European VC Digest: How to Take Advice. Pro-Rata Rights. High Valuations. Fund Recycling.
Capital Call #21
This is Capital Call, a weekly newsletter highlighting what investors in European startups are thinking—in their own words. We are Willy Braun, Nicolas Colin and Vincent Touati-Tomas. Hit reply if you want to send us feedback!
Don’t forget to follow us on Twitter to be kept in the loop at all times: @CapitalCall_. Also follow our two Twitter lists: Featured in Capital Call & Female VCs in Europe.
Cyril Bertrand 🇫🇷 of XAnge lays out the reasons why Shine was a successful exit for the French ecosystem, despite critics pointing to a “Waste of unicorn potential”: Investors don’t exit startups.
Sir Ronald Cohen 🇬🇧, the “father of British venture capital”, shares his insights into tech as an impact leader to change people's lives and fix the planet: The VC industry has to wake up.
Nicolas Colin 🇫🇷 of The Family (and co-host of Capital Call) lays out potential implications for European tech companies with newly elected US President Joe Biden: What Biden means for European tech and startups.
Alexandre Dewez 🇫🇷 of IdInvest brings us a tour of all startups that develop tools for designers: ✍️ Mapping Designer Tools.
Ha Duong 🇩🇪🇻🇳 demystifies the myths about European investors, LPs behaviors, go-to-market strategies: Myth-Busting In European Venture Capital.
Christoph Janz 🇩🇪 is breaking down the pros and cons of pro-rata rights (and willingness) when it comes to following rounds with existing investors: The case for and against pro-rata rights.
Balthazar de Lavergne 🇫🇷 of The Family describes what kind of advice founders should listen to, and what they should make of it: How to take advice.
Joyce Mackenzie Liu 🇨🇦 writes about the right approach to designing operations and how it can unleash growth: Startup Operating Models: The Secret behind Growth Companies.
Yannick Oswald 🇱🇺 launches a new ‘no-scroll’ blogging format and writes about how much Europeans excel at building successful companies: A Not So Random Thought #1.
Mathias Pastor 🇫🇷 of The Family writes that founders shouldn’t be afraid to close their company and move on: It's OK to shut down.
Evgenia Plotnikova 🇷🇺🇫🇷 of Dawn Capital is sharing her conviction bet on the data value chain and Dawn’s investment in Harbr: Why Dawn Invested in Harbr.
Christina Sarah Senn 🇩🇪 of Blue Future writes about fund recycling as part of the #OpenLP series: Fund Recycling for Early Stage VCs.
Rory Stirling 🇬🇧 of Connect Ventures has a look at the fintech revolution and explains why he’s bullish about neobanks, their future and the customer journey to be redefined: Neobanks may have lost their shine, but the fintech revolution is far from over.
Alexander Vidiborskiy 🇷🇺 of Atomico makes the case for Europe embracing open source technology: read Atomico’s take on Open Source: 5 reasons to build an OS company in Europe now (and part 2).
Brett Bivens 🇺🇸🇫🇷 of TechNexus interviews Paul Murphy 🇺🇸 of Northzone about international expansion and the crazy rides he’s had recently with Hopin and Tier: Founding Dots, backing Hopin and TIER, and what it is like to work with Tencent.
Matt Clifford 🇬🇧 of Entrepreneur First answers Techround’s questions about his focus on talent investing: Interview with Matt Clifford, Co-Founder at Entrepreneur First: The World’s Leading Talent Investor.
Megumi Ikeda 🇯🇵 of Hearst Ventures and Bo Ilsoe 🇩🇰 of NGP Capital join with David (Dede) Goldschmidt of Samsung Catalyst Fund to explain How to pitch to investors — from VCs to corporates (in Sifted).
Luciana Lixandru 🇷🇴 of Sequoia Capital talks about the American firm’s plans to expand its footprint in Europe, opening an office in London during a pandemic, and more with Forbes’s Alex Konrad: Why VC Firm Sequoia Broke With Tradition To Put Down Roots In Europe’s Startup Scene.
Ander Michelena 🇪🇸 of Iron Ventures shares his perspective on tech entrepreneurship in Spain and why he didn’t take money from the European Investment Fund in Sifted: All Iron Ventures launches Spain's biggest debut fund, with no public money.
Christian Weiss 🇩🇪 of Heal Capital explains to Sifted why he thinks many healthcare startups are overvalued: The “Uber disease” of telemedicine – why the startups are in trouble.
Cyril Bertrand 🇫🇷 Managing Partner, Xange, Paris 🇫🇷 LinkedIn | Twitter
Brett Bivens 🇺🇸🇫🇷 Venture Investor, TechNexus, Paris 🇫🇷 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Pawel Chudzinski 🇵🇱 Partner, Point Nine Capital, Berlin 🇩🇪 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Matt Clifford 🇬🇧 Co-Founder & CEO, Entrepreneur First, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Sir Ronald Cohen 🇪🇬🇬🇧 Chairman of The Portland Trust and Bridges Ventures, London 🇬🇧 Twitter | Blog
Nicolas Colin 🇫🇷 Co-Founder & Director, The Family, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Alexandre Dewez 🇫🇷 Analyst, Idinvest, Paris 🇫🇷 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Ha Duong 🇩🇪🇻🇳 Investment Principal, Ocean Investment, Berlin 🇩🇪 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Megumi Ikeda 🇺🇸🇯🇵 Managing Partner, Hearst Ventures Europe 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter
Bo Ilsoe 🇩🇰 Partner, NGP Capital, Geneva 🇨🇭 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Christoph Janz 🇩🇪 Partner, Point Nine Capital, Berlin 🇩🇪 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Beata Klein 🇸🇪 Associate, Creandum, Stockholm 🇸🇪 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Michiel Kotting 🇳🇱 Partner, Northzone, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter
Balthazar de Lavergne 🇫🇷 Director, The Family, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Luciana Lixandru 🇷🇴 Partner, Sequoia Capital, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter
Joyce Mackenzie Liu 🇨🇦 Founder, Pegafund, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Ander Michelena 🇪🇸 Founder & Partner, All Iron Group, Madrid 🇪🇸 LinkedIn | Twitter
Paul Murphy 🇺🇸 General Partner, Northzone, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter
Yannick Oswald 🇱🇺 Principal, Mangrove Capital Partners, Luxembourg 🇱🇺 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Mathias Pastor 🇫🇷 Director, The Family, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Evgenia Plotnikova 🇷🇺🇫🇷 Partner, Dawn Capital, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Christina Sarah Senn 🇩🇪 Intern, Blue Future Partners, Munich 🇩🇪 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Rory Stirling 🇬🇧 Partner, Connect Ventures, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter | Blog
Alexander Vidiborskiy 🇷🇺 Principal, Atomico, London 🇬🇧 LinkedIn | Twitter| Blog
Christian Weiss 🇩🇪Managing Partner, Heal Capital, Frankfurt 🇩🇪 LinkedIn