Heleen van Poecke

I first learned of TeamApt (now Moniepoint) through my brother, Olumide Soyombo In 2021, Verod engaged with Tosin Eniolorunda, he presented an ambitious vision that, candidly, seemed beyond typical PE growth trajectories. Fast forward to today: Moniepoint Group has processed over $182B in payments, demonstrating exceptional resilience through Nigeria's complex operating environment. What sets Moniepoint apart is their profound understanding of mass-market financial services, combining sophisticated technology with practical distribution networks. Their hybrid online-offline approach has proven crucial in a market where conventional digital-only channels fall short. Under Tosin Eniolorunda and Felix Ike's leadership, they've built an intricate network serving over 2 million merchants through 11,000 distribution associates. Congratulations to the Verod team Adewale Odusanya, CFA Dipo Okuribido, Gbenga Abogan, Oluebube Ezeoke, ACA, Gideon Adunola, for closing this transformative partnership. Welcome to the Verod ecosystem, Moniepoint Group. Here's to building Africa's financial future together. #FinTech #Impact #AfricanInnovation #PrivateEquity #Ecosystem #Verod

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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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"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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Taavet Hinrikus and I made the Financial Times Due Diligence email. https://lnkd.in/ez2AuGQx One 'unintended consequence' is that if there is a 45% tax on carry and CGT (raising £40m per year, remember) it for all intents and purposes closes the door on new VCs in the UK. Especially started by teams from non-traditional backgrounds. To meet the GP commit, you need to be already part of the 'wealthy' as you cannot rely on the value you create - nearly half of it will disappear - to fund it. We have both had extremely successful startups which are few and far between. The smaller number of new VCs will therefore more likely increasingly be for people who have inherited the capital or can draw it from their already rich family. Probably not want they have in mind with this policy.

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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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🚀 Unlock the Potential of AI in Deal Sourcing and Screening! 🚀 The 2024 Investment Benchmark Report reveals that European VC firms face fluctuating engagement and deal flow. Top firms leverage data to adapt and thrive, showing a notable 86% uptick in Q4 2023 deals. 🌟 Key Takeaways: Data-Driven Decisions: Firms using multiple data sources outperform peers. Enhanced Network Growth: Proactive outreach leads to more deals. Tech Adoption: AI and automation streamline operations and improve efficiency. Empower your VC strategies with AI for better sourcing, screening, and success! 👉 Try Yuno AI and become an early beta tester. We're seeking feedback to create the best tool for identifying investment opportunities in the private market industry. Read the full report here - https://lnkd.in/ddgiyWxH #VentureCapital #AI #DealSourcing #Investment #TechInnovation

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🌍 African Venture Capital: A Path to Recovery? 🔎 In the past two years, African VC has experienced a sharp decline, with funding dropping from $6.5 billion in 2022 to $4.5 billion in 2023, and just $780 million raised in the first half of 2024. The retreat of international investors, especially from North America, coupled with rising global interest rates, has led to a significant funding crunch -particularly at growth stages. However, this market recalibration presents an opportunity. African startups must now focus on profitability and sustainable growth, rather than simply scaling. At the same time, building local capital markets and expanding the investor base will be critical for the ecosystem’s long-term resilience. Emerging sectors like climate tech are showing promise, but a strong regulatory and infrastructural foundation is key. As inflation cools and potential interest rate cuts loom, will we see renewed foreign interest? More importantly, can the African venture ecosystem adapt to ensure sustainable, long-term success? If you want to dive deeper into this topic, read the full article : 👉🏾 https://rb.gy/eht33d #Investissement #PreSeed #Entrepreneuriat #LevéeDeFonds #Webinaire #Finance #Angelinvesting #Africanentrepreneur #Businessangel #Africaninvestor #Afropreneur #Venturecapital #Seedfunding #Africanstartup #Startup #Africanstartup

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☀️ day in Luxembourg at Impact Europe co-hosted with ImpactVC Insightful and heated discussions around the evolving sophistication in the Impact investing market Key take-aways included: ⚖️ Impact measurement: An accelerating trend towards proving out 'shared value' - how being impact focused is improving company performance and resilience Thoughtful articulation from Marie Ekeland on why impact investing provides strong risk-weighted returns when set against a backdrop of industries and companies needing to decarbonise over the next 20 years 💰 Impact linked carry: European Investment Fund (EIF) require it for managers who raise from them. Healthy discussion on the pro's and con's alongside a recognition that pragmatism is needed and impact needs to incorporate qualitative and quantitive factors Good to hear from Florian Erber on his experience implementing this in particular that deal leads have accountability for setting and working with portfolio companies on their impact metrics 3. Raising an impact fund: It's tough - even more so if you experiment with structure with many institutional funds, in particular development banks, having restrictions around their ability to invest in evergreen structures. It is great to see funds like AENU and 2050 look to educate the market around the benefits of evergreen structures and lay the foundations for this approach to become more mainstream 4. Impact exits: Impact first companies have a wider range of options for exit Lara Viada shared her experience of exiting a business to the Reposol foundation and their ability to super scale the impact post exit Thank you Ellie Broad Douglas Sloan Gianluca Gaggiotti Ines Mertens de Wilmars for inviting Eka Ventures

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As we enter 2025, I’m reflecting on the milestones we (Alitheia Capital) achieved last year and the opportunities ahead. In my latest article, I share some of our key highlights from 2024, including: - Scaled clean energy solutions with innovative companies like Psaltry International Company Ltd and ReelFruit. - Deployed over $45.4M across 11 companies through Alitheia IDF (AIF) – a 1,582% growth - since 2020. - AIF’s investments have generated nearly 2,000 jobs (55% of which women hold) since 2020. Today, 73% of our portfolio companies are women-owned. - Honoured with several awards, including Impact Investor of the Year 2024, reflecting our dedication to empowering transformative businesses. - Championed climate innovation and inclusive growth at the Earthshot Prize, global summits, and forums. As we look ahead to 2025, our priorities sharpen around gender equity, climate resilience, and digital transformation. Through initiatives like the $200M Alitheia Amplify Fund, we are poised to drive impactful solutions that sit at the intersection of climate, technology, and inclusion. The takeaway from 2024? Purposeful investments don’t just address today’s challenges – they create the foundations for sustainable prosperity. Read more about our journey and vision here: https://lnkd.in/dYeDXkk9 Here’s to an unstoppable 2025! 🚀

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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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🎉 Exciting time with the incredible team at Isomer Capital 🎉 Super thrilled about the news we shared with the world last week. It has us all buzzing with excitement. At Isomer, we've long been dedicated to providing liquidity in the European VC space. And now, we're taking it to the next level with the launch of our dedicated fund. What is it, you ask? A fund that will invest in secondaries at all levels within the European VC ecosystem—LPs, GPs, companies, founders, angels, and even employees. And because there is limited liquidity solutions to LPs that have invested in European VCs, around 70% of our fund will go towards LP stakes. With the support of our Cornerstone investors, we've reached this significant milestone in our journey. But the work has only just begun, which myself and my incredible team have already started smashing through ... first 2 deals closing in a matter of weeks. Watch this space! 😉 #Isomer #VentureCapital #Secondaries #EuropeanVC #Investing #Liquidity #ImpactInvesting #Teamwork #Milestone

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Great interview with one of the best VCs out there. Lot's of good stuff in this article. One point worth highlighting on the eternal debate whether there is enough growth capital in Europe: great companies will always manage to raise money, no matter where they are based.

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𝗟𝗘𝗧'𝗦 𝗚𝗢! 𝗟𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘀 𝗟𝗮𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝘆 – 𝗢𝗰𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰 – 𝗨𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 We’ve now collected all the ratings from our investor partners. A huge thank you to our investor partners who helped with rating over 500 applications! A special shout-out to David Levine from Manchester Angels, Konstantin B. from AltaIR Capital, Marc Cohen from unbundled vc, Ksenia Edsall, MBA from Alma Angels, and Vishal Bhatia from London Fields Venture Capital — legends, who took on extra companies to cover for some partners who were not available. I now have all the ratings, and over the next few days, I will be contacting founders who are invited to pitch at London’s Largest Demo Day on the 14th of October. Some interesting observations: • 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗢𝗰𝘁𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼 𝗗𝗮𝘆, 𝘄𝗲 𝗵𝗮𝗱 𝗮 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗻𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗻 𝗔𝗽𝗿𝗶𝗹 (𝟱𝟬𝟬+). • 𝗚𝗲𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘁:   - October: Female 31%, Male 69%   - April: Female 29%, Male 71% • 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗛𝗤:   - October: UK 82%, EU 10%, Other 1%   - April: UK 84%, EU 7%, Other 1% • 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗿𝗮𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗦𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲:   - October: Pre-seed 67%, Seed 26%, Series A+ 7%   - April: Pre-seed 58%, Seed 32%, Series A+ 10% • 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗥𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗼𝗳 𝗔𝗹𝗹 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀:   - October: Average 6.3, Median 6.4   - April: Average 5.8, Median 6.1 Based on the feedback we’ve received from investors so far, there are many high-quality companies among the applicants! The sectors pitching on the day will be driven by the top-rated applicants. Based on the sheer number of applications and my initial glance at the top-rated companies, I can already predict that we will have companies from the following sectors (subject to change): • AI / Machine Learning • B2B SaaS • B2C SaaS • FinTech • Fitness / Wellness • Health Care / HealthTech • HR Tech / Recruitment • Marketplace • Sustainability / GreenTech • Education / EdTech • Blockchain / Web3 / Cybersecurity • DeepTech • Analytics / Big Data • BioTech Stay tuned for more updates soon!

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The next Quarterly Apollo meeting is on Monday, September 2, from 18.00 to 20.00 in Central Edinburgh. If you would like to pitch your company and fit our criteria, please upload your proposal to our platform. We expect at least one founder/director to be permanently based in Scotland. Our members will vote on which companies they want to see present at our meeting on 23 August. The two companies with the most votes will be selected. Please upload your investment before Wednesday, 23 August. We have a strong preference for two types of investment. - Proposals that are too early for most investors with the potential to build defensible solid IP (ideally with Grant funding that needs to be matched). The aim is to create enough traction to become attractive for a larger investor with an exit in 7-10 years. -Companies that will become cash-positive after our investment and don't necessarily raise again. The founders can generate returns for the investors via Dividends and/or share buybacks. Apollo is a group of over 60 UK-based investors who invest together, helping each other with Due Diligence and growing the investee companies. We usually make 3 to 4 new investments a year. Please message me if you'd like to become an Apollo member. #seis #angelinvesting #startupfunding https://lnkd.in/eAccNAn

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A great insight for those interested in learning more about our secondaries activities and venture secondaries in Europe generally.

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Venture capitalist and podcaster, Harry Stebbings, has closed a $400 million fund for his firm, 20VC, which focuses on backing startups in Europe. Stebbings aims to use his media influence and connections to bring attention to the potential in the European tech market. Key takeaways: Despite the tough climate for founders, there is still money available for investing, with the pot growing bigger. U.S. limited partners are interested in investing in European startups, with a majority of the backers in this fund being from the U.S. 20VC has a unique selling point in bringing operational experience to its investments, as well as sub-funds run by experienced operators. Counter arguments: The uneven math of the venture capital market, where 1% of companies make 90% of the gains, may discourage risk-taking and failure in Europe. The IPO market is still relatively quiet, and some of 20VC's investments may still be pointing towards the U.S. market. #venturecapital #vc #venture #startups

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Great insights from Adam Agius on what to consider when raising debt for a search fund buyout. Most relevant to the UK market, but a worthwhile read for all searchers. There's more debt capital keen to support search acquisitions than ever before, but approaching it naively can be very costly...

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It’s a pleasure to introduce you with Trinity ESG Consulting Ltd, a global team of sustainability consultant’s, empowering businesses with a comprehensive approach, navigating complexity through data governance and strategic foresight. With our Headquarter in London, UK we are delivering services globally in collaboration with our technology partners and a team of consultants in the US, Europe, ME, India, Africa and Far East.  We, at Trinity ESG Consulting, are committed to helping businesses manage and build their environmental, health, safety, and sustainability effectively. Our mission is dedicated to actively contributing to the improvement of our global community by striving to build a better, more sustainable, safer, and inclusive world. We redefine excellence as industry pioneers, pointing businesses in the direction of a sustainable and resilient future, envision a future in which businesses flourish in harmony with the environment, sets the standard for corporate responsibility by integrating state-of-the-art technologies. With our cloud-based AI tools, we also provide our customers carbon footprint/ GHG monitoring and reduction strategy enabling them to run and maintain these systems with accurate Data for meeting regulatory requirements. For more details about our services and expertise please visit https://lnkd.in/dYtxMqF4 #ESG #Sustainability #CarbonFootprint #GHGProtocol #ESGAudit #ClimateChange #ClimateRiskAssessment #ESGConsulting #ESGAdvisory #ESGMonitoring #ESGCompliance #ESGReporting #BRSR #ESGUK

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A HUGE thank you to everyone involved in publishing the latest report from ESG_VC and the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) today! The report is packed full of useful insights into how start-ups are actually performing across their work on environmental, social, and governance issues. There's also a brand new roadmap for ESG in start-ups with specific guidance on the initiatives to implement from Pre-Seed through to Series C and beyond. A particular shout out to everyone involved in the production including Suzi Gillespie and Ewa Skornas at the BVCA, David Strong and Dianne Skurray at Marriott Harrison, and Susannah Philipson and Nadeem Muzaffar at Seven Hills, who designed this beautiful report. I'm also massively grateful for all of the hard work that our VC contributors put into compiling data from 587 portfolio companies across the UK, Europe, and around the world - a few names to mention include Ashleigh, Shanice, Lauren, Laure, Michelle, Jason, Hessel, Emily, Beth, Joe, James, Eugenia, Alex, Grace, Emma, Emily, Lucy, Cordelia, Nina, Raj, and Rob. Thank you to you all! And thanks as ever to the remaining members of our steering group for their ongoing support of ESG_VC - Antonia at Seedcamp, Leslie at Astanor Ventures, Natalie at Lakestar, Andrew at Par Equity, and of course Karen McCormick for all of your support at Beringea! Check out the full report via the link in the comments! And let us know what you think about it! #ESG_VC #sustainability #venturecapital

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