Diana Florescu’s Post

Diversity in the Boardroom - It is More than just checking a box! Here's the deal: Boardroom diversity is evolving, but at a snail's pace. The stats are in, and they're telling us we need to pick up the pace. In the startup world, only 22% of new board members are women - that's half the rate of public companies. 📈 Nasdaq's new rules have stirred the pot, especially in smaller companies. But the big question remains: Are we really embracing diversity, or just ticking off a regulatory checklist? Remember, diversity isn't just about filling seats. It's about bringing unique perspectives and experiences to the table, enhancing decision-making, and driving innovation. Let’s do more than just comply. Let’s lead the charge in making our boardrooms as diverse as the world around us. Shout out for those VC's who're already focused on bringing diversity founders to the game: Angeles Investors, Backstage Capital, BBG Ventures, EchoVC Partners, Ganas Ventures, Harlem Capital, Kapor Capital, New Money Ventures, One Way Ventures, Overlooked Ventures, Pipeline Angels, Precursor Ventures, Rethink Ventures, Rogue Women's Fund, Springboard Growth Capital, Unseen Capital, Wocstar Fund, Black Angel Tech Fund, MaC Venture Capital, Dreamit Ventures, humble ventures, Base Ventures, GV (Google Ventures), 500 Startups, KEC Ventures, Halogen Ventures, Reach Capital, Hustle Fund, Chingona Ventures And Let Your social media managers share Your current focus in the comment section! 🏳️🌈 💜 💭 Stay tuned with Alex Sherman & YS Horizon for more startup insights 🚀 #diversityintech #diversity #inclusion #inclusiveleadership #venture #vc #boardmember #fundraising #investment #funding

While some investors have very specific interests, others prefer to go wide - focus on investing in the best businesses and not worry about which industries they’re working in. Here are 5 of those: ✨ Abstract Ventures - “a sector agnostic venture investor in pre-seed, seed, and series A startup companies.” ✨ Elevate Ventures - “We invest in high-potential cross-sector innovative companies” ✨ Great Oaks Venture Capital - “We are a generalist firm, however, the majority of our time is spent on Software, Healthcare, Financial Services, Marketplaces and Enterprise.” ✨ Red Swan Ventures - “We’re open-minded across industries but actively seek out businesses that create their own internal momentum via flywheel effects, network effects, and product-led growth.” ✨ Streamlined Ventures - “We lead or co-lead investments in seed-stage companies across most vertical markets.” For 10 more, check out the latest edition of Seed Investor List: https://lnkd.in/g8Y5VEnN #venturecapital #seedround #investors #fundraising #founders #startups

Legendary Ventures, a pioneer in accelerating value for startups in the consumer, retail, and tech sectors, has unveiled a groundbreaking bonus distribution program. With its supportive network of advisors, investors, and partners, this initiative aims to share proceeds from non-investment-related activities, such as strategic co-investing. - Recognition of Team Effort: Highlighting the importance of collective support in navigating the venture capital market's challenges, Legendary Ventures celebrates its ecosystem's contributions with bonus distributions. 🤝💼 - Focus on People: Amid financial uncertainties, prioritizing the welfare of its people, Legendary Ventures reinforces its commitment to a shared success model in the VC industry. 💡❤️ About Legendary Ventures: Known for its dedication to early-stage startups in consumer, retail, and technology industries, Legendary Ventures exemplifies leadership in value creation and innovation. 🌐✨ More details about the bonus distribution program: https://lnkd.in/dfX8cjAc Contact: Rachel Wu Legendary Investor Relations investors@legendary.vc For more information on their vision and projects, visit: https://lnkd.in/dU9TtubC #LegendaryVentures #VentureCapital #BonusDistribution #StartupSuccess #Innovation #Tech 💥 - - - Ken Ma - - - 💥

We are looking for venture partners for the Red Beard Ventures Syndicate. This is how I was able to get my role in venture capital...I found some of the top-tier deals and showed that I was able to source some of the best companies. I met Drew Austin the founder of Red Beard Ventures, at an event in New York City back in 2021. He told me that if I started sourcing deals for RBV and they ended up invested, he'd give me a carry. At the time I was already investing in start-ups and growing my angel portfolio, so I was excited to share some of the start-ups I was talking to that I could get allocation in. I was able to obtain allocation in LayerZero Labs, Unstoppable Domains, azuro, and many more. After I demonstrated my value as a partner and earned a reputation as a forward-thinking investor, I was able to get a full-time role in VC! We are actively seeking deal partners to join our syndicate and collaborate on exciting ventures across a broad spectrum of sectors. If you're interested in exploring potential partnerships, here are the key areas we're currently investing in: Space Biotech Sports Security Climate & Health Robotics Creator Tooling AI AR/VR Fintech Comment or DM me to discuss how we can work together to identify and support the next generation of groundbreaking companies #vc #venturecapital #recruiting #venturepartner #investing #startups

🌟In the vibrant ecosystem of venture capital, these trailblazers are not just investing in ideas but are committed to nurturing black-owned businesses. Here are the venture capitalists making significant strides: - Monique Woodard 🌟: A venture partner at 500 Global with notable investments in Blavity, Roho, and Win-Win. Woodard is dedicated to supporting black and Latino entrepreneurs, navigating through challenges with resilience and vision. - Marlon C. Nichols 🚀: General partner at Cross Culture Ventures, investing in LISNR, Hingeto, and Mayvenn. Nichols, alongside legends like Troy Carter and Suzy Woo, is shaping the future of diverse entrepreneurship. - Laurence Toney 💼: Partner at GV, with impactful investments in Walker and Co., AirTime, and LendUp. Toney's journey from Comcast Ventures to GV underscores his commitment to entrepreneurs of color. - Michael Seibel 💡: Partner at Y Combinator and CEO of its accelerator program. Seibel's portfolio includes Jopwell, Walker and Company, and Flip. From co-founding Justin.tv to guiding Twitch Interactive to success, Seibel's journey is inspirational. - Erik Moore ✨: Founder and managing director at Base Ventures, backing Pigeonly, Blavity, and Flip. Alongside Kirby Harris and with Michael Seibel as a venture partner, Moore is making significant contributions to the startup world. - Arlan Hamilton 🚀: Founder and managing partner of Backstage Capital, with investments in ShearShare, Blendoor, and On Second Thought. Hamilton's dedication to underrepresented founders is changing the investment landscape, with over $2M invested in 50+ companies. - Mitch Kapor 🌍: Founder of Kapor Capital and the Kapor Center for Social Impact, investing in Hingeto, Kairos, and Uncharted Play alongside Freada Kapor Klein. Their commitment to diversity is unwavering, choosing to invest in founders who prioritize it as well. These venture capitalists are not just funding businesses; they're fueling dreams. Full article here: https://lnkd.in/d4Dycpt5 #DiversityInTech #VentureCapital #InclusiveInvestment #Entrepreneurship #innovation

The Trade Desk: A VC's Perspective on Spotting a Unicorn In the world of venture capital, identifying the next "unicorn" is the holy grail. But how do you spot a potential game-changer in a crowded market? Key takeaways: * Don't be afraid to invest in unconventional ideas. * Trust your gut, but back it up with market knowledge. * Diversification is key to mitigating risk in early-stage investing. I recently had the privilege of speaking with Jerry Neumann, the VC who bet on Trade Desk before it became the ad-tech giant it is today. Jerry shared his insights on early-stage investing, emphasizing the importance of: 1. Market Expertise: Knowing the market inside-out allows you to assess a startup's potential and differentiate the innovators from the imitators. 2. Founder's Vision: A founder with deep market knowledge and a unique vision is more likely to navigate the challenges of a competitive landscape. 3. Portfolio Diversification: Investing in multiple promising companies mitigates risk and increases the chances of backing a winner. Jerry's investment in Trade Desk wasn't a sure thing. It was a bet on a founder with a bold vision in a crowded market. But his deep understanding of the ad tech landscape and belief in Jeff Green's approach ultimately paid off. This conversation is a must-listen for anyone interested in venture capital, startups, or the power of betting on the underdog. #venturecapital #startups #investing #tradeDesk #adtech #founder #underdog #innovation #successstory

😇 Angel appreciation time 😇 📢 Our angels are usually singing our praises. 💸 Ok... They have the obvious goal of seeing their investment succeed. 🌟 That said, it's very uncommon to see founders singing praises to... their angels! 🔗 Just realised this yesterday with our angel Phil McSweeney's interview to Marisa Scullion to the Angel Investment Network. Link in comments! 🔦 So, thought I'd shine a light on some of the angels actively supporting here at UJJI AI ✨ -- 🔸 Helio Padrao and Ricardo Sato, technical founding employees of Nubank and currently founders of fintech Porfin. 🔸 Sebastian Gray and Rosa Howard, partners of Big Ideas Group, angel syndicate with recent exits such as FATMAP (by Strava) 🔸 Andy Lambert, exited founder of ContentCal acquired by Adobe, currently product manager there. 🔸 Azor Barros, ex TPG, Patria Investments and impact The Rise Fund, currently leading Parallax Ventures. 🔸 Craig Akal, serial angel investor across early-stage startups in the UK and beyond. 🔸 Gareth Hawkins, NED, ex investor consultant of Block Dojo and currently founder of BizCrunch. 🔸 Rogerio Silberberg, founder of USA-based gaming company Fanatee 🔸 Rodrigo Louro, partner and Head of Research at Turim, Brazil's #1 independent family office. 🔸 Justin White, angel investor and currently founder of Kaldi Financial Technology 🔸 Phil McSweeney, following years in corporate and NHS, serial angel investor and author of AngelThink. 🙏 Thanks all of you who've trusted UJJI AI ✨ from the start and for your continued support. 🤔 Founders, shall we start appreciating our angels more? #startup #scaleup #VC #angelinvestment #investors #GTM #businessdevelopment

The Upfront Ventures is one of, if not, the best VC summit in the world. Each year it gets bigger and better, and Mark Suster and team do a fantastic job in creating an experience for LPs, GPs, and founders. This year was no exception, and I had a great time pairing with Yair Riemer of Upfront Ventures and David Frankel of Founder Collective speaking about the state of the venture industry today. A few main points we covered: 1) The substrates of seed is very complex, but seed rounds in general will continue to be larger than pre-2021 as the milestones necessary to raise a Series A have increased substantively (and these A round investors are concious of B round milestones). Companies will also be forced to grow more efficiently, which will take more time to meet necessary milestones. 2) Narrative based financing at the Series B and beyond (outside of a few exceptions) are gone. Companies will have to show real traction and viability beyond just revenue growth to raise B rounds from top investors. 3) The 1,200 or so unicorns will be a long, slow repricing/markdown process. The majority of these unicorns (80%+) are highly unlikely to rach anywhere near their last round valuation (esp if done in 2021) within 5 years, and many of these will return no meaningful outcome for preferred shareholders (and wipe out all common shareholders). With the amount of kicking the can down the road, we may not be able to see the full damage until the end of 2025. This is also why publicly available VC benchmarks are fairly useless from outside of DPI from 2017 on. 4) Sobriety is back, and capital constraints drive creativity and resourcefulness. This was not present for most of the 2010's, but not capital supply is equivalent to more appropriate capital deployment (both LPs/GPs). Very optimistic about the next decade.

🚀 Introducing VE2 Ventures: Your Gateway to the Future of Digital Innovation We're thrilled to unveil a sneak peek into the world of VE2 Ventures - where vision meets execution in the realm of tech innovation. Our unique venture studio model, dedicated to ideating, designing, developing, and scaling digital products is set to redefine the landscapes of sports, media, and entertainment. 👥 Why VE2 Ventures? A proven team with over 50 years of combined expertise. A track record of transforming visionary ideas into market-leading companies. An integrated approach to ideation, design, development, and strategic growth. A commitment to creating user-centric digital products that not only meet but exceed market demands. 💡 What Sets Us Apart? Our venture studio model is crafted for investors seeking to diversify their portfolio with high-potential tech ventures, promising a higher ROI and lower risks compared to traditional investment channels. 🌟 Join Us on This Journey Whether you're an emerging entrepreneur, an experienced investor, or just have a keen interest in technology and innovation, we warmly welcome you to explore how VE2 Ventures is leading the charge from Amsterdam to the worldwide market. Join us for an introductory chat and discover our journey of pioneering progress. Let's build the future together. Discover more about our ventures and how you can be part of this exciting journey. www.ve2.ventures #VE2Ventures #TechInnovation #VentureStudio #DigitalTransformation #StartupInvesting

A few weeks ago, Pauline from AA & Sons came to Refael Benadmon, Datasset’s CEO, with a burning question 🔥 Pauline leads the venture investments of AA & Sons, the family office of Romain Afflelou. AA & Sons has 130+ direct investments and has been working with Datasset for the past 3 years to monitor and value its venture portfolio. 💬 Pauline: “I see a shift in the VC industry, as an increasing number of startups in my portfolio companies aim for profitability in the next months. I really value these startups that manage to find the right balance between growth & profitability. As a fund, I wonder how to integrate these efforts into their valuation." 💬 Refael “You’re right - startups that control their costs and extend their runway have the most value these days. Let’s ask my Datasset team to work on a new valuation model that includes the profitability aspect." After weeks of hard work, we came up with a whole new valuation model to answer Pauline’s burning question - let me introduce you the “𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡”. Curious about how it works? Read our latest Datasset article 👉 https://lnkd.in/eEsSgUYu 😊 And reach out to Refael Benadmon or me if you want to test it on your portfolio and be among the first early adopters of the 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡 The article deep dives into VC literature and metrics, featuring: The Rule of 40 Rule of 40 by Brad Feld The Rule of X by Byron Deeter and Sam Bondy from Bessemer Venture Partners The Burning Multiple by David O. Sacks The Burn Multiple by ARR by Justin Kahl and David George from Andreessen Horowitz Our unique Datasset proposal - The "𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐡" 👇 would love to hear your thoughts / comments 👇