might either be Skynet, the beginning of Skynet. They might be the beginning of Her, or they might just be a fad and nothing really happens. It’s just interesting to see what these agents are doing. Bertrand Schmitt Totally. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Obviously, there are real and clear and present dangers of some of the integrations of AI we’re seeing in the market. Interesting enough, and I’ll ask you for your prediction a bit, Bertrand. I think we’ll probably see the first big mishap of AI being used in some infrastructural decision in the age of AI. I mean, we’ve seen AI issues in the past and software issues in the past. We talked in previous episodes about that as well. Mishaps of software that have led to people dying. But I think probably the first big mishap will happen this year as well. Very public mishap of the use of AI and serve its interactions with infrastructure or something that’s very platform related, etc, that will have big impact that everyone will notice. That’s my prediction for the year as well. We’ll have the first big oops moment, as I would call it, for AI in this new age of full on AI. Bertrand Schmitt I would say first some perspective. I think today, people are not using AI directly for life and death decision, at least not that I’m aware. We’re not going to let AI fly a plane, for instance, tomorrow so you can be, reassured. At the same time, given there is such a race to AI, there definitely might be some mistakes. We were talking about the social network for AI agents, Moltbook. Apparently, all the keys used to secure the AI were shared by mistake because it was not properly locked down. We can see that indirectly, mistakes will be made for sure. Two, it’s highly probable that some people will trust AI too much to do some stuff, and this stuff might not work and might have some grave consequence. Hopefully, there is not so much of this. Hopefully, it’s mostly AI used for the good. But you’re right. I mean, at some point, the more we use the technology, the more there would be issue. I mean, it’s highly probable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro That will lead me to another prediction, which is, and we’ll talk about more of it later, but it probably will lead to the first significant movement in terms of regulatory environment certainly in the US at some point if it happens in the US in particular, where there will be some movement that will be like, “Hey, you guys can’t do this anymore.” Because this will probably emerge from mismanaged interfaces. From systems having access to stuff that they shouldn’t have access to in the first place. Talking a little bit more about what’s happening in AI. You’ve already mentioned some of the issues that relate actually to security and cybersecurity. We keep talking about AI. We keep talking about all these infrastructure pieces and platforms that are being built. I think we’ll have a lot more incidents like the one you just mentioned where things will be shared that shouldn’t have been shared, where people will break systems and get into it, etc. Let’s see where that takes us, which is a little bit ironic because, obviously, with AI, the promise is that cybersecurity becomes more robust as well because there’re agents working on our behalf on the cybersecurity side. There’s also agents working on the other side. Bertrand Schmitt It’s a constant race. It’s the attackers, defenders. Each time you have new technology, you have a new race to who is going to attack or defend the best. Each new wave of technology, it’s an opportunity to challenge the status quo. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The attackers have been winning, and I feel they’ll continue winning in 2026. I think it’s going to still be a year of attack. We’ll see more and more breaches, more and more stuff that will happen. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t know if they will win. I mean, it’s normal that they win once in a while. For sure, some infrastructure is not updated as it should. Some stuff are not managed as it should, so there will always be breaches. I don’t know if things are dramatically going to change because, again, everyone who cares who is going to update his infrastructure with AI for defense. There is no question that you have no choice. We will see. That I don’t know. For sure, AI will be used to attack directly with AI. Maybe you’re able to do bigger, larger scale attack. Or thanks to AI, you are simply able to create new type of attacks more easily. AI can be used behind the scene as a way to prepare and organise new type of attacks, even if it’s not used directly live in the battle. Nuno Goncalves Pedro One topic that we’ll come back to later is the geopolitics of everything, but maybe more broadly. On the geopolitics of AI, it’s very clear that we have an arms race going on. Obviously, the US on the one hand, China on the other hand is the two extremes, putting tremendous amount of capital into data centers just at the base of that infrastructure. Chipset development, chipset access, a huge theme in terms of the export restrictions, etc, that are being forced by the US. I think it will continue. From a European standpoint, obviously, they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, to be very honest. Let’s see what happens on that side of the fence. My view of the world is that certainly from a US and China perspective, we’re going to see a lot more movements in 2026, like big movements. The Chinese movements we always see in delay.  It takes us a couple of months, sometimes even more than that to understand exactly what’s going on. I think we’re going to see some huge moves this year in terms of the States, the United States of America, and China really pouring capital into the creation of the next big winners around AI. I think the US is obviously more visible. We see a lot of these companies. We’ve just discussed xAI and its acquisition by SpaceX or merger. I don’t know what they’re calling it exactly. Effectively, on the China side, the movements I think are already very big. As I said, it will take a while to figure out exactly what those moves are. One thing that I propose is that at some point, China will have very little dependency on chipsets from the US. I’m not sure it’s going to happen this year, but I think the writing is on the wall. Irrespective of any other geopolitical issues that is coming to the fore at this moment in time. That’s one of the key areas or in arenas of fight. Bertrand Schmitt It makes sense. If you are China, you will look at what happened. You would think that you cannot just depend on the largest of one country. It makes rational sense, the same way it makes rational sense for the US to limit exports to China because there is value to delay some peer pressure that could use these technologies for good but also for bad. If you were an ally of the US, that would be one thing. But when you are not an ally of the US, that certainly should be a different perspective. Maybe one last point concerning agents, I think there will be a lot that will revolve around coding. We can see OpenAI with Codex. We can see Cloud with code. There was, of course, [inaudible 00:18:28] that was trying to be big on agentic coding. I think agentic coding was one of the big transformation in 2025 and is going to get bigger in 2026. I think for a lot of people who do coding, there was a radical transformation in terms of what you can achieve, what you can do, how much you can trust AI to help you code. I start to think we might see this year, the replacement of not just one AI replace one coder, but one AI replace a full team because of the new ability to manage that at scale. Coding might be a common activity where you are going to think about outcomes, think about objective, think about how you organise, but not really coding by itself anymore. A big change, like you used to code, directly your hand on the stuff, but step by step, everyone is going to become a manager of agent. I think in one year, we saw enough transformation to think that in the coming year, the transformation can be even more dramatic. Nuno Goncalves Pedro The big Hardware movements Now switching gears to hardware. Obviously, a lot of movements in 2025 and over the last few years. One piece of thesis that we’ve had long-standing at Chamaeleon is that we will see the emergence of AI devices. Some of them have been tremendous failures as we discussed in the past. I predict that we’ll have a couple of really interesting full stack AI devices in the market this year. Why does that matter? Because, as many of you know, obviously, there’s compute that can happen in data centers and cloud infrastructure all over the world, but also there’s compute that can happen at the edges. The more you can move to the edges and the more you can create devices that actually allow you to have user experiences that are very distinctive at the edge, the more powerful some of these devices might become. I predict Apple will not be the first to launch anything on this. I predict probably OpenAI, after the acquisition of IO, will maybe not launch something this year, but will announce something this year. I’ll step back on that prediction. They’ll announce something this year, but maybe not launch. But we’ll start seeing some devices that have some interesting value in the market, probably devices that are AI devices, but they are very focused on very specific user flows, and so very much adequate to specific activities. I won’t make a prediction on that, but I think areas that would make sense for that to happen would be obviously around fitness, health, et cetera, et cetera, where we already have the ascendancy of products like Oura Ring and others out there. Definitely, that’s one area that might have quite a lot of developments. I think AI-first devices, devices that are very focused on compute at the edges, providing user flows that are AI-enabled to end users, we’ll see a lot more of that and a lot more activity this year. Again, I don’t think Apple will be necessarily ahead of the game. Again, maybe OpenAI will give us something to at least think about and look forward to. Bertrand Schmitt First, I’m not sure it will be that transformational because if it’s not in your phone, in your pocket, there is only so much you can do with it, and there is only so much computing power you will have. I’m doubtful it would be really impactful this year. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I feel we’ve been discussing this shift of paradigm in input and output. For me, some of these devices could lead to that shift. Because, again, a mobile phone is not a great long-term paradigm for the usage that we have because it’s really constrained by the screen. The screen is really what takes most of the battery life away. If we didn’t have that screen, what could we do? If we have the block that is as big as a mobile phone, and it didn’t have a screen, it was just compute, that’s a mini computer, a microcomputer. Bertrand Schmitt That’s a fair point, but I don’t see that transformation this year. That’s really more my point. I can see that you can have AI-enabled smart glasses, and it’s clear there is a race to AI-enabled smart glasses. My point is more to go beyond the gadget, it would take quite a while. It would need to have cameras. It would need to analyse what you see. It would need to hear what you hear. Again, it might come, but then at some point, it would be okay, what do you do with it? We have the example of the movie Her. That’s showing Her what it could be. There are definitely possibilities. It’s clear that if you take the big VR headset like the Apple Vision Pro, there is a failure from that perspective in the sense that I think it’s a great, amazing device. The big problem is that it’s doing way more that makes sense. I think there will be a clearer separation between your smart AR glasses that has to be light, that has to be always unconnected, and that’s primarily there to help you make sense of the world around you. The true VR headset that doesn’t really require much in terms of AI, and it’s just there to immerse you in a different world. For this, we know, unfortunately, in some ways, that there is not a lot of demand for it. Maybe there is little demand because you are too hidden in your own world. The technology is not working well enough yet. There are a lot of reasons. But I think Apple trying to do both at the same time, AR and VR, with the Vision Pro, was a pretty grave structural mistake. I think we would see a clearer line of separation between the two. There is bigger market opportunity for AR glasses. That, I certainly agree. There is opportunity to connect that to a computing device. As you talk about, your glasses are your screen, your phone becomes something in your pocket connected to your glasses. Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, Apple has their way of doing things. From the perspective of what you said, they normally really plan their devices. Even if it’s a big shift in terms of a new area, like they tried with the Vision Pro, and we criticised them for launching it as a device that should have been more of a dev device that they really launched as a full-on device, but that’s their playbook, classically. I think Apple needs to change how they put products out and how they experiment with those products, et cetera. I think they have enough money to be doing everything all the time and figuring it out. If they don’t want to put it out, then they need to do a lot more hell of testing internally with their silos, but they should be playing across all these arenas, VR, AR, everything. They just should put devices out that are either ready for prime time, or they should call it something else. They should call it like this is a dev device or whatever it is. Bertrand Schmitt I agree with you. My complaint is more that it was marketed as a consumer device when it was not. It was a true developer device. Two, they tried to mix the two at once, and it made no sense. No one is going to walk in their home or in the street with their Vision Pro on their head. You have to be deranged, quite frankly, to have use cases like this. I think that for me is a crazy mistake from a company like Apple that prides itself in pure UI, pure user interface, very well-designed device for one specific use case, not mixing the two use cases. We still don’t have Macs with a touchscreen, you know?  We still don’t have an iPad with a good OS that makes use of this great hardware. For some strange reason, they decided to mix everything in the Vision Pro with a device that weighs a ton on your head and is so uncomfortable. That’s why, for me, I’m like, “Guys, what is wrong? Why did you let this team run crazy?” I hope at some point, Apple will go back to the drawing board. My understanding is that that’s what they are doing. They are going to have two devices, one smart glasses, an evolution of the Vision Pro, just focus on VR. They might actually abandon the concept of the pure VR-oriented headset. Because, from a market size perspective, it might not be big enough for Apple, quite frankly. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I read on all of the above, and people at this point was like, “Why are then players like Samsung and others not doing it. LG, et cetera?” Because those players historically have not invented new categories. They’re amazing at catching up once the category is invented, and then they scale the hell out of it, and that’s what these companies have been exceptional at. I wouldn’t see a dramatic innovation, I think, in terms of devices coming from any of the big ones on that side of the fence. Not to disrespect them in any way, but I think that’s not been their playbook ever. Again, if the origination doesn’t come from a start-up or from an Apple, I don’t see those guys going after it. My bet is that we’ll see some start-up activity and, again, hopefully, some announcement from IO now within the OpenAI world. Bertrand Schmitt I would slightly disagree with you. I see where you are coming from. But take the Samsung Galaxy Note, that sudden much bigger headphone that no one was doing that was launched by Samsung, at some point, it forced Apple to launch an iPhone Max. Let’s look at the Z Fold that Samsung launched 7 years ago, copied by everyone. Now Samsung launching a trifold. Apple has still not launched their foldable phone. I think there is a mix, actually, of sometimes- Nuno Goncalves Pedro For me, that’s not a proper new category. It’s still a mobile phone. It just happens to have a screen that folds in half. Bertrand Schmitt The iPhone was still a mobile phone, you could argue.  Nuno Goncalves Pedro No. I think the iPhone was…  I could actually agree with you on that point. Maybe Apple is not as innovative in that case. I think what Steve Jobs was exceptionally good at in terms of his ability as this master product manager was to be an exceptional curator of user flows and user experiences, and creating incredible experiences from devices based on that. That was his secret sauce. Could you say, “Wasn’t all of this stuff already around?” It was. You just put it all together very neatly and very nicely. But if you’re talking about significant shifts in how a category is done, the iPhone was a significant shift in how the category was done. The Fold is still an interesting device. I actually have a Fold right now in front of me. The 7 that you highly recommended to me that we both got, the Z Fold 7. I think they do amazing devices. I don’t think they normally are the most innovative players. Then, when they come to innovation, it comes from technology edges. Obviously, they have Samsung Display, there’s a bunch of other things. They had the ability to do foldable screens in-house themselves. Bertrand Schmitt I don’t disagree with you. I think there is an interesting situation where some companies have some strengths, another one has some strengths. My worry with Apple is that this was not demonstrated with the Vision Pro. The Vision Pro was a hot pot of technologies barely integrated together, with use cases absolutely not well-defined and certainly not something that makes sense for most of us. There is a question of has Apple lost it? While Samsung actually keeps doing their own stuff, that, yes, might be more minor improvements, but at least they are doing it. Because it looks like Apple is missing the train on even the minor improvements. By the way, you might not be aware, but Samsung launched its Vision Pro competitor. Interestingly enough, it might be a better product in some ways, being much lighter and much more comfortable. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We should play around with that and report back to our listeners. Of Start-ups and VCs Moving to venture capital and the startup ecosystem and what’s happening there, I think it is very much a bifurcated environment, and it’s bifurcated for both VCs and for startups. If you’re a startup in the AI space, and you have the hottest team since sliced bread, and you can create FOMO at the speed of light, you can raise ridiculous rounds. Five hundred million at the $3 billion, or $4 billion, or $5 billion valuation, and you still haven’t really even started. First round, you can raise 500 million. That’s back to the whole discussion on Bubble and where are we, et cetera. Some of these companies might actually become huge, some of them might not. But definitely, we are seeing really the haves and have-nots on the startup ecosystem with incredible teams raising a lot of money very, very early on or mid-stage if they’ve already existed for a while, and then the rest not being able to raise. We see a lot of non-necessarily AI sectors, some of the areas of SaaS that don’t necessarily have AI in it, or fintech, or the consumer space that are really, really struggling. If you don’t have an AI story for your startup right now, it’s extremely difficult to raise money unless your numbers are just the best numbers ever. That’s, I think, the first part of the element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today. The second element of bifurcation that we’re seeing today in terms of fundraising is for VCs themselves, and really propelled by the large VC firms raising more and more capital in recent orbits, announcing 15 billion across funds raised. Lightspeed, I think, had made an announcement a couple of weeks ago as well. They’ve raised a bunch of money as well. The big guys are all raising a lot of money. At some point in time, the question some of you might ask is, “These VCs are redeploying more and more money if they have a couple of billion for a VC fund. How does that look like? Is that still VC?” My perspective, I’ve shared before in some of our previous episodes, is that that’s no longer venture capital. At that point in time, we’re talking about something else. Private equity hedge funds, if you want to call them, maybe funds that are really driven by growth investment or late-stage investment. If you have a couple of billion under management, you’re not going to make your returns by writing a $3 million check in a series seed and leading that round.  That has implications for everyone in the ecosystem. It has implications for smaller funds that obviously have a lot more difficulty in raising capital. It’s difficult to differentiate. Last but not least, also for startups that really continue searching for that capital that is out there. Andreessen Horowitz, for example, runs Speedrun, which is a great program for companies around consumer in particular. Initially, it was a lot for gaming. But at some point in time, Andreessen Horowitz could decide that they don’t want to invest more in you. They just put money from Speedrun, which is obviously a very small check compared to the very large checks they could write mid to late stage and that will have an effect on you as a startup. What happens at that point in time if Andreessen Horowitz is not backing you up in later stages? More than that, what happens if I can’t get these big funds interested in me? Are the small funds still valuable to me? Punchline, my view is yes. Obviously, we’re a smaller fund, so there’s parochial interest in what I’m saying. Small funds can still create a ton of value for you, also in terms of credibility, ability to accompany you in those first stages of investment, and the ability to bring other larger investors later down the road as well. There’s definitely a big movement happening in terms of the fundraising for VC funds, which we shouldn’t neglect, which is the big guys are raising a lot more capital and are therefore emptying the market to smaller funds that are having more and more difficult raising at this point in time. We had discussed that there would be a need for concentration in the industry, that micro funds would need to concentrate, and we didn’t have the space for so many micro funds as we had around. But the way it’s happening is extremely dramatic at this moment in time. I think it will continue through 2026. Bertrand Schmitt Remember a few years ago, with the rise of AI, there was more and more of the question about, “What’s the point of SaaS at this stage?” Because SaaS was around for 15 years. Basically, how do you come up with something new that was not already tested, validated by the market? How do you bring something new? We say this was reinforced to the power of 10. If your product is not clearly built from the ground up for a new use case enabled by AI, anyone could then might have built your product 5, 10 years ago, and therefore, why now has no clear answer, and it’s a big problem. I’m still surprised myself to still see some entrepreneurs where you talk to them about AI because you don’t see them in the deck, and they explain to you, “It’s not yet there,” and you’re like, “What’s wrong with you guys?” Fine. Do whatever you want. Do a small business and whatever, but don’t think you can come up pitch and raise without an AI story. The second category is people who come with an AI story, but you can feel very quickly, I guess you saw that many times, Nuno, where just a story layered on top with little credibility. It’s not better. It’s not enough to just have a story. Your business needs to be radically built differently or radically proposing some brand-new use cases that were impossible to solve 5 years ago. Nuno Goncalves Pedro To stack up on that, absolutely in agreement. If you’re just adding to the story, and it’s an afterthought, and you’re just trying to make the story somehow gel, once you go into one or two layers of due diligence, your investors will very quickly realise that you’re not really AI-first or dramatically AI-enabled or whatever. It’s just you’re sort of stacking something on top of another thesis. It needs to make sense from the product onwards. It’s not just, let’s just put it together with chewing gum, and magically, people will give you money. It was true also if we remember the good old crypto blockchain days, where everyone’s investing in crypto. A lot of stories that didn’t make much sense. In that sense, it’s not very different. I would go one step further. I think in the world of the VC winter that we’re a little bit in, where it’s more and more difficult if you’re a smaller fund to raise your fund at this moment in time, there’s a lot of sources of distinctiveness still talked about, like proprietary networks, access to deal flow, fast track record, all that stuff that really, really matters. But our bet continues at Chamaeleon continues being that you need to be AI-first as a VC fund yourself. You need to have core advantages in using not only readily-available AI tools or third-party available AI tools, data sources, technology stacks, but actually building your own stack over time, which is what we did with Mantis at Chamaeleon. Again, just to reinforce that, I think we’re at the beginning of that stage. We, Chamaeleon, are ahead of the game, but we think that the rest of the market will have to move towards that as well. Still, to be honest, very surprising to me to see that many significant large players are doing very little still around some of these spaces. They have data scientists. They’re running some tools. They’re running some analysis and all that stuff, but it’s still, again, back to the point I was making for startups, all glued up with chewing gum. It doesn’t all come together nicely, which it does need to from a platform standpoint. Bertrand Schmitt It’s quite surprising. I agree with you that some VC funds might think that they can do business as usual in that brand-new world. It’s difficult to believe. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Maybe moving a little bit toward the capital formation piece. We already discussed the M&A space really accelerating. We’ve also discussed the IPO market and some predictions on that. Secondaries, there’s obviously a lot of liquidity coming from secondaries from mid to late stage. I think it will continue throughout the rest of 2026. A lot of activity in buying, selling in secondaries as some asset managers are becoming more distressed, as some very high net worth individuals and family offices are becoming more distressed as well, at the same time, where there’s a lot of opportunities to potentially arbitrage around some investments. I believe a lot of money will be made and lost this year by decisions made this year, just to be very, very clear in terms of equity, purchases, et cetera. Exciting year ahead of us. Definitely a very, very interesting market ahead of us. Secondaries, M&A, growth, and late-stage investing, also, early-stage investing will continue just for those that were wondering. Last but not least, the public markets, the IPO market as well. Bertrand Schmitt One of the big questions for the IPO market would be, will SpaceX go public? Would it be good for the startup ecosystem? Because suddenly that they go public, it would be to raise money. If they raise money, will there be any money left for anybody else? That would be an interesting test of the market. For sure, it would be proof that market are risk on financing a new IPO like this one. Or as you said, maybe there is no IPO, and it’s a merger with Tesla. Time will tell. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulatory & Geopolitical Headwinds… and the Wars Moving maybe to our topic of regulation and geopolitical headwinds, as we’re seeing … definitely not tailwinds. The Google antitrust verdict and, obviously, the remedies are expected to come forward now, and a lot of people are saying, “There are some risks of structural separation.” What do you think? Is it cool, but nothing will happen in the end dramatically? Alphabet or Google? I’m not sure, actually. It’s Google LLC. I think that’s the case. It’s The United States versus Google LLC. Bertrand Schmitt I’m not sure. Personally, I’m not a big fan. I think there needs to be a better way to manage some anticompetitive behavior. I’m not a big fan. There was this temptation to do that for Microsoft 25 years ago. Look at what happened. No one needed to buy Microsoft to leave space for others. I see the same with Google, and I guess they are happy to not be the number 1 in AI today, but to have an open AI in front of them. Even if they are doing a great job, by the way, to move forward and go faster and faster. Personally, quite impressed now with some of what they have released. Gemini 3 is doing great from my perspective. I’m not a big fan of this. I think to be clear, it’s important that bigger companies don’t behave anticompetitively, but at the same time, we need to find the right approach where it’s not about breaking these companies, and it’s also not about forbidding them to do acquisitions. Because then you end up with what NVIDIA just did with a $20 billion acquihire IP licensing type of acquisition, because they didn’t want to have the uncertainties. They didn’t want to wait 1–2 years in order to acquire the people and the technology, so they organised it in a different way. But I don’t like that. I think they should be able to acquire companies without facing so much uncertainty. To be clear, it’s not new. Uncertainty when you are Google, NVIDIA, or others, it happens. It has happened for a decade plus, 2 decades. I think there needs to be, for sure, some safety valves. At the same time, we want an efficient capital market. An efficient capital market need companies that can acquire other companies. If you don’t do that efficiently, it will be worse for the entrepreneurs, it will be worse for the investors, it will be worse for everybody. I think we have not reached a good equilibrium from my perspective. We need more efficient acquisition process. And at the same time, we need to also enforce faster anticompetitive behavior. Because what you talk about concerning Google, this is a case that was what? That is 10 years old. You see what I mean? This is way too long. If you’re a startup, you are dead by then. It’s like the story of Netscape facing Microsoft. They were dead long after the fact. I think we need a different approach. I’m not sure the best answer. I’m not sure we’ll get a better approach. There are probably too many vested interest. My hope is that it will get better with this current administration because, certainly, the past administration was very anti acquisition and efficient markets. Nuno Goncalves Pedro We’ve talked about the European Union AI Act a bunch of times, so I don’t want to spend too many cycles on that. The only effect that I would say is we are seeing in very slow motion the splitting of the Internet. I once had Tim Berners-Lee, by the way, shouting at me that we were going to break the Internet when we were applying for the .mobi top-level domain. I was part of that consortium that eventually did get the .mobi top-level domain, and I had him shouting at us. But, apparently, this is going to split the Internet, Tim. So in case you’re listening. Because it will create all these different rules. If your data is relating to consumers there, then it’s treated in a different way, and The US is… Well, obviously, we have the case of California with its own rules and laws. I don’t know. I feel we’re having a moment of siloing that goes beyond economic and geopolitical siloing. It will also apply to the digital world, and we’ll start having different landscapes around it. We’ll see how this affects global expansion of services, for example, around AI, particularly for consumer, but I don’t foresee anything dramatically positive. Recently, we had the whole deal around TikTok finally having a solution for their US problem where there’s now a US conglomerate magically that owns it. The conglomerate doesn’t magically own it, they just straight up own it for the US. But it was driven by many of these concerns around data ownership. Where’s the data? Where is it based? I think a lot of other concerns that have to do with the geopolitics of China, obviously, being the basis of ByteDance, the owner of TikTok, that still is a significant owner, by the way, in TikTok in US. Then also the interest in the economics of making money out of something as powerful as TikTok, to be honest, in The US. Just to be clear, I don’t think this was all about the best interests of consumers. It was also about money. Just follow the money. Bertrand Schmitt There are for sure, some powerful interest at play. But let’s be clear. I think one is data, as you rightfully said, but the other one is algorithm. It’s not as if China is authorising any competitor on its territory. They have blocked access to most of the Internet platforms from the US, either finding new rules or just trade blocking them. So I don’t think it’s fair competition. You don’t want some of that data in China about the US or European consumer. Three, it’s about the algorithm. If suddenly, you are a foreign power, and you can as we know in China, you better follow what’s required of you from the Chinese Communist Party. You cannot take a chance with influencing other stuff like elections in other countries. It’s fair from the US perspective. One could even argue it’s fair from a Chinese perspective to want that. I think the only one in the middle who doesn’t really know what they want is Europe because on one side, they want to benefit from American platforms, on the other end, they want to have some controls. On the other end, they don’t create the environment for startups to flourish. So in that weird situation where they have to accept some control by the big US providers and either provider of underlying infrastructure or provider of consumer business facing services. Then they try to regulate them. But I think they are misunderstanding the power relationship, and I think some of this regulation would get some blowback, at least by the current administration. Just, I believe, this morning, there was some news around X being under a criminal investigation in France. This is not going to end well for the French startup and VC ecosystem. This is not going to end well for France and Europe when you depend so much from your American friends. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Regulation will be weaponised. Regulation constraints around exports, all of this will be weaponised geopolitically, and the bigger guys will normally win. I think that’s normally what we’ve seen. Just on TikTok just to… And you guys, if you’re listening to us, just see if you see a pattern here, but obviously, 19.9% still owned by ByteDance of the TikTok entity in the US. It was initially said that 80% of the TikTok entity is owned by non-Chinese investors. Initially, people were saying US investors, and then they changed it to non-Chinese because MGX, I think, has 15% of it. MGX is based in the UAE, connected obviously to Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi sovereign wealth fund. Silver Lake is in there, I think, with 15% as well. Oracle as well with 15%. Those three are the big bucket owners together, 45%. Silver Lake having collaborated with MGX before, and I’m sure a lot of connectivity there. Then you still see a pattern in this in terms of shareholders. If you don’t, then just Google it. Dell Family Office, Vastmir Strategic Investments, which is owned by billionaire Jeff Yass, Alpha Wave Partners, obviously involved with a bunch of things like SpaceX and Klarna, Virgoli, Revolution, which is Steve Case’s, a former founder of AOL, is also in there. Meritway, which is managed by partners, I think, of Dragonair. Vinova from General Atlantic, an affiliate of General Atlantic. Also, NJJ Capital, which I believe is Xavier Nil, the French billionaire that founded Iliad. Mostly American, I think, if the math is correct. 80% non-Chinese, which was what mattered, I think, in many cases. But do see if you saw a pattern in most of those investors. I won’t say anything more than that. Maybe moving to other topics, maybe just to finalise on regulation and geopolitics. In geopolitics, we should talk about wars if we predict anything. Not that we are nasty and one want to be negative, but what the hell is going on? Will we have ending to the wars we already have ongoing or not? But before that, the struggles on the App Stores, I think, will continue both for Apple and for Google Play Store. The writing’s on the wall, the EU keeps pushing it dramatically and Apple keeps just doing stuff. I’m on the board of an App Store company. Apple just creates all these things that basically make you not really… It doesn’t work. You can’t provision then an App Store on Apple devices. On iPhones, et cetera. We’ll see how that will continue going, but I feel the writing’s on the wall. Both Apple and Google will have to open up a bit more of their platforms. I’m not sure it will have a huge impact in the medium to long term, but definitely we need to see more openness in access to apps as given by the two big platform owners, Apple and Google, out there. Bertrand Schmitt Let’s be clear. Google is way more open than Apple. We both have Android devices. You can install alternative app stores. It’s a different ballgame by very far. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Google does other nasty stuff. It’s public. You can check which board I’m a part of. You can see what that company has done towards Google over time. But to your point, yes. It is true that Google has been more open than Apple, but Google has done their own things. Just to be very clear, so I’ll just leave that caveat bracketed there for people to think about it and maybe read a little bit about it as well. Bertrand Schmitt I can say that, me, from my perspective, that path of total control that Apple has been going through on all their devices, that includes macOS, pushed me to, over the past 2, 3 years, to completely live and abandon the Apple ecosystem. I just couldn’t accept that level of control, that golden handcuff approach of the Apple ecosystem, each their own obviously, they are golden, their handcuffs, but they are still handcuffs. Personally, that pushed me way more to Linux, Android, Windows, back to Windows after all these years. I just couldn’t stand it anymore. I want to pick my devices. I want to pick what I install on them, and I don’t want to be controlled like this by just one entity for all my tech devices. For me, at some point, it was just not acceptable anymore. It’s still very warm, very golden handcuffs, but for me, they were just handcuffs at this stage. Yes, what they are doing with the App Store is very typical of that mindset. I think it’s quite sad because I think it started with good intention in some ways. “We need a new computing paradigm, we need to make things smoother and safer,” but it has really become a way to control your clients. For me, it has reached a point where it’s just way too much. Nuno Goncalves Pedro There’s obviously the great power comes great responsibility that uncle Ben told Spider-Man or Peter Parker. But there’s also with great power comes shitload of money, and control. So it’s like, “Yeah. Should we open the server? Do we want to delay opening it up?” “Yeah.” Anyway, it is what it is. Maybe let’s end on the more difficult note of the episode, which is going to be around wars. What’s our prediction? Will we have an end to the Gaza situation with Israel? Will we have an end to Ukraine and, obviously, Russia? What will happen in Iran? Those are the three big, big conflicts right now. Then, obviously, if we want to add just bonus points, what’s going to happen to Greenland, and what’s going to happen to Taiwan, and what’s going to happen to Venezuela? Let’s throw the whole basket in there. We’ve never had like… Let’s talk about all these territories and all these countries. At some point in time, I’m saying this in a light manner, but it’s obviously more tragic than it should be light, and people are dying, and there’s a lot of implications of all of that that is happening right now. Do you have any predictions, Bertrand, for this year? Bertrand Schmitt No. It’s tough to predict on an individual basis. I think on a more bigger picture basis is on one side, obviously, the rise of China on one side. You have also the rise of other countries like India, while very indirectly connected to some of these conflicts are still part of the game, buying oil from Russia, for instance. At the same time, I think overall, the US is more clear about with the sheriff in town. I think it’s good because in some ways, you cannot pay for the goods, you cannot have such a massive advantage versus nearly every other country on earth and just not be clear about who is the boss in some ways. As a result, what are the rules of the game and how it should be played? The US is not alone, obviously, you have China, you have Russia, you have India, you have Europe. You have different other countries. But at some point, it’s not good when countries are not rational and are not clear. I think I prefer the current situation where things are more clear and where you have to assume responsibilities about what you are doing. It’s time to be rational again about how the world behave. Yes, the concept of power and balance of power. I think there has been that dream, maybe mostly coming from Europe, about the end of history. I think that’s simply not the case. It’s not the end of history. It’s still about the balance of power. It has always been about the balance of power. If you are dumb enough to think it was not about that anymore, I just have a bridge to nowhere to sell you. I don’t have specific prediction, but I think it’s clear there is a new sheriff in town. There is a new doctrine about the Western Hemisphere that has been in some ways resurrected on the [inaudible 00:51:35] train, and I think we’ll see more of it. I think at this point, the biggest question is for the Europeans. What do they want to do? Because right now, their position of being a dwarf militarily while being a pretty big giant economically, I don’t think it works. Nuno Goncalves Pedro I agreed on everything that you said. I do have predictions. I’ll stick a flag on the ground just with my predictions. Bertrand Schmitt Good luck. Nuno Goncalves Pedro They are mostly positive. I do think we’ll see an end or, for the most, end to the two big conflicts, the one in Gaza and the one in Ukraine. I think Ukraine will end up in readjustment of territory and splitting between Russia and the Ukraine, but the end of hostilities, I think that we will see an end to the conflict in Gaza also with a readjustment on what that will mean for the Palestinian territories and the Palestinians in general. That I’m not sure, but I feel that there will be an end to those two big conflicts. Iran, I have no clue. I will not put a stick on the ground that I have no clue. There are so many things that could go wrong there. I’ve been reading some really interesting thoughts about even some aggressive thoughts that this might be the time to really change regimes in Iran and for the US to have a bit more of an aggressive stance. I really don’t have a perspective. Obviously, there’s a lot at stake there. Then, if we talk about the other parts, Greenland, I will not opine too much on. Maybe we’re done for now. Maybe there’ll be some other concessions to the US that weren’t already there in the ’50s. Taiwan, I won’t bet either. I’m sad to say I think it might happen at some point in time, but I’m not sure when and what would drive it. Last but not the least, Venezuela is my only really negative prediction. I feel it will continue to be a significant dictatorship as it was before managed enough by other people with the difference now that it has a tax to be paid to the US in the form of oil of some sort, etcetera, and maybe gas, maybe other things as well that it didn’t have before. That’s probably my most negative prediction for the coming year on the geopolitical side. Bertrand Schmitt Without going into detail, I would mostly agree with what you shared. At least that makes sense. But as we know, it’s not always what makes sense, but what might happen. I can tell you 100% I would not have guessed this operation against Maduro. This was so well done, well executed, and shocking at the same time that it’s… I think it shows that it’s hard to guess some of this stuff because there are certainly some new ways to wage limited war, for instance. So it’s certainly interesting, and we certainly need to get used to pretty bombastic statements. But for Venezuela, I don’t think it can be worse than what it was before. I’m probably more optimistic that gradually it can get better. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Just to put perspective on why we’re not making predictions on some of these elements, I think this is a funny story, but I was in Madeira. Actually, first time I was in Madeira, although I’m originally from Portugal. I’ve never been to the islands. Obviously, as you guys know, or some of you might know, there’s a lot of connection between Madeira and Venezuela. There’s a lot of immigration from Madeira Islands to Venezuela. One of my Uber or Bolt drivers there in Madeira was Venezuelan. Was born in Venezuela, but Portuguese descent, et cetera. He was telling me this was still last year. Late last year. Because I told him I lived in US, et cetera, and he was like, “Oh, hopefully, Trump will get Maduro out of there.” In my mind, I was like, “Dude.” No disrespect to the gentleman, but it’s like, “Okay. Mike, your perspective on geopolitics is maybe a little bit exaggerated.” And a couple of days later, we know what happened. When geopolitical decisions are better predicted by some probably very astute Uber drivers, you’re like, “Maybe I shouldn’t make a bet. I have no clue what’s going to happen, no clue what’s going to happen in Greenland, et cetera.” Anyway, a couple of predictions on that element. Bertrand Schmitt That’s why it’s so right. You have to be careful with the prediction, but it doesn’t remove the fact that I think nations and companies that have to play a global game have to understand in some ways what is the game, what are the powers in place, what could happen potentially, but also be realistic. Not be about wish and dreams, but more about, what’s the power relationship? Who has the money? Who has the means? Who has the capacity to do this or that? Because if you start that way, at least the scope of what’s possible, what’s reasonable is more and more clear more quickly. Some stuff like happened with Maduro, I would never have predicted, but for sure, if there’s one country that can do this sort of stuff, it’s the US. I’m not sure anyone has a technology and the means in terms of support infrastructure to do something like this. It’s tough to predict what will happen a year from now for any specific country, but I think that even trying to get a better understanding about the forces in play and their capacity and understanding and accepting that at some point, it’s all about real politic and relationship of power, the more your eyes would be wide open about what’s possible versus simple, wishful thinking. Nuno Goncalves Pedro Fintech, Crypto and Frontier Tech Moving maybe to our last section around fintech, crypto, and frontier tech. For me, just two very quick predictions, views of the world. I think on the frontier tech side, I won’t make a prediction. I will just tell you all to go and listen to our episodes, the one on infrastructure, which is immediately prior to this one, and the episodes that we’ve had around a couple of other topics including AI, what’s the future of your children, because I think they illustrate a lot of the points that we’re seeing and manifesting themselves over the next year and over the next 2 or 3 years as well beyond that. I feel those tomes are complete in and out of themselves, so you can just go and listen to them. Then my second comment is on crypto. I feel crypto has become of the essence, particularly under the current administration in the US, very favored. Obviously, we are now in a world where crypto is just part of the economic system, and I think we’ll see more and more of that emerging, and in some ways, crypto is becoming mainstream. Question is what blockchains will be the blockchains of the future? Obviously, there’s a bunch of bets put out there. We, ourselves, as Chamaeleon, have one investment in one of the significant bets in the space. But besides that, who’s going to win or not, we feel that we’re past the crypto winter. It’s now mainstream days, and we’ll see a lot more activity in there. Bertrand Schmitt I must say with crypto, I’m a bit confused. As you say, we are past the crypto winter. There is much less uncertainty in regul

Scott Neuberger, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Karmel Capital, shares how later-stage secondaries can provide access to high-quality technology companies. Learn how to assess capital efficiency, management quality and growth durability using data and market signals, and get a repeatable lens for evaluating technology businesses.The conversation also sharpens how to think about AI investing over a realistic time horizon. Hear how to identify where value is likely to accrue over the next few years, why infrastructure matters in periods of rapid change and what concrete indicators suggest a credible path to liquidity in uncertain exit markets.   

CJ sits down with Mike Jung, Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Founders Circle Capital. They unpack the rise of structured liquidity, how secondaries went mainstream, and what CFOs should know before running a tender. Mike shares lessons from the dot-com era, AI's “super cycle,” and what separates durable growth companies from hype.—SPONSORS:RightRev is an automated revenue recognition platform built for modern pricing models like usage-based pricing, bundles, and mid-cycle upgrades. RightRev lets companies scale monetization without slowing down close or compliance. For RevRec that keeps growth moving, visit https://www.rightrev.comRillet is an AI-native ERP built for modern finance teams that want to close faster without fighting legacy systems. Designed to support complex revenue recognition, multi-entity operations, and real-time reporting, Rillet helps teams achieve a true zero-day close—with some customers closing in hours, not days. If you're scaling on an ERP that wasn't built in the 90s, book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/cjTabs is an AI-native revenue platform that unifies billing, collections, and revenue recognition for companies running usage-based or complex contracts. By bringing together ERP, CRM, and real product usage data into a single system of record, Tabs eliminates manual reconciliations and speeds up close and cash collection. Companies like Cortex, Statsig, and Cursor trust Tabs to scale revenue efficiently. Learn more at https://www.tabs.com/runAbacum is a modern FP&A platform built by former CFOs to replace slow, consultant-heavy planning tools. With self-service integrations and AI-powered workflows for forecasting, variance analysis, and scenario modeling, Abacum helps finance teams scale without becoming software admins. Trusted by teams at Strava, Replit, and JG Wentworth—learn more at https://www.abacum.aiBrex is an intelligent finance platform that combines corporate cards, built-in expense management, and AI agents to eliminate manual finance work. By automating expense reviews and reconciliations, Brex gives CFOs more time for the high-impact work that drives growth. Join 35,000+ companies like Anthropic, Coinbase, and DoorDash at https://www.brex.com/metricsMetronome is real-time billing built for modern software companies. Metronome turns raw usage events into accurate invoices, gives customers bills they actually understand, and keeps finance, product, and engineering perfectly in sync. That's why category-defining companies like OpenAI and Anthropic trust Metronome to power usage-based pricing and enterprise contracts at scale. Focus on your product — not your billing. Learn more and get started at https://www.metronome.com—LINKS: Mostly Talent: https://mostlymetrics.typeform.com/to/cLTxtAsNMike: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikjunghttps://www.founderscircle.com/CJ: https://www.linkedin.com/in/cj-gustafson-13140948/https://www.mostlymetrics.com—TIMESTAMPS:1:08 Founder Circle origin3:15 The founder liquidity insight5:16 Staying private longer problem6:04 Secondary market control vs chaos8:44 Secondaries over IPOs10:12 Liquidity keeps VC alive11:27 Ask Jeeves dot-com lesson12:26 $190 to $1 + AMT reality13:10 Sponsors — RightRev | Rillet | Tabs16:39 Private share opacity risk20:25 Founder + employee liquidity playbooks21:55 Early investors need liquidity too22:31 Cap table math actually matters24:17 SPV fee stacking insanity25:37 Sponsors — Abacum | Brex | Metronome28:54 Tender offer guardrails30:09 Minimum vs maximum liquidity balance33:01 Growth stage sweet spot + IPO bar rising34:17 AI Cambrian explosion34:58 Buying fear vs buying hype36:29 AI growth sustainability37:19 Founder-led advantage + product velocity38:47 TAM is created, not measured41:06 Anti-portfolio lessons43:01 What is a supercycle44:34 Do supercycles end in crashes?46:16 AI's unprecedented adoption curve48:31 Community as a moat52:50 Earning the right to be on the cap table

In this episode of Fireside with a VC, Andrew Romans explains how VC secondaries really work in large private companies — and how buyers and sellers can avoid common mistakes.We cover:· Secondaries vs. primaries· Stock transfer permissions and why deals get blocked· ROFRs and the ROFR price· Direct to cap table vs. layered SPV structures· How to calculate the all-in cost (with or without carry)· Fake brokers, daisy chains, and wasted time· Liquidity post-investmentThis episode draws on 20 years of experience, 70 SPVs, and five pooled VC funds.

Startup employees are encouraged to believe in the mission. But IPO timelines now stretch well past a decade — and many never happen at all. In this episode, Ben Black, co-founder and managing director of Akkadian Ventures, explains how tech workers can think more strategically about the equity they've helped create. Drawing on more than 750 secondary transactions, Ben walks through how employees can evaluate a company's liquidity posture before accepting an offer, exercise options intelligently, understand the real value of their shares, and access secondary buyers — whether through structured programs or more proactive approaches. We also dig into the psychological side of selling: when to take money off the table, how to avoid overestimating future upside, and why “loyalty” shouldn't mean ignoring your own financial reality. Ben shares real-world examples of employees using secondaries to fund major life events — and even to bootstrap their own companies so they can retain more ownership and control from day one. Founders and VCs get a lot of attention for the risks they take. This episode is about the people who often take just as much risk with far less margin for error. * Information offered is for educational purposes and should not be considered financial advice. RUNTIME 52:37    BREAKDOWN (2:12) How Ben got into the secondary market and founded Akkadian (5:33) “The vast majority of really good companies now have secondary programs.” (8:39) Secondaries generate “a very significant part of the return of the large funds.” (9:57) Why are most companies still on a four-year vesting cliff? (12:55) Things to consider when you're 25% vested (15:22) Why so many tech workers never exercise their vested options (16:49) A framework for identifying the *right* time to sell (21:26) How to access the secondary market if your company doesn't offer a structured program (30:09) “I do see a lot of bad behavior among employees… using information that they're not supposed to use.” (32:06) Startup employees: cultivate a strong relationship with your CFO (34:08) The #1 reason why employees sell secondaries (and a few edge cases) (38:44) “You have to be really skeptical, and you need to take a lot of shots on goal.” (45:11) How many founders are bootstrapping startups using the secondary market? (48:44) How long does it take to get liquid? LINKS Ben Black Akkadian Venture Capital IPO markets look primed to accelerate in 2026, pwc, 12/12/2025 SUBSCRIBE

In this episode of Mission Matters, Adam Torres welcomes back Neil O'Donnell and Mehak Rashid, Managing Partners at Legal Scale. They discuss Legal Scale's growth, how their corporate boutique supports milestone financings, and what they're seeing across fund formation, secondaries, private credit, and AI-enabled infrastructure deals. The conversation highlights why deal structure and early legal involvement can drive better outcomes for both companies and investors. Follow Adam on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/askadamtorres/ for up to date information on book releases and tour schedule. Apply to be a guest on our podcast: https://missionmatters.lpages.co/podcastguest/ Visit our website: https://missionmatters.com/ More FREE content from Mission Matters here: https://linktr.ee/missionmattersmedia Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow, discusses with Ashton Thomas the concept of marrying private equity with property management operations. Ashton Thomas is a third-generation real estate broker in Central Florida, she got her real estate license right after graduating high school and, in February 2019, opened her own brokerage. She decided to start her own brokerage and grew to about 25 agents, but she realized she preferred property management and did not like dealing with realtors and their recurring issues, and shifted her focus after property management "fell into her lap" when employees from a failing company approached her You'll Learn (00:45) Introduction and Ashton Thomas's Background  (03:46) The Audacity to Start a Brokerage at 23  (07:16) The Marriage of Private Equity and Property Management  (07:42) Benjamin Hardy's "Science of Scaling"  (12:31) Understanding Private Equity and the Roll Up Strategy  (17:58) The Advantage of Property Managers in Roll Ups  (19:10) Advice for Getting into Private Equity  (22:29) Raising Capital and How to Connect with Ashton Thomas Quotables "I've been thinking too small. That's why it's been so hard." "That's like entrepreneurs worst nightmare is to be feeling stuck and feeling like I'm not moving and I'm not getting traction and I'm not accomplishing anything." "The slowest, absolute slowest path to growth is to do it alone." Resources DoorGrow and Scale Mastermind DoorGrow Academy DoorGrow on YouTube DoorGrowClub DoorGrowLive Transcript Jason Hull (00:00) All right, five, four, three, two, one. Hello everybody, I'm Jason Hull, the founder and CEO of DoorGrow, the world's leading and most comprehensive coaching and consulting firm for long-term residential property management entrepreneurs. For over a decade and a half, we've brought innovative strategies and optimization to the property management industry. At DoorGrow, we are on a mission to transform property management business owners and their businesses. We want to transform the industry.   eliminate the BS, build awareness, change perception, expand the market, and help the best property management entrepreneurs win. Now, let's get into the show. All right, so my guest today is Ashton Thomas. Welcome, Ashton. Ashton (00:43) Thank you for having me. Jason Hull (00:45) So Ashton is a client of ours, but she also is a badass. And so Ashen, I would love for people to get to know you a little bit, share a little bit of your background. How did you get into real estate and property management and all of this?   Ashton (01:02) Yeah, absolutely. So I'm actually a third generation real estate broker in central Florida. My granddad started in Orlando like way back in the 60s. ⁓ Both my dad and my granddad, a lot of my uncles, they're all builders. So just kind of grew up in that real estate world. I was on a job site from when I was very little. ⁓ And so I always just had a love for homes, real estate, just   the whole nine years. When I was wrapping up high school about to go to college, my parents suggested, I always had like an entrepreneurial spirit, and my parents suggested that I get my real estate license. And I was like, you know what, it can't hurt to have that. So I went ahead and took the class, got the licensing as soon as I graduated high school. So I was actually a licensed realtor already working before I started my freshman year of   college. ⁓ Real estate has been so fascinating because I've been able to see so many changes over the last 12 years since I got into the industry. I started with new home sales construction, actually working for my parents, ⁓ really learned about what it took to run a sales center. And then I switched to traditional real estate, like what you think of a realtor doing now. ⁓ From there, I ended up opening my own brokerage.   Jason Hull (02:03) Wow.   Ashton (02:28) ⁓ in February of 2019. And then property management really just fell into my lap. There was a company that was going out of business because the owner was embezzling funds. And their employees actually came to me and said, you know, we would like to work with you. We'd like to work for you. And we're bringing these clients. So   I had never written a lease, seen, really even put my eyes or hands on a lease, never. This was two years ago, roughly. ⁓ And like just didn't have any property management experience at all. Figured out that we needed to get some systems in place right out of the gate. And I really took the next year, year and a half.   Jason Hull (02:59) how long ago.   Okay.   Ashton (03:22) to develop those. And Jason, you've been so instrumental in helping us succeed in those systems. You helped us identify the holes in our business and really figure out what we needed to do. ⁓ So at the time that I had brought on the property management side, and when I say property management for us, we do both long-term property management and short-term vacation rental. So I two separate sister companies that operate.   Jason Hull (03:51) Yeah.   Ashton (03:51) So ⁓ at the time I had roughly about 25 realtors that worked for me under the brokerage. I had really developed that, grown that. We were one of the largest Zillow Premier agent teams in central Florida at that time.   Jason Hull (04:13) Wait, can I ask you question about that?   Not very many agents start their own brokerage. What? mean, how, do you mind me asking age here? How old were you you started your brokerage and what gave you the audacity to decide to do this big thing?   Ashton (04:19) Mm-hmm.   I was 23 when I started my brokerage and the funny part was is I actually wanted to buy a brokerage first and I had this is a wild story you'll love this so you know you look back and you say what was I thinking like I had some guts and one of those stories   Jason Hull (04:33) Okay, go ahead.   Okay.   Okay.   Yeah   Ashton (04:55) So I had initially gone to this guy's office, he had four branches, local real estate agent, or a local real estate brokerage. I'd ⁓ developed his brokerage over like 50 years, had over 200 agents working for him. And I walk in and I asked to speak with the broker. He was there, they put me in the conference room. He thought that I wanted to become an agent working for him. Yeah. And I said, no, sir, I want to buy your company.   Jason Hull (05:19) That's the default.   my god.   Ashton (05:25) And   like, this was a total cold call. Like I had never talked with him before, never met him before. I ended up negotiating a price for the company ended up getting securing SBA financing. Everything had lined up so perfectly. And then a couple of weeks before we were actually going to be making it official. He decided that he wanted to, to sell his brokerage to a family member and not go through with me. And so.   Jason Hull (05:53) Wow.   Ashton (05:55) Honestly, in hindsight, that was the best thing that could have happened. I had no business running that large of a brokerage at 23 years old with no experience. ⁓ Over 200. Yeah. And I had secured a price for 2.4 million for the company. So with an earn out and it was just, it was going to be an insane deal if I could have like actually done that. But ⁓ I was   Jason Hull (06:05) How large was it? How many Asians? Okay, yeah, I mean massive, yeah.   Ashton (06:24) You know, everything happens for a reason. coming off of like the adrenaline rush from that not happening, I was like, you know what? I'm just going to start my own. Why not? So that's how I started when I was 23.   Jason Hull (06:26) Yeah.   Yeah.   I mean,   starting your own brokerage at 23 doesn't sound as crazy if you were already trying to buy 200 agent brokerage. Like, I'll just, you know, step it back a little bit.   Ashton (06:49) Mm-hmm.   Yes,   let's like crawl before we run. Oh, so that was originally what I wanted to do was just build up a massive, brokerage with lots of agents. And I thought that in my head was the dream. No, for me, it was not. I had grown to about 25 agents, like roughly like steadily and kept that number for a while. I realized that I   Jason Hull (06:56) Yeah. ⁓   Yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Ashton (07:21) to not like dealing with realtors and their issues over and over and over again, every day in and day out. It became like kind of toxic to me at least. And I went through and slashed a lot of agents jobs here ⁓ because it was either performance issues, attitude issues, whatever it was, they just were not the right fit for us. I ended up keeping a core five. ⁓   Jason Hull (07:32) Yeah.   Ashton (07:47) and they are phenomenal people with good ethics and good business sense who care about their clients and represent me and my company very, very well.   Jason Hull (07:58) What do feel like gave you the clarity to make that transition? Like, did you just wake up one morning or like, I don't like a lot of these people? Or how did you get clarity on what you really want?   Ashton (08:09) ⁓ One of the things was I told my office manager, I was so frustrated one morning, I told her, said, if one more person asks me another stupid question, I am gonna lose my mind. So I was fed up, I just couldn't deal with it anymore.   Jason Hull (08:23) Okay, we're just fed up.   Yeah, yeah. So I know when, when did that fit with you joining DoorGrow? Because I know you had worked on culture and we'd helped you figure out kind of what mattered to you and like, that align with, was that before you came on board? Was that after? When did you let go of all the... Okay. You don't move slow on anything, it sounds like.   Ashton (08:45) I don't want the same time. Yeah.   I try not to. I try not to. Honestly, I feel like that's where things go to die is if you move slow.   Jason Hull (08:57) Got it, yeah, right. Okay, cool, quick action taker. So obviously a very driven personality type. ⁓ And I know the topic that we were planning to talk about today is the marriage of private equity and property management, capital meets operations. So let's get into that. Again, you have big goals, big crazy goals.   Ashton (09:05) Thank you.   Yes.   Jason Hull (09:27) that sound pretty insane to most people. But you know, the people that are bold, that have the audacity to go after these big things, achieve big things. So what are you up to now?   Ashton (09:39) Yeah, so there's actually a great book by Dr. Benjamin Hardy. He has he's written like several and I know you're a big fan of Dr. Hardy's as well. He talks about like those impossible goals and how you really should and actually that one of his latest books, The Science of Scaling, is ⁓ really spurred me to action and not just having like a 10 year time frame, but like a three year time frame. And I can condense these goals.   what I want to do kind of vaguely into really specifics and get it done now. ⁓ So yeah, I would highly recommend anybody listening to also read his books.   Jason Hull (10:20) Yeah, agreed. Phenomenal book. I got to hear him speak down in Mexico and he hadn't released his book yet. And I was with a bunch of entrepreneurs that spent a lot of money to be there. And he all just walked out of the room with their mind blown. We were all just like, ⁓ I've been thinking too small. That's why it's been so hard. And it actually gets easier to grow and scale your business when you start thinking outside of your current mental limitations, which means it has to be something unrealistic or impossible.   Ashton (10:36) Mm-hmm.   Jason Hull (10:49) So that's been a game changer. I've done some episodes talking about this, but same thing for us. Like we've got some big things we're doing this year that are probably a bit ridiculous. And I don't know if we can pull it off, but if we do, DoorGrow will be the dominant player in the industry. And I already feel like we're a leader or leader, but this will be a game changer, some of the stuff that we have planned. And I've talked about it on previous episodes, just a little bit, what we're thinking of doing.   But I think it's going to be some of these things are going to be game changer. and we've got so many irons in the fire right now, like we move fast and it's bit crazy, but that's where the fun is too, right? In business. So I'd rather be lit on fire with too many ideas than be stuck. And I've been that way before where I'm like, what should I do next? know, I work on.   Ashton (11:35) That's like   entrepreneurs worst nightmare is to be feeling stuck and feeling like I'm not moving and I'm not getting traction and I'm not accomplishing anything. That is like absolute hell for us, isn't it?   Jason Hull (11:45) Yeah.   Yeah, I usually joke that entrepreneurs don't care about being happy or sad. They care about whether they're in momentum or whether they're stuck. And when we're stuck, damned, blocked, frustrated, that is hell. That's like, that's hell for us. We're miserable. And yeah, and it kills our motivation, everything. But when we're in momentum, that's the drug we crave. We want to feel like we're making progress and moving forward. And so   I'm that drug dealer. That's what I give out to clients. Like I'm like, let's go. That's hopium. So got to give them some hope. And then they're excited and believe they can do it. But yeah, if you believe you can do something big and you've got a big vision, a big dream, yeah, you start to find new pathways. You start to find new ideas. And so you're working on some crazy stuff. So let's talk about capital meets operations. How do we marry private equity with property management? And could other property managers do this?   Ashton (12:21) You do.   Jason Hull (12:47) excited to hear.   Ashton (12:47) Yeah,   absolutely. So I started in the private equity world really recently. It was like January of this year. And I feel like I've just been drinking out of a fire hose, like learning and being in, I've just made sure to put myself in the right rooms where I'm just like absorbing knowledge and information and wisdom from people and family offices that have been doing this so much longer than I.   Jason Hull (13:13) You've been really focused on learning the private equity space, which a lot of people, that's like some crazy thing they don't really maybe even understand. They're like, oh, don't know how it works. And you decided, hey, want get in on this.   Ashton (13:25) Yeah. ⁓ go   ahead. What was that?   Jason Hull (13:30) You said, I want to get in on this and learn about this and started figuring it out. All right, I'm going to plug our sponsor real quick, who you use, Vendoroo. How's it going with Vendoroo?   Ashton (13:33) Yes. ⁓   And here's amazing. We love them. They they honestly they take care of everything. They're really good about communication. I think they're they're phenomenal. They've been a game changer for us for our day to day ops.   Jason Hull (13:54) Okay, cool. I mean, it's So let me read this and then we'll get back into the show. So many of you tell me that maintenance is probably the least enjoyable part of being a property manager and definitely the most time consuming. But what if you could cut that workload by up to 85 percent? That's exactly what Vendero has achieved. They've leveraged cutting edge AI technology to handle nearly all of your maintenance tasks from initiating work orders and troubleshooting to coordinating with vendors and reporting.   This AI doesn't just automate, it becomes your ideal employee, learning your preferences and executing tasks flawlessly, never needing a day off and never quitting. This frees you up to focus on the critical tasks that really move the needle for your business, whether that's refining operations, expanding your portfolio, or even just taking a well-deserved break. Don't let maintenance drag you down. Step up your property management game with Vendero. Visit vendero.ai slash door grow.   today and make this the last maintenance hire you'll ever need. All right, cool. So let's talk about this private equity stuff. Help me understand what it is. I'm fairly ignorant, so.   Ashton (14:59) Hmm   So basically, I mean, it's a very big term, private equity, and it can span over so many different asset classes. And I think that's one of, I'm sidetracking a little just a minute, but like, I think that's one of my favorite parts about the private equity and PE industry is because you can meet somebody in your same asset class and they're doing something totally different. Like for instance, you know, what you're teaching Jason with the property management and like these operators and entrepreneurs who are   owner operators really, you're teaching us the same framework and we're doing the same exact thing, which there's nothing wrong with that. That's great. That works. It's systemized. In private equity, it's all wild cards. There's a lot of structure to it, but at the same time, everybody can be doing something different. And you're not in competition truly because you all have your own unique spin on it. So it's cool. But what it means is that ⁓ if, so our firm,   we bring in investor capital, ⁓ either through debt or equity. And then our investors trust us. We let them know like what we're investing in. usually have like a it depends on the type of investment. So I try not to get too technical here. It depends on the type of investment, but we let them know, hey, we're investing in XYZ companies, or we're investing in hard assets with like purchasing real estate that meet these certain criteria. So instead of   these investors taking their money and putting it into the stock market, they are putting it with private firms because the stock market is the public equities. then private equity is these private individually owned firms ⁓ that I mean, you have really large ones like BlackRock and Blackstone and ⁓ all of those. And then you have a lot of small ones like myself who are just getting off the ground. We don't have a lot of assets under management yet.   But as we develop that investor base, we're just going to keep that ball rolling and continuing.   Jason Hull (17:04) Yeah, so there's booty   firms, there's gigantic ones, there's lots of different categories of asset classes that they might be involved or invested in. And so somebody can pick a private equity company or something to partner with or get involved with that kind of is involved with the asset classes that they feel comfortable.   Ashton (17:23) Yeah,   absolutely. like, there's some, ⁓ like for us, we're real estate based and specifically Florida based real estate. There's, have friends who own hedge funds and that's all they do is hedge funds and specifically in like just in gold or in like just in commodities. We, there's people who are running funds based on really specific short-term rentals or within a five mile radius of national parks. So it gets down really, really, really specific.   ⁓ Up until like you large firms with very large funds and they have a diversified asset class over You know, they have hedge funds. They they're doing running venture They're doing ⁓ you know Secondaries they're actually in like the private equity sphere there. So it just really depends on on the firm itself and you want to make sure as if there's any investors listening you want to make sure that ⁓ your you fit with   how that firm is treating your money and running your money, and that it aligns with your goals, obviously, not just monetarily, but also with what they're investing in.   Jason Hull (18:32) Right, got it. Okay. And so how can property managers start to get involved in this and create this marriage? What are you doing?   Ashton (18:43) Yeah, so we're kind of doing it a little bit backwards. Most private equity firms, they start with raising capital and then they're going out and buying the asset and then they're outsourcing their vendors. So one of those vendors being property management and that's really where the gains and losses are happening is in the daily management style there. Then they realize and typically restructure   that they could be making more money. They could be increasing their bottom lines and everything else with that management. Everything hinges on the management when you're talking like hard assets in real estate, whether that's multifamily commercial, you know, residence, whatever it is. ⁓ So when they bring it in-house, they are restructuring. And there's also been a huge problem with   Jason Hull (19:36) Yeah.   Ashton (19:41) And I've been hearing this lately, huge problem with investor capital really not being watched out for by these firms because they're outsourcing all their vendors. What we did instead is I had already have the acquisition engine through our brokerage. We've already got all the systems set up in place for our property management firms, both short and long. Now we added the private equity firm. I have a series 65. So we're actually a state registered   Jason Hull (19:51) Right.   Ashton (20:10) like investment advisory firm for true asset management on the back end, which a lot of private equity firms do not have that. And then we added the capital. So we literally just did it backwards. And now we're focused on acquiring not only hard assets with cash flowing tenant occupied portfolios that meet certain metrics. We have to have a certain   Jason Hull (20:12) Okay.   Okay.   .   Ashton (20:37) IRR, we have to have a certain cap rate and a certain cash on cash return to even peak our interest. The other thing that we're buying is property management businesses. So we are working on acquisitions right now. We just completed one last week and we've got two more in the hopper. So we are going in and offering these off-market portfolios, know, minimum 20 up to, you   We have no limit on how many we'll buy, like minimum 20 units and we want creative financing. So we want to structure the deal where the seller and the owner is holding the majority of that note. We're using investor capital for the down payment. We're saving some to hedge for ⁓ reserves and we're going in and buying these companies to add to our revenue and our to our bottom line.   Jason Hull (21:35) I love it.   Ashton (21:36) Roll   up. That's the name and the term that's used in the private equity space is roll up.   Jason Hull (21:42) Roll-up, got it. So I've seen some of these companies in the past. I had a client, he eventually exited and sold his business to Home River Group. He had like 2,000 doors. So then he was kind more of a partner in Home River Group, 30,000 eventually. And he became kind of a consultant that would come in and these roll-ups that were being done in some instances, because they did it the reverse way from what you did, they thought they could just throw money at the problem.   So they went and acquired a whole bunch of property management companies. Sometimes, like some companies would acquire like 10,000 doors. Then they would fire like 7,000 of them because they realized there was so much garbage and it was difficult to manage. And then they thought they could just put in or install a property manager in and then the business would just run. But no real leadership for the boots on the ground. And so they would bring him in as a consultant. He would go in, fire everybody.   Ashton (22:34) Mm.   Jason Hull (22:42) organize a team, build a business and act as an interim CEO till he got the thing healthy and running. And he would make a lot of money because they were losing a lot of money trying to make this work. And people don't realize how hard property management can be. And so I think, yes, property managers have an advantage because they have the hardest piece of this entire puzzle, it sounds like.   Ashton (23:05) Yeah, it definitely is because you're dealing with you're dealing with tenants, you're dealing with the day to day your you are the boots on the ground. So that is why it is so important before we started any of this, I wanted to make sure that we had the proper systems in place that we could scale 500 more doors without blinking an eye. That is where you have to have that mindset and like you have to know what's going on before adding because when you just add   doors and just think that exactly what you said add doors and thinking that that's just going to like solve your problem you're just multiplying your problem whatever problems you have at 20 doors is going to be 10 fold at a thousand doors or more so ⁓ and more just doesn't necessarily equal better and that is one reason like in our contracts we actually do have clawbacks so if we do end up getting rid of owners that just aren't a fit   our purchase price is reduced down from the seller. So it gives the seller an incentive to ensure that they're selling us a good.   Jason Hull (24:11) Got it, yeah, that's important to have all that's in any sort of acquisition deal. So for other property managers that are looking to get into private equity and they're looking at maybe starting to do this, because they're like, you know what, I've got a healthy property management company, we've got the systems in place, is there somebody that I can partner with on this that already knows how to do it or can I go and learn to do this?   What would you say between those two options and where would you send them?   Ashton (24:43) Really? It depends on the person. This isn't for everybody. know, you, what I would recommend, and this is honestly what I tell anybody, no matter what business they're in, if they're thinking about growing, where do you want to be in three years? And let's reverse engineer it from there. So if you want to, like for us, our, our plan is to roll up to about 5,500 doors and then exit. So   Jason Hull (24:45) Yeah.   Got it.   Ashton (25:12) I already knew where I wanted to be. And so like, I wanted to exit at a certain amount. So I was like, how do I get to this amount? And then I just backed it up from there. ⁓ but that's, everybody's going to have a different goal. So I would highly recommend just like starting with that initial goal. that's, if that goal is freedom, if it is like, you want to be able to exit, you want to have, you want to just run a massive company, whatever it is, start there and then figure it out backwards.   Jason Hull (25:21) Okay.   Ashton (25:41) As far as bringing on capital and investor capital, whether they want to partner with somebody or if they want to like bring on debt, that's also a comfort level thing. ⁓ And it also depends on like what you and that other person that's bringing in the capital agree to and what you both feel like is the optimal solution. But before doing that, definitely educate yourself and find someone ⁓ either as a consultant like   Right now I am doing a little bit of consulting work for ⁓ different ⁓ funds as well as like companies like, you know, like what we're doing ⁓ for, you know, to help them with what their goals are. Let's back it up and then let's go from there. And like just adding some advice and getting them in touch with the right people that they need as far as connections. Analysts, numbers are so important when you're talking with investors.   You can't just be like, I think it's going to make this an investor, especially a sophisticated one is not going to go for that. Maybe friends and family will what I call country club money, but ⁓ a sophisticated investor, absolutely not. They're going to want to see a pro forma. ⁓ So there's so many steps involved before you ever, ever, ever bring on a dime of investor capital. So.   Jason Hull (26:51) Yep.   Ashton (27:09) I'm sorry, that's not like a ⁓ space.   Jason Hull (27:10) So, well, it sounds like   the path is maybe this. Like if you're a property manager first, you got to get your side of the room clean. You got to get your business tight. You got to get operations working, maybe reach out to DoorGro, get a little help, but you got to get things really well dialed in because it doesn't make sense to go start playing with other people's money and be on the hook for other people's money and investors.   Ashton (27:20) Yes.   was not.   Jason Hull (27:36) if you don't really feel like you have the ability to scale, you don't really feel like you can handle stuff, because if once money starts flowing and doors start adding, then if your stuff is okay, it's going to be stress tested and probably not okay. So that's probably first. Next, they need to learn about private equity, figure out that game, and then even once you figure out how that all works, then you've got to get good at selling it, which you are already a natural, you know...   Ashton (27:51) Yeah, exactly.   Jason Hull (28:05) Salesperson, you've invested a lot towards figuring that out, but then you're going out and you have to raise the cap.   Ashton (28:11) Raising capital is literally one of the hardest jobs. It is insane because you want to build a relationship and you want someone to trust you, but you're also asking for a check. And so it's trying to balance the relationship aspect as well as the transactional aspect. And it's even harder as a woman because private equity is definitely, ⁓ there's not a lot of women in this field.   Jason Hull (28:32) Yeah.   Ashton (28:41) ⁓ so it's even harder being like of the opposite gender. ⁓ so there's a lot to balance there. so getting, getting comfortable asking, but not being pushy. It's that I've learned so much from.   Jason Hull (28:56) As a woman, you've had   to take maybe a more feminine approach or you go in hot the way most guys would.   Ashton (29:04) It depends on the person.   It depends on my audience. You have to sell the way somebody wants to buy. So I've learned not to, at the beginning, I was definitely very transactional. And I've learned ⁓ through a dear friend of mine that to be more relationship-based and then that will come a little bit later with the transaction. ⁓ But at the same time, because I'm like,   Jason Hull (29:11) Yeah.   Mm-hmm.   Ashton (29:32) I need to know now. Like, I don't want to waste my time. I don't want to waste their time. We just need to lay it out on the table right now. They need to know what I'm here for. ⁓ I've had to like roll that back a little bit. And since I have, the checks have been definitely coming in a little bit smoother. So it was a huge learning experience for me.   Jason Hull (29:51) Yeah.   Ashton, how old are you right now for those listening? All they've heard is 23.   Ashton (29:59) I'm 30 now.   Jason Hull (30:01) 30 now, okay, you're 30 years old, you're doing amazing things. What amount of capital are you raising right now? Like what's your goal?   Ashton (30:05) Yeah.   Yeah, so we do different like rounds or like tranches of raising and it right now we are raising for specific projects. So as the projects come up, then we go out to our current investors first and then to like new potential investors next. ⁓ So in the spring, we're about to start doing another raise for ⁓ one, a business and then two, a couple other. ⁓   real estate portfolios that I'm looking at. ⁓ So that is going to be around the $800,000 mark of capital. And typically we do like minimum commitments of 100 because when you get into smaller amounts, typically the investors that are, I just become a little bit more needy because they're only, they're not as sophisticated and we want to deal with the investors who are.   Jason Hull (31:06) Got it. Yeah, that makes sense. Very cool. Sounds like you're doing really cool things. So Ashton, for those that are listening and they're curious about you, they're curious about maybe getting into this, you mentioned you do some consulting, you mentioned there may be investors or maybe they want to get in on some of the investing stuff that you're doing. How can they get in touch with you?   Ashton (31:29) Yeah, so they can send us an email. That would be the best way to you can send it to info at FX to capital calm. ⁓ And we, you know, are one of our interns checks that email on the daily. ⁓ So then we can set up an investor call and go through really well what your goals are. What is your portfolio look like right now?   How are you diversifying yourself? And maybe we can talk about what we can do to help increase that, maybe rebalance you a little bit within the private space and in the private markets.   Jason Hull (32:06) Cool, well property managers, if you're listening, I think Ashton's definitely doing something that's very cool. A lot of you probably could get in on this or create some sort of alliance or relationships that could allow you to be part of something like this. Even if it's just you're getting doors from other people that are in the private equity space that are rolling up a bunch of investment properties, this would be easy doors for you to get on if you really could do a good job. And it sounds like that's the linchpin, that's the hardest piece of the puzzle.   And if you're a good property manager, you've got that down then. So you've got a competitive advantage. So Ashwin, I appreciate you coming on and sharing this here on the board.   Ashton (32:43) Thank you.   Yeah, that was so much fun. It was so great talking to you.   Jason Hull (32:48) Awesome, so we'll go ahead and wrap up. For those of you that are feeling stuck, stagnant, you want to take your property management business to the next level, reach out to us at doorgrow.com for a free training on how to get unlimited free leads. Text the word leads to 512-648-4608. Also join our free Facebook community. It's just for property management business owners at doorgrowclub.com. And if you want tips, tricks, ideas to learn maybe about some of our offers,   subscribe to our newsletter by going to doorgrow.com slash subscribe. And if you found this even a little bit helpful, don't forget to subscribe, leave us a review. Anything like that would really help us out. We would appreciate it. And until next time, remember, the slowest, absolute slowest path to growth is to do it alone. And you heard Ashton, she's leveraging a lot of people to do what she's doing to grow. So let's grow together. Bye everyone.

In this special deep dive episode, Peter is joined by his Carta Insights colleague Hamza Shad to unpack the operational reality of running a venture fund. They leave behind portfolio performance metrics to focus entirely on the business of the fund itself.Peter and Hamza break down the data from Carta's inaugural Fund Economics report. They analyze how much capital GPs are actually committing to their own funds, why anchor LPs are taking larger stakes, and whether the industry standard "2 and 20" fee structure is actually holding up.They also discuss the hidden costs of fund operations, from legal fees to audits, and why the 2022 vintage is deploying capital slower than its predecessors. Plus, they answer audience questions on recycling capital, managing lines of credit, and why marking up SAFEs on SAFEs is a red flag for LPs.Subscribe to Carta's weekly Data Minute newsletter: https://carta.com/subscribe/data-newsletter-sign-up/Explore interactive startup and VC data, with Carta's Data Desk: https://carta.com/data-desk/Chapters:00:00 – Intro: The business of the fund02:30 – GP Commit: How much skin in the game?04:40 – Why PE managers commit more than VCs05:58 – The rise of the Anchor LP10:38 – Capital Calls: Timelines and delays15:30 – Why the 2022 vintage is deploying slowly19:53 – Is "2 and 20" still the standard for fees?23:00 – Carry benchmarks across fund sizes25:40 – The rarity of preferred returns in VC27:00 – Operating Expenses: Legal vs. Tax costs28:58 – Why audits are becoming mandatory31:33 – The danger of marking up SAFEs33:22 – Managing Manco expenses35:24 – Q&A: When to call capital41:35 – Q&A: Valuation methodology and stale marks44:18 – Q&A: Secondaries and recycling capital47:58 – Q&A: Thesis drift49:28 – OutroThis presentation contains general information only and eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. (“Carta”) is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services, and is for informational purposes only.  This presentation is not a substitute for such professional advice or services nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business or interests. © 2026 eShares, Inc., dba Carta, Inc. All rights reserved.

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.The Goldman Sachs Alternatives Summit “convened leaders across finance, geopolitics, technology, and culture” to discuss themes driving global markets.2025's Alternatives Summit was about “navigating a world in flux,” as the firm's recap of its event noted. The event aimed to help investors cut through the noise and put together the pieces of the puzzle in a dynamic and increasingly complex world. Alt Goes Mainstream joined the event to have unscripted conversations with Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders to cut through the noise by unpacking key themes and trends at the intersection of private markets and private wealth.In this special series, we went behind the scenes and interviewed six Goldman Sachs Alternatives leaders about their current thinking on private markets and how the firm has built and evolved its private markets capabilities.This conversation was with Harold Hope, Partner, Global Head of Vintage Strategies, one of the world's largest secondary fund managers, in the External Investing Group (XIG) within Goldman Sachs Asset Management. He is also Chair of the XIG Vintage Funds Committee and a member of the XIG Real Estate Strategies Investment Committee and the XIG GP Strategies Investment Committee. Harold joined Goldman Sachs in 1999 as an Associate in Leveraged Finance and Corporate Finance within the Investment Banking Division and moved to the Alternative Investments & Manager Selection (now XIG) private equity business in 2001. He was named Managing Director in 2006 and Partner in 2016. Prior to joining the firm, Harold worked as a financial analyst at the investment banking boutique Bowles Hollowell Conner & Co. Harold earned a BA in Economics and Political Science from the University of North Carolina. Harold and I had a fascinating and timely conversation about the growth and evolution of the secondaries market. We discussed:Perspectives from Harold's early days in secondaries 25 years ago, when Goldman had raised its first $400M fund in secondaries and when the secondaries industry was doing around $2B per year in transaction volume.How the secondaries market is vastly different from five years ago. The evolution of innovation in the secondaries market.Why problem-solving is a defining feature of secondaries. What is the right skillset required to be a great secondaries investor?Why secondaries is fundamentally a valuation oriented business.Are secondaries returns driven by buying high-quality assets or by buying at steep discounts?Misconceptions about continuation vehicles and how the trend of private companies staying private longer impacts CVs.The how and the why behind Goldman's recent acquisition of Industry Ventures and why Goldman is excited about the opportunity set in venture and growth secondaries.Why scale matters in secondaries.Why secondaries might not become a traded market like the bank loan market and why secondaries may not fully achieve standardization because managers may not want completely uniform standardization.Why secondaries can be an on-ramp to private markets for private wealth investors.Thanks Harold for sharing your wisdom, expertise, and passion about secondaries and private markets. Show Notes00:35 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:26 Harold Hope's Background and Entry into Secondaries02:13 Evolution of the Secondaries Market02:30 Drivers of Change in the Market02:43 Innovations in the Secondary Market04:45 Skill Sets Required in Secondaries05:42 Valuation and Investment Strategies07:14 Continuation Vehicles (CVs) Explained09:27 Impact of Private Companies Staying Private Longer10:47 Acquisition of Industry Ventures12:01 Specialized Teams in Secondaries13:14 Goldman's Unique Position in Secondaries14:28 Leveraging Data and AI in Secondaries15:47 Recent Trends and Market Dynamics16:42 Future Growth of the Secondaries Market17:10 Secondaries as an On-Ramp for Retail Investors18:15 Closing Thoughts and Future OutlookEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

Aman Verjee, Founder and General Partner at Practical Venture Capital, shares his view of how venture capital has evolved over the past two decades and why secondary markets now play a critical role in the ecosystem. Drawing from his time at PayPal, eBay, and Sonos, Aman explains how companies today stay private far longer than they used to, what that means for early investors and employees, and how thoughtfully structured secondary transactions can reduce friction and misalignment on the cap table. He also challenges popular narratives around tech bubbles, walking through historical examples to explain why today's AI-driven market looks fundamentally different.In this episode, you'll learn:[01:11] Aman's journey from Wall Street to Practical VC[03:40] What made the early PayPal team exceptional[06:32] Follow the customer, not the original plan[10:44] Why are startups staying private longer today?[11:17] What secondary transactions actually are[18:41] How founders should handle secondary requests[26:11] Are we in a tech bubble today?The nonprofit organization Aman is passionate about: AYSO (American Youth Soccer Organization)About Aman VerjeeAman Verjee is the Founder and General Partner of Practical Venture Capital, a secondary-focused fund providing liquidity to early investors in late-stage private companies. Before launching Practical VC, Aman spent over a decade in finance and operations roles at PayPal and eBay, joining PayPal in 2001 before its IPO and witnessing its transformation from a money-beaming mobile app to the dominant payment platform for eBay. Earlier, he worked in investment banking in New York after studying economics at Stanford and constitutional law at Harvard Law School. Aman was recruited to PayPal by Peter Thiel and worked directly for David Sachs during the company's pivotal early years. Now partnering with Dave McClure, he focuses on Series C and D investments in SaaS and FinTech companies with $200M+ in revenue and clear paths to liquidity within 5-7 years. He's also writing a book on the history of financial bubbles and co-hosts the Trading Places podcast, analyzing private company valuations.About Practical Venture CapitalPractical Venture Capital is a secondary-focused venture firm that provides liquidity solutions for early investors, employees, and funds. Operating with a 7-year fund structure instead of the traditional 10-15 years, Practical VC targets 20-40% discounts to last-round valuations in Series C and D companies with $200M+ in revenue and clear paths to exit. The firm specializes in SaaS and FinTech but has made exceptions for exceptional opportunities like SpaceX, now their biggest winner despite violating their typical investment criteria. Founded by Aman Verjee and Dave McClure, Practical VC evaluates roughly 50 companies at any given time, making 5-10 investments annually. The firm also offers SPVs for deals that don't fit their main fund and covers LATAM opportunities through an operating partner in Argentina. Their approach recognizes that modern venture capital requires new liquidity solutions as companies like SpaceX (23 years private), Airbnb (17 years), and Palantir (20 years) redefine what "patient capital" means.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

Welcome back to the Alt Goes Mainstream podcast.Today's episode dives into the rapidly expanding world of secondaries with a senior leader at one of the pioneering firms in the secondaries space.We sat down at Franklin Templeton's New York office with Taylor Robinson, a Partner on the Secondary team at Lexington Partners, which has over $77B in total capitalization and is part of Franklin Templeton's family of private markets funds and strategies.Taylor, who joined the firm in 2008, is primarily focused on the origination, evaluation, and execution of secondary opportunities, including partnership and GP-led transactions. He's also a member of Lexington's ESG Steering Committee.Taylor and I had a fascinating conversation about the current state of the secondaries market. We covered many of the hot button topics and trends that are shaping the secondaries market, including:Why secondaries have become an integral part of many LPs portfolios.How secondaries have become a portfolio management tool for LPs.The rise of GP-led secondaries.Why not all CVs are created equal.Why secondaries can be a good on-ramp to private markets for wealth channel investors.What the future holds for secondaries.Thanks Taylor for coming on the show to share your expertise and wisdom about private markets and secondaries.Show Notes00:00 A Different Way of Thinking About Private Equity00:43 Welcome to the Alt Goes Mainstream Podcast01:20 Introduction to Taylor Robinson02:35 Taylor Robinson's Background and Career04:25 The Evolution of the Secondaries Market05:20 Impact of the Financial Crisis on Secondaries06:34 Growth and Liquidity in Private Markets07:13 Current State of the Secondaries Market07:29 Traditional vs. GP-Led Secondary Deals09:18 Challenges and Opportunities for Institutional LPs11:22 Active Portfolio Management Strategies13:06 Driving Returns and Gaining Edge14:46 Evaluating and Partnering with GPs16:30 Nuances of the Secondary Market17:22 Market Dynamics and Investment Strategies18:04 The Role of Data and Technology19:35 Regulation and Standardization in Private Markets20:08 Evolving Focus of Secondaries Firms20:51 Investment Horizons and Return Expectations22:17 Primary vs. Secondary Fund Investing27:07 Specialization and Diversification in Private Equity28:41 Managing Favorite Assets28:49 Diversified Portfolio Nuances29:37 Generating Alpha in Secondaries30:22 Asset Selection and Value Drivers31:09 Consistent Investor Experience33:53 Comparing Secondaries and Primaries35:51 Evaluating Secondaries Over Time37:18 Evergreen Funds and New Structures38:11 Benefits of Locked-Up Capital40:34 Challenges in Evergreen Space41:39 Wealth Channel and Scale43:04 Skillset for Secondaries Investors45:16 Intellectual Curiosity and Success47:45 Industry Trends and GP Consolidation49:16 Understanding Market Dynamics50:18 Training and Retention at Lexington50:41 Future of Secondary Markets52:54 Misconceptions About Secondaries54:31 Shifting Mindsets on Discounts54:54 Consistent Returns Through Cycles55:42 Secondaries as a Real Asset Class56:16 Excitement for Future Growth56:22 Conclusion and FarewellEditing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant.

On this episode, Amyn Hassanally, Partner and Global Head of Private Equity Secondaries at Pantheon, explains the role secondaries play as a core portfolio management tool, rather than a source of distressed liquidity, and offers practical insight into how investors can use secondaries to manage timing, concentration and cash flow as exits slow.Learn how experienced investors diligence and assess value in secondaries, how motivation and repeatability are underwritten in practice, and why portfolio management and alignment are so essential in these types of deals.The information contained in this podcast is not intended to constitute, and should not be construed as, investment advice.

Hans Swildens is a partner and Head of Industry Ventures at Goldman Sachs. Industry Ventures is one of the pioneers in the secondary market for venture capital, managing several billion in assets across LP stakes, direct secondaries, and primary fund investments. In October of 2025, Goldman Sachs announced they were acquiring Industry Ventures in a deal worth over $900 million dollars. In this episode of World of DaaS, Hans and Auren discuss:The evolution of secondaries from distressed deals to 70% of VC exits Why Goldman Sachs paid almost $1 billion to acquire Industry Ventures How Industry Ventures uses data from 700+ fund LP positions as a competitive edge The future of venture fund structures and permanent capital vehiclesYou can find Auren Hoffman on X at @auren and Hans Swildens on X at @hansswildens.Editing and post-production work for this episode was provided by The Podcast Consultant (https://thepodcastconsultant.com)

Send us a textEpisode 2 of Inside the Family Office: Live Investor PanelReal family office practitioners and allocators share how they structure deals, protect families, and think about wealth: Isaac, a former Morgan Stanley advisor who now runs a multi-family office and investment bank in L.A., walks through how his team allocates across public and private markets. He explains why secondaries and “cleaning up cap tables” are attractive right now, how he thinks about SPVs and fee layers, and why infrastructure and process matter more than chasing the latest hot sector. Isaac also pushes back on “country-club investing” and urges families to only back deals that truly fit their objectives, liquidity, and decision-making capacity. Dr. Cook reinforces the critical – and often neglected – role of back-office infrastructure in family office success.

Simon Schmincke, General Partner bei Creandum, spricht über die radikalen Veränderungen im Venture Capital der letzten Jahre. Er erklärt, warum Wachstum und Wettbewerb auf einem neuen Level angekommen sind, wie sich Gründerprofile und Teamstrukturen verändern und was das für Startups, Investoren und den europäischen Tech-Standort bedeutet. Außerdem gibt er Einblicke in die aktuelle IPO-Landschaft, den Secondary-Markt und die Herausforderungen, die mit immer größeren Fonds und globalem Wettbewerb einhergehen. Was du lernst: - Wie sich die VC- und Startup-Welt in Rekordzeit verändert - Warum Geschwindigkeit, technisches Know-how und globale Perspektive entscheidend sind - Wie du als Gründer heute Product-Market-Fit und Defensibility wirklich aufbaust - Welche Rolle IPOs, Secondaries und Fondsgröße für den Erfolg spielen - Warum jetzt die spannendste Zeit für Tech und Innovation ist ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://stan.store/fabiantausch Mehr zu Simon: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/simonschmincke/ CREANDUM: https://www.creandum.com/ Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/ Kapitel: (00:00:00) Einstieg & Status Quo im VC (00:03:09) Ständiger Wandel & Lernkurve im VC (00:06:38) Neue Gründerprofile & Teamstrukturen (00:12:50) Go-to-Market & Sales-Strategien (00:16:05) Sourcing, Auswahl & Investment-Entscheidungen (00:19:46) Wettbewerbsfähigkeit & Marktpositionierung (00:21:58) Product-Market-Fit heute (00:29:38) Defensibility & Burggraben (00:32:36) Teamgrößen, Effizienz & neue Organisationsmodelle (00:37:14) Flight to Quality & Fonds-Konzentration (00:47:37) IPOs, Secondaries & Exits (00:55:17) Europa vs. USA & Kapitalmärkte (00:56:44) Portfolio-Highlights & Fund-Returner

Michelle Creed, Partner and Co-Head of Real Estate Secondaries, and Min Zhou, Managing Director in the Ares Secondaries Group, join host Stewart Foley, CFA, on the InsuranceAUM.com Podcast for an in-depth discussion on real estate secondaries and how the market has evolved.   The conversation explores the growth of GP-led transactions and continuation vehicles, the impact of valuation resets and liquidity dynamics, and how real estate secondaries can be used as a portfolio management tool. Michelle and Min also address common misconceptions around discounts, asset quality, and the motivations behind secondary transactions.   The episode concludes with insights into portfolio construction considerations, diversification, and capital efficiency, particularly as institutional investors navigate shifting real estate and private market environments.

Hub Headlines features audio versions of the best commentaries and analysis published daily in The Hub. Enjoy listening to original and provocative takes on the issues that matter while you are on the go.   0:18 - Canada's post-secondaries need a major wake-up call, by Jack M. Mintz   10:41 - Stop appealing to international law—there's no such thing, by Stephen Staley   16:47 - The global policeman is becoming the global rent-seeker, by Rudyard Griffiths and Sean Speer   This program is narrated by automated voices. To get full-length editions of popular Hub podcasts and other great perks, subscribe to the Hub for only $2 a week: https://thehub.ca/join/hero/   Subscribe to The Hub's podcast feed to get all our best content: https://tinyurl.com/3a7zpd7e (Apple) https://tinyurl.com/y8akmfn7 (Spotify) Watch The Hub on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheHubCanada The Hub on X: https://x.com/thehubcanada?lang=en   CREDITS: Alisha Rao – Producer & Sound Editor   To contact us, sign up for updates, and access transcripts, email support@thehub.ca

In this episode, Evercore's Nigel Dawn, David Markson, Ryan Rohloff, and Micki Haber of the firm's Private Capital Advisory (PCA) group sit down to discuss the state of the secondaries market and key insights from their newly released 2025 Secondary Market Report.Nigel Dawn – Senior Managing Director and Head of Evercore's PCA groupDavid Markson – Senior Managing Director, EvercoreRyan Rohloff – Senior Managing Director, EvercoreMicki Haber – COO of Evercore's PCA group© Evercore Inc. 2026 All rights reserved.The material contained herein is intended as a general market and/or economic commentary and is not intended to constitute financial, legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. The information contained in this podcast does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities from any Evercore entity to the listener and should not be relied upon to evaluate any potential transaction. The information contained in this recording was obtained from publicly available sources, has not been independently verified by Evercore, may not be current, and Evercore has no obligation to provide any updates or changes. This podcast is not a product of Evercore Investment Research and the information contained in this podcast is not financial research. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of Evercore and may differ from the views and opinions of other departments or divisions of Evercore and its affiliates. In addition, the receipt of this podcast by any listener is not to be taken to constitute such person a client of any Evercore entity. Neither Evercore nor any of its affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or any information contained in this podcast and any liability therefore (including in respect of direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage) is expressly disclaimed.

Michael Bego is the Founder and Managing Partner of Kline Hill Partners, one of the most distinctive and consistently performing players in the secondary market. Over the past decade, he has built a platform focused on small secondary transactions — a “white space” largely ignored by mega-funds — anchored in discipline, execution, and a relentless focus on investor returns. Under his leadership, Kline Hill has grown from a few hundred million to more than six billion dollars in assets under management, while preserving its original DNA: doing many small, carefully selected deals, rather than chasing size for the sake of size. Last year, the firm completed 150 transactions, one of the highest volumes in the industry. In this episode, Michael walks us through: - the strategic logic behind concentrating on small LP and GP-led transactions - the pivot he made in 2020 to accelerate cash distributions (IRR / DPI) without compromising long-term performance - what “deal sourcing” really means when you're not fishing in the same pond as everyone else - the rationale behind bringing TA Associates in as a minority partner, and what that actually changes inside a firm We also explore the future of secondaries:the growth of evergreen vehicles, the risks of misunderstood liquidity, the professionalization of the asset class, and the potential headwinds if regulation becomes heavier. And, of course, Michael delivers a powerful message to young professionals: careers are not linear. It took him more than ten years to break into secondaries. What made the difference was discipline, daily execution, and the courage to think differently from everyone else. A candid, insightful and truly inspiring conversation — right at the heart of what makes the secondary market unique today Thank you Michael, Voix de la FinanceHébergé par Ausha. Visitez ausha.co/politique-de-confidentialite pour plus d'informations.

In the constantly shifting landscape of private credit secondaries, diversification and strategic alignment play crucial roles as navigational aides.In this episode of Cloud 9fin, Josie Shillito, head of private credit at 9fin, delves into the burgeoning market of private credit secondaries with experts Daniel Roddick and Francois Bouillon from Ely Place Partners.They set the scene by highlighting the explosive growth in GP-led secondaries. This has been driven by a pressing need for liquidity amidst subdued M&A and IPO activity. The conversation explores how investors can strategically position themselves to capitalize on this market, emphasizing the importance of understanding the nuances of both LP-led and GP-led transactions.Have any feedback for us? Send us a note at podcast@9fin.com.

In this episode, we sit down with Maxim and Pavel from FinSight Ventures to explore their unique "secondary-first" investment strategy, which allows them to capture equity in giants like Anthropic, SpaceX, Stripe, and Palantir. We dive deep into their newly launched $50M Generative AI Index Fund, a novel product bringing index investing logic to private markets. Maxim and Pavel also break down their distinct approaches for different geographies—operating as a "fund of funds" in India while pursuing "local monopolies" and super-apps in emerging markets like Uzbekistan. Tune in to understand why they believe AI-native startups will beat incumbents and how they find alpha in inefficient markets globally.⭐ Sponsored by Podcast10x - Podcasting agency for VCs - https://podcast10x.comIn this episode, we cover:- Why the "middle" is missing in private market investing.- How to buy secondaries from early employees and liquidity-seeking funds.- The "Fund of Funds" strategy for penetrating the Indian market.- Why AI-native startups have a long-term advantage over incumbents.Companies & Concepts Mentioned:Portfolio Highlights: Zoom, SpaceX, Anthropic, Palantir, Stripe, Razorpay, Medibuddy.Concepts: Secondary Markets, Index Funds, Super Apps, Fund of Funds, DPI (Distributed to Paid-In Capital).Links -FinSight Ventures - https://www.finsightvc.com/Maxim - https://www.linkedin.com/in/nazarovmaxim/Pavel - https://www.linkedin.com/in/pavelgurianov/Website: https://VC10X.comLinkedIn: https://linkedin.com/in/choubeysahabTimestamps:(00:00) - Finsight's unique value proposition in securing competitive deals.(00:23) - Finsight's secondary-first strategy for its growth stage portfolio.(00:41) - Adapting investment strategies to find alpha in different markets.(01:30) - Episode introduction and sponsor message.(03:12) - Finsight's core investment thesis across diverse global markets.(04:46) - The logic behind Finsight's $50 million generative AI index fund.(06:10) - How the growth of secondary markets enables an index fund strategy.(07:28) - Securing allocations in category-defining companies like Anthropic and SpaceX.(09:09) - Who sells in the secondary market: employees vs. VCs.(10:15) - How Finsight sources secondary deals from individual employees.(12:00) - Finsight's specific investment angle and focus in the Indian market.(15:05) - Comparing the US secondary approach vs. the India fund-of-funds model.(16:49) - The philosophy of finding alpha by understanding a fund's strengths and weaknesses.(18:10) - Key trends in enterprise AI adoption and the shift to sustainable revenue.(22:09) - How to judge the stickiness and sustainability of an AI startup's revenue.(24:03) - Using gross margin as an indicator of a product's ROI.(25:17) - The conviction behind investing in Uzum, Uzbekistan's first unicorn.(27:40) - Insights into building a global VC firm with diverse strategies.(30:59) - Evaluating Anthropic in the competitive landscape of large language models.(34:36) - The biggest misconceptions about Finsight's global investment strategy.(38:21) - Start of the Rapid Fire Round.For sponsorship or guest appearance requests, write to prashantchoubey3@gmail.comSubscribe to VC10X on Youtube, Spotify, Apple Podcasts.#VentureCapital #GenerativeAI #SecondaryMarket #Investing #SpaceX #Anthropic #IndiaStartupEcosystem #PrivateEquity #TechInvesting

This episode is sponsored by Lexington Partners, LGT Capital Partners and Davis Polk and first appeared on Secondaries Investor's Second Thoughts podcast. In 2024, GP-led deals hit a record of $71 billion in transaction volume, accounting for 44 percent of the total secondaries market volume of $160 billion, according to Evercore's FY 2024 Secondary Market Review. This is significant and marks the increasing popularity of continuation vehicles as an exit route. In this episode, Secondaries Investor senior editor Adam Le is joined by Lexington Partners' Jeffrey Bloom, LGT Capital Partners' Brooke Zhou and Davis Polk's Leor Landa. The trio explore how GP-led transactions have rapidly grown into a mainstream liquidity and portfolio-management tool, against a backdrop of constrained exit markets, rising LP demand for liquidity and increasing GP comfort with continuation vehicles. They also examine market dynamics across deal sizes, noting the challenges of scaling mega single-asset vehicles and the significant untapped opportunity in the mid-market, where many GPs are still early in their GP-led journeys. Brooke Zhou is a partner at LGT Capital Partners in Hong Kong, an investment committee member, and is responsible for origination, due diligence, execution and monitoring of Asian primary and secondary investments Jeffrey Bloom is a partner on the secondaries team at Lexington Partners focused on the origination, evaluation and execution of continuation vehicle transactions Leor Landa is a partner and head of investment management at Davis Polk Adam Le is senior editor, EMEA, Private Equity Group, at PEI Group

Welcome back to another episode of the EUVC Podcast. Today, we're thrilled to feature Leyla Holterud, partner at Vintage Investment Partners. Many know Leyla from her years at StepStone, where she led venture growth across EMEA. Now, at Vintage, she's helping deploy $4.3 billion from their global platform to double down on Europe, anchored by the firm's new London office. With a strategy spanning fund-of-funds, growth, and secondaries, Leyla offers a rare vantage point on the European VC landscape.

Corporate venture capital isn't just having “a bit of VC on the side.” Done well, it's a strategic lens on the future. Done badly, it's a short-lived pet project with a half-life of 3.7 years and a trail of confused founders and annoyed co-investors.In this episode, we sit down with Martin Scherrer, Partner & Head of Managed Funds at Redstone, alongside our own CVC lead Jeppe Høier, to unpack what really happens when corporates leave venture — and how to do it without destroying value or reputation.Redstone runs a dual model: classic VC funds + “VC-as-a-Service” for corporates and family offices. Martin himself has lived three lives:Inside Swiss Re's CVC (later shut down)As a founder of an insurtech in SwitzerlandNow as VC & fund manager at Redstone across multiple corporate mandates.

This week on The Data Minute, Peter sits down with Vivek Ladsariya, Managing Director at Pioneer Square Labs, for a deep dive into the Seattle startup ecosystem and the evolving world of venture studios.Vivek breaks down why Seattle has become the quiet giant of AI infrastructure, holding the second-highest concentration of AI talent in the US, and explains why the "locked up" talent at Amazon and Microsoft is finally breaking free. He also gives a candid assessment of the venture studio model, why many studios are "zombies," how AI is forcing them to pivot to a holding company structure, and why he actually encourages his Seattle founders to move to San Francisco.They also discuss the economics of small funds vs. mega funds, why signaling risk is real for follow-on rounds, and the "unscalable" things emerging managers must do to compete. Plus: a look at an investment fighting the loneliness epidemic and a rare story of a VC voluntarily taking dilution to save a cap table.Subscribe to Carta's weekly Data Minute newsletter: https://carta.com/subscribe/data-newsletter-sign-up/Explore interactive startup and VC data, with Carta's Data Desk: https://carta.com/data-desk/Chapters:00:00 – Intro: Seattle, Studios, and AI01:10 – Welcome Vivek Ladsariya02:22 – How mega funds warped the SF market05:08 – Inside Pioneer Square Labs06:40 – The "Bar Test": Speed of funding in SF vs. Seattle09:23 – Is Seattle talent trapped in Big Tech?11:46 – The "Cracked Kid" vs. The Seasoned Exec15:50 – Why Seattle is the #2 AI hub in the US17:02 – Why Vivek wants Seattle founders to move to SF20:10 – The case against remote work for startups21:53 – Why Seattle is the infrastructure capital of AI24:11 – The Venture Studio model: Why do VCs hate it?27:10 – How AI is disrupting the studio model29:00 – The HoldCo future: Hims & Hers and Liquid Death31:22 – Using a studio to compete with mega-fund platforms33:45 – Why PSL will never raise a mega fund36:16 – The psychology of follow-on reserves38:56 – Signaling risk: "Why didn't Andreessen invest?"41:30 – Secondaries vs. holding onto winners45:28 – Are LPs tired of mega funds?46:31 – Why you can't be a solo GP forever48:56 – Investing in the loneliness epidemic (Tin Can)50:43 – The most value-add thing a VC can do52:07 – OutroThis presentation contains general information only and eShares, Inc. dba Carta, Inc. (“Carta”) is not, by means of this publication, rendering accounting, business, financial, investment, legal, tax, or other professional advice or services, and is for informational purposes only.  This presentation is not a substitute for such professional advice or services nor should it be used as a basis for any decision or action that may affect your business or interests. © 2025 eShares, Inc., dba Carta, Inc. All rights reserved.

Welcome back to the EUVC Podcast — where we go deep with the people shaping European venture.Today, David sits down with Kristaps Ronis, Partner at ION Pacific, a global secondaries investor (HQ in LA, presence in Europe & Asia) focused on Series B+ tech and a specialty that's getting hotter by the month: structured secondaries.Kristaps runs ION Pacific's European practice and has been with the firm since inception (2015). In this episode, he unpacks why DPI is king, why traditional “sell-the-shares” secondaries often fall short, and how structured deals can deliver liquidity without selling or signaling — all while preserving control and upside for GPs.Whether you're a GP under LP pressure, an LP looking for distributions, or a founder trying to understand what's happening around your cap table, this one's for you.Here's what's covered:00:55 – Who is ION Pacific? Global secondaries focused on B/C/D with a European practice led by Kristaps.02:36 – What they do: Liquidity for venture via structured & traditional secondaries.04:01 – Kristaps' path: Latvia → Peking University → Hong Kong banking → co-founding ION Pacific.06:05 – What are structured secondaries (in one line).07:35 – Three big learnings in venture: lack of financial innovation, complex cap tables = silent killer, DPI is king.10:48 – Early vs. later stage instruments — why complexity hits hard post-Series B.17:16 – Why secondaries now (esp. in Europe): DPI pressure, awareness, more dedicated players.21:09 – Continuation vehicles in Europe: “2025 is the year of the EU CV.”23:31 – Where structured deals fit: liquidity without selling, pricing gaps, zero market signaling.26:20 – “What's the catch?” Educating LPs on partial upfront + future upside.28:05 – Advice for GPs & LPs: how to open the liquidity conversation.29:53 – Solving the bid–ask spread: structure beats headline discounts.31:27 – Co-investing: where others join (and where they don't).32:26 – The market gap: too big for small PE secondaries, too small for mega funds — ION's sweet spot.35:55 – Timing: don't start in year 11 of a 10+2 fund; think 6–9 months ahead.36:58 – Seller mistakes: timing, portfolio prep, governance blockers, LP comms.40:23 – Good news for emerging managers: relationships can reopen info rights.43:37 – Kristaps' bookshelf: The One Thing, Getting to Neutral, Buy Back Your Time.45:23 – How to reach Kristaps: LinkedIn + email; open to being a sounding board.

Venture capital isn't dead — it's evolving. Carta's Head of Insights, Peter Walker, joins Jon Bradshaw and Peter Harris to unpack what the data really says about the 2025 market. From the AI-fueled bifurcation to shrinking equity packages and a wave of secondaries, this episode breaks down how founders, VCs, and LPs are adapting in real time.Peter shares Carta's inside view on:The comeback of deal flow and valuationsWhy down rounds are easing but hiring hasn't reboundedHow founder dilution and equity norms have shiftedThe rise of liquidity via secondaries and fund-to-fund capitalWhat signals matter most heading into 2026If you care about where venture is heading next — this is the episode.Follow the PodcastInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/venturecapitalfm/Twitter: https://twitter.com/vcpodcastfmLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/venturecapitalfm/Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/7BQimY8NJ6cr617lqtRr7N?si=ftylo2qHQiCgmT9dfloD_g&nd=1&dlsi=7b868f1b72094351Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/venture-capital/id1575351789Website: https://www.venturecapital.fm/Follow Jon BradshawLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mrbradshaw/Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mrjonbradshaw/Twitter: https://twitter.com/mrjonbradshawFollow Peter HarrisLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/peterharris1Twitter: https://twitter.com/thevcstudentInstagram: https://instagram.com/shodanpeteYoutube: https://www.youtube.com/@peterharris2812

On this week's episode of Multifamily Mastery, John Casmon interviews Christine Healey. Christine explains how accredited investors can access late-stage private tech companies like SpaceX, Stripe, and OpenAI, drawing parallels to real estate syndication while outlining critical differences around illiquidity, pricing, and structures. She shares how a licensed pre-IPO broker sources sellers, compares offer structures, and protects buyers from red flags in a fragmented market. The conversation also touches on where risk really shows up and why today's mega-unicorns are staying private longer, concentrating who participates in the upside. Securities offered through Old City Securities, LLC. This discussion is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an affiliation with or endorsement of any company, and does not constitute a recommendation, offer to sell, or solicitation of an offer to buy, any securities. Investments in private companies are offered only through appropriate offering materials and accreditation requirements apply as defined under SEC Regulation D. Investments in private companies involve high risk, including the risk of complete loss of capital. These investments are illiquid, through a variety of structures including SPVs, may be difficult or impossible to resell, and may not ever result in an IPO or other liquidity event. Past performance is not indicative of future results. The speaker may receive compensation in connection with certain transactions discussed. There is no guarantee these private companies will achieve any specific valuation, and returns can vary widely and may underperform public markets. They may also involve additional risks not present in public market investments. Christine HealeyCurrent role: Founder, HEALEY PRE-IPO Based in: Austin, Texas Say hi to them at: https://healeypreipo.com/ | LinkedIn Get 50% Off Monarch Money, the all-in-one financial tool at www.monarchmoney.com with code BESTEVER Join the Best Ever Community  The Best Ever Community is live and growing - and we want serious commercial real estate investors like you inside. It's free to join, but you must apply and meet the criteria.  Connect with top operators, LPs, GPs, and more, get real insights, and be part of a curated network built to help you grow. Apply now at ⁠www.bestevercommunity.com⁠ Podcast production done by ⁠Outlier Audio⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Benedikt Langer, pastor turned family office investor and creator of “Embracing Emergence,” shares his journey and investment philosophy focused on backing exceptional people rather than just deals. He discusses the challenges and lessons of transitioning from direct investing to supporting emerging managers, the value of qualitative insights and reputation, and the importance of building trust and community within venture capital. Listeners will gain actionable perspectives on selecting partners, developing authentic investment approaches, the evolving landscape for LPs in the years ahead, and so much more.Highlights from this week's conversation include:Welcome to Today's Episode (0:32)Benedikt's Journey in Faith, Finance, and LP Investing (3:14)Early Lessons from Family Office Investing (6:13)Evolving to Fund-of-Funds and Philosophy on Backing Managers (9:20)Framework for Evaluating GPs with Data and Intuition (11:52)Insider Segment:Liquidity, Secondaries, and Industry Structures (14:42)Deep Dive into Secondary Vehicles, SPVs, and Negotiations (18:54)Brand Versus Reputation for Emerging Managers (22:54)Approaching Firm Building and Scaling Teams (25:56)Importance of Firm Naming and Newsletter Vision (29:14)Journalistic Community Vision and Transparent Conversations (31:25)Family Office Outlook and the Future of LP Function (34:02)Book Influences and Investing Philosophy (35:23)Reflections and Parting Thoughts (38:35)TOV Lending is a family-owned private capital provider offering competitive rates and hands-on service to real estate investors and home flippers. Alongside TOV, Benedikt Langer leads Embracing Emergence—a platform connecting LPs and emerging managers with a focus on thoughtful, values-driven investing. Learn more at  https://embracingemergence.beehiiv.com.Sidley Austin LLP is a premier global law firm with a dedicated Venture Funds practice, advising top venture capital firms, institutional investors, and private equity sponsors on fund formation, investment structuring, and regulatory compliance. With deep expertise across private markets, Sidley provides strategic legal counsel to help funds scale effectively. Learn more at sidley.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only. Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

The Education Brief: Wednesday 15 October 2025 - Top stories include:Ofsted's top brass defended their new “report card” inspection system before MPs.ASCL is considering legal action against Ofsted over fears its “report card” inspection system could harm school leaders' wellbeing.Three in four teachers say misogyny is now a major problem in schools.There has been a “vacuum of information” around the long-awaited SEND reforms.Only 6 per cent of SEND coordinators say they can complete their work within contracted hours.Round Up for Schools:Book staff on NPQs now and share bursary and scholarship info to boost recruitment.Drop AI and data posters into this week's staff briefing and update your privacy notice templates.Finalise your PE premium plan — focus on sustainability and inclusion.Secondaries can launch The Bro Code discussions with Heads of Year or RSHE leads to implement the anti-misogynistic resources into your curriculum.HEP Updates:⁠HEP Inclusion & SEND Conference 2026: Neurodiversity in the classroomLeadership 55 with Patrick CozierWatching - https://community.stem.org.uk/browse/scl-odListening - ⁠https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m002kf52Reading - https://substack.nomoremarking.com/p/why-education-can-never-be-funAI Tool - ⁠https://openai.com/index/sora-2/⁠Music by Slo Pony⁠

Once a niche segment, the private equity secondaries market has seen substantial growth and is reshaping the broader alternative asset landscape. In this episode, Goldman Sachs' Harold Hope and Alex Blostein discuss the evolution of the private equity secondaries market. This episode was recorded on September 29, 2025. The opinions and views expressed herein are as of the date of publication, subject to change without notice, and may not necessarily reflect the institutional views of Goldman Sachs or its affiliates. The material provided is intended for informational purposes only, and does not constitute investment advice, a recommendation from any Goldman Sachs entity to take any particular action, or an offer or solicitation to purchase or sell any securities or financial products. This material may contain forward-looking statements. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Neither Goldman Sachs nor any of its affiliates make any representations or warranties, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or information contained herein and disclaim any liability whatsoever for reliance on such information for any purpose. Each name of a third-party organization mentioned is the property of the company to which it relates, is used here strictly for informational and identification purposes only and is not used to imply any ownership or license rights between any such company and Goldman Sachs. A transcript is provided for convenience and may differ from the original video or audio content. Goldman Sachs is not responsible for any errors in the transcript. This material should not be copied, distributed, published, or reproduced in whole or in part or disclosed by any recipient to any other person without the express written consent of Goldman Sachs. Disclosures applicable to research with respect to issuers, if any, mentioned herein are available through your Goldman Sachs representative or at http://www.gs.com/research/hedge.html. © 2025 Goldman Sachs. All rights reserved. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Private markets are swelling, public markets are shrinking, and the line between the two has never been blurrier. In this episode, CJ sits down with Scott Voss, Managing Partner at HarbourVest, to make sense of what's happening across venture, private equity, credit, and secondaries. Scott explains why companies like SpaceX and OpenAI are now valued alongside public giants, how the surge in take-privates is reshaping corporate strategy, and what happens when the quarterly earnings pressure disappears. They dive into the rise of GP-led deals, the evolving role of private credit as the “third voice in the room,” and why liquidity—not scarcity—will define this cycle. Scott also breaks down the growing appeal of evergreen and permanent capital structures, plus what AI mega-deals signal about the next phase of private investing.—LINKS:Scott Voss on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-voss-b91b94/HarbourVest Partners: https://www.harbourvest.comCJ on X (@cjgustafson222): https://x.com/cjgustafson222Mostly metrics: https://www.mostlymetrics.comRELATED EPISODES:Secondaries, Continuation Vehicles, and Sidecar Funds: Private Equity with HarbourVest's Scott Voss -—TIMESTAMPS:(00:00:00) Preview and Intro(00:02:49) Sponsor – Mercury | RightRev | Tipalti(00:06:43) Opening Conversation(00:07:23) The Blurring Line Between Public and Private(00:09:36) The Rise of Mega Venture(00:11:20) The First $10 Trillion Company(00:12:28) The Shrinking Public Markets(00:13:09) Take-Private Playbook(00:14:04) Why Companies Go Private(00:16:00) Sponsor – Aleph | Rillet | Fidelity Private Shares(00:19:21) Efficiency and Exits(00:23:15) Liquidity in Private Markets(00:24:01) Secondaries and GP-Led Deals(00:27:14) Yale and the Secondary Market(00:29:09) Innovation and the Rise of GP-to-GP Trades(00:30:16) Liquidity Cycles and Interest Rates(00:33:18) The Third Voice in the Room – Private Credit(00:34:44) Private Credit and GP-Led Deals(00:36:02) Interest Rates and Deal Spreads(00:37:15) The Major Players in Private Credit(00:38:09) Regulation and Risk(00:39:25) Private Credit vs. Traditional Lending(00:40:33) Evergreen and Permanent Capital(00:45:57) Expanding Access to Private Markets(00:47:03) Understanding the Cap Table(00:47:44) AI Deals and Consolidation(00:50:00) The Evolution of AI and Blockchain(00:53:20) Funding Innovation and Risk(00:55:28) Lessons From Investing(00:55:39) Nostalgia and Life Phases(00:57:06) Nostalgia and the 1990s(00:59:21) Learn, Earn, and Return(01:00:45) Talking Nostalgia at Dinners(01:01:27) Summer Surfing(01:02:25) Wrap-Up and Closing—SPONSORS:Fidelity Private Shares is the all-in-one equity management platform that keeps your cap table clean, your data room organized, and your equity story clear—so you never risk losing a fundraising round over messy records. Schedule a demo at https://www.fidelityprivateshares.com and mention Mostly Metrics to get 20% off.Mercury is business banking built for builders, giving founders and finance pros a financial stack that actually works together. From sending wires to tracking balances and approving payments, Mercury makes it simple to scale without friction. Join the 200,000+ entrepreneurs who trust Mercury and apply online in minutes at https://www.mercury.comRightRev automates the revenue recognition process from end to end, gives you real-time insights, and ensures ASC 606 / IFRS 15 compliance—all while closing books faster. For RevRec that auditors actually trust, visit https://www.rightrev.com and schedule a demo.Tipalti automates the entire payables process—from onboarding suppliers to executing global payouts—helping finance teams save time, eliminate costly errors, and scale confidently across 200+ countries and 120 currencies. More than 5,000 businesses already trust Tipalti to manage payments with built-in security and tax compliance. Visit https://www.tipalti.com/runthenumbers to learn more.Aleph automates 90% of manual, error-prone busywork, so you can focus on the strategic work you were hired to do. Minimize busywork and maximize impact with the power of a web app, the flexibility of spreadsheets, and the magic of AI. Get a personalised demo at https://www.getaleph.com/runRillet is the AI-native ERP modern finance teams are switching to because it's faster, simpler, and 100% built for how teams operate today. See how fast your team can move. Book a demo at https://www.rillet.com/metrics#RunTheNumbersPodcast #PrivateMarkets #VentureCapital #TakePrivate #FinanceLeadership This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit cjgustafson.substack.com

In this episode, Adam and Amy are joined by guest (co-host?) Grainne to discuss all things data in schools. Is behaviour better in primaries or secondaries? Should schools ban skirts? And where are we up to with phones?Unfortunately, Adam had a problem with his audio, but it should be fixed for next week!

This episode is sponsored by Lexington Partners, Proskauer and StepStone Group and first appeared on Secondaries Investor's Second Thoughts podcast The secondaries market is benefitting from private markets' push into the private wealth space, with managers either launching secondaries-focused vehicles or secondaries making up a meaningful component of many evergreen funds. Evergreen funds raised $16 billion in the first half of 2025 alone, 60 percent of which is dedicated to secondaries capital, according to estimates from Campbell Lutyens included in its H1 Secondary Market Overview Report. In this episode, Secondaries Investor editor Madeleine Farman is joined by Lexington Partners' Taylor Robinson and StepStone Group's Brian Borton, both of whose organisations run evergreen vehicles deploying into the secondaries market. Proskauer's head of its registered fund group John Mahon also joins the conversation. In the wide-ranging conversation, Mahon, Borton and Robinson discuss appropriate ways to structure these vehicles, where to invest evergreen capital, regulatory updates, the long-term trajectory for these vehicles, and how they may impact the secondaries market.

What's next for private equity? We continue our Private Markets Outlook series with a discussion featuring Jorge Rossello, Managing Director, LP Secondaries. He joins Research team members Andrew Korz and Alan Flannigan to explore how private equity investors are navigating a shifting landscape. The Private Markets Outlook podcast series from Future Standard features special guests and portfolio managers from across our firm, each bringing unique perspectives on private equity, private credit and real estate. Subscribe and stay tuned for more.  Related:Follow the value, not the herd: The new private markets imperative U.S. exceptionalism: At a crossroadsHave a question for our experts? Text us for a chance to have your questions answered on the next episode.To watch the video version, go to https://www.youtube.com/@futurestandard_fs For more research insights go to https://futurestandard.com/insights

As retail investor access to Private Credit gains global momentum, stay informed with our latest podcast. Tim Clark, Mary Lavelle (Global Co-Chairs, Private Funds and Secondaries) and Ivet Bell (Private Funds and Secondaries partner) delve into key market and regulatory shifts, including potential US regulatory changes that will facilitate "retail investor” investment in Private Capital investments through 401(k)s.

In this episode, Evercore's Nigel Dawn and Mike Addeo explore the evolving landscape of private credit secondaries and share insights into the key factors fueling growth in this market. Nigel Dawn – Global Head of Private Capital Advisory and Senior Managing Director, EvercoreMike Addeo – Senior Managing Director, Evercore© Evercore Inc. 2025 All rights reserved.The material contained herein is intended as a general market and/or economic commentary and is not intended to constitute financial, legal, tax, accounting or investment advice. The information contained in this podcast does not constitute an offer to buy or sell securities from any Evercore entity to the listener and should not be relied upon to evaluate any potential transaction. The information contained in this recording was obtained from publicly available sources, has not been independently verified by Evercore, may not be current, and Evercore has no obligation to provide any updates or changes. This podcast is not a product of Evercore Investment Research and the information contained in this podcast is not financial research. The views and opinions expressed in this podcast are not necessarily those of Evercore and may differ from the views and opinions of other departments or divisions of Evercore and its affiliates. In addition, the receipt of this podcast by any listener is not to be taken to constitute such person a client of any Evercore entity. Neither Evercore nor any of its affiliates makes any representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the accuracy or completeness of the statements or any information contained in this podcast and any liability therefore (including in respect of direct, indirect or consequential loss or damage) is expressly disclaimed.

Welcome back to another episode of the EUVC Podcast, where we gather Europe's venture family to share the stories, insights, and lessons that drive our ecosystem forward.Today we welcome Olav Ostin, Founder & Managing Partner at TempoCap, one of Europe's few dedicated secondary direct firms. With a nine-year track record, a 12-person team in London and Berlin (soon Paris), and multiple $500M+ exits, Olav is perfectly placed to explain why secondaries have gone from taboo to the hottest corner of venture.From buying whole portfolios from corporates to cherry-picking strip deals with VCs under LP pressure, TempoCap has built a reputation for navigating complex transactions and delivering liquidity in a market starved of exits. In this conversation, Olav shares what makes secondary directs different, how pricing really works, and why “who isn't selling?” is the right question in today's market.

Anna Alex, Gründerin von Nala Earth, spricht über innovative Gründungsmodelle und die Bedeutung von Secondaries. Sie teilt, warum frühe Secondaries wichtig sind, wie sie als "Founding Angel" ein neues Rollenmodell schafft und warum Risikoausgleich Gründer erfolgreicher macht. Was du lernst: Warum frühe Secondaries sinnvoll sind Die Rolle als "Founding Angel" Wie du Risiko richtig managst Neue Wege der Unternehmensgründung ALLES ZU UNICORN BAKERY: https://zez.am/unicornbakery Mehr zu Anna: LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/anna-alex/ Website: https://www.nala.earth/de Join our Founder Tactics Newsletter: 2x die Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/

At EUVC Summit 2025, Joe Schorge of Isomer Capital didn't come with slides—he came with a metaphor. And it stuck.He asked the room to imagine orchards of fruit. Not just apples or oranges, but a whole harvest cultivated over 12 to 14 years. Venture-backed companies. GPs. Fund positions. GP stakes. A record crop, grown with care across the UK and Europe.“We've never had this much high-quality fruit in European venture. The question now is—how do we get it to market?”For years, Europe has been laser-focused on planting:→ Backing great founders→ Building great firms→ Cultivating portfolios patientlyBut as Joe reminded the audience:“People expected the fruit to somehow sell itself. But we've learned: exits aren't automatic. Distribution isn't easy. And not everyone has the truck to move a watermelon.”Secondaries aren't just a workaround. They're a solution. Partial or full sales, done right, serve founders, GPs, and LPs alike.The market is waking up:There's more to buy than ever before: mature companies, vintage funds, GP stakesThere's more to sell than ever before: GPs needing liquidity, LPs rebalancingThere's more need than ever before: LPs want DPI, not just IRR“We're all running 10-year funds. Buy-and-hold sounds noble, but LPs want cash back. And founders want momentum.”Joe's message to LPs?→ Loosen your restrictions on secondary transactions→ Back the capital that makes liquidity possible→ Recognize that secondaries are a tool for progress, not shortcutsJoe kept it simple:Educate yourself – There's a wealth of info online. Learn the mechanics and the nuance.Look at your own portfolio – Where's the fruit starting to ripen?Talk to players in the space – From Isomer to a new wave of specialized secondary platforms, this market is growing fast.“Let's harvest, replant, and build the future together.”Secondaries aren't just about exits. They're about creating circulation, maturity, and movement in a market that's ready for it.European venture has planted well. Now it's time to harvest with discipline—and get ready to sow the next cycle with even more conviction.Planting Was Easy. Harvesting Is Hard.The European Secondary Market: Why Now?Where to Begin?A New Era of Venture Hygiene

We dive deep into the defining trends shaping private markets in the first episode of our midyear Private Markets Outlook series. Join Andrew Korz, Senior Vice President of Investment Research, and Alan Flannigan, Investment Research Associate, as they explore the forces driving the new private markets imperative: pursuing alpha through specialization and operational excellence.  The Private Markets Outlook podcast series will feature special guests and portfolio managers from across our firm, each bringing unique perspectives on private equity, private credit and real estate. Subscribe and stay tuned for more.   Follow the value, not the herd: The new private markets imperative U.S. exceptionalism: At a crossroads Secondaries in first place: A compelling access point in private equity Have a question for our experts? Text us for a chance to have your questions answered on the next episode.To watch the video version, go to https://www.youtube.com/@futurestandard_fs For more research insights go to https://futurestandard.com/insights

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Jason Howard, Founder and Managing Partner of New Catalyst Strategic Partners. Jason shares his journey from finance and entertainment to launching a firm focused on GP seeding and supporting emerging managers in private markets. The discussion covers New Catalyst's innovative approach to providing seed capital, operational support, and strategic partnerships, as well as insights into co-investment, secondary markets, and the challenges facing new fund managers. Key takeaways include the importance of alignment, scalable capital, and cross-industry lessons in building sustainable investment firms, along with practical advice for both GPs and LPs navigating today's complex private market landscape. Don't miss this great conversation.Highlights from this week's conversation include:Jason's Background and Career Journey (1:03)Lessons from Entertainment to Private Markets (4:27)Genesis and Mission of New Catalyst (8:30)New Catalyst's Investment Approach (12:07)Market Gaps Addressed by New Catalysts (14:20)What is GP Seeding? (17:40)Manager Archetypes and Investment Focus (20:45)Trends in Fund Strategy Expansion (24:06)Value of First Partnership in GP Seeding (28:48)Strategic Partnership Support for Managers (31:46)Benefits of Seeding for LPs (33:37)Secondaries and GP Stakes (36:38)Final Thoughts and Takeaways (40:32)New Catalyst Strategic Partners is an independent alternative investment firm founded by industry veteran Jason Howard. Launched with significant capital from Apollo to support its growth, New Catalyst seeks to acquire economic interests and minority ownership in Next Generation private markets firms, providing them with the flexible, strategic capital and value creation resources they need to grow and succeed. To learn more, please visit www.newcatalystsp.com.Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a division of First Citizens Bank, is the bank of the world's most innovative companies and investors. SVB provides commercial and private banking to individuals and companies in the technology, life science and healthcare, private equity, venture capital and premium wine industries. SVB operates in centers of innovation throughout the United States, serving the unique needs of its dynamic clients with deep sector expertise, insights and connections. SVB's parent company, First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ: FCNCA), is a top 20 U.S. financial institution with more than $200 billion in assets. First Citizens Bank, Member FDIC. Learn more at svb.com.Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.

I am an idiot. Sam had this edited and ready to go on Monday, but I forgot to ship it in any kind of timely manner and for that I apologize.ENJOY IT! Part 2 of our tier list episode in which the brothers discuss Secondaries. There's lots to digest here but it's a really fun discussion.Join the Slack!

Send us a textIn this episode of The Wall Street Skinny, we're back with fan-favorite guest Justin Resnick, Managing Director at Evercore, for a deep dive into the evolving world of private equity secondaries. This follow-on to our original “Secondaries 101” episode goes beyond the basics to explore how LP- and GP-led transactions are shaping today's deal landscape. With volatility still roiling the IPO and M&A markets, secondaries have become a vital tool for investors to unlock liquidity—and Justin walks us through the key innovations and trends driving this $200 billion+ market.We get into everything from the rising use of continuation funds to newer, more complex structures like collateralized fund obligations (CFOs) and subscription lines. Justin explains how these tools are being used strategically by endowments, GPs, and secondary buyers alike, and what it all means for fund liquidity, pricing dynamics, and return profiles. We also discuss why single-asset deals are booming, how secondaries are increasingly attracting retail capital, and why this space is becoming one of the hottest desks to recruit into on Wall Street.Plus, we couldn't ignore the headlines—so we weigh in on the growing tension between banks and private equity firms over early recruiting, Goldman's controversial new loyalty oaths, and what the new on-cycle freeze means for junior talent. Whether you're a student considering a finance career, an investor curious about secondaries, or just trying to make sense of how all the pieces fit together, this episode is packed with insight.For a 14 day FREE Trial of Macabacus, click HEREOur Investment Banking and Private Equity Foundations course is LIVEnow with our M&A course included! Shop our LIBRARY of Self Paced Online Courses HEREJoin the Fixed Income Sales and Trading waitlist HERE Our content is for informational purposes only. You should not construe any such information or other material as legal, tax, investment, financial, or other advice.

Dave McClure, founder of Practical Venture Capital and co-founder of 500 Startups, dives deep into the growing role of secondaries in venture capital. Dave explains how today's longer startup cycles and liquidity droughts have created opportunities (and confusion) around secondary markets. He breaks down what secondaries actually are, how Practical VC operates, and key trends shaking up the system. With his trademark candor, Dave also shares hard truths for both founders and VCs navigating this next chapter of private markets.In this episode, you'll learn:[03:55] Dave's journey to becoming an investor[06:30] The early evolution of accelerators and why “lots of little bets” took off[09:50] How cloud, open source, and low CAC changed the startup funding game[12:49] Why startup liquidity timelines have doubled—and what that means for founders and LPs[14:56] What secondaries really are (hint: not just one thing)[19:31] Does venture's illiquidity attract the right kind of investors—or just the most patient?[22:06] The discipline of public markets vs. the opacity of private ones[26:37] What Practical VC looks for in a secondary opportunity (and the $50M–$100M revenue rule)[29:14] How Dave screens funds and companies for possible exits[33:37] What's exciting (and worrying) about secondaries, stablecoins, and emerging marketsThe nonprofit organization Dave is passionate about: New StoryAbout Dave McClureDave McClure is the founder of Practical Venture Capital, a firm focused on liquidity through venture secondaries. Previously, he co-founded 500 Startups, one of the world's most active early-stage venture funds. A PayPal alumni and self-described nerd turned investor, Dave has worked across engineering, marketing, and venture roles, investing in hundreds of startups globally. He's known for his honest insights and bold bets on opportunities before they're ‘cool'.About Practical Venture CapitalPractical Venture Capital is a Silicon Valley-based VC secondary firm providing liquidity to GPs, LPs, and founders through targeted secondary investments. Specializing in fund-level and company-level secondaries, Practical VC aims to shorten the venture capital time horizon by backing mature, revenue-generating companies with clear exit paths. The firm focuses on portfolios nearing liquidity and brings a flexible, creative approach to valuation, pricing, and structure.Subscribe to our podcast and stay tuned for our next episode.

In this episode of the insuranceaum.com podcast, host Stewart Foley, CFA sits down with Matt Jones, Co-Managing Partner of TPG's North American and European secondaries business, to explore the evolution and growing significance of GP-led secondaries. With over two decades of experience in private markets, Matt brings deep expertise to a complex and rapidly expanding space. He breaks down how GP-led transactions emerged post-financial crisis, why they've become more attractive over time, and how they now serve as strategic tools for high-quality fund managers to retain and build value in their best-performing assets.   The conversation covers key structural features of continuation vehicles, the risk-return advantages of single-asset secondaries, and what makes this market so compelling for investors today. Matt also explains how macroeconomic volatility is shaping pricing and deal flow, and what traits distinguish the most successful players entering this space. For institutional investors, asset managers, and anyone tracking private equity innovation, this discussion offers a practical and insightful look at one of the most dynamic segments in the alternatives landscape.

Liquidity challenges are reshaping the private equity landscape, pushing investors to explore innovative solutions for managing their portfolios. With reduced exit activity, constrained distributions, and a tougher fundraising environment, how can secondaries provide a liquidity lifeline? And what role do GP-led transactions play in driving opportunities for both sponsors and investors?   On this episode of Disruptive Forces, host Anu Rajakumar is joined by Philipp Patschkowski, a Managing Director on Neuberger Berman's Private Equity Secondaries team, to discuss the evolving role of secondaries in private equity. Together, they delve into the rise of GP-led transactions, pricing dynamics, and how secondaries are becoming a core part of the private equity ecosystem.      This communication is provided for informational and educational purposes only and nothing herein constitutes investment, legal, accounting or tax advice, or a recommendation to buy, sell or hold a security. Information is obtained from sources deemed reliable, but there is no representation or warranty as to its accuracy, completeness or reliability. This communication is not directed at any investor or category of investors and should not be regarded as investment advice or a suggestion to engage in or refrain from any investment-related course of action. Neuberger Berman is not providing this material in a fiduciary capacity and has a financial interest in the sale of its products and services. Investment decisions should be made based on an investor's individual objectives and circumstances and in consultation with his or her advisors. All information is current as of the date of this material and is subject to change without notice. Any views or opinions expressed may not reflect those of the firm as a whole. Neuberger Berman products and services may not be available in all jurisdictions or to all client types. This material is not intended as a formal research report and should not be relied upon as a basis for making an investment decision. The firm, its employees and advisory accounts may hold positions of any companies discussed. This material may include estimates, outlooks, projections and other “forward-looking statements.” Due to a variety of factors, actual events or market behavior may differ significantly from any views expressed. Investing entails risks, including possible loss of principal. Indexes are unmanaged and are not available for direct investment. Past performance is no guarantee of future results.    This material is being issued on a limited basis through various global subsidiaries and affiliates of Neuberger Berman Group LLC. Please visit www.nb.com/disclosure-global-communications for the specific entities and jurisdictional limitations and restrictions.    The “Neuberger Berman” name and logo are registered service marks of Neuberger Berman Group LLC.    © 2025 Neuberger Berman Group LLC. All rights reserved.

In this special edition of The Distribution, host Brandon Sedloff sits down with Chris Tinsley and Rory Mabin of NASDAQ's fund secondaries business, recorded live from NASDAQ's Times Square studio.  The conversation unpacks the evolution of the fund secondaries market, highlighting how NASDAQ is bringing technology, transparency, and regulatory clarity to a historically opaque and manual process. Chris and Rory share how their unique professional journeys—from institutional investing to pioneering fintech—positioned them to rethink secondary liquidity in private markets.  They dive deep into the complexities of LP transactions, the origins of NASDAQ's platform, and the structural and regulatory innovations making scaled, GP-sponsored liquidity a reality today. They discuss: * How NASDAQ's acquisition of SecondMarket evolved into a fund secondaries platform * Why secondary LP transactions are more like M&A deals than stock trades * The value of “GP-sponsored” liquidity programs and how they differ from GP-led deals * How NASDAQ's Qualified Matching Service (QMS) helps GPs avoid tax complications while scaling liquidity * Why scalable technology and a growing buyer base—including family offices and institutional LPs—are reshaping the future of private market secondaries This episode is essential listening for GPs navigating LP liquidity needs or building next-gen fund structures in private markets. Links: Nasdaq Fund Secondaries - https://www.nasdaq.com/solutions/fund-secondaries Chris Tinsley on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/christoffertinsley/ Rory Mabin on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rory-mabin-966a1333/ Brandon on LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/bsedloff/ Juniper Square - https://www.junipersquare.com/ Topics: (00:00:00) - Intro (00:01:20) - Introducing Chris Tinsley and Rory Mabin (00:01:45) - NASDAQ's role in private market secondaries (00:02:09) - Chris Tinsley's journey to NASDAQ (00:03:55) - Rory Mabin's background in fund secondaries (00:05:04) - Understanding NASDAQ beyond the exchange (00:06:40) - The origin of NASDAQ's fund secondaries business (00:10:28) - Challenges in fund secondaries transactions (00:17:40) - The role of technology in streamlining processes (00:23:49) - Adapting to investor needs in private markets (00:27:26) - Enhanced liquidity options for limited partnerships (00:31:02) - Understanding Qualified Matching Service (QMS) (00:33:28) - Challenges and solutions in providing liquidity (00:36:52) - The role of technology in liquidity solutions (00:38:03) - Practical implementation of embedded liquidity (00:46:37) - The future of secondary markets and AI integration (00:50:02) - Conclusion and final thoughts

Jon Madorsky is Managing Partner and Co-Portfolio manager of the secondaries strategy at RCP Advisors, one of the largest managers focused exclusively on North American lower middle market buyouts. Jon joined the firm 21 years ago and has participated in the growth of the secondaries business from its earliest stages. His partner, Alex Abell, joined me on the show last year and that conversation is replayed in the feed.   Our conversation covers the history and maturation of the secondaries market from a red-headed stepchild to a modern portfolio tool. We discuss the use cases, transaction types, and capital sources in secondaries, RCP's investment strategy, levers of value creation, portfolio construction, and exit strategy. Jon also shares his perspective on secondary market pricing, growth, risks, and the future of the industry. If you'd like to learn more, reach out to Jon directly at jon@rcpadvisors.com.  Learn More Follow Ted on Twitter at @tseides or LinkedIn Subscribe to the mailing list Access Transcript with Premium Membership