Earlybird Venture Capital’s Post

🌟 Need a midweek pick-me-up?  Founders, you’re not alone in this journey. Balderton Capital's latest well-being report dives deep into the personal challenges founders face and reveals what often goes unseen. 👀 Here’s a glimpse: 1️⃣ 42% of founders say personal financial stress has distracted them from their business. 2️⃣ 38% couldn’t pay themselves enough for family expenses last year, rising to 60% for early-stage founders. 3️⃣ 57% report strains on their relationship with a partner due to business pressures. ❓ Does this resonate with you? Facing these challenges is part of the journey, and just to let you know that the support is out there, when needed. The respondents in the report are mainly from Europe, and we are curious if founders in other parts of the world face similar challenges. 📚 Dive into the full report: https://lnkd.in/de94kyer #startupfounder #techstartuplife #foundersupport

Another successful Upfront Summit in the books. @Rob Mazzoni from Wellington's Late-Stage Growth team and @Van Jones from Wellington Access Ventures enjoyed the content, as well as the opportunity to catch up with friends in the venture capital and limited partner communities. It was clear from these conversations that LPs have renewed excitement to back new and existing managers that show clear differentiation. For VCs, the returning momentum of underlying software customer buying behavior is providing confidence that 2024 could be an improved deal environment across sectors, with AI as the clearest driver.

Another successful Upfront Summit in the books. Rob Mazzoni from Wellington's Late-Stage Growth team and Van Jones from Wellington Access Ventures enjoyed the content, as well as the opportunity to catch up with friends in the venture capital and limited partner communities. It was clear from these conversations that LPs have renewed excitement to back new and existing managers that show clear differentiation. For VCs, the returning momentum of underlying software customer buying behavior is providing confidence that 2024 could be an improved deal environment across sectors, with AI as the clearest driver.

I was lucky enough to attend the AGM of a leading Europe-focused seed stage VC yesterday. The GPs talked about inflated pricing expectations of some founders, who were looking for seed rounds of €5m with a pre-money valuation of €25m and the like. I asked a follow up question, wondering why these founders thought they "deserved" such rounds. The consensus was that it was largely driven by media coverage and hearing about such cases from friends or other folks in the ecosystem. But I am not 100% certain. I bet there is some pressure because the opportunity cost of founding is rising, especially for people working at companies that have seen their valuations or market caps skyrocket in the last two years from AI Fever. Whenever we pay people to do something, we should always consider that we also pay them to not pursue other opportunities as well. Something for both investors and founders to chew on :) I wrote more about this here, if you're curious: https://lnkd.in/dwMbY6mR

As I look back on this past month..... Celebrating my 36th birthday, hearing my son call me “Papa” for the first time and presenting Lumen Ventures on the world stage at #Stanford #VCUnlocked program has truly been an inspirational experience. Key learnings from my pitch day: - Raising your first fund entirely from institutional investors is an incredible achievement and I couldn’t be prouder of the Lumen Ventures team! - Sourcing software alone isn’t enough. In a competitive market, programs like #VCunlocked at Stanford are essential; providing critical insight, connections and skills. - Competing in mature markets often involves sifting through deals that have been overlooked by numerous VCs. Italy, as Europe’s 4th-largest economy, presents an untapped potential with its position as the 13th in VC investments, offering significant growth opportunities that larger players frequently miss. - Our investment strategy is now super clear: we back early-stage, second-time founders worldwide, with a focus on Italian innovators. We love emerging markets 🇮🇹💘

It's that time! As the window of funding starts to crack open, if you're a founder, it's time to start translating how your idea is worth investing in. See below for one of many great events you can learn from at the Founder's Institute in the coming month!

🌕✨ Smart decisions today shape tomorrow's success! 🚀 Start early with Doofy Ventures, where growth compounds over time. Stay focused, let your investments thrive, and watch your future shine brighter than ever! 🌟💼 🏙️ Build your legacy in the city of possibilities. #DoofyVentures #SmartInvestments #FinancialFreedom #FutureReady #WealthGrowth

At the adult's table: exactly where I want to be. Last week, André Oliveira and I organized the 2nd Tech Founders' Club. This time in sunny Lisbon. It was another 6-hour long and intimate lunch with some of the best founders in the country. 🇵🇹 Here are a few learnings from it: 1) Everyone is after profitability with smaller teams. 2) Raising capital doesn't always work out well. 3) Managing people is the toughest job of all. 4) No one has it all figured out. Here is how you can help: -> Reach out to Ana Nunes da Silva if you know any NGOs struggling to manage their members. -> João Pedro A. is looking for the right investors to build a very ambitious AI low-code tool at Spot. -> Nuno Pereira is more than happy to get warm intros to CFOs of companies with 300+ employees. -> If you are part of or manage a product team, talk to Andre Albuquerque to get your team to the next level. Last but not least, M&A talks may be of interest to some at this table. Reach out if you like buying profitable businesses and I'm happy to do the intros. 👀 I'm once again fired up to take my own business to the next level. 🔥 Thanks everyone for coming and André for making this happen (again).

It was great to mingle with investors, startups and our eco system partners yesterday at the UK Business Angels Association conference. Lots of talk about how we encourage more early stage investing, as well as the valuable role angel investors provide to founders wider than just funding. Some of the hot topics included ✅How we support more females to become investors ✅The opportunities in B2C brands ✅Institutional vs Angel Investors ✅Investment landscape by sector ✅The role of exited founders in early-stage investment Thanks Henry Whorwood, Ken Clark Scott James O'Brien, Henri Murison, Marion Bernard,Chris Oglesby, Helen Oldham, Michiel Smith, Roger Wade And everyone else that shared their insights

How to make your mark in VC? 👩🚀 Recently, we hosted a panel at Serena in collaboration with baby vc. Paul Moriou, Principal, teamed up with Ahmed Mougou, Head of Baby VC France, to share insights on succeeding in venture capital. The 3 tips we walked away with: 🤝 Building strategic relationships with investors, entrepreneurs, and talents is essential for collaboration opportunities. Keeping your portfolio companies in investors' minds secures future funding and attracts top talent. ⚾ Seeking mentors from other funds provides diverse perspectives and valuable guidance. 🛠️ Junior investors play a crucial role in spotting emerging trends and shaping investment strategies. Recognizing patterns, learning from mistakes, and being transparent about them enhance personal growth and credibility. A big thank you to all the aspiring VCs who participated! Your insightful questions and energy made the discussion incredibly enriching and humbling.🌟