G+QUANT

I just watched a video that hit me hard. Eric Schmidt, former CEO, dropping truth bombs about founders. Here's the kicker: "The great founders are frugal." Schmidt says he cringes at startups with: - Beautiful offices - Really nice chairs - Fancy perks Why? Because true founders understand: Money is a tool, not a toy Resources are for growth, not comfort Success comes from sacrifice, not luxury The most successful? They often start with $0 salary. Tough pill to swallow? Maybe. But that's the founder's life. If you're not ready for it, you might not be ready to found. Are you willing to be frugal for your dream? Or do you need that ergonomic chair to "think big"? 🤷♂️ #VenchaVideosforFounders / Video # Zero Find us at Vencha 💛

Index Ventures Announces $2.3B in New Funds Index Ventures has made an announcement of $2.3B in new funds to fuel the growth of tech startups globally. This impressive fundraising feat includes $800 million for venture investments and $1.5 billion for growth and late-stage companies, demonstrating the firm’s unwavering commitment to nurturing innovation at all stages. “We’re in a really fortunate situation where our funds were raised in a few weeks from existing LPs mainly, and we’re really oversubscribed,” said Nina Achadjian, a partner based in San Francisco. A Strategic and Intentional Approach 🎯 Unlike many VC firms that are struggling in the current market, Index Ventures has carefully calibrated its fund sizes to align with market realities. While this fundraise is slightly smaller compared to their previous efforts—$900 million for Index Ventures XI and $2 billion for Index Ventures Growth VI in 2021—it’s a strategic move. “We had a bottom-up approach and looked at the sizes of growth rounds happening right now and where the opportunities in venture lie,” Achadjian explained. AI: The New Frontier for Innovation 🤖 A significant portion of Index Ventures’ new fund will target AI-driven startups, a sector they believe holds immense potential for transformative innovation. The firm has already backed notable AI-driven companies like Glean.ai and Harvey, positioning itself at the forefront of this technological wave. “I think at this moment, there’s a real reckoning of the foundation models,”Achadjian noted, pointing to the consolidation in the AI space and the vast opportunities that lie ahead. Shardul Shah, a partner based in New York, added that AI is opening up new investment opportunities in traditionally non-tech industries like manufacturing, drug discovery, and legal services. A Legacy of Success and a Global Reach 🌐 Founded in 1972, Index Ventures has a storied history of backing some of the most successful tech companies, including Figma, Revolut, Roblox, Scale AI, and Wiz. With a global strategy and offices in San Francisco, London, and New York, Index Ventures invests across 24 tech ecosystems, maintaining a unified team approach. “The best may be yet to come in the AI space,” Achadjian added, highlighting the firm's optimism and strategic foresight. With 108 unicorns, 23 decacorns, and 57 companies that have gone public, Index Ventures remains a dominant force in venture capital. Their strategic focus on AI and other tech innovations ensures that they are well-positioned to lead the next wave of groundbreaking startups. ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of LPs?   🤝Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   ▶ For inquiries and free consultations on how G+QUANT can assist, use this form https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VentureCapital #TechStartups #IndexVentures #AI #Innovation #TechInvestment #InvestmentOpportunities #TechEcosystem

Latham & Watkins and Flashpoint Venture Capital are delighted to invite you to a morning of insightful discussions on the topic of trends in #venturedebt 💡 Speakers: Nick Benson, Partner, Latham & Watkins Denis Mosolov, Managing Partner, Flashpoint Growth Debt  Stephen Polakoff, General Counsel & Partner, Flashpoint  Haim Zaltzman, Partner, Latham & Watkins

Join us for the 🍹Summer Fiesta Friendly Drinks🍹 in the vibrant heart of #Tallinn’s startup scene. This casual gathering will bring together #investors and Nordic #startups for an evening filled with connection, collaboration, and culinary delights. 📌Please register via the LinkedIn form. Our events team will reach out to you to confirm your attendance.

🚀 Our recent #SaaSLounge episode gathered invaluable insights from industry experts Mudassir Mustafa, Marton Medveczky, Persia Georgiadou, CFA, Paul Zoicas, and Damir Ibrahimagic Kopinic on pitching dos and don'ts 👉 Whether you're a seasoned founder or just starting out, these tips will help you catch the eye of VCs and refine your pitch strategy. Don't miss out on crucial advice that could make all the difference! Apply to become a venture scout with us:  https://lnkd.in/d3_hGRUt

Sunday optimism! Seems that early-stage fundraising across US VC picked up steam in April. And the mix of rounds was the most telling indicator. Primary rounds (that is, first rounds in a series, usually with new investors) have risen quickly since January while bridge rounds are muddling along or declining. Yes, it's just a 4 month sample. And yes, there's some seasonality here. But some optimism never hurt anybody. 😁 We'll have a look into full Q2 metrics like median valuation and median round size next Monday after some flash analysis next weekend. Fingers crossed we some some positive trends there as well. Head over to the URL in the graphic to get those Q2 figures hand-delivered in your email inbox! #cartadata #SeriesA  #startups #founders #fundraising

Startup trying to raise Series A round in 2024:

Being declined by a VC doesn't mean you won't succeed. Here is the top 6 deals missed by VCs. 💰 𝗥𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 Even VCs don't have a crystal ball. And they sometimes miss great deals. Your role as a founder is to show the upsides. And convince them to support you. 𝗛𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗺𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹𝗲 ➤ Airbnb - $94B "We couldn’t wrap our heads around air mattresses on the living room floors as the next hotel room and did not chase the deal." ➤ Google - $2,200B "Students? A new search engine? “How can I get out of this house without going anywhere near your garage?” ➤ Facebook: $1,270B "Wait, college student… dropped out of Harvard… site aimed at college students, that thing is never going to make money.” ➤ Pinterest: $30B "A 5 million valuation? That’s really high!" ➤ Tesla: $568B "Deeter really liked the car and he even bought one. However, he decided not to invest in the company worried about Tesla’s negative margins." ➤ Snapchat: $25B "At that time, many people were worried about the fact that the pictures disappeared from the app as this could have incentivized the sharing of inappropriate content." 🔔 Follow me (Hugo) for more startup content 📰 Subscribe to my newsletter at the link below my name

Founders — it's not just you. Nobody seems to be raising their Series A these days. No matter the industry, no matter the location in the US, the percentage of startups that have made it from their Seed to their Series A in under 2 years has fallen every year since 2020. 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗿𝘁 𝗘𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗻𝗲𝗿 • Percentage reflects the share of seed-stage startups that got to the A round in under 2 years. • Year is the year they raised their seed round. • Data includes both priced seed rounds and any SAFE round that raised more than $2.5 million (which we considered "seed on SAFEs") If you combine these 6 industries, that pattern gets even clearer. 35% of the 2020 seed-stage startups made it to the A round in 2 years or less. 13% of the H1 2022 cohort did so. So...what the heck is happening? 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗿𝗶𝘀𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 • The metrics needed to raise a Series A shifted underneath many of these founders and they've struggled to keep up with the new, higher requirements.    • Bridge rounds are happening at higher rates (both priced and SAFEs), but if a large percentage of a fund's portfolio is asking for a bridge - many won't get it.    • This lack of graduation has created a glut of seed-stage companies, which may make Series A investors even more choosy since the supply seems so large.    • "Nice" traction no longer turns heads - it's gotta be stellar traction. Or a repeat founder with successful exits. 𝗣𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝘆 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 • Companies that raised their seeds in H1 of 2022 have all become much more efficient and aren't even looking to raise Series A yet (or maybe ever). I gotta say, I'm having trouble believing the happy explanation at this point. Shout out to the founders stuck in this quicksand - staying afloat in this environment is an accomplishment in itself! #cartadata #Seed #SeriesA #fundraising #startups #founders -------------------- Startup data from the pristine alpine lakes, bottled for you every Thursday morning in our Data Minute newsletter. Sign up at link in graphic!