Today we are happy to welcome Philipp von dem Knesebeck, Co-Founder of Blue Future Partners, a European European-based Hybrid Venture Capital Fund of Funds. Blue Future Partners (BFP) is a day-one partner to emerging fund managers (GPs) globally, currently with investments across over 15 startup hubs spanning 3 continents, incl. the US, Europe, Israel, and Asia-Pacific.

Prior to co-founding Blue Future Partners in 2015, Philipp spent five years running the Venture Capital activities of a European Family Office from 2011 to 2015. There he started building substantial expertise in both fund and direct investments in early and growth–stage companies. His investment focus was predominantly in the software and internet space with geographic exposure ranging from the US to Europe and Asia-Pacific.

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00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:07 - From Being an Entrepreneur in Publishing to Venture Capital00:03:35 - Diversification and Concentration in Fund of Funds00:05:10 - Portfolio Diversification and Risk Management00:06:24 - Reflections on Fund of Funds Strategies00:08:03 - Investing in Emerging Managers00:09:28 - Ticket Sizes and Portfolio Performance00:10:54 - Factors Affecting Emerging Fund Managers' Success00:12:19 - Fund Size and Strategy00:13:57 - The Importance of Partnership in VC00:15:24 - The Solo GPs, Key Person Clauses and Portfolio mgmt through crises00:17:02 - The Importance of Liquidity in the Financial System00:18:41 - Fundraising Environment Trends00:20:44 - Fundraising Confidence and Investor Classes00:22:17 - Investing in the US vs Europe00:25:48 - The European VC Opportunity00:27:18 - The VC Experience Gap: US vs. Europe00:28:56 - Successful Firms in Europe00:31:14 - Importance of Portfolio Construction00:32:59 - The Importance of Discipline and Taking a Step Back00:34:56 - Top Tips for Emerging Managers in Fundraising00:36:55 - The Misleading Allure of Venture Capital

Upcoming events

📺 Virtual events we’re hosting

Winning in The Secondaries Boom | 📆 Oct 31, 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM CEST

🤝 In-person events we’re attending

If you’re thinking of attending, hit us up, we’d love to connect.

Expand North Star in Dubai | 📆 15 - 18 October | 🌍 Dubai

Web Summit | 📆 13 - 15 November | 🌍 Lisbon

GoWest | 📆 6 - 8 February | 🌍 Gothenburg

Super Venture | 📆 4 - 6 Juni | 🌍 Berlin

Nordic LP Forum & TechBBQ | 📆 September | 🌍 Copenhagen

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