Benjamin Vedrenne-Cloquet

🚀 Seraphim Space Investment Trust: Leading the Charge with 74% YTD Return! 🌟 Some great news to share, Seraphim Space Investment Trust (SSIT) was the top performing investment trust YTD - thanks to the The Association of Investment Companies (AIC) for highlighting this today! In a year of economic challenges, Seraphim Space Investment Trust has emerged as the top-performing investment trust, achieving an impressive 74% total return YTD (11 months to 30 November 2024). 🔹 What sets Seraphim apart? Seraphim Space’s strategic focus on high-growth space technologies has driven exceptional performance, positioning it as a leader in the Growth Capital sector. This remarkable performance comes ahead of other strong contenders like Petershill Partners (+71%) and 3i Group (+56%), underscoring the strength and resilience of space-related investments. 🔑 Key Takeaways: Top Performer: Seraphim Space outpaced all investment trusts, with a YTD return of 74%. Strong Sector Position: Space tech continues to show its value in a competitive market. In an unpredictable market, Seraphim’s strong growth in the space economy proves that space-focused investments are not only resilient but also poised for the future. https://lnkd.in/dyedHb3c

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We had the pleasure of speaking to the inimitable Gordon Sanghera, co-founder and CEO of Oxford Nanopore Technologies, valued at around $6.8bn in 2021. Gordon somewhat accidentally ended up as an entrepreneur, breaking the conventional VC wisdom around 'born founders'. The technology is wild - democratising access to genomic sequencing giving us a new understanding of living organisms. In the episode of Riding Unicorns, we cover: 00:00 Defining Entrepreneurship 00:55 Understanding Oxford Nanopore's Technology 06:10 Gordon's Journey to Founding Oxford Nanopore 12:09 Commercialization Challenges and Strategies 16:27 Building a Strong Founding Team 20:55 Navigating the Ups and Downs of Deep Tech 25:54 Innovative Applications of Nanopore Technology 28:57 Company Culture and Operational Insights 35:05 Attracting Talent in a Competitive Market 37:22 The IPO Experience and Future Outlook https://lnkd.in/eQZVSGeK

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"Funding Collapse sends investment in start-ups to six year low" The Times today covering the shocking stats that VenturePath uncovered, with our partner Beauhurst. Great quotes from supporters Michael Moore CEO, BVCA and Julian David CEO, techUK. * UK VC funding at Series A is -44% from last year, and worsening * Q3 24 is down a staggering 57% from Q2, itself down from Q1 * 9 in 10 seed funded startups cannot access Series A VC funding, the next 'rung on the funding ladder' * Just 32 future scaleup companies across the whole of the UK were able to access their first VC funding round in Q3...a 6 year low * Half a billion less capital is going in to UK scaleups at Series A, than just 2 years ago! As the UK scaleup funding gap widens, we are losing ground against other countries, at both startup stage (a position the UK worked hard to achieve, since 2011), and for scaleup support. OECD data: 13th in the world for scaleup support, and that's before Series A funding access dried up. I get that its confusing. Another report (BBB, Nations & Regions) released this week spoke of positive trends in private investment, stating "The data for Q2 2024 shows that investment value has continued to grow". Great, I love to see optimistic data. But under analysis that bundles venture with private equity (later stage), where a few megadeals skew the numbers. Otherwise the exact opposite is true. Our independent research here, for the UK ScaleUp Investment Mission, is laser beam focussed on Series A. The funding round where companies move from the c.1m startups launched each year, through the 2,179 that access seed funding, into the rarefied category of being recognised as future scaleups, attracting Series A funding (£2-10m). The UK venture landscape is currently funding just 248 pa of these companies, and declining. We've been sharing this urgent call for support with the new Government since the day after the election. I've personally met with several Ministers, and spoke to all the relevant Government departments. I will shamelessly repeat loudly what is at stake. UK scaleup funding at Series A has nearly halved in a year, and continues to decline steeply, more than halving in the last quarter. VenturePath developed The UK ScaleUp Investment Mission to convene the scaleup support ecosystem and £7bn of funders to help address this problem, to improve nationwide access to VC investment, and create more venture-backed successes. We have clear support, clear recommendations to reverse this decline in UK scaleup investment, and have made a clear ask of Government for participation in this, to ensure immediate action is taken to create the conditions for success for UK scaleups, ensuring the focus on growth isn't undermined by lack of capital, or equitable access to it. Government decision makers, we'd love your interest, to progress to action. HM Treasury: Rt Hon Rachel Reeves Spencer Livermore James Murray & CC Poppy Gustafsson (welcome to the debate).

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2024 LAVCA Trends in Tech - LAVCA https://buff.ly/4dfL6Qf by @LAVCA sector and country-specific breakdowns, average round sizes across investment stages and the current role of global investors co-investing alongside local fund managers! #rafAIgual #vc #trends #investment #latam

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The biggest opportunity for healthcare is in emerging markets! At the recent Milken Institute Conference Middle East, Helmut Schuehsler of TVM Capital Healthcare (a specialised healthcare PE/Growth equity firm with over $1bn AUM focused on Asia & the Middle East) highlighted a significant insight for the healthcare sector: "The biggest opportunity for healthcare is in emerging markets." Schuehsler emphasized that healthcare in these regions: -Is less ossified, offering a less rigid framework for innovation. -Has fewer entrenched systems, which allows for more flexibility and adaptability. -Is more open to new ideas, fostering an environment ripe for groundbreaking advancements. I was also truly honored to witness my friend, Geetha Tharmaratnam, speak passionately & compellingly about the critical issues of health equity and access, highlighting that these challenges persist not just in developing regions, but also in developed markets. Her dedication to these global health issues is both inspiring and a clear call to action. These perspectives not only underscore the potential for growth and innovation,but also call for strategic investments and collaborations in these dynamic markets. Could this be a pivotal moment for rethinking global healthcare strategies? #LeadershipInHealthcare #EmergingMarkets #Innovation #HealthcareInvestment

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I couldn’t be prouder to be a Venture Partner at Isomer Capital (aka the best European FoF - at least for me) as we just announced the launch of our pioneering £100m secondaries fund. This fund is dedicated to acquiring stakes from LPs in various VC funds, tapping into a massive and largely unexplored market. 🌟 Key Highlights: - Focused Investment: Primarily targeting stakes in VC funds, with selective investments in private companies. - Robust Funding: Already over 20% funded, thanks to strong support from Nordic family offices and a German foundation. - Market Potential: With a growing number of private tech companies and a VC liquidity crunch, Europe's VC secondaries market is poised for rapid growth. - Track Record: This isn’t Isomer’s first foray into the secondaries market. As a firm we’ve done several secondaries deals with portfolio companies and VC firms, including early-stage VC Seedcamp (in 2021) and mobility giant Bolt (in 2023). - Expert Team: Welcoming the amazing Omolade (Rachel) A., formerly of Coller Capital, as a principal to lead this initiative. 💡 Investment Strategy: - 65-75% of the fund will buy "LP interest" stakes in VC funds. - 15-25% will be directed towards stakes in companies. - Up to 15% reserved for flexible investment opportunities. 📈 Looking Ahead: We're targeting returns of 2-3x, with significant distributions expected in the next 4-7 years. As one of the few players in this space, we're not just participating in the market—we're driving it forward. Read all about it here: https://lnkd.in/dc7sbC3G #VentureCapital #SecondariesFund #EuropeanVC

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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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Interested in developing your value at board level? Or just understanding how to create more value for your partners or clients ? This is a really helpful, easy to read and practical blueprint for success from Callum Laing ! Very much worth a read 📗📗👍 #entreprenuership #growth #motivation

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We are at PEI London this week and let’s discuss how we create differentiated value for your portfolio companies, leveraging technology, and operations. #ebitdar #valuecreation #operatingpartners #technology #businesstransformation #digital #zerobasedesign

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Two weeks of climate investment journey in the United Kingdom! First in London for British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA)'s ESG conference. Thank the great presenters who shared the current interaction between ESG and the venture capital industry Hannah Leach with VentureESG. I look forward to future climate-related co-investments with Ed Phillips Matthew Chagan, and Henry Hamilton and the perspective from LPs Laura Callaghan Nina Kraus Lucia Mancisidor David Vyravipillai Chloe Dagnell. Also, the conference touched upon a few important topics related to empowering diversity in investment and the founder field. Thanks so much to the BVCA team for organizing this wonderful event to connect the dots. Harriet Assem Chris Elphick The conversation focused on several key areas: 🔍 Reliable Data Collection Challenges in collecting dependable ESG data and the necessity for a contextual narrative. 🛠️ Materiality and Trust The critical importance of materiality and building trust in ESG reporting. 📊 Theory of Change and KPI Frameworks Starting with a clear theory of change and developing practical KPI frameworks aligning with limited partners' expectations. 🔄 Consistency and Standardization Emphasizing consistency and standardization in ESG reporting, especially for LPs with multiple investments. 🌿 Sustainability Reporting in Private Equity The significance of transparency, accountability, and incorporating stakeholders in the reporting process. Action Items: 📈 Develop customized impact frameworks for new funds based on intended outcomes and LP feedback. 🗂️ Aggregate ESG data from portfolio companies and schedule roundtable discussions to review results and identify challenges. 📝 Provide narrative context alongside ESG data reports to explain performance and plans for improvement. 📣 Consider reporting requirements and communicate intended direction of travel even with incomplete or estimated data. 🤝 Involve investment teams in ongoing ESG data collection, reporting, and stakeholder engagement. This discussion underscores the importance of a structured and transparent approach to ESG reporting to meet the growing expectations of stakeholders and drive meaningful impact. #ESG #Sustainability #PrivateEquity #Reporting #Transparency #Accountability #StakeholderEngagement Meredith Zhang

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I have tried to summarise the top 10 takeaways from Roger Federer's speech at Dartmouth 2024. That said, it is best to watch the speech in an "easy" 25 minutes 😉! 1. Effortlessness is a myth; hard work is needed to make things look easy. 2. Anyone can play well initially, but endurance sets top players apart. 3. Success comes from outworking opponents, not just talent. 4. Self-belief is earned by facing challenges head-on. 5. True satisfaction comes from winning despite being at your worst. 6. Never assume you'll win just because you're in a strong position. 7. Perfection is impossible. 8. Top tennis players win only slightly more than half their points. 9. Focus on the next point with intensity, forgetting past mistakes. 10. Life and tennis are about resilience, adapting, and balancing professional and personal lives. #leadership #champion #rogerfederer #lifelessons https://lnkd.in/gubWCZks

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Join our webcast with chief strategist Luca Paolini on Tuesday 3rd December for our return forecasts for the next 12 months across asset classes as well as the implications of Trumponomics for markets. We'll also cover: -Why the UK could be the growth wildcard and outperform its European counterparts -Why we expect a modest recovery in the Euro-area economy next year -How conditions are becoming supportive for risk assets globally Register here: https://lnkd.in/dujXsWY9

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Machine-learning models have long been used in healthcare, Thematics private equity investor Chiara Brambillasca noted on the healthcare panel at IPEM Cannes 2024. Now they are becoming more disruptive – one example is generative biology approaches allowing larger exploration of de novo therapeutic compounds. Read about the healthcare industry's embrace of innovation and the opportunities for private investors here: https://lnkd.in/epnuJ8nG #health #privateequity #alternatives

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Key Investment Highlights from The Seraphim Space Index Q2 2024 🌌 Let's take a closer look at the key highlights from the latest quarter: 💰 $8.5bn invested in TTM to Q2 2024 🛰 $2.4bn invested in Q2 2024 🤝 174 number of deals closed in Q2 2024 🚀 Space Pioneer closed the biggest deal of $208m in Q2 2024 💲 Average deal size is $18m ◾ Median deal size is $5m in Q2 2024 Check out the full Index here - https://lnkd.in/gYw6d8Y3

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Many factors play a role when fundraising. How fast does ECB's interest rate decisions translate into market actions? #ecb #funding #fundingrounds #venturecapital #privateequity #publicfunding #markets #interestrate #policy #sentiment #investmentstrategies #rateprediction

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✨ Breaking: 360 Capital Announces New Fund.- 360 Capital 360 LIFE II, a new climate tech fund established by Paris-based 360 Capital, has secured €140 million in its first close, targeting €200 million. It invests €2M–€10M in Series A and B startups across Europe, focusing on renewable energy, hydrogen, pollution reduction, and waste management. https://www.360cap.vc/ Please share to let other #Founders know For the ❤️ of Startups #Fusion42 #Startups #Venturecapital

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🚀 Europe's diverse economy presents a unique landscape for PE investments! The lower mid-market is ripe for exploration, and the potential for value creation is immense. It's a fantastic moment for investors to make a meaningful impact while achieving strong returns. #CFPrivateEquity #PrivateEquity

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