Venture Capital
Why does India need more local investment in entrepreneurship?
According to Nithin Kamath, 90% of venture capital in India (approximately $70 billion over the past decade) comes from foreign sources, resulting in 90% of wealth creation happening outside India. For India to become inclusively rich, wealth must remain within the country. No nation in history has ever prospered when its wealth creation occurs elsewhere. This requires more Indians backing Indian entrepreneurs, which would ensure economic benefits stay local and drive inclusive growth across the country.
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INKtalks
10:40 - 11:37
Why is the EIT focusing on women entrepreneurs and innovators?
Women represent Europe's largest untapped entrepreneurial and innovation talent pool. The EIT prioritizes women's involvement because there's a strong business and innovation case for female leadership. According to EIT research, women-led scale-ups grow 1.2 times faster than others, and VCs with women in senior management significantly outperform male-only management teams. Additionally, the organization has found that gender diversity drives innovation and sustainability. Through initiatives like Supernovas and Red Carlina, EIT is working to increase women's representation beyond the current 25% of CEOs in EIT-supported startups and scale-ups.
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EUIPO
00:48 - 02:50
What is the main challenge to developing more women entrepreneurs?
According to Fred Wilson, the main challenge is women's belief in their own potential for success as entrepreneurs. He emphasizes that a lack of female role models in popular culture contributes to the perception that entrepreneurship is 'a man thing.' When entrepreneurs are portrayed in media - whether in movies, TV shows, books, or online - they are predominantly depicted as men. Wilson believes that increasing the visibility of women entrepreneurs as role models would quickly shift perspectives, encouraging more women to pursue entrepreneurial paths.
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SVTV
05:40 - 06:56
How was Zoom's funding allocated across different rounds, and what was the total amount raised?
Zoom raised a total of $145.5 million across multiple funding rounds from seed to Series D. The initial seed funding of $3 million came from Silicon Valley angel investors, former Cisco and WebEx executives. The Series A and B money was primarily invested in sales and R&D teams to build Zoom's foundation, with investments from notable firms like Qualcomm Venture, ME Cloud venture, and others. Interestingly, the Series C and D round money remained largely untouched in the bank, as Zoom had already generated sufficient cash flow to fund its operations. This allowed the company to invest in backend operations and marketing without depleting its raised capital, demonstrating Zoom's efficient business model and strong financial management.
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Nathan Latka
05:21 - 06:38
What are the essential components of a winning investor pitch deck?
A winning investor pitch deck includes several critical components: a financial model with projections, clear valuation details, and the specific amount to be raised. The deck should be 15-25 slides and can be created using established templates that successful founders have used to raise millions worldwide. Beyond the deck itself, effective fundraising requires thorough preparation, typically taking 1-2 months, and a targeted list of investors whose investment thesis aligns with your business. This means focusing on investors who match your geographic location, industry segment, and current financing cycle (seed or Series A).
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Alejandro Cremades
05:21 - 06:35
How do capital and customers differ in their importance to a startup?
According to Kevin Hartz, customers provide the most nutritious sustenance for startups, while capital is like sugar - it gives a quick energy burst but doesn't sustain the business long-term. At Eventbrite, they initially bootstrapped for two years focused on customer-centricity, which helped them build a solid foundation. When markets collapsed in 2008-2009, companies bloated with capital failed, while Eventbrite thrived by being capital efficient and customer-focused. This approach ultimately attracted investment from Sequoia Capital when they were in a position of strength rather than desperation.
Watch clip answer (03:03m)
Stanford eCorner
13:08 - 16:11