Research: The Hidden Superpower in Venture Investing 🔥🚀

Valuations topic is confusing and sometimes outright stressful for founders.

Success stories from the venture ecosystem and the inspiring Female Foundry community deserve to shine—and Agata’s story is a standout example. 💪

How to successfully fundraise for a ClimateTech startup in India!?

Get ready to uncover the answers to this key topic and explore many other insights in this episode of TheOnePoint podcast with Parithi Govindaraju from Okulo Aerospace.

ClimateTech startups are tackling challenges essential for humanity's survival. But for founders in this space, the road is anything but easy.

From the struggles of early-stage fundraising to the unique challenges of innovating in a field driven by physical solutions (Atoms) rather than just digital ones (Bits), ClimateTech founders often face a steep learning curve.

Okulo Aerospace raised their pre-seed round in 2023 with 1 million led by Ideaspring Capital with participation from Java Capital

Where to find Parithi Govindaraju:

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/parithig/

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠⁠https://www.okuloaerospace.com/⁠

Where to find Rohit Yadav:

• Web: ⁠⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/rohityadav⁠⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohityadav23/⁠⁠ 

• Newsletter: ⁠All Things VC⁠  (⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7081921640367808512/⁠⁠)

In this episode, we dive into what it really takes to secure investment in this critical space and how founders can navigate the complexities of building a ClimateTech startup. Topics covered -

(00:00) Intro: Podcast

(00:59) Intro: Parithi Govindaraju

(01:29) Intro: Okulo Aerospace

(03:04) Ovule Aerospace: Vision and Innovations 

(05:26) Market focus and expansion plans

(06:37) ClimateTech market in India

(09:15) Personal View: One hot ClimateTech area in India

(11:05) Fundraising Journey: From Idea to Pre-Seed Funding

(25:19) Treating the fundraising journey as a series of steps

(26:50) Mindset for fundraising success

(29:03) Strategies for effective fundraising

(31:44) Navigating Grant opportunities 

(35:10) The role of mentors and advisors

(38:17) Maintaining motivation during challenges

(40:48) Hiring for fit-over talent

(42:39) The concept of adjacent possible innovations

This episode of TheOnePoint features Til Klein from identity.vc 

Til and I connected over a shared vision of supporting diversity in our venture ecosystem.

And, Til is doing so much more beyond just supporting. 

identity.vc is the first fund in Europe to back LGBTQ+ founders in the early stages. 

He comes with a stellar background to achieve this mission. Having been a founder himself Til has the knowledge, strategic insights, and network to unlock this investment thesis in Europe. 

With the first close of his VC fund in 2024 and a few investments already committed - Til is looking forward to 2025.

LPs invest in their fund because they believe in the thesis that diversity drives performance. Social impact is the cherry on top!

Where to find Tim Klein:

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/tilklein/⁠

• Website: ⁠⁠⁠https://identity.vc/

Where to find Rohit Yadav:

• Web: ⁠⁠https://linktr.ee/rohityadav⁠⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohityadav23/⁠ 

• Newsletter: ⁠All Things VC⁠  (⁠https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7081921640367808512/⁠)

In this episode of TheOnePoint, we talk about:

(00:00) Podcast episode intro

(01:21) Intro: Til Klein 

(02:02) Intro: identity.vc

(04:54) Launch of identity.vc and experience running the Fund

(05:57) Support from LPs for identity.vc

(07:42) Current state of diversity in the venture ecosystem

(12:34) Should LPs have a separate bucket for Emerging Managers

(14:48) Support and guidance for Emerging Managers

(17:25) Comparison of U.S. and EU ecosystems

(19:15) Challenges faced by diverse founders

(23:09) Startup awareness of diverse founders

(25:42) Bridging knowledge gaps for diverse founders

(27:26) The importance of community for founders

(29:25) Role of mentorship

(31:44) Building community for Founders

(35:07) How should founders navigate rejections and feedback

(39:32) How should founders rationalize the choice of VC

(42:42) Future of diversity-focused VC funds 

(45:48) An inspirational idea

Thanks for listening!

In this episode of TheOnePoint podcast, I interview Guy Conway, co-founder of Koble, to explore how AI is reshaping venture capital. 

Guy highlights that while many VCs use AI for startup discovery, its true potential lies in automating investment decisions—removing reliance on intuition and enabling data-driven insights. Koble focuses on early-stage investments, leveraging proprietary models for scalable and efficient decision-making. 

Guy also discusses the industry's shift, with AI challenging traditional VC roles and enabling leaner, more impactful teams. Koble is strengthening the viability of algorithmic/quant VC, aiming to transform startup funding and unlock consistent returns.

Where to find Guy Conway:

• LinkedIn: ⁠⁠ https://www.linkedin.com/in/guyconway/

• Website: ⁠⁠https://www.koble.ai/

Where to find Rohit Yadav:

• Web: ⁠https://linktr.ee/rohityadav⁠

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohityadav23/ 

• Newsletter: ⁠All Things VC⁠  (https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7081921640367808512/)

In this episode, we cover:

(00:00) Episode intro

(01:21) Intro: Guy Conway

(02:00) Intro: Koble

(02:00) VC value chain and Noble’s placement

(07:51) Is the traditional VC business in danger?

(11:04) How will the role of VC team members transform?

(14:23) Quant VC and stage strategy

(17:41) Evolution of data and it’s usage in context of Quant VC

(19:48) Where does the ‘Alpha’ lie?

(24:30) Future of AI in Fund and Portfolio management

(26:44) Journey of Koble

(33:12) Vision for the future: Automating investment decision making

(35:18) Market dynamics and Sector focus

(37:05) First mover advantage in AI in VC space

(40:25) Personal side: Motivation and Mentorship 

(43:06) Personal side: Interesting quote

Last year in September, we published a unique report called ‘Diverse by Default’ (Link) in which we explored the What, the Why, and the How of the topic. 

We all know the what (Lower funding to diverse founders, founder experience being filled with challenges). We also understand the 'Why' - Diverse teams make better decisions and investments, leading to more innovation and better business outcomes. But, we needed to build and implement the ‘How.’ 

In last year’s report, we surveyed and interviewed around 40 ecosystem people (Investors, founders, and operators) to find a pragmatic approach, tangible methods, and productive frameworks. Now. One year later, I’m interviewing VCs with topics like diversity, overlooked founders, underrepresented founders, and immigrant founders embedded in their investment thesis and exploring what has changed in our ecosystem. 

So, to discuss this topic from multiple dimensions, I was joined by Ihar Mahaniok from Geek Ventures

Where to find Ihar Mahaniok:

Thanks for listening.

In this episode, I explore the growing role of AI in the venture capital business with Gabriel Shin, co-founder of Landscape. 

Massive and rapid advancements in AI have captured the attention of various sectors, including startups and venture capitalists. While the broader ecosystem often focuses on AI's technical innovations, the application of AI within venture capital still needs to be discussed more.

Landscape as an AI operating system is designed to streamline the venture capital workflow by leveraging data and automation to improve efficiency. It focuses on the investment phase, where the platform helps investors source and evaluate potential startups using a data-driven approach. 

In the discussion, we touch upon many critical points, such as the future of venture capital, the increasing commoditization of startup discovery and evaluation through AI tools, the future of Junior VC talent, the growth of Partner-led and Solo GPs, the role of relationships in the venture business, and so much more. 

Where to find Gabriel Shin:

• LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/gabrielshin/

• Website: ⁠https://www.landscape.vc/

Where to find Rohit Yadav:

Web: ⁠https://linktr.ee/rohityadav⁠

LinkedIn: ⁠https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohityadav23/⁠ 

Newsletter: ⁠All Things VC⁠ 

In this episode, we cover:

Referenced:

Book ‘Focus’ from Daniel Goleman (https://www.amazon.com/Focus-Hidden-Excellence-Daniel-Goleman-ebook/dp/B00BATG220/)

In this episode, we discuss pre-seed ClimateTech fundraising with four founders - Johanna Broell from Carbonsate , Laura Laringe from reLi Energy , Manu Pillai from CarbonBridge , and Matias Machado from Leap Photovoltaics

ClimateTech has been one of the hottest investment areas in the VC world, and for good reason: ClimateTech startups are critical to solving human survival. However, only some things in ClimateTech are picture-perfect. 

I constantly hear founders complaining about fundraising issues and challenges. They need to gain the proper awareness of what is required to fundraise. And this is especially true at the earliest stages of ClimateTech. It is even more complicated because a substantial part of ClimateTech is Atoms and not Bits. 

In this episode, we delved into a comprehensive range of fundraising topics, each of which is crucial for understanding the complex world of ClimateTech fundraising. 

They share practical advice, from the do’s and don’ts of fundraising to surviving pivots, thinking about investor outreach, and the role of grants and governmental support. This episode is a goldmine of actionable insights. 

Where to find Johanna Broell:

Where to find Laura Laringe:

Where to find Manu Pillai:

Where to find Matias Machado:

Where to find Rohit Yadav:

In this episode, we cover:

In this episode, we discuss Tech for Good concept in the venture capital business with Paul Miller OBE from Bethnal Green Ventures.

Paul has been a pioneer in the Tech for Good movement in the UK since 2008. He was the perfect guest to explain the concept's humble beginnings and chart its evolution. Through BGV’s new fund, they aim to back up to 100 startups over the next four years.

The reality is that the Tech for Good venture market wasn’t the same a decade back. It was practically non-existent. A few investors associated the term with charity, but thankfully, the perception has shifted over time.  

We discussed Paul’s inspiration to start BGV, his journey, diversity as a topic in the ecosystem, and portfolio topics, and obviously covered many nuggets for the founders. 

One important point—it’s not easy being a Tech for Good venture investor. There is always a mission to prove. BGV has done a remarkable job institutionalizing the process. Their investment selection methodology and impact reports are key for impact measurement in these ventures to build trust and ensure accountability.

It was an insight-packed 50 minutes of recording.

Where to find Ashish Kumar:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paulmiller/

• Website: https://www.bethnalgreenventures.com/

Where to find Rohit Yadav:

Web: https://linktr.ee/rohityadav

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rohityadav23/ 

Newsletter: All Things VC (https://www.linkedin.com/newsletters/7081921640367808512/)

In this episode, we cover:

Referenced:

Portfolio company Aparito (https://www.aparito.com/) which BGV exited in 2024 (https://www.bethnalgreenventures.com/blog/from-bgv-to-successful-exit-aparito)