Albert Azout’s Post

Predictions season is here! 🔮 I interviewed leading LPs about what they expect for venture capital in 2025: 1. We’ll see more DPI, which will restart the ecosystem: More LP commitments and funding to startups will follow 2. Smaller funds and “boutique venture” will emerge as a major force 3. The transformative AI supercycle will deliver outsized returns 4. VC funds investing in frontier tech will drive returns 5. Diverse founders will present an undertapped opportunity 6. LPs will look for true differentiation in order to drive outsized returns 7. Agentic AI will dramatically change the VC job, meanings LPs will need to rethink manager selection 8. Hobbyist and vanity funds are on their way out: The surviving seed managers will be in it for the right reasons 9. Second tier Series A and B venture firms will die out 10. 2025 will be one of the best VC vintages in many years Read the full article in Forbes (link in comments). Thank you to this great group for the predictions: Aakar Vachhani Fairview Capital Hana Yang Allocate Adam Marchick Akkadian Ventures Anu Adebajo Daryn Dodson Dominic Maier AVP Layne Johnson Screendoor Julie Pulda, CFA Ballentine Partners, LLC Albert Azout Level Ventures Charlotte Palmer Mark Schmitz equation

At Valor, we take pride in our track record of leading seed-stage companies to success. In the last 14 months alone, 7 companies in our portfolio raised Series A rounds with a median step-up of 95% in valuation. This success isn't a stroke of luck; it's a result of backing teams that go on to hit triple-digit growth rates. That is, exceptional teams, with innovative products that stand tall against competitors and win. Entrepreneurs feeling the pressure to raise capital amidst fluctuating market conditions must assess their performance objectively. With 15% of rounds experiencing a decrease and 10% remaining flat, access to capital is your measure, not optimized valuation like in 2021. Learning from past downturns, remember that down rounds accounted for 36% of VC deals post the 2008 financial crisis. It is imperative for startups to seize opportunities to raise capital when available. With potential further market declines looming, waiting might not be the best strategy. As one VC investor from a top tier Silicon Valley legend pointed out, the current exit market conditions are, “sh*tty, the worst I have ever seen.” Therefore, for those fortunate enough to secure funding, the advice is clear: raise capital when you can as conditions are going to get worse before improving. Valor VC Lisa Calhoun Lynne Laube William L. Venture Atlanta Conference

Team or tech? As more investor analysis gets data-driven, augmented, and AI-based, the humans in the loop get an even bigger role. One of the standing jokes of venture investing can be illustrated by describing your investment focus evolution in three stages: In the first, initial stage, the beginning years of investing, all startup investors start out investing with a clear focus on the founder team and their qualities. The main reason is that everybody you trust says it is the most important factor to address.  In the second stage, and the following years, as you immerse yourself in the startup world, and attend tech and startup events and conferences, you nerd out more and more on the trends of tech, new business models, growth metrics, market analysis, and all the cool nerdy startup lingo. Then for the third stage, as exits are getting closer, the true performance of your investments is revealed, and your focus is switched back on assessing teams… The circle is complete, you tell everyone you meet that startup investing is about investing in people and great founding teams. This portrait of the investor journey is also funny because it’s true. As more investment analysis gets data-driven, augmented founder team analysis is the next level. We are on it and have started that journey. Read more below: Eva De Mol Ph.D Espen Skorstad Johan Attby Christian Rangen Katapult NorthStar IA Le Minh Nguyen Felix Shier Tharald NustadTrond Riiber Knudsen Dr. Rumman Chowdhury Humane Intelligence Marianne Bratt Ricketts Hilde Lise Nordahl Parneet Pal

Marc Andreessen explains why venture capital is an “extreme feast or famine business” “The venture capital business is 100% a game of outliers. It’s extreme exceptions. So the conventional statistics are that about 200 of the 4,000 venture-fundable companies per year will be funded by what’s considered a ‘top-tier VC’. About 15 of those will someday get to $100MM of revenue, and those 15 will generate something on the order of 97% of all of the returns for the entire category of venture capital in that year… Venture capital is such an extreme feast or famine business. You’re either in one of the 15 or you’re not.” Video Source: Y Combinator --- We curate the top 1% of startup advice from the world’s best founders and investors. Join 8,000+ founders who read the free newsletter at https://lnkd.in/dNtku53e

Venture capital is quite literally broken. Invest in 10 companies. 9 fail. 1 becomes a winner.  It’s pretty much a gamble. There’s a smarter play — Private equity.  Instead of hoping for a unicorn…  You can target businesses that already work. Laundromats, car washes, daycares.  Small, steady, and cash-positive.  The playbook goes like this:  • Find these businesses with stable cash flows  • Cut costs, increase operational efficiency  • Scale profits without the wild risk of a startup  Simple, but it works.  ___ Thanks for reading.  Share this post if you found this interesting.  And be sure to follow me Alex Zastre for more content like this.

DealTracker.ai, a US-based all-in-one platform for sourcing top investment real estate across the country, has raised $525K in its Pre-Seed round through the Pre-Seed to Succeed investment program. AltaIR Capital, Smart Partnership Capital, I2BF Global Ventures, and Yellow Rocks backed the round. The investment will fuel further experimentation with new products in 2025. This cutting-edge SaaS platform simplifies the complex process of real estate underwriting by compiling and refining data from 42 different partners, making it easier for investors and industry professionals to avoid common pitfalls and optimize their investment strategies. It’s like a Crunchbase for real estate, but with a deeper focus on actionable insights. Founded in March 2023 by Lev Ivanov, a seasoned entrepreneur with a successful exit under his belt, DealTracker.ai has already attracted clients such as McKinsey&Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Bank of America. About Pre-Seed to Succeed investment program P2S.vc targets ambitious early-stage startups and focuses on several industries, including AI, Productivity Tools, B2B, SaaS, FinTech, Future of Work, Digital Health, and HR Tech. The investment program offers initial funding from participating venture firms, ongoing support from seasoned experts and mentors, and 50% of the next funding round for proven startups.

🚀 𝐓𝐨𝐩 𝐔.𝐒 𝐕𝐂 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐂𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐐2’24 Here are the top U.S. venture capital investors for Q2 2024. Noteworthy is how xAI, Wiz, and Stripe garnered the highest investments from these leading VCs. 1. SOSV - Princeton, NJ 𝐐2 '24 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 35 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Deep tech and sustainability. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Transcarent ($126M Series D), meati™ 𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝𝐬 ($100M Series C). 2. Andreessen Horowitz - Menlo Park, CA 𝐐2 '24 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 33 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Tech startups at various stages. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: xAI ($6.0B Series B), Wiz ($1.0B Series E), Cape ($61M Series A). 3. General Catalyst - Cambridge, MA 𝐐2 '24 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 31 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Early to growth-stage tech companies. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Stripe ($694M Series I), Transcarent ($126M Series D). 4. Lightspeed 𝐕𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐏𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 - Menlo Park, CA 𝐐2 '24 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 28 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Enterprise and consumer sectors. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Wiz ($1.0B Series E), Xaira Therapeutics ($500M Series A), Suno ($125M Series B).  5. Khosla Ventures - Menlo Park, CA 𝐐2 '24 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 27 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Transformative tech. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Cyera ($300M Series C), Metsera ($240M Series A). 6. Sequoia Capital - Menlo Park, CA 𝐐2 2024 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 26 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Early to growth-stage tech. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:  xAI ($6.0B Series B), Stripe ($694M Series I), AlphaSense ($650M Series F), Xaira Therapeutics ($500M Series A), Figma ($416M Series F). 7. Accel - Palo Alto, CA 𝐐2 '24 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 25 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Early-stage tech startups. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Scale AI ($1.0B Series F), Cyera ($300M Series C). 8. GV (Google Ventures) - Mountain View, CA 𝐐2 '24 𝐂𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 23 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: AI, life sciences, and enterprise tech. 𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐈𝐧𝐯𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬: Metsera ($240M Series A), Sensi.AI ($31M Series B) #VentureCapital #USVC #TopInvestors #Q22024 #StartupFunding #AI #FinTech #BioTech #AlternativeProteins #DataSecurity #CloudSecurity #CollaborativeTools #QuarterlyReview

DealTracker.ai, a US-based all-in-one platform for sourcing top investment real estate across the country, has raised $525K in its Pre-Seed round through the Pre-Seed to Succeed investment program. AltaIR Capital, Smart Partnership Capital, I2BF Global Ventures, and Yellow Rocks backed the round. The investment will fuel further experimentation with new products in 2025. This cutting-edge SaaS platform simplifies the complex process of real estate underwriting by compiling and refining data from 42 different partners, making it easier for investors and industry professionals to avoid common pitfalls and optimize their investment strategies. It’s like a Crunchbase for real estate, but with a deeper focus on actionable insights. Founded in March 2023 by Lev Ivanov, a seasoned entrepreneur with a successful exit under his belt, DealTracker.ai has already attracted clients such as McKinsey&Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Bank of America. About Pre-Seed to Succeed investment program. P2S.vc targets ambitious early-stage startups and focuses on several industries, including AI, Productivity Tools, B2B, SaaS, FinTech, Future of Work, Digital Health, and HR Tech. The investment program offers initial funding from participating venture firms, ongoing support from seasoned experts and mentors, and 50% of the next funding round for proven startups.

🚀 Welcome Ilya Strebulaev to the Global AI Pitch Summit Silicon Valley 2025!🚀 Ilya Strebulaev is a tenured chaired Professor of Finance and Private Equity at the Stanford University Graduate School of Business. He is an expert in venture capital, private equity, entrepreneurial finance, innovation, corporate finance, and financial decision-making. His research has also been featured in a variety of public media, including The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Think you can pitch to Ilya and our expert judges? Join us on January 12-13, 2025, at the Plug and Play Tech Center in Sunnyvale, California, or via global live stream. Apply now to compete for the "Top 3 Most Innovative AI Startups" title. 🔗 Registration Link: https://lnkd.in/eh8fPjsz 🌐 For more details, please visit: http://globalpitch.ai 💡 Special Giveaway: We’re giving away 500 free copies of Stanford GSB Professor Ilya Strebulaev’s national bestseller, The Venture Mindset, signed by Ilya himself! Like, comment, or repost this LinkedIn post and join us in person to claim your copy. 🎤 Speaker Lineup: Ilya Strebulaev: Stanford GSB Professor James da Costa: Partner at a16z David Hefter: AI Champion for Investments at BlackRock Angel He, CPA: Technology Investor at SoftBank Vision Fund Ameya Jadhav: Investor at General Catalyst Khalil Fuller: Partner & Head of Dorm at Pear VC Steve Adler: Former Mayor of Austin, Texas Andy Zhu: Investor and 2015 Warren Buffett Charity Lunch Winner Aurora Feng: Venture Fellow at Pear VC Niamh O'Donnell: Director of Programs at Unusual Ventures David Gerster: Investment Partner at Fusion Fund Miko Matsumura: Managing Partner at gCC Venture Capital John Whaley: Founder, Inception Studio; Ph.D. Stanford, MIT Alex Dang: McKinsey Senior Advisor Gloria Zhang:DCM Ventures Chris Bradbury: LifeX Ventures Stanford GSB Brandon Farwell: General Partner at fund; Harvard Business School Iris Sun: Investor at 500 Global Molly He: CEO, Element Biosciences; Raised $680M Jenny Xiao: Partner at Leonis Capital , OpenAI Researcher Jing Kuang: Founding Partner at Y+ Ventures, Stanford GSB VC Alumni Chapter Leader Tim Shi: Co-founder, Cresta; Raised $125M Rutvik Deepak: LinkedIn Top Venture Capital Voice Tess Hau: General Partner, Tess Ventures Xiao Zhang: CEO, Collov AI; Stanford Ph.D. Cynthia Z.: Founder, Future X Capital; Stanford GSB Rebecca Lin: President, Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Sue Xu: Managing Partner, Amino Capital; Stanford GSB Alec Walker: Co-President, Stanford Angels & Entrepreneurs Sophie R.: Board Member, Stanford Alumni Women's Impact Network (WIN) Paul Fang, Ph.D.: President, Bay Area Founders Club Don't miss this incredible opportunity!

DealTracker.ai, a US-based all-in-one platform for sourcing top investment real estate across the country, has raised $525K in its Pre-Seed round through the Pre-Seed to Succeed investment program. AltaIR Capital, Smart Partnership Capital, I2BF Global Ventures, and Yellow Rocks! backed the round. The investment will fuel further experimentation with new products in 2025. This cutting-edge SaaS platform simplifies the complex process of real estate underwriting by compiling and refining data from 42 different partners, making it easier for investors and industry professionals to avoid common pitfalls and optimize their investment strategies. It’s like a Crunchbase for real estate, but with a deeper focus on actionable insights. Founded in March 2023 by Lev Ivanov, a seasoned entrepreneur with a successful exit under his belt, DealTracker.ai has already attracted clients such as McKinsey&Company, The Wall Street Journal, and Bank of America. About Pre-Seed to Succeed investment program P2S.vc targets ambitious early-stage startups and focuses on several industries, including AI, Productivity Tools, B2B, SaaS, FinTech, Future of Work, Digital Health, and HR Tech. The investment program offers initial funding from participating venture firms, ongoing support from seasoned experts and mentors, and 50% of the next funding round for proven startups.