VC Academy for Family Offices - London edition
🤔 Should Family Offices Invest in Startups? This was the central question during the London Edition of Coalition Capital's VC Academy for Family Offices last week. Together with Mountside Ventures, we hosted over 50 Family Offices for a dynamic two-day program diving deep into the VC investment process —from sourcing and due diligence to negotiating terms. We also delved deeply into AI, DeepTech, and Sustainability.
📈 Why invest in startups? Given its status as the highest-performing (albeit riskiest) asset class, the short answer is a resounding "yes."
❓ But how? The debate was vibrant, weighing the merits of direct investment against investing via funds. For those with domain expertise, direct investment can be appealing. However, Christopher North highlighted the risk of adverse selection. Family Offices may be better off becoming cornerstone investors in funds, securing co-investment rights to double down on top performers.
🤝 Gregor von dem Knesebeck advocated for Family Offices to integrate VC Fund-of-Funds into their strategy, leveraging their ability to mitigate risks and tap into the expertise of seasoned fund managers.
🔍 Where was the consensus? Europe's moment is now and Emerging managers often outperform established funds.
🙏 A massive thank you to our co-hosts, Jonathan Hollis and Annabel de Gheldere from Mountside Ventures and all our guest speakers for sharing groundbreaking insights and fueling engaging discussions:
- Yoram Wijngaarde, CEO, Dealroom.co
- Christopher North, Managing Partner, L Catterton
- Robin Klein, Founder LocalGlobe
- Harry Stebbings, Founder 20VC
- Gregor von dem Knesebeck, Founder Blue Future Partners
- Antonia Whitecourt, Director at Seedcamp
- Camilla Dolan, Founder Eka Ventures
- James Palles-Dimmock, CEO, Quantum Motion
- Lyric Jain, CEO, Logically
Also a big thanks to Mishcon de Reya LLP and Dan Sinclair for a memorable FO dinner.
👩🎓 👨🎓 Cheers to the Class of 2024 - your journey is truly inspiring. We look forward to continuing to exchange VC insights with you.
🚀 Stay tuned for the next edition! For details, connect with Sebastiaan Vaessen, Kyang Yung, or Corne Jansen.