Newton Venture Program

I’m excited to announce that I will be speaking at the Women’s Venture Capital Summit Europe launching this December from With Intelligence. For women, presented and delivered by women, join me, and 200 women in the industry to get share insights, do deals and make long-lasting connections. There are some incredible speakers attending - some I've seen before and some new and exciting. I'm sure it will be a great event and hope to see you there. Find out more from the link in the comments but note early bird ticket prices end tomorrow!

📣 Do you want to learn with Newton Venture Program? 👀 We're opening applications for our 9th Fundamentals cohort on Wednesday 6 November - that's one week today! 🥳 If you want to break into venture capital, or you're early on in your venture career, or working in a non-venture capitalist role and would benefit from a greater understanding of the key concepts - our virtual program is for you 🚀 Watch this video to find out more 🤩

We’ve partnered with Colorintech on their Entrepreneur in Residence Programme to help connect early stage innovators with the founders who’ve built and exited successful businesses. On the programme you will: - Spend a full day with seasoned entrepreneurs and learn from those who’ve been there. - Connect with driven, like-minded founders - at least 30% of participants will come from underrepresented backgrounds. - Access expertise and networks of Colorintech's partners, including HSBC Innovation Banking UK. Apply now - spaces are limited: https://lnkd.in/erWhmhSs #Innovation #Startups #Scaleup #UKTech

📣 We're pleased to be partnering with With Intelligence - Women's Summits for the first Women in Venture Capital Europe Summit, taking place in Hertfordshire in England from 2-4 December! 🚨 Early bird tickets end on 31 October 2024 🚨 ✨ Join senior LPs and GPs from across Europe and enjoy a packed agenda with plenty of activities to keep you busy! 👉 Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/esWJXwjx #WomenInVC #WomenVC #WomenLP #VentureCapital #VC

👋 Have you completed our Foundations course? Time to take a deeper dive into venture capital? Applications for our Fundamentals program are opening soon 🙌 ✍️ Sign up to our newsletter and keep an eye on socials to be first to know when they're open! https://lnkd.in/eSa2amTj

📣 That's right, we're looking for a digital marketing manager. Find all the info here: https://lnkd.in/eAXutYpx ⏰ The deadline is 10 November so don't miss out!

It has been a while since I last spent time on a university campus, but I recently enjoyed an inspiring 3-day experience with the Newton Venture Program at London Business School. As a Fellow of Cohort 4, I completed Module 1 alongside an exceptional group of peers. Here are some key highlights from the sessions, where I had the privilege of learning from some of the most brilliant minds in the venture capital ecosystem: *"Funding Buffet" with Prof. Gary Dushnitsky from London Business School, where we explored the complexities of venture capital funding and identified critical success factors for investors. *"Evaluating Financial Models" and "Valuations" with Prof. Luisa Alemany from London Business School, where we sharpened our financial assessment and valuation skills—crucial for thriving in venture capital. Her insightful book Entrepreneurial Finance has now earned a place in my home library. Coming from a finance and M&A background, I found it invaluable as I delve deeper into early-stage investing. *"Analyzing Deals" with Edward Keelan, a partner at Octopus Ventures, where we focused on analytical tools for assessing investment opportunities. *"Ecosystems" with Prof. Thomas Hellmann from Saïd Business School, University of Oxford, where we discussed the dynamics of different venture ecosystems. *A panel on Board and Governance featuring Kerry Baldwin from IQ Capital and Andrew Wigfall from Balderton Capital, offering invaluable, hands-on insights into building effective boards and addressing governance challenges. *Sessions with Varun Rekhi from Speedinvest , Andy Davis from 10X10, Mish Mashkautsan and Rajeelan Thayalaseelan (Rajee Seelan) from Phoenix Court on the different stages of the deal process, which were particularly insightful. *A sunset walk through Regent’s Park for team bonding, ending with a British pub dinner in Primrose Hill. 😊 The highlight of this experience was connecting with an inspiring cohort—diverse, humble, and each contributing unique perspectives and insights. I am deeply grateful to the incredible team (Shayan Roy Chowdhury, Eleanor Kaye, Sari Bircoll and Andreea Bordei) behind the Newton Venture Program for fostering such a supportive and enriching environment. This fellowship is more than just an educational experience; it’s a transformative step towards my aspiration of becoming a leader in venture capital and driving innovation within the startup ecosystem. #NewtonVentureProgram #VentureCapital #VC #Fellowship #StartupEcosystem #NVPxLBS04

🎓 Just wrapped up an incredible experience at the Newton Venture Program in London (first of 3 in person classes), and I've captured my key insights in this article. From the surprising shift in Series A timelines (now 6-9 years in the UK!) to the often-overlooked question of "who's buying our companies?", these lessons have fundamentally reshaped how I think about venture capital. As investors at Future Africa, bridging these global insights with African market realities has been particularly enlightening. In this piece, I unpack: - The new reality of startup growth timelines - Why brand matters in VC (featuring an interesting Harry Stebbings case) - The real customers of VC funds (hint: it's not the LPs) - Critical differences between early-stage and growth investing Link to article below 👇 A massive thank you to Professor Gary Dushnitsky, Professor Thomas Hellmann, and Professor Luisa Alemany for the invaluable knowledge shared. To the team venture professional that came who made benchmarking, panels and discussions so enriching, and to the incredible Newton Venture Program team – you've all made this journey exceptional. And of course, to my amazing classmates in the photo below – what a remarkable group to learn alongside! #VentureCapital #AfricanTech #StartupGrowth #LondonBusinessSchool #NewtonVentureProgram

Last Friday morning I think I drowned in a mini depression for a few hours — couldn’t get rid of the thought that it’s the last day and that’s it. Done. Finita. End. (Being dramatic here). Since last Friday I’m a proud graduate from Newton Venture Program VC Fellowship course — a joint venture between London Business School and LocalGlobe VC, with founding partner HSBC Innovation Banking. I remember sitting in winter writing the application, thinking what are the chances I’ll be accepted. I remember the first online intro call in March, having the heart rate up, on the borderline between being too excited or scared to meet people I’d share the coming half a year. I remember meeting Harpal at TechChill as the first person from my future cohort.  I remember visiting Christopher at his office before the first day of study. And Anisah in Tallinn in summer. Negotiating and laughing with Erica, admiring Adine, sharing a dancing night after the 2nd module, spending evenings on homework, reading, calculating, practicing, listening, and keeping a tiny warm memory about every single person in our cohort. You can always read everything online but you can't replicate an experience of gathering in one room all global startup/investment ecosystem, learning and growing together, being founders, VCs, LPs, CVCs, FOs, — every part of the ecosystem coming together as a perfect puzzle. Eleanor, Shayan, Sari, Andreea, Vickie, thank you. With love, proud alumni.

Glad to have completed the Newton Venture Program after 6 months of intensive learning from faculty members at the London Business School and VCs across the globe. I've loved being back in class, diving deeper into industry best practices, trading insights with the other fellows, challenging perspectives, and fostering deeper connections with the rest of the class. Super excited for the entire cohort and can’t wait to see how our respective journeys unfold! Thanks to the team at Newton Venture Program for delivering an excellent program!!👏👏 Applications for the 2025 cohort will open soon, register your interest here: https://lnkd.in/dYRTezYK #NewtonFellowship #NVPxLBS03 #VentureCapital