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EUVC is your go-to podcast for everything European VC. Co-hosted by Andreas Munk Holm and David Cruz e Silva, EUVC features some of the most prominent people from the European VC industry, giving you a fresh new perspective on the industry and geo we love.
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[Startups in Focus] Carlos Espinal & Johannes Keienburg, on the evolution and future of access control management | E309
Today, we have a different episode for you, introducing you to the first episode of the newly launched Startups in Focus series by Seedcamp.This first episode features Carlos Espinal, Managing Partner of Seedcamp, in a conversation with Johannes Keienburg, PhD, co-founder and CEO of Cakewalk, on building access management processes.Their conversation revolves around:
The importance of access control, visibility, and security in organizations.Insights on the need for access management processes.The challenges of data security.The evolution and future of access controls.… and more that you can discover on EUVC.
Chapters:00:03 Launching Seedcamp Podcast Series: Startups in Focus
00:45 Meet the Guests: Carlos Espinal and Johannes Kainberg
01:14 Diving Deep into Access Management with Cakewalk
03:02 Johannes's Journey to Founding Cakewalk
05:05 Addressing the Challenges of Data Security
05:45 Understanding Customer Outreach and Engagement
10:33 Integrating SaaS Products for Enhanced Security
10:46 The Future of Identity and Access Management
15:57 Implementing Access Controls in Companies
18:23 Envisioning the Future Organization with Cakewalk
19:37 Role-Based Access and Its Evolution
22:09 Advice for Founders on Early Security Steps
25:49 Closing Thoughts and How to Connect -
Michael Smith, GP of Regeneration.VC Fund II on going from DJ to VC with the backing of DiCaprio, Martin Gore & corporate luminaries | E308
Today, we are joined by Michael Smith, the co-founder and General Partner of Regeneration.VC Fund II of $150M. Regeneration.VC is an early-stage venture fund supercharging consumer-powered climate innovation.
Michael ran marketing & digital for Smith Broadcasting, a group of 20 network TV stations, before selling to Boston Ventures. Shortly thereafter, he followed his lifelong passion for music to become a touring DJ and performed alongside artists including Guns N Roses, Rihanna, and Diplo.
In 2006, he launched The Playlist Generation, one of the world's largest background music providers. In 2010, he co-founded Creative Space, a real estate firm with a portfolio of 80 adaptive reuse projects between Los Angeles and San Francisco. After successfully exiting both companies in 2015, Michael formed Ponvalley, an environmentally focused family office initiative comprising philanthropy, research, and impact investments. He convened Shared Mission, an emergency climate summit with Former VP Al Gore, General Wesley Clark, the Department of Energy, and Harvard leadership.
Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀
Chapters:
01:28 From DJ to Venture Capitalist: Michael's Unique Journey
03:34 The Power of Branding in Venture and Music
04:09 Specialization in Climate Tech Investing
14:04 Understanding Circularity in Sustainable Investing
25:02 The Role of LPs and Celebrity Influence in Climate Tech
32:31 Navigating Corporate Partnerships and Impact Goals
45:55 Finding Your Tribe and Embracing Change
48:39 Venture Capital Insights: Specialization and Navigating the Market
50:11 The Art of Perseverance in Venture Capital
52:04 Building Long-Term Relationships in Venture Investing
54:53 The Intersection of Venture Capital and Talent Management
01:01:14 Exploring the Potential of Generative AI in Music and Beyond
01:04:36 The Future of Music: AI's Role and Industry Insights
01:09:30 Venture Capital Meets Music: A Unique Blend of Talents -
Stephen Chandler on Building Notion & Raising an oversubscribed Fund V | E307
Celebrating one of the finalists in the Firm of The Year-category at this year’s European VC Awards, this episodes dives deep with Stephen Chandler, Co-founder & Managing Partner of Notion Capital. With 1.1 bn€ under management and 5 flagship funds under their belt, Notion is one of Europe’s absolute top firms and in this episode, Stephen dives into a level of detail rarely seen discussing everything from the guiding principles building Notion to the process and learnings from raising their latest fund. I highly encourage you to read Stephen’s notes below and tune in for this episode. I truly think this is one of our best to date. Notion at glimpse:
Fund Name: Notion CapitalFund size: €300m (Fund V)AUM: €1.1bnHQ Country: UKTarget Stage: Series A focus, but invest across pre-seed to growthTarget Geography: Pan EuropeanTarget Sector/Vertical: Business Software & FintechNotable Investments: CurrencyCloud, Easol, GoCardless, Mews Systems, Paddle, Upvest, Yulife
From the principles building Notion to the learnings from raising fund V oversubscribed and the decision to clone his dog, this episode is one of our best to date. Don't miss Stephen's notes on eu.vc - they're legendary.
Big shout out to our Firm of The Year Sponsor Haynes Boone.
And you don't have to take it from themselves, take it from one of their long term clients, Joe Schorge: "Having worked together for many years now, they fully understand the Isomer ethos and process, and we really appreciate the value that this long-term relationship brought to this mandate from start to finish. We look forward to continuing to work with Karma, Ronan, Will and the rest of team.” Naturally, we’re incredibly excited about having the Haynes Boone team with us as sponsors of the Firm of The Year Awards - yet another testament to their support for the EUVC ecosystem. We strongly encourage you get in touch with Karma and the team for a great experience 🔥 -
Angel investing insights with Christoph Deckert, Strategy Expert at Personio | E306
Join us as Tom Wilson from Seedcamp and Anthony Danon from Cocoa talk to Christoph Deckert, Strategy Expert at Personio. Christoph has a unique mix of operating experience with +7 years of working with Personio, the European HRTech unicorn. Personio now has +2000 employees across 7-8 different European and US offices and a portfolio of more than 12K customers.
Christoph joined the company very early on and took on different responsibilities to take Personio’s customer growth to the next level, shape the organizational culture and structures, and hire the right people to support this mission.
His passion and journey towards angel investing became very organic after having different conversations with other founders. After one particular talk that he enjoyed, he decided to support that startup without being fully aware of what angel investment is.
Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀
Chapters:
00:36 From Personio to Angel Investing
03:43 Memorable Deals and Investment Philosophy
06:22 The Personal and Professional Growth from Angel Investing
09:18 Chris's Angel Investing Strategy
17:43 Networking and Collaboration With VCs and Other Angels
21:02 Core Learnings from Angel Investing
26:05 Building and Leveraging Networks
31:19 Closing Thoughts and Future Aspirations -
Stephan Heller, Founding Partner at AQVC on AQVC's investment strategy and approach | E305
Today, we have with us Stephan Heller, Founding Partner at AlphaQ Venture Capital. AQVC is an innovative, evergreen VC fund of funds focused on small VCs globally and democratizing diversified access to venture capital.
Stephan is a seasoned tech entrepreneur and investor passionate about nurturing the next generation of innovative companies, developing robust platforms, and cultivating thriving ecosystems. Over the past 15 years, he has been deeply involved in the entrepreneurial landscape.
Stephan also co-founded five companies, including a leading deep-tech startup accelerator for one of the largest high-tech corporates in the world and establishing a successful and innovative VC fund of funds.
Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀
Chapters:
00:13 Diving Deep into AQVC's Approach
00:35 Stefan's Unique Framework for Evaluating Funds
03:24 The Criteria for Evaluating Emerging Managers
03:38 Alignment and Uniqueness in Funds
04:14 Evaluating First-Time Funds: Challenges and Strategies
05:09 The Hustler Mentality in Venture Capital
05:59 Building a Firm with a Vision
06:37 Technical Aspects of Fund Evaluation
08:26 The Journey from First to Second Time Funds
09:03 The Role of Reference Calls in Due Diligence
10:46 Deep Dive into Track Record Validation
11:27 The Challenge of Investing in First-Time Investors
18:39 Evaluating Fund Performance and Strategy Execution
21:18 Understanding DPI Creation in Third Time Funds
24:04 Closing Thoughts and Future Plans -
Carina Namih and Sten Tamkivi from Plural on getting Europe from “Old School VC” to Next Gen VC | E304
Today, we have Carina Namih and Sten Tamkivi with us. Carina and Sten are Partners at Plural, a 400M EUR early-stage venture fund to back ambitious European founders on massive missions with hands-on help from experienced operators.
Plural launched in June 2022 with the aim to give serious founders in Europe investors with company-building experience to match their ambition. Plural’s mission is to have a GDP-level impact on Europe, address systemic risks, and reduce the opportunity gap worldwide through the companies it backs.
Plural has just announced its second fund with a total of 650M AUM and an established portfolio of 25 companies and notable investments, including Ready Player Me, Robin AI, and Unitary. Plural’s team is split between Tallinn, Estonia (where Sten is from) and London (where Carina is from).
Go to eu.vc for our core learnings and the full video interview 👀
Chapters:
01:37 Karina's Journey from Biotech Founder to Venture Capitalist
03:14 Stan's Path: From Entrepreneur to Plural Partner
04:57 Raising a Fund in a Challenging Market
07:02 Plural's Investment Strategy and Focus
15:52 Plural's Unique Approach to Adding Value for Founders
23:03 Scaling the Impact: Plural's Vision for Europe's Tech Ecosystem
25:21 Addressing the Critiques: A Candid Look at the VC Landscape
29:25 Challenging the Status Quo in VC Practices
30:20 The Philosophy Behind Investment Decisions
30:47 Strategic Follow-On Investment Approach
31:55 Innovative Decision-Making in Investment Committees
34:02 The Unique Approach to Follow-On Investments
42:14 Building the Plural Platform: Insights and Strategies
58:13 Uncommon Beliefs and the Future of European Tech