Lorena Scott

🔋 #TodayinVC - All of the biggest deal announcements in venture capital - July 2nd, 2024. Sourced from Litquidity's Exec Sum. 💰 Fundraising Announcements: - SmartHR, a cloud-based HR software startup, raised a $140M Series E led by KKR and Ontario Teachers'​ Pension Plan (TC) - Eve Air Mobility, an eVTOL aircraft manufacturer, raised $94M from Embraer, Nidec Conversion and others (PRN) - K Health, an AI primary care platform, raised a $50M round led by Claure Group (BW) - Reusable packing company Vytal raised a $6.6M round led by Emerald Technology Ventures (EU) - Vaire Computing, a startup building energy efficient chips, raised a $4.5M seed round led by 7percent Ventures and Jude Gomila (TC) Congrats to all - what #startups do you have your eyes on? 👀 Follow @Today in VC for daily #venturecapital news! 📆

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MyFO raises $3.5M in Seed Funding! MyFO, a Vancouver-based platform for family offices and wealth management professionals, has raised $3.5M in seed funding led by Rhino Ventures. With this new investment, MyFO plans to scale operations, enhance its platform, and grow its team. Led by Simrang Kang and Jonathan Ricci, MyFO is integrated with over 20,000 financial institutions across North America. The platform consolidates data, documents, and stakeholder management, empowering wealth managers to make better decisions for discerning clients. With a focus on privacy and data security, MyFO is addressing one of the biggest pain points for family offices: How can wealth managers efficiently manage vast amounts of sensitive information while maintaining the highest levels of security? If MyFO cracks this challenge, they could set a new standard for privacy-first wealth management in the industry. Do you think privacy and data security will be the defining factors for the future of wealth management platforms? Baljeet Malhotra, Iulian Serban, Daniel Lozano Navas, Quinn Cavanagh Takintope Akinbiyi, Omar Sherif, Souleymane Traore Souleymane Traore Valentin Ky, Youri SARAFIAN, Ramon Sharif, Igor Nesmyanovich 𝐃𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐣𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐞𝐲 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐒𝐞𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐀 𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 👉 https://lnkd.in/e8XyWxcQ #WealthManagement #Fintech #DataSecurity

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We’re beyond thrilled about this oversubscribed seed round! Our mission is to make family office management simple, streamlined, and stress-free. Exciting things are on the horizon! 🚀 Book a quick MyFO Demo: https://lnkd.in/g3sEe2pP #FamilyOffice #WealthSimplified #WealthManagment #FinTech #WealthManagment #MyFO

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Just finished reading an insightful analysis by John Rikhtegar at RBCx on the Canadian venture capital landscape over the past decade, focusing on capital exited rather than capital invested. This deep dive sheds light on the challenges and successes of our venture ecosystem and provides valuable lessons for the future. Here are my top 5 takeaways: 1️⃣ Liquidity Volatility Challenges the VC Ecosystem Over 50% of Canada's exit value in the past decade occurred in just 2020 and 2021. This surge pulled fund cycles forward as GPs rushed to redeploy record waves of LP capital. Consequently, 2023 and 2024 have seen some of the lowest levels of capital allocated to Canadian venture in years. 2️⃣ The Dominance of Top 50 Exits A staggering 85% of Canada's aggregate exit value came from only 27% of all exits—the Top 50 largest. Achieving such large exit outcomes remains critical for VC investors aiming to build lasting franchises in Canadian venture. 3️⃣ Exit Success Isn't Just About Size There's a misconception that bigger exits equate to greater success. By evaluating exit capital efficiency (exit value relative to total capital raised), we can better assess the profitability to shareholders. Capital-efficient exits often yield higher returns, regardless of their size. 4️⃣ Canada's Exit Growth Outpaces the U.S. While smaller in scale, Canada's exit value and volume have grown faster than the U.S. over the past decade. Given that the U.S. VC market is 30x larger and more mature, this is a healthy sign for Canada's developing ecosystem. 5️⃣ Managing the Exit Value to Fundraised Ratio is Key To continue building a capital-efficient VC ecosystem, Canada must focus on improving its cumulative exit value to capital fundraised ratio. Shrinking the gap between Canada and the U.S. in this ratio is vital as we anticipate exit activity to rebound in the coming years. This analysis aligns closely with Ripple Ventures' strategy. At Ripple Ventures, we prioritize investing early and staying disciplined on entry valuations, all while focusing on capital efficiency. We believe that supporting capital-efficient startups not only drives better returns but also strengthens the overall ecosystem. It's encouraging to see data supporting this approach, emphasizing the importance of disciplined investing and capital efficiency in achieving successful exits. 📖 Read the full analysis below: #VentureCapital #CanadianVC #RBCx #RippleVentures #CapitalEfficiency #StartupEcosystem

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🔥InScope co-founders🔥 Kelsey Gootnick, CPA and🔥 Mary Antony 🚀🌟Lightspeed Venture Partners leads $4.3M seed in automated financial reporting fintech InScope🚀🌟 🌟🌟InScope and Cowan / InScope co-founders Kelsey Gootnick and Mary Antony🌟🌟 🔥Major Investment Milestone: Lightspeed Venture Partners leading a $4.3 million seed round in InScope is a significant milestone, underscoring the immense potential of automated financial reporting fintech. 🔥Pioneering Leadership: Co-founders Kelsey Gootnick and Mary Antony's visionary leadership and innovative approach have attracted substantial investment and industry recognition. 🔥Empowering Financial Innovation: This funding will empower InScope to revolutionize financial reporting, making it more efficient, accurate, and accessible. 🔥Strategic Endorsement: Lightspeed Venture Partners' involvement highlights a strategic endorsement from one of the most respected names in venture capital, boosting InScope’s credibility. 🔥Driving Technological Advancement: The $4.3 million seed funding will fuel technological advancements, enabling InScope to further develop and refine its automated solutions. 🔥Strengthening Market Position: With this investment, InScope is well-positioned to strengthen its market presence and expand its reach within the fintech ecosystem. 🔥Innovative Solutions for Financial Industry: InScope’s commitment to innovation in financial reporting is set to transform industry standards, providing more reliable and timely financial insights. 🔥Building a Strong Foundation: The seed funding provides a solid foundation for InScope's growth, facilitating the recruitment of top talent and the expansion of its technology infrastructure. 🔥Inspiring Women Entrepreneurs: Co-founders Kelsey Gootnick and Mary Antony's success story serves as an inspiration for women entrepreneurs, demonstrating the impact of leadership and innovation. 🔥Catalyst for Change: This investment acts as a catalyst for change, propelling InScope towards becoming a leader in the automated financial reporting sector. ✅️Share Your Startup Story 🚀📲 https://lnkd.in/ggir3Qap ✅️visite our website🌐 https://lnkd.in/dad4nHP4 #InScope #LightspeedVenturePartners #SeedFunding #FintechInnovation #AutomatedReporting #StartupSuccess #WomenInTech #FinancialTechnology #InvestorConfidence #LeadershipInFintech #scoopearth

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As crazy as Bolt's investor letter seemed this morning when I posted about it from The Information behind the scenes story is even crazier! As usual, Eric Newcomer has incredibly great sources and explains further. For any founder looking for what NOT TO DO and even investors, this is a must read. BlackRock and General Atlantic must have had a very busy day talking with outside counsel about this. What do you think? #management #venturecapital #privateequity #capitalmarkets #fintech https://lnkd.in/gru9ziTg

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At Fortune’s Brainstorm Tech conference, an engaging discussion shed light on the evolving venture capital (VC) landscape. One of the key takeaways was the underscore of vibrant growth of the VC sector, with the number of firms soaring from 6,000 in 2013 to about 60,000 today. This surge in competition is driving VCs to innovate and refine their fundraising strategies, creating a dynamic environment for investment opportunities. Additionally, the session touched on how family offices provide flexible capital for smaller investments while emphasizing the thorough scrutiny required for larger funds. An emphasis on candid conversations among VCs and limited partners highlighted a commitment to fostering a more collaborative and forward-thinking investment community. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/gHjJbtr3 Fortune Allie Garfinkle Branded Hospitality Ventures Hospitality Headline Newsletter #VentureCapital #Investment #hospitality #community Clara Shih Paulo Rosado #BrainstormTech Christine Moseley Rick Rose

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Some midweek wisdom from Y Combinator founder, Paul Graham, on why startups shouldn't stress over competitors. According to Graham, based on Y Combinator's extensive data set, few of their startups are actually killed by competitors. He compares the protection a startup has against competitors to the vastness of space, emphasising that the market is large enough for multiple players to thrive. Graham's analogy likens encountering a competitor to suddenly finding another runner in your race lane - the best course of action? “It’s sort of like if you’re running the hundred meters and suddenly a lane appears with another runner in it. What should you do? Run as fast as you can, just like you presumably were.” #Startups #Competition #Entrepreneurship #wearehiring

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M&A activity in 2024 is on track to surpass 2023 levels, despite a temporary dip in September, according to EY's "Merger Monthly" report. September saw a 25% drop in deal value and a 19% decline in volume year over year. However, M&A activity for the first nine months of 2024 is up 19% compared to 2023. EY expects continued growth, driven by strong corporate profits, stabilizing inflation, and healthier debt markets, further boosted by recent Federal Reserve rate cuts. To stay up-to-date on everything finance, hospitality, M&A, + more following me Jimmy Frischling 👍 Read More: https://lnkd.in/dNW8bXXD Alex Zank CFO Brew #Finance Branded Hospitality Ventures Hospitality Headline Newsletter #Hospitality #MandA #Investing Mitch Berlin Julie Sweet David Solomon Mary Callahan Erdoes Jane Fraser Adena Friedman Robert Curtis Smith

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Fin Capital’s Fintech CEO Pulse Report is out! We surveyed over 50 CEOs and C-suite leaders of private companies from our portfolio and the broader fintech industry during June and July 2024 to get a quick pulse on what’s top of mind for fintech’s leaders. Here are some key takeaways: Optimism in the Air: More than 60% of CEOs reported being bullish or highly bullish on the fintech industry for the second half of 2024. Regulatory Changes on the Horizon: CEOs identified Cryptocurrency, Open Banking, and Buy Now Pay Later as the top three sectors likely to see increased regulation by the end of 2024. CEOs Want Business Development Support: Beyond capital and fundraising, business development support emerged as the top area where CEOs seek investor assistance.For more insights, including comments from my colleagues Ren Riley, Logan Allin, Matthew D. Mann, CFA, and Stephanie Perez, check out the full report here: https://lnkd.in/euHK8-9B

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Solid critiques and learnings from decades in the venture capital industry. Must watch by investors and founders.

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We love seeing founders be able to keep their equity and take advantage of non-dilutive funding sources⚒️. We're excited to collaborate with Stacy Chin, PhD leader of KeepYourEquity.co, who has secured over $15M in SBIR/STTR grants for startups across various sectors. She's written a guest blog post sharing her insights on navigating the competitive landscape of grant funding 💰. Some highlights: ❇️ Understanding SBIR/STTR: A lifeline for startups, offering up to $2 million in non-dilutive funding! ⏺️ Learning how to overcome hurdles and capitalize on the golden opportunity. ❇️ Gaining essential tips on outlining your go-to-market strategy, choosing the right program, and preparing thoroughly. ⏺️ Benefiting from Stacy Chin's 10+ years of grant writing experience and her extensive track record in securing funding for startups. Read More in the blog post linked in the comment below 👇🏾 #SBIR #STTR #GrantFunding #StartupSuccess #SmallBusiness #KeepYourEquityCo #ShayCPA #cpafirm #techaccountants #startupaccountants #techstartup #techcompany #nondilutivefunding

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RETHINKING RETIREMENT We've been investing in the Future of Work since we launched BBG Ventures, targeting underserved segments like deskless workers (Anthill, OX) and solopreneurs (Topline Pro). Over the summer we spent time digging into another deeply underserved segment of the workforce: Boomers. By the end of this decade, the entire generation will have hit retirement age and, for the first time, Americans 65+ will outnumber those under 18. This has huge implications for every aspect of society, and it mandates that we start thinking differently about retirement. The question for all of us is this: Can we re-focus healthy Americans 60+ on a new phase of productivity, a “third act” that enables them to keep learning, keep earning, keep socially-engaged and contributing to the nation’s economic growth? And what role can AI play in helping every senior identify their unique skill set and personal priorities — and connect them with the right opportunities? We have some thoughts on how to make this happen, and we'd love you to give it a read, add your feedback, forward it to a founder who's working in this arena (or who you think might be intrigued), and share it! AgeTech has been too focused on death and decay; it's time we embrace longevity and give older Americans a way to keep working -- on their terms. cc: Carol Magalhães Isaacs, CFA Nisha Dua, Claire Biernacki, Drew Silverman Fennessy

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Next one up, Flagler Health! In an attempt to demystify some of the non-obvious elements we found when we first met the founders of our fastest growing portfolio companies at 186 Ventures, here is the third edition of the "idiosyncratic phenomenon". This highlight will be on Albert Katz, Leon Anijar, and Will Hu and their journey building Flagler Health to bring unprecedented AI enabled patient care to the world of musculoskeletal (MsK) providers. As the healthcare industry shifts to a value based care paradigm, there will be increased pressure on the entire industry to ensure patient outcomes improve, all the while helping providers generate more revenue / become more cost efficient. Since we co-led their March, 2024 seed round with Streamlined, the company has rolled out some of their newest remote therapeutic and chronic condition management features to many patients and providers alike, experiencing high revenue growth in such a short period of time. The company continues to face unmet customer demand as it continues to scale its expansion into 2025. https://lnkd.in/exesTcmC

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What’s the next frontier in enterprise sales optimization? This week Mada Seghete and I dig deep on her immigrant founder journey, the hurdles to turning Branch into a unicorn and frontier AI models for enterprises sales attribution. https://lnkd.in/dnPACCJ4

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Excited to announce the upcoming release of “The Venture Mindset” by Ilya Strebulaev and Alex Dang! It’s been a privilege to contribute. 📖 Ilya and Alex have spent decades studying top VCs, uncovering the true drivers of their success. Their advice is not the typical advice you might expect; they dive into the details of how VCs make decisions, why they're not afraid to fail, and how to spot the next big thing. I spent some time re-reading an advanced copy over the weekend, and what stood out to me was the book's practical advice on applying VC principles to everyday business challenges. Ilya and Alex provide clear, actionable steps that you can put to work no matter what you’re building. If you want to give it a flip for yourself, head over to https://lnkd.in/gJGmKiTg and grab a copy.

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💡 SaaStock Reflections: 5 Fundraising Insights for Early-Stage Founders. Last week at SaaStock, I found myself bouncing between two extremes—presenting to early-stage founders navigating their first fundraise on Monday and tee-d up to discuss the high-stakes challenges of CEOs with >£1bn valuations on Wednesday. The contrast reminded me of one thing: the learning curve never stops, whether you're just getting started or leading a unicorn. For founders getting started, the world of fundraising can be one of the biggest learning curves. So, I’ve pulled together the top takeaways from Monday’s session to help demystify the process for those thinking about raising for the first time. Here’s what I’ll break down this week: ❓What’s happening in VC fundraising? ❓The ‘Power Law’ and why VC isn’t right for 99% of businesses. ❓Alternatives to VC and when they make more sense. ❓How to choose the right VC for you. ❓How much to raise and when is the best time to do it. 1️⃣ So, what’s happening in VC fundraising?? 😕 Still stress in the system. It is hard to speak with conviction (markets hot, markets not, valuations back up, valuations down, down rounds over…a lot of pain still to come etc). The reality is 2020/21 were anomalies (unfair yardsticks to measure against) BUT covid, gov stimulus, inflation, monetary policy, political uncertainty and war have and still massively impact fundraising. 🪟 IPO window closed and M&A activity weak. Public SaaS multiples are way down relative to a couple years ago - 80% of SaaS companies that went public in 2020/1 are trading below their issue price. The IPO window has been closed and M&A activity weak. ⌛Liquidity for VCs has stretched to longer time horizons. According to Carta only 9% of 2021 funds have seen any return vs 25% for the 2017 vintage at the same checkpoint. 3 years in is early for a fund, but it is an important mark as it is when GPs start looking to raise their next funds. 🫰So, LPs are more selective. Whilst returns are stretching out to longer time horizons, the NASDAQ is on a rip and interest rates are high, so alternatives to VC have become relatively more attractive to LPs. So, LP capital is being more selective. Less money is going to fewer VCs compared to a couple of years ago (“flight to quality” for LPs). ✈️ What does this mean for founders? It is relatively harder to raise now than a few years ago. Seed to A conversion had dropped to 15% from 30%+. Ultimately, VCs have refocussed on finding companies best suited to “traditional VC return profiles” (“flight to quality” for VCs, too). Founders raising VC are held to an incredibly high bar. Tomorrow I will cover the mathematical reality of the ‘Power Law’ and why VC isn’t right for 99% of businesses. #VC #fundraising #saastock #albionVC

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I really enjoyed breaking in our new studio to sit down with Temporal Technologies Co-Founders Samar Abbas and Maxim Fateev for the latest episode of Founded & Funded. Temporal was founded in 2019 based on an open-source microservices orchestration engine project but is the result of a more than decade-long partnership between the two co-founders that spanned their time working on different iterations of the same thing at AWS, Microsoft, and Uber. In this episode, Samar, Maxim, and I dive into the challenges of building an open-source ecosystem while also working on a commercial offering and scaling a successful company, how to navigate and adjust a product roadmap in an ever-changing world of AI and large language models, and how to successfully build an early startup team, navigate through a CEO transition, and bring on a startups first independent board member. It's a very compelling conversation and a must-listen for every builder out there. Watch the full episode on YouTube: https://lnkd.in/gymf9sES Find other platforms and the transcript on our website: https://lnkd.in/ggRtnKtM Be sure to subscribe to our channel for more deep dives into cutting-edge technologies and the minds behind them. Don't forget to like, comment, and share this conversation if you found it valuable!

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🎙️ Assembling Your Dream Team: Building the Foundation for Startup Success 🚀 In this episode of Rocket Fuel, we explore a critical challenge for founders: hiring and retaining top talent. Michael Thibodeau sits down with Farial K, founder and CEO of HRXconnect, to unpack strategies for assembling your dream team and ensuring your early hires set your startup up for success. Farial brings over 10 years of expertise to share practical insights on: • Defining roles and creating alignment in your founding team. 🧩 • Hiring strategies for early-stage startups: specialists vs. generalists. 💼 • Attracting and retaining talent without competing on compensation alone. 🔑 • Avoiding common pitfalls in hiring, onboarding, and scaling your team. 🚀 Whether you’re hiring your first employee or scaling to 15+ people, this episode will give you the tools to build a resilient team while navigating the unique challenges of startup life. 🎧 Check out the full episode for actionable tips on turning your vision into reality. Links below! 👇 YOUTUBE: https://lnkd.in/gARiHR_E SPOTIFY: https://buff.ly/3WasDMW APPLE MUSIC: https://buff.ly/3WasDfU OTHER PLATFORMS: https://buff.ly/3WasCZo Let us know in the comments: What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learned about hiring for your startup? 🤔 #RocketFuel #StartupLife #Hiring #Leadership #DreamTeam

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