Brighteye Ventures’ Post

𝐖𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐨𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐔𝐊! – 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐰𝐞'𝐫𝐞 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐞𝐝. bunch exists for one reason: to unlock technology for VCs and PEs, enabling the next leap forwards in private markets. In the past 12 months, we’ve made bold strides—𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐛𝐨𝐭𝐡 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐮𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐀𝐝𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧. Private markets are expanding rapidly, with global AUM increasing from $10 trillion to $24 trillion in the past decade, and appetite from retail investors standing at $150 trillion. Yet, fund operations remain burdened by outdated processes, paperwork, and limited transparency—stuck in the 1980s. bunch is here to change that. Our expansion into Europe’s largest AUM market marks a big step in our journey to 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐛𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐏𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐞𝐭𝐬. Leading the charge is our very own Tomás Herrmann, former investor at Creandum and Hedosophia, joined by Cheyenne Lake, Head of Customer Success, Emma Shaw, our dedicated UK Account Manager, and Lucca Frare, Strategy Associate. Together, they’re building out the London team, with plans to add several more bunchies in the near future to strengthen client partnerships and drive growth. A big thank you to City of London Corporation and London & Partners for their support and endorsement as we establish our UK presence. A special shoutout to our investors—FinTech Collective, Cherry Ventures, Motive Ventures, and our many angel supporters—for being part of this journey. And, of course, to the bunch team whose dedication and hard work make it all possible. To everyone who joined us at our exclusive launch event: thank you for celebrating this milestone with us! If you missed it, stay tuned—more events are on the horizon. #buildonbunch #privatemarkets

Had a great time participating on the secondaries panel today at SuperVenture. I was joined by Knightsbridge StepStone and our fearless moderator Christian Oberbeck. Some interesting takeaways from the conversation: ✈ LP secondaries set for a record 2024. Venture secondaries lagging in volume despite $2.2T in assets and in this space family offices are one important seller, while some need cash many have given up on waiting for the next liquidity cycle ✈ Pricing for the overall market has strengthened in 2024 though tough in the venture space as buyers dodge the "falling knife" fear. One good approach is to focus on companies you know intimately and one panelist thought you could hold your nose a bit on price for high conviction companies. There has been a big focus lately on buying up of the top 30 tech names. ✈ One piece of advice for GPs looking to do continuation vehicles is to find and advisor broker who spends the time to really understand the portfolio company(s) well as they may need to help put a syndicate together. Had a great time. Many thanks to SuperReturn and the gang on the panel.

People ask why we don’t lead Series A rounds for our portfolio companies. Simple: it would change how we work with founders. After leading the seed, we’re aligned and focused on building trust and transparency. Competing to lead the next round would shift that dynamic.

𝗡𝗮𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗥𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗸𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗯𝘂𝗶𝗹𝘁 𝗮 $𝟰𝗕 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗳𝗼𝗿𝗺 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗺𝗲𝗲𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. Yet, he says coffee chats waste your time. Give him 22 secs to transform how you build your business… --- P.S It’s meaningless to save time if you don’t use it to build something great. But to build big? You need a rockstar team. Here’s 5 team building rules I didn’t learn until I became CMO: https://lnkd.in/edSGn5vP

Whether it’s an IPO, M&A, or another exit strategy, having the right knowledge, preparation, and team in place is key to achieving success. Recently, I had the opportunity to attend Renovata & Company Platform Private Equity Panel discussion and networking breakfast in London. It was a fantastic morning filled with valuable insights from panelists from Limerston Capital, Bridgepoint, Arma Partners, and Laneway Ventures. A recurring topic throughout the discussion was the critical role of talent—how having the right leadership and a well-aligned team is essential for driving value creation and setting a business up for a successful exit. The event was also an incredible opportunity to connect with peers, exchange ideas, and take part in meaningful conversations over coffee. Take a moment to watch the highlight reel which offers a snapshot of the morning’s energy, capturing moments from the panel, networking, and the vibrant atmosphere. If you’d like to join one of our future events or get involved as a contributor, feel free to reach out—I’d be happy to share more details. #PE #networking #leadership

❎ After a $500M Exit: “Now, my vision is forever unfinished!"❎ Three years ago, Scott Wolfe Jr. sold his company, Levelset, a Procore Company, for half a billion dollars. At first, there was excitement and relief. But soon, frustration crept in: his vision for the company would never be fully realized. Scott, a natural creator, sees business as art. It was his “need to create” that got him through the tough times. Now, he misses the creative process of realizing his vision with his amazing team. Should he start another business to satify his creative hunger? Or focus on family? Can his great team can ever be re-created? In our Exit Paradox interview, we tackle these questions and more - the real challenges many post-exit founders face. I’m so happy with this conversation! Scott’s deep unconventional thinking made it fresh, thought-provoking, and full of surprises. (The link is in the comments 👇.) Huge thanks to our friend Ho Nam for making this happen and for inspiring both Scott and me to be more “hedgehogy”. For more wisdom from exceptional exited founders, follow me, Anastasia Koroleva and my newsletter. Link in the bio👆. My mission is to help post-exit founders avoid pitfalls, find new purpose, and live fulfilling lives 🚀 . #PostExit #ExitParadox #PostExitFounders

Forum Ventures' The Midnight Text shares our POV on the early stage journey, for founders by people that get it. The most recent newsletter hones in on a topic I live and breathe every day - the importance of the founding team. Here's a highlight: "A lot of founders over-index on presenting the business, but you are just as important to the story." Don't miss out. 👉🏻 https://lnkd.in/gfgnZDUU

I came across an investment opportunity with a few promising founders and connected them with some VCs and investors. One of these founders has since built a product-led company that achieved 10x growth and became free cash flow positive within just six months. 🚀 Initially, many investors passed on them—some didn’t even take a closer look. Fast forward, and now the company is overbooked, only entertaining Tier A or strategic investors. Here’s the takeaway: When founders recommend founders, it’s never just about metrics, market size, or projections—it’s about the team. Early-stage investing is a bet on their ability to build, adapt, and execute. The opportunity was there—it just needed the right lens to see it. #founderdriven #teamfirst #earlystage

New!! It’s Not Just You: Founders Worry More About the Competition as They Scale, Not Less: VC firm High Alpha and Paddle did a survey of … what keeps founders up at night. One that surprised me a bit was that founders worry more about competition as they scale: 22% of founders worry about competition in the early days, but the swells to 50% at $50m ARR. It probably... Continue Reading The post It’s Not Just You: Founders Worry More About the Competition as They Scale, Not Less appeared first on SaaStr.

2024 Wrap: A Year of Focus, Resilience & Strategic Growth at Bread & Butter Ventures Excited to share our Mary Grove's reflections on our year in venture. From pivots to exits, 2024 was defined by one word: FOCUS. Key highlights from our portfolio: • Welcomed 4 incredible new companies to the B&B family: mesur.io, Champion, GUDEA and Chiyo • Supported 28 portfolio companies in successfully closing new funding rounds • Made 13 follow-on investments, doubling down on our commitment to founder success Our biggest learning from the year? Communication is truly a superpower, especially in challenging markets. Monthly updates aren't just paperwork – they're your ticket to unlocking your investor network's full potential. Want to dive deeper into our 2024 observations and what we're taking into 2025? Read Mary's full reflection here: https://lnkd.in/ezcbekVf