Nothing Ventured

Andy Ayim MBE is the creator of The Angel Investing School, that trains diverse professionals on how to get started with investing in the next generation of diverse startups. He also consults companies in highly regulated industries with his Product Playbooks on how to set up and scale new agile product management teams.

He was previously Managing Director at Backstage Capital and was on the Advisory Board for London Tech Week 2020, Black Tech Fest, One Tech, Translate Culture, Black Tech Fest, Startup Garage and YSYS.

🕒 Time stamps -

0:00 - Intro - Who is Andy Ayim?1:04 - What is the mission of Angel Investing School?

🔗 Andy Ayim's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyayim/?originalSubdomain=uk

Twitter - https://twitter.com/Andy_ayim

Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/andy_ayim/?hl=en

Web - https://greenangelsyndicate.com/about/people/andy-ayim-mbe/

Angel Investing School - https://angelinvestingschool.com/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andy Ayim MBE is the creator of The Angel Investing School, that trains diverse professionals on how to get started with investing in the next generation of diverse startups. He also consults companies in highly regulated industries with his Product Playbooks on how to set up and scale new agile product management teams.

He was previously Managing Director at Backstage Capital and was on the Advisory Board for London Tech Week 2020, Black Tech Fest, One Tech, Translate Culture, Black Tech Fest, Startup Garage and YSYS.

👂 Listen to the Main Episode here - https://youtu.be/fCTgjTuJWd0

🕒 Time stamps -

0:00 - Introduction to the episode.

🔗 Andy Ayim's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andyayim/?originalSubdomain=uk

Angel Investing School - https://angelinvestingschool.com/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrea is an entrepreneur, advisor, investor and strategist with global expertise in emerging technology, innovation, investment strategy and strategic growth initiatives. She’s built four businesses in the technology space, including in analytics & event technology, femtech & wearables and HRtech.

She is currently Co-Founder & CEO at Hive Founders, a network for women entrepreneurs, providing education, investment readiness training and advisory services to 800+ founders across the globe. She is also co-founder at Womankind Ventures, a dynamic and inclusive global angel investment group with a mission to get more funding to female founders.

👂 Listen to the Primer Episode here - https://youtu.be/SuflZ3-uK_s

🕒 Time stamps -

1:50 - What are some of the unique challenges for female Founders and how is high Founders addressing those challenges?

3:08 - What are some examples of specific advice that doesn't work for female Founders?

3:21 - How does the Venture Capital model disadvantage women entrepreneurs?6:21 - How does the socialization of women affect their entrepreneurship experience?

7:39 - What are the three key elements needed for successful fundraising?

15:00 - Why are there so many communities for underrepresented groups, and why is there a lack of understanding of the investor mentality from the founder's perspective?

18:36 - How does WomanKind Ventures select the startups it invests in, and how many members/angels are part of the syndicate?

21:31 - How does WomanKind Ventures educate investors on the benefits of angel investment and encourage women to diversify their portfolios?

22:05 - Why do startups founded by female entrepreneurs often have a strong sense of purpose and societal impact?

🔗 Andrea Sommer's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrealsommer/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Andrea is an entrepreneur, advisor, investor and strategist with global expertise in emerging technology, innovation, investment strategy and strategic growth initiatives. She’s built four businesses in the technology space, including in analytics & event technology, femtech & wearables and HRtech.

She is currently Co-Founder & CEO at Hive Founders, a network for women entrepreneurs, providing education, investment readiness training and advisory services to 800+ founders across the globe. She is also co-founder at Womankind Ventures, a dynamic and inclusive global angel investment group with a mission to get more funding to female founders.

👂 Listen to the Main Episode here - https://youtu.be/eXUxjt7rUrw

🕒 Time stamps -

1:25 - What did you do before you founded your first venture?

1:52 - How was the juxtaposition of that and then startups?

2:08 - What was it that triggered your move into entrepreneurship?

2:52 - And what do you think you'd be doing if you weren't a founder?

3:55 - So, who is Hive for?

4:27 - If you were to think about the ideal founder persona, who would join Hive? Who are they? Why would they want to join Hive?

5:27 - Do you find you end up turning down some businesses because they aren't the right fit or in the right direction?

5:57 - If you were to think about three ventures that you're really proud to have supported, what would those three ventures be?

🔗 Andrea Sommer's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/andrealsommer/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daniel Glazer is an American technology lawyer, strategic business advisor, and the Managing Partner of Wilson Sonsini's London office. Since the 2010 launch of the UK Government's Tech City initiative, Dan has advised high-growth UK/European technology and life sciences companies on raising capital in the US and UK/Europe, expanding their businesses into US markets, and connecting with investors, corporates, and advisors.

👂 Listen to the Primer Episode here - https://youtu.be/3hNIVAGALec

🕒 Time stamps -

1:34 - What are the differences between the legal systems in the UK and the US?

1:45 - How does the fee-shifting system in the UK affect the litigation environment?

2:04 - Why do parties in the US tend to send legal letters more frequently than in the UK?

3:45 - Why do startups in the US seek problem avoidance legal advice?

4:16 - What role does risk management play for CFOs in the UK and lawyers in US firms?

5:30 - Why is close collaboration between CFOs and lawyers crucial in early-stage US firms?

6:59 - How does the reliance on external advisors differ between US and UK businesses?

7:12 - What are the advantages of delegating administrative and logistical complexity in the US?

9:45 -Why are funding rounds typically larger in the US compared to the UK?

10:44 - What are the trigger points for a UK firm looking to expand into the US and when should they consider getting the right structure in place?

12:04 - When is it necessary to set up a proper structure in the US for a UK company?

12:34 - Is it advisable to create a U.S subsidiary or parent company for a UK firm expanding into the US?

20:47 - What strategies can startups use to mitigate those risks

?21:01 - What do UK startups often get wrong when going to the US?

22:01 - How is running a business in the US different from the UK?

24:03 - How can UK companies scale up massively in the US?

26:13 - Is it necessary to move the CEO to the US when expanding there?

28:04 - What are the differences in venture approach between US and UK VCs?

30:03 - Are startups in the UK struggling to achieve bigger exits compared to the US?

31:22 - What are the differences in investor approach between the UK and the US?

33:02 - How do successful startup employees in the US become prolific angel investors or VCs?

34:31 - Are UK institutional and public market investors hesitant to invest in tech companies?

37:03 - How can the UK increase the number of exits at scale in its tech ecosystem?

38:47 - Is the UK tech ecosystem still in the early stages of growth compared to Silicon Valley?

🔗 Daniel Glazer's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcglazer/?originalSubdomain=uk

Twitter - https://twitter.com/danielcglazer?lang=en

Web - https://www.wsgr.com/en/people/daniel-glazer.html

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daniel Glazer is an American technology lawyer, strategic business advisor, and the Managing Partner of Wilson Sonsini's London office. Since the 2010 launch of the UK Government's Tech City initiative, Dan has advised high-growth UK/European technology and life sciences companies on raising capital in the US and UK/Europe, expanding their businesses into US markets, and connecting with investors, corporates, and advisors.

👂 Listen to the Main Episode here - https://youtu.be/JRL_HI_bPpA

🕒 Time stamps -

0:00 - Introduction to the episode and guest, Daniel Glazer.

0:30 - What was Daniel's first job?

0:44 - Daniel's first job was working at Burger King and later at McDonald's.

1:04 - What did Daniel do before getting into Venture law?

1:48 - What triggered Daniel to move into the field of Venture law?

2:02 - What would Daniel be doing if he wasn't a lawyer?

2:05 - Daniel would likely be working in government, focusing on transatlantic international commerce.

2:34 - How large is the practice at Wilson Sonsini, and what kind of businesses do they work with?

3:49 - Can Daniel mention three businesses that Wilson Sonsini has supported and that he is proud of?

5:06 - Discussion concludes and appreciation for having Daniel on the podcast.

🔗 Daniel Glazer's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/danielcglazer/?originalSubdomain=uk

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Daniel Glazer is an American technology lawyer, strategic business advisor, and the Managing Partner of Wilson Sonsini's London office. Since the 2010 launch of the UK Government's Tech City initiative, Dan has advised high-growth UK/European technology and life sciences companies on raising capital in the US and UK/Europe, expanding their businesses into US markets, and connecting with investors, corporates, and advisors.

0:30 - What was Daniel's first job?

0:44 - Daniel's first job was working at Burger King and later at McDonald's.

1:04 - What did Daniel do before getting into Venture law?

1:09 - Daniel started working in the tech space during the late 1900s and worked with companies like Cosmo dot.com and Cadbury Schweppes.

1:48 - What triggered Daniel to move into the field of Venture law?

2:02 - What would Daniel be doing if he weren't a lawyer?

2:05 - Daniel would likely be working in the government, focusing on transatlantic international commerce.

2:34 - How large is the practice at Sonsini, and what kind of businesses do they work with?

3:49 - Can Daniel mention three businesses that Sonsini has supported and he is proud of?

5:06 - Discussion concludes and appreciation for having Daniel on the podcast.

After years in different venture capital firms, Marc Cohen has gone it alone and founded Unbundled VC. He invests in early-stage start-ups and offers free resources for founders looking to get funding on his website.

👂 Listen to the Primer Episode here - https://youtu.be/C765cIqgG2k

🕒 Time stamps -

0:00 - Intro - Who is Marc Cohen?

4:30 - What returns are VCs looking for?

7:05 - The importance of portfolio construction

12:37 - What factors tell a VC “this is the right deal” in the long term?

19:14 - Why he looks for distribution returns?

21:33 - What is his process for investing and why is it set up like that?

30:18 - What type of founders seek venture capital?

34:22 - The power of reputation in the VC world for founders.

36:02 - How will AI impact the way people invest?

48:00 - Where can people find you online?

🔗 Marc Cohen's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcnigelcohen/?originalSubdomain=gg

Twitter - https://twitter.com/unbundledvc

Web - https://www.unbundled.vc/

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

After years in different venture capital firms, Marc Cohen has gone it alone and founded Unbundled VC. He invests in early-stage start-ups and offers free resources for founders looking to get funding on his website.

👂 Listen to the Main Episode here - https://youtu.be/xuEARO8_UBY

🕒 Time stamps -

0:00 - Intro - Who is Marc Cohen?

🔗 Marc Cohen's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/marcnigelcohen/?originalSubdomain=gg

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Hussein is a partner at Hoxton Ventures. He currently represents Hoxton on the boards of Baseimmune, BeyondRisk, Biocortex, Biotx, DruidAI, Finesse, Fy!, Giraffe360, Kbox, Kitt, Luminary, Peptone, PillSorted, Raptor Supplies, Really Clever, Rensair, Replai, Replan, Skin Analytics, TourRadar and XYZ Reality, and serves as a board observer on Behavox and Karakuri.

👂 Listen to the Primer Episode here - https://youtu.be/TABxKlhvRbE

🕒 Time stamps -

0:00 - Intro / Hussein's career to date.

1:47 - What does Hoxton Ventures invest into?

7:08 - Hussein's response to some articles about Hoxton having an all-male investment team.

12:29 - What is Hoxton Ventures looking for in their next member of staff?

18:44 - How hard is it to get funding today?

24:28 - What does Hussein think of the AI space?

25:19 - What are the deterrents for that put off a small business from investing locally vs going straight to the US?

33:44 - Is GymShark a technology business?

34:05 - Where can people find Hussein online?

🔗 Hussein Kanji's links -

LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/hkanji/?originalSubdomain=uk

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