Vivin Hegde’s Post

🌟 Sharing Insights from the 2024 Contech Investment Climate Survey by Zacua Ventures 🚀 To better understand the current investment sentiment and foresee trends in the Contech fundraising environment, Zacua Ventures conducted its Annual Contech Investment Climate Survey. Here are some key takeaways from the survey: Positive Investment Appetite: Despite the macro concerns and economic uncertainties, there is a positive investment appetite for 2024 compared to the previous year. The majority of respondents are looking to either maintain or increase capital deployment, indicating a growing confidence in the market. 💰 Macro Concerns Persist: While the outlook is optimistic, around a third of respondents still reported market uncertainty, valuation correction, and funds availability as challenges to deploying capital in 2024. However, there seems to be a slight improvement compared to the previous year, with a decrease in concerns such as market uncertainty and valuation correction. 📉 Valuations and Technology Trends: The survey suggests that while the majority of investors expect valuations to either remain the same or see an increase in 2024, there is still a significant proportion anticipating a small decrease. Additionally, there is a strong focus on investing in areas of AI and Sustainability, driven by increased attention on climate tech startups and advancements in artificial intelligence. 🌱🤖 Key Factors Driving Investments: Investors continue to prioritize factors such as traction, team expertise, and differentiation when evaluating startups. However, there is an increased interest in sustainability-focused technologies and solutions with a clear AI component. 💡🚀 Regional Insights: Geographical segmentation reveals interesting differences in investment expectations and priorities. North America continues to lead in Contech investments, while regions like Europe, Asia, and the Middle East show promising growth opportunities, particularly in areas such as sustainability, robotics, and infrastructure development. 🌍📈 Final Thoughts: Despite the challenges faced in 2023, the Contech industry remained resilient, with a steady number of deals and a focus on technology adoption in construction. Looking ahead, they anticipate a rebound in investor confidence and a renewed focus on sustainability and innovation. 💪🌟 Great work to Vivin Hegde and the Zacua Ventures team on these insights! Let's continue the conversation and drive positive change in the Contech industry together! 🚀 #Contech #InvestmentClimate #SurveyInsights #TechTrends #Sustainability #Innovation #VentureCapital #ConstructionTechnology #ZacuaVentures

 A new year brings renewed optimism and our Contech community echoes that in our Annual Contech Investment Climate Survey! Despite the challenging 2023 market, with VC investment declines and overall tougher fundraising landscape for startups, we now look to 2024 with renewed determination. Contech continues to stay resilient and strong. Check out our annual Survey from 114 global VC and CVC firms, highlighting the key trends shaping the Contech landscape for 2024. https://lnkd.in/gMZ8-_wR #Contech #ContechInsight #InvestmentTrends #VCInsights #construction #innovation

🔍 Find out what global Contech investors envisage for 2024 🔍 One more year, our Zacua Ventures investment climate survey is LIVE and we are excited to share the trends and insights with the community. #contechtrends #VC #construction #innovation #contech

According to the report below, the average VC fund size soared to $344 million during this period, representing a notable uptick compared to previous years. This surge is indicative of heightened investor enthusiasm for VC as an asset class, buoyed by robust historical returns and favorable market conditions. The trend towards larger fund sizes suggests several implications for the VC landscape. Firstly, it enables VC firms to deploy more substantial amounts of capital into startups, potentially influencing the scale and pace of innovation across various sectors. Moreover, larger funds may attract greater institutional investors seeking exposure to high-growth opportunities in technology, healthcare, and other burgeoning industries. The article underscores the evolving dynamics within the VC industry, where increasing fund sizes could reshape investment strategies and competition among VC firms. As investors continue to allocate significant capital to VC funds, the sector's role in fostering entrepreneurial ventures and driving economic growth is likely to expand further. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/eEsZQM2d Branded Hospitality Ventures #venturecapital #hospitality #innovation #technology Yahoo Finance Allie Garfinkle Ryan T. Melohn Scott Chamberlin Shane Larisey, PE Steven Greenberg John Frankel Josh Barer

History of VC Part: 3 Merrill Griswold holds a significant place in history as one of the pioneers of venture capital. Here's a glimpse into his story and investment philosophy: Early Life and Career: Griswold was born in 1890 and graduated from Wesleyan University and Harvard Law School. He started his career at a Boston law firm, where he specialized in corporate finance. In 1926, he joined the Massachusetts Investors Trust (MIT), one of the first mutual funds in the US. He eventually became its chairman, managing a massive portfolio. The Birth of Venture Capital: In 1946, Griswold, along with General Georges Doriot, Karl Compton (president of MIT), and Ralph Flanders (president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston), founded the American Research and Development Corporation (ARDC). ARDC is considered the first true venture capital firm, providing funding to high-risk, early-stage businesses with promising technologies and growth potential. This marked a significant shift from traditional investors focusing on established companies. Griswold's Investment Philosophy: Griswold believed in investing in innovative companies with strong leadership. He emphasized the importance of proprietary technology, sound business models, and a clear path to exit. He advocated for active engagement with portfolio companies, providing not just financial backing but also guidance and mentorship. He preferred focusing on long-term value creation over short-term gains. Legacy: ARDC achieved significant success, backing early pioneers like Digital Equipment Corporation (DEC), which became a tech giant. Griswold's principles laid the foundation for modern venture capital practices, influencing generations of investors. He is recognized as a key figure in the evolution of the tech industry and the entrepreneurial ecosystem. Some Additional Points: Griswold also played a role in promoting the development of the Boston-area venture capital scene. He served on the boards of numerous prestigious organizations, including Harvard University and the MIT Corporation. He passed away in 1970, leaving behind a lasting legacy in the world of finance and innovation. #venturecapital #history #investmentmanagement

When Growth Warrior Capital investors Erin Harkless Moore, CFA and Renata Aráuz-DeStefano at Pivotal Ventures invited me to participate in the All In PitchBook report, we collectively decided that the focus should not be on the low numbers of women and people of color getting funded or the harsh realities of being a founder or funder in this climate. Instead we would do what great investors do well, bring the future we want into focus. My lived experience is that opportunity is found in what others can’t or won’t see. At Growth Warrior Capital, we are squarely focused on the work that drives returns for our LPs and creates economically sovereign leaders who also invest in the future they want to see. We target unexpected, capable, gritty founders solving massive problems. At GWC, we hunt for alpha in dangerous founders. Why? As a former founder and CEO, I built companies and raised money from VCs for nearly 20 years. My role is to translate this experience to undervalued founders, transforming them into growth-ready CEOs. We don’t want them to fit the mold, we want them to break it. In the report, Erin acknowledges me and an investor I admire Miriam Rivera: “I’m inspired by the way they are seizing the opportunities that others have systematically missed and by the track records they are establishing to prove their theses.” Game on.

"So what? Well, the Series A investors of 10–15 years ago operated very differently than most of the angel/seed investors of the last decade. With the rare exception, these Series A firms rarely shared deals with each other, because they wanted to maximize their ownership / dollars into the best deals (after all, they were taking board seats, so they were bandwidth constrained). They also ran more concentrated portfolios (never have I heard of a Series A firm with 40–50 companies). Alternatively, the predominant seed model of the last decade has been collaborative, high velocity and high diversification. I didn’t make the rules, but I’m doing my best to play the game on the field and it seems pretty clear that Seed is becoming the new Series A. That isn’t to say that there aren’t new/different ways to win (I’m confident there are), but we need to be aware of these dynamics and recognize the pressure that this evolution creates on how we’ve historically invested and the skills required to be successful. For Equal, that means operating more like the “Original Series A” investors than “Micro VCs.” We think this better fits our style as a firm and are embracing the market’s rotation toward this style of investing at Seed. There are pros and cons to all strategies, but being authentic to your team’s abilities is the strategy that will position you best for success." https://lnkd.in/gmPTFkwD

The Florida Funders investment strategy is always informed by what’s happening in the market, using data like each quarterly recap from PitchBook to respond to changing conditions with agility. Here's Saxon Baum's review of 2024 Q1, with insights into the current state of the VC market, a shift toward profitability, early-stage investment and IPO trends, and Miami's role as a leading city in the venture scene. https://hubs.la/Q02vGtCx0

If you are the founder or CEO of a growth-stage company, you must understand that the need to provide limited partner investors with liquidity was, is, and always will be a major factor in decisions that PE/VC funds need to make around exit timing. A good article in PitchBook on this topic. Both venture capital and private equity funds have ideal investment time horizons in mind. These schedules are in place to satisfy the liquidity expectations and needs of limited partner investors (endowments, foundations, etc.). In good times, when the capital markets are wide open - this rarely causes an issue - because liquidity is plentiful and there is optionality for exits. However, when the capital markets tighten up - like now - the need to provide liquidity to limited partner investors can have an outsized effect on decision making with respect to exits and further funding rounds. Unfortunately, over the years, we have met many growth-stage companies that thought they knew what factors were driving the decisions for their capital partners (PE/VC). However, when things didn't go as planned, they found themselves in some awkward situations. Make sure you know your capital partner. As important, make sure you know the needs of your capital partner's limited partners. Because ultimately, that is what matters. We created Bennu Partners to help growth-stage founders and CEOs navigate issues just like this. We can help. www.BennuPartners.com Marc Patterson Jonathan Musser Jeff Donaldson FocusedBrands Andrew Thomaides, CEPA® Entegro Business Solutions Andy Shober Adam Whitehead #privateequity #venturecapital #investing #innovation #entrepreneurship #founders #startups #finance #raisingcapital https://lnkd.in/ghMU6n3M

Early stage investing isn’t just about hitting home runs companies or nothing in your portfolio. There's a lot of value to gain from giving attention to companies that aren't immediately up and to the right. Financially, reducing the number of write-offs can improve overall portfolio returns and decrease our overreliance on hitting unicorns. Relationship wise, supporting companies through thick and thin builds relationships and a more resilient portfolio. So how do we as investors best support startups when most companies outside of our portfolio die a lonely death and don’t give us much information to learn from? This is where survivorship bias analysis might come in handy. By fully analyzing winners not just from a positive light, but also analyzing how the same success factors could be present in failures, we can get to closer to the truth of what drives startup success. To see how we at The Healthcare Syndicate think about leveraging survivorship bias in early stage investing, check out our full post here: https://lnkd.in/gYVH2Zmw #angelinvesting