Rajeev Saxena

The Council's first SPV of 2024 is down in the books and oversubscribed. Running SPVs where we have pro rata or extra allocation in fund deals is a muscle we are building pretty late in the game as a firm. As a solo GP with a tiny team, it's crippling to think of the extra work required and risk of not meeting platform minimums to run an SPV. But 7 of our port co's have recently raised follow on funding where we had pro rata. These are awesome deals for our LPs, angel members, and syndicate community. We simply can't afford to let them slip through the cracks. These allocations are only becoming more valuable as our firm grows, so we must start NOW! Proud to say this one went off without a hitch and our syndicate community is small but THRIVING. Wish us luck as we keep building. Note our SPVs are now on Sydecar. The best way to get access is to know someone on The Council Fund team and be on our SPV email list. **What's an SPV?** An SPV is a Special Purpose Vehicle. It allows multiple angel investors to pool together into one larger investment into a company. This helps the founder keep paperwork and investor relations to a minimum (less names on the cap table = simplicity!). When people say they're investing with a "syndicate" or they are "syndicating a deal," SPV is the entity and process by which they do that. A "syndicate" is like a community of people that invest via SPVs together.

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Building trust through transparency is essential for startups aiming to secure VC investment. In @ Entrepreneur Magazine, our Managing Partner, @Ivan Nikkhoo, shares insights on ‘Nailing VC Investment,’ encouraging founders to be open about their fundamentals and unit economics, especially between Series A and B growth rounds. 📖 Read the article: https://bit.ly/4fDbMe6 #VentureCapital #Startups #UKStartups #NavigateVentures

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📣 Focal powered by HSBC Innovation Banking, is back! 🚨 Applications for Focal’s W24 demo day are open to startups raising in the next 6 months. Go apply here 👉 www.gofocal.vc Even those who don’t make it to demo day can get introductions to over 250 leading VC fund partners, including Techstart Ventures LLP. #focal #startup #fundraising #vc #demoday

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Asia saving & investment platform Syfe has raised $27 million (HKD 210 million) in new funding round from investors including Valar Ventures, Unbound & 2 UK family offices, with a total of $79 million (HKD 615 million) funds raised since founding of Syfe. Read - https://lnkd.in/ekZCCVk4 follow Caproasia | Driving the future of Asia Asia saving & investment platform Syfe has raised $27 million (HKD 210 million) in new funding round from investors including Valar Ventures, Unbound & 2 UK family offices, with a total of $79 million (HKD 615 million) funds raised since founding of Syfe. Dhruv Arora, Founder & CEO of Syfe: “It was my experience as a professional investor in Hong Kong that first gave me the idea for Syfe. Since launching here we have made great progress helping people to grow their wealth for a better future, and this funding will enable us to reach even more customers. Through increased investment in development, we will bring even more innovative new products to market while continuously upgrading the Syfe user experience. We will also be assessing strategic investment opportunities or acquisition targets aligned with our mission and growth objectives.  Securing quality investment in the current fundraising environment is not only a significant milestone for Syfe, but for consumer-facing digital wealth businesses across the region. The amount raised and the addition of new investors underscores the confidence in our vision and our ability to deliver remarkable and efficient growth.” Shravin Bharti Mittal, Founder & CEO of Unbound: “Syfe’s impressive growth and operational efficiency continue to make it stand out in the fintech space. In the current environment, the company’s ability to scale and reach profitability in a key market like Singapore is a testament to the strength of its business model and team. We are excited to continue supporting Syfe as it enters this next phase of growth and innovation.” Syfe, Valar Ventures LLC Unbound

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As the Shasta Ventures approval deadline approaches, we're presented with a unique opportunity to observe the complexities and inherent conflicts in GP-led secondary transactions. This scenario sheds light on the considerable leverage GPs hold within the private equity infrastructure. According to the article, proposed continuation fund requires LPs to approve the transaction if they wish to roll their interests into the new structure—a stipulation that could be seen as putting undue pressure on LPs. This raises critical questions about the balance of power in private equity deals and the alignment of interests between GPs and LPs. What are your thoughts? Is it appropriate for GPs to demand such conditions for LPs to participate in a continuation fund? How do you see this impacting the broader private equity landscape and the perception of GP-led secondary transactions? Looking forward to hearing your insights and perspectives on this pivotal issue. #PrivateEquity #VentureCapital #InvestmentTrends #ShastaVentures #GPledSecondaries

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In this intimate fireside chat, we will learn more about the Public Investment Corporation Early Stage Fund, cleverly structured to adress a number of challenges faced by startups. Cant wait!

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📣 We’ve got a big ESG_VC event planned for Tuesday next week – featuring the latest updates to our measurement framework, news of our 2025 benchmarking with the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA), and an introduction to our new platform partners… 📣 On the afternoon of Tuesday 26 November, we’ll be gathering 200+ VCs for the latest update on the ESG_VC Measurement Framework – from what it covers to how it informs industry-leading research, and how you can now work with our accredited data collection partners. This will be our first event delivered in partnership with our cohort of platform partners: Apiday, Novata, and PortF. I’m excited to share with our members how these partners can support a big step up in your ESG initiatives. Join us for a jam-packed event that will feature: 🟢 An update from Suzi Gillespie of the BVCA on how you can take part in our 2025 research – we analysed ESG performance in c.600 VC-backed companies in 2024 and we’re looking to deliver an even more ambitious piece of research next year… 🟢 Insights from Emily Havers of Fidelity International Strategic Ventures on the updates that have been made to the framework and what it means for our members, their portfolio companies, and the broader ecosystem. 🟢 Perspectives from Emily Matthews of Oxford Science Enterprises and Nina Foote of Volution on how the ESG_VC Measurement Framework has supported their work on ESG. 🟢 Presentations from our platform partners: Edouard Audi of Apiday, Conor O'Laoire’Laoire of Novata, and Alex Lu of PortF. It’s going to be a good one so do register. Link to sign up in the comments! #ESG_VC #sustainability #venturecapital

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Last Call! Financing the Venture Series – over Zoom, with class-room option for last module - Starting this Thursday, October 3rd at 1pm PST Getting founders and their startups ready to attract capital and deal with all the complications of various finance forms, due diligence and ensuring enough capital is available for their venture.   All modules will be online (Zoom), option to attend Module 6 in-person class format in Victoria and Vancouver, all classes are from 1-3pm.   ✔ Oct. 3 - Intro to Financing ✔ Oct. 17 - Engaging Investors from Intro to DD  ✔ Nov. 7 - Term Sheets and Deal Structure  ✔ Dec. 12 - Valuation ✔Jan. 17 - Journey to Success ✔ Feb. 6 Victoria, Feb. 7 Vancouver - Deep Dive Cap Table, executive summary and pitch deck Info and registration here: https://lnkd.in/gvhFFCg5 New ventures and startups require capital to grow and scale up. Founders not only struggle to find the capital they require; they might lack the background to successfully engage and negotiate with investors.   The program helps you to be ready for pitching and engaging with the right investors, engaging in due diligence and using data rooms, discussing sources and funding and term sheets, understanding and negotiating valuation and managing post-investment relationships. Pieter Dorsman VIATEC New Ventures BC

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BSV Ventures is the newest addition to the NIF Fund of Funds portfolio! 🎉 Coming back from their LP day in Vilnius, we’re ready to find unicorns together 🦄 The true alpha of a fund is often felt before it is seen. Intangible at first — it is a capability that often precedes visible results. Having gone through several months of DD with BSV, I can confidently say BSV embodies their alpha through their unique insights, and complementary dynamics of the GPs. This is combined with an unwavering commitment and track record in transforming the Baltics into a leading hub for deep tech and dual-use innovation, critical to European sovereignty.

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🌱 Looking to Connect with Leading VCs and Early-Stage Investors? 🌱 At Virtualnonexecs, we don;t only work with PE firms - we are also proud to be working with some of the UK’s most active early-stage investors to help them find the top board advisors and chairs who can drive impact. If you're a non-executive or chair looking to connect with the heart of the startup ecosystem, take note of the names below. Here are 10 of the UK's most active early-stage investors and the incredible numbers that back them: 1. Octopus Ventures - Backed 100+ startups, with a portfolio value of over £1.3 billion. 2. Seedcamp - Over 400 startups funded, including unicorns like Revolut and TransferWise 3. LocalGlobe - Invested in 300+ startups across deep tech and fintech. 4. Playfair - Early backer of companies like Stripe and Anduril. 5. Passion Capital - Early investor in Monzo Bank, managing £100M+ in assets. 6. Ascension - Over 100 startups backed with a focus on social impact and fintech. 7. Frontline Ventures - Backed 80+ startups across Europe with a key focus on B2B. 8. MMC Ventures - £500M+ under management, supporting 60+ innovative growth companies. 9. Balderton Capital - Invested in 220+ startups with notable exits like THG. 10. Entrepreneur First - 500+ startups built, including companies now worth over $10 billion collectively. ✅ To join Virtualnonexecs: https://lnkd.in/eXBj687 ✅ If you are a VC or company looking to hire: https://lnkd.in/d3na7CEC #NonExecutiveDirectors #Chairs #VentureCapital #Startups #Virtualnonexecs #BoardRoles #Leadership #BusinessGrowth

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Join for free 500+ family offices, VCs, venture studios, founders & angels on Zoom at the 𝐀𝐏𝐀𝐂 𝐅𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐎𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞 & 𝐕𝐂 𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐟 on Sept 20th. Buy network & recordings: inniches.com/apac. Must-attend if you’re investing/fundraising/partnering with Singapore, Australia, India, China, Indonesia, New Zealand, Thailand, Malaysia, South Korea, Taiwan, Hong Kong, Vietnam, Philippines & other Asia-Pacific countries. 1. How does our Single Family Office evaluate venture funds & startups? – Nitesh Aggarwal, CIO @ SFO Fund, AUM $130M, invested in 38 funds & 27 startups. 2. Panel "VC Trends in APAC in 2024" with Nruthya Madappa, Partner @ 3one4 Capital, $520M+ AUM; Ashwin Raguraman, Co-Founder and Partner @ Bharat Innovation Fund, Fund I - $100M. 3. How GPs can leverage and work with their LPs to drive more value to the investment portfolio? – William Bao Bean, Managing GP @ Orbit Startups, Chinese VC with $180M+ AUM. 4. Why and How I Invested in 315 YC Companies? – Yotam Rosenbaum, Partner @ Access Fund, raised 6 funds and invested in 315+ Y Combinator startups. 5. How to fundraise from Family Offices? – John Milanovich, Director @ Family Office Club, #1 ultra-wealthy investor club incl. 7,500+ investors: Family Offices & UHNWIs. 6. Panel "Ways to Partner between Family Offices, VCs, and Venture Studios" with Sheetal Khullar, Growth Lead & Sustainability Expert @ FutureLabs Ventures, Venture Studio & VC with 30+ multi-$100M high-growth ventures. 7. How to fundraise for the venture studio and set up relationships with investors? – Farhad Alessandro Mohammadi, CEO @ Mamazen Startup Studio & IH1, Italian venture studio with €4,5M raised and €6M own funds. 8. Venture Building and Investing in the New Economy for Traditional Family Offices – Harshit Joshi, Founding Partner @ Favcy Venture Builders, venture-builder with 30+ portcos and go-to platform for 5,000+ angel investors and family offices. 9. Panel "Family Office Allocation Strategies: in What Assets do APAC Family Offices invest?" with Shiraz Poonevala, Director Investment @ GP Group. 10. Panel "How AI is changing venture building" with Toby Cox, Partner & Chief Venture Technologist @ Paloma Ventures , portfolio valued at $250M+. 11. The Transformation Factor for Breakthrough Startup-Team Performance – Ariya Chittasy, Director @ Engenesis Ventures, Australian Venture Builder that has worked with 800+ startups. 12. Why venture studios might be interesting to Family Offices in the APAC region? – Keirn O'Connor, Single Family Office. Other speakers and moderators: Kate Park, Reporter @ TechCrunch; Leesa S., Managing General Partner @ R3I CAPITAL; Jeremy Au 区汉辉, COO of Lucence & Host of BRAVE Southeast Asia Tech podcast; Sunil Goyal YourNest Venture Capital; Subham Panda @ Xartup. More speakers will be announced soon. Tag relevant VCs, family offices & founders in APAC.

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DePIN & RWAs dominance isn't as far off as most people think. Across every innovative cycle, three fundamental pillars emerge: foundational technology development, proliferation of infrastructure, and a surge in application development. As we venture into the third cycle, DePIN and RWA protocols are poised to become market leaders paralleling the dominance witnessed by infrastructure projects from 2015 to 2024.

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Syfe, Singapore’s leading investment platform, has secured $27 million in equity funding from prominent investors, including Peter Thiel’s Valar Ventures, London-based Unbound, and two UK-based family offices. With this fresh infusion of capital, Syfe will accelerate product development and expand its engineering capabilities, particularly at its technology center in India. Although headquartered in Singapore with operations in Hong Kong and Australia, Syfe’s core technological expertise lies in India, where the company plans to continue driving innovation and enter new markets. Founded in 2019 by Dhruv Arora, a former Grofers executive, Syfe offers a comprehensive savings and investment platform with diversified portfolios, cash management, and brokerage services. The company has now raised a total of $79 million and achieved profitability in Singapore by early 2024. Average client assets have more than doubled in the past year. CEO Dhruv Arora emphasized Syfe’s commitment to expanding in India, stating, “This funding enables us to reach more customers and deliver innovative products to help grow their wealth.” Syfe’s growth and profitability have solidified investor confidence in its business model, positioning the company for continued success on the global stage. #Syfe #FinTech #Funding #FundingAlert #FundraiserAlert #ValarVentures #VentureCapital #GlobalExpansion #WealthManagement #TechInnovation #EquityFunding #VentureCapital #FinancialServices #BusinessGrowth #EmergingMarkets #AllBoutCorps

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VC Industry Data coming out much earlier this year!!! Let us get you up to speed on: levels of fundraising, exits achieved; investment trends; sectors attracting the most capital; and so much more. Interested in joining us for the VC Industry Survey Launch and sharing your industry perspectives? Please register your interest below. See you there!

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🚀 Whatfix secures $125M in Series E funding! Whatfix, a leader in digital adoption platforms (DAP), has announced raising $125 million in a Series E funding round. The round was led by Warburg Pincus, with participation from SoftBank Vision Fund 2, an existing investor. This fresh investment is set to fuel Whatfix's growth plans, enabling it to expand its product suite, pursue strategic acquisitions, and strengthen its presence in the US, EMEA, and APAC markets, particularly within the global public sector. Khadim Batti, CEO and co-founder of Whatfix, highlighted the challenges enterprises face with digital transformation and the growing demand for better user experiences. He said, "This investment will accelerate our innovation efforts, bringing even more value to our customers and reshaping how software is adopted across industries." Since 2021, Whatfix has launched four new products and secured five US patents, with 18 more in progress. The company has pioneered a user-centric approach called "Userization," ensuring that technology adapts to users, rather than the reverse. With the integration of generative AI across its platform, Whatfix enhances digital adoption, product analytics, and application simulations, empowering enterprises to maximize the ROI on their technology investments while improving employee productivity. Whatfix serves a global client base, including Arrow Electronics, Schneider Electric, and Avnet. It also partners with Microsoft, Salesforce, Infosys, and Accenture, helping these companies drive greater returns from their technology. Notably, 80+ Fortune 500 companies rely on Whatfix, and the company has seen a 4.5x growth in annual recurring revenue (ARR) since 2021, with new products contributing 15% to the revenue. Narendra Ostawal, Managing Director and Head of India Private Equity at Warburg Pincus, praised Whatfix's ability to revolutionize how companies undertake digital transformation. He stated, "Whatfix is changing the way organizations create user experiences and empower users to make the most of software functionalities." Narendra Rathi, Investment Director at SoftBank Investment Advisers, echoed this sentiment, expressing confidence in Whatfix’s continued growth and innovation. "We are thrilled to continue supporting Khadim and Vara as they lead Whatfix into its next chapter of success," he said. This new investment positions Whatfix to further solidify its leadership in the digital adoption space and continue pushing the boundaries of software usability for organizations worldwide. https://lnkd.in/fzpnPPW #digitaltransformation #innovation #ai #userexperience #saas #whatfix #enterprisesoftware #growth #leadership #techgrowth #businessstrategy #softwaredevelopment #technology #startupecosystem #techinvestments #innovation #business #techleadership #techworld Whatfix Warburg Pincus LLC

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LogicLadder Secures $2.5M in Series A Funding Round Led by BIG Capital and Rainmatter Climate-tech SaaS startup LogicLadder has successfully raised $2.5 million in a Series A funding round, spearheaded by BIG Capital  from Singapore and Vietnam, along with Rainmatter, a venture under Zerodha. The company, founded in 2011, boasts a notable investor lineup including ONGC, Shell, and IIM Lucknow EIC, and aims to empower enterprises in championing sustainability and climate action towards achieving Net Zero goals. #startupnews #startupindia #startupfunding To read the full article please follow the link👇 https://lnkd.in/d9ddzmmx For more updates please follow KaroStartup

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I think Elena Lipilina and I could stay 2 more hours talking! It was great to be with you in Femtech Real Money Talks. Sharp questions, demystifying some concepts and having fun! She could also make me confess one of my biases when evaluating founders to invest in (we all have biases, some of us are aware of it). Oh, and in the end, I recommended a dear friend to be one of the next guests in the podcast. Who is it? #angelinvesting #startups #femalefounders #founders #innovation #funding #fundtheworldyouwant #coreangels

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Finsall Resources, a Fin+InsureTech, has successfully secured a $1.8 million bridge round, led by existing investors Unicorn India Ventures and seafund alongside other institutional participants. Tim Mathews, Co-Founder and CEO of Finsall, said, “This interim bridge round will help us focus on scaling our books and taking a huge leap forward in creating an NBFC in the insurance premium financing industry. We are glad that we have a great core team and long-term investors in Unicorn India Ventures and Seafund who believe in the vision that we are building at Finsall. Check out the comments for the full story. #InsurtechInsights #InsuranceNews #Funding

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