Stray Dog Capital’s Post

My colleague Harry Schiff and I were glad to open the HVCA–Portfolio Investment Conference 2023 in Budapest (https://lnkd.in/gcUAfJbu), where we discussed the findings of our research “Hard choices: How Europe’s fastest-growing start-ups become unicorns” (https://lnkd.in/diEjzPuF) on what differentiates the fastest-growing #scale-stage European #startups from their peers. The research aimed to distill a manifesto for European scaleups, including best-practice recipes and case studies to guide founders’ decision-making, resource allocation, and execution in pursuit of rapid, 10‒100x valuation growth. I’d like to highlight a few interesting, non-trivial insights:  ▪ The fastest-growing scaleups begin geo-expansion 2+ years later than slower growers. ▪ Acquisitions for territorial expansion are over 5x more likely to fail than acquisitions for product, people, or IP. ▪ A great seed-stage team isn’t always the best scale-stage team: 36% of the fastest growing scale-stage European startups replaced their Head of Product after the first scale round vs 21% of slower peers, and the pattern was similar for other top CXO roles. I’d like to thank the HVCA and portfolio.hu™ teams for inviting us. It was refreshing to meet and reconnect with many. Also for the co-authors of the Hard choices report: Kim Baroudy, Giacomo Dolci and Sid R.

Ever wonder how early-stage companies can escalate from modest beginnings to monumental success? 🤔 Strategic mentorship and targeted investments can transform an early-stage company's modest sales into a significant acquisition, exemplified by a startup that escalated from under $100,000 in sales to an eight-figure exit. Grant Ferrier, of Nutrition Capital Network, unveils the transformative journey, showcasing the impact of personalized mentorship and savvy investment decisions. Join us to turn small-scale ventures into large-scale triumphs. 🎧Listen Now: https://lnkd.in/gkcFVfiX   #NutraPreneur #NutraPayments #NutraceuticalMerchant #Innovation #HealthAndWellness #SustainableHerbs #Herbalism #EthicalBusiness #NutraceuticalBusiness #SecurePayments #PaymentSolutions #MerchantAccount #SecureTransactions

🌱 Bluestein Ventures is revolutionizing food tech with their latest fund 💰 With $45M in commitments for Fund III, they're poised to drive innovation across the food supply chain. 🔥 Andrew Bluestein and Ashley Hartman, co-managing partners at Bluestein Ventures, are leading the charge, backed by a strong portfolio of over 50 companies, including Factor75 and Foxtrot. 🚀 Joined by Lindsay Levin, former CMO at RXBAR, as a venture partner, they're setting their sights on transformative investments. "Our focus on food tech isn't slowing down," says Bluestein. "We're witnessing shifts in consumer habits and a growing emphasis on health and wellness, making it an opportune time to invest." ✨Fund III marks a pivotal moment for Bluestein Ventures, with external investors joining the fold, including strategic partners and executives from the food sector. 🌍 "We're diving into themes of nutrition, sustainability, and digitization," adds Hartman. "It's about transforming the food system for the better." Their investments in companies like BiomeSense and WECO Hospitality reflect this commitment to innovation, leveraging cutting-edge technologies like AI and machine learning to reshape the industry. 🌟 As the food tech landscape evolves, Bluestein Ventures remains at the forefront, driving change and shaping the future of food. 🍽️ ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of #investors?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   ▶ For inquiries and pitch decks please use this link https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #FoodTech #VentureCapital #Innovation #HealthAndWellness #Sustainability #DigitalTransformation #InvestmentLeadership #FutureOfFood #TechInnovation #VCInvesting

🌳 Exciting Update from SyncPeak Ventures! 🌳 We're thrilled to announce that our recent reforestation initiative has already made a significant impact! 🌿 Through the dedicated efforts of our team, we've successfully planted 500 trees, contributing to a greener, healthier #environment. 🌱 But that's not all – these trees are actively absorbing a whopping 143 tons of #CO2, helping to combat #climate #change and improve air quality for generations to come. 🌍 What's even more inspiring is the tangible difference we're making in our communities. This #initiative has also generated 63 valuable working hours, showcasing our commitment to both #environmental #sustainability and #economic #growth. 💼💚 At SyncPeak Ventures, we believe in the power of collective action to drive positive change. Together, we're paving the way for a brighter, more sustainable future. Join us in celebrating this milestone and let's continue making a difference, one tree at a time! 🌳💫 #Reforestation #ClimateAction #Sustainability #GreenInitiative Click to learn more : https://lnkd.in/gscXNvHq

Following the success of our inaugural THRIVE APAC Accelerator this year, applications for the 2024 program are now open! 🤗 The SVG Ventures | THRIVE APAC Accelerator is focused on supporting early growth stage AgriFood Tech companies from across Australia, New Zealand and South East Asia. Who's the program for? 🚀 The APAC Accelerator is specifically designed to support Seed to Series A stage AgriFood tech companies looking to scale product, customers and operations with a focus on entering global markets. The support we offer 🤝 - 12 week growth focused program mixing in person and virtual engagement - Silicon Valley week immersion program - Engagement with our global network of AgriBusiness corporate partners. - Global mentor network with 1 on 1 and peer group coaching. - Demo Day with industry and investors. - Consideration for investment from SVG Ventures. All the details, time lines and applications are now live! 👇 - https://lnkd.in/g2_aGbzu #AgriTech #AgTech #startups

If you have ever wondered how we meet the founders of the companies we invest in, or how we work alongside them to support their growth, this article from Fiona Rotherham from Caffeine Daily provides some really good insight into our relationship with Liam Kampshof from Bovonic. Delving into the three most important things in an investor/founder relationship, here's the view from Kieran Jina and Rob Powell : 1️⃣ Vision - The most important thing is vision and being aligned on where the business needs to go. 2️⃣ Respect each other's value and don’t try to do each other's job. Active investing is great, but active investing can't be us thinking that we're the board or the management. We need to know how active to be and respect that we've all got different points of view and different experience. 3️⃣ Trust - totally agree that honesty and speed of communication and the transparency of communication that Liam was talking about – and I probably would say, trust. But actually, it's those things that lead to trust. #deeptech #venturecapital #startup https://lnkd.in/dhWk7qC3

"Don’t get distracted by big-picture debates about labels like ESG and sustainability—dig down into the particulars of the impact you and your company are trying to create." Ted Janulis, founder and principal of Investable Oceans, offers advice to startups trying to balance environmental, social and economic considerations in their business models. http://econimpact.co/eD #WorldOceanInitiative #blueeconomy #startups

🌊 👋 We are delighted to welcome five new members to 1000OS, bringing our membership to 37. Bold Ocean Ventures is a seed and early-stage venture capital fund targeting ocean-related technology-enabled companies in partnership with the Gulf of Maine Research Institute Braid Theory is a vertically integrated venture advisory firm based in Southern California that supports science and engineering-led companies operating in the sustainable blue economy. Braid Theory connects start-ups with industry to build businesses that ensure a positive impact on people, planet and financial returns. CREO Syndicate is a not-for-profit organization that is helping mobilize more private capital into low-carbon and resource-efficient solutions by working with a network of qualified family offices, private investors and advisers focused on collaboratively developing and investing in the global environmental marketplace. CREO Oceans Sector works with multiple stakeholders to support the growth of the blue economy. Future Planet Capital is an impact-led venture capital firm built to back innovative companies from the world’s top universities and research ecosystems. Future Planet Capital’s Blue Ocean Economy mandate invests in Seed to Series B companies solving pressing challenges at the intersection of ocean sustainability and climate change. Ocean Community is an inclusive non-profit community and innovation platform driving ocean knowledge and enabling early sustainable and regenerative ocean innovation. Ocean Community is a lead partner in establishing Innofuse Blue as a global best practice Incubator and Blue Innovation Hub in Almada Innovation District, Lisbon. Discover more about our members and the incredible ocean innovation they're driving here: https://lnkd.in/ehR9hETB 🌐✨ #OceanStartups #OceanInnovation #OceanSolutions #Accelerator #Incubator #VC