Robert Mollen

🚨Introducing our LPA Copilot🚨 an AI-powered tool designed to revolutionise the way LP Agreements are reviewed. The LPA Copilot transforms 100+ page LPAs into a concise 8-10 page summary, simplifying complex legal jargon into plain English...and giving you more time to do more exciting things whether speaking to new fund managers or founders, or just not reading 100+ page LPAs..! If you're an LP eager to save time and money on LPA reviews, or a GP looking to enhance the experience for your prospective LPs, reach out to me, Jonathan Blausten or Ellie Cunningham to discover more about this game-changing tool.

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I'm pleased to share an in-depth report published by Christopher Walsh, Partner at 7GC & Co. He offers an in-depth exploration of a subject I'm passionate about – the evolution of AI. Chris also delves into these key factors: – The dramatically magnified investment volumes in generative AI. – Reasons behind escalating job cuts in leading tech companies. – A detailed analysis of venture returns through TVPI and DPI, along with the latest trends. – Current investment themes and the areas 7GC is actively exploring for new opportunities. It's a fascinating read: https://lnkd.in/ekT_QFzx #PrivateMarkets #PrivateEquity #ArtificialIntelligence #VentureCapital #Investment #FinTech #InvestorReport

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Great flow chart here (for people who like their content visual) of what a UK venture capital funding round looks like, what documents are involved, and as regards the order of play generally... #VC #venturecapital #HLaw

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It's been a busy week for emerging managers. As we start paying more attention to emerging funds in VC, I'm making it my mission to keep track. Want a more detailed analysis? Click on the link at the bottom of the post. I'll be posting every week. Did I miss your fund launch or close? Comment FEATURE in the comment box and send me a invitation request. 🚀 🇫🇷 & 🇬🇧 Noteus Partners Fund I- launching Former Eurazeo partners Yann du Rusquec and Nathalie Kornoff Brüls have announced they are launching Noteus Partners a EUR 600M pan-European Tech Growth fund. 🚀🇫🇷 Deepbright Ventures Fund I (aka Hello Tomorrow)- launching  The France-founded global #deeptech ecosystem is preparing to launch it’s own venture fund. The fund will focus on early-stage deeptech startups, scouting from it’s own deep network of 5,000+ startups 🎉 🇭🇺 Impact Ventures Fund III- closed European Investment Fund (EIF) and Hungary’s state-backed National Capital Holding (NCH) invested EUR 40M into Impact Fund III. This latest fund is 10x in size from it’s previous 2018 vintage (EUR 4M). 🎉🇪🇸 Acurio Ventures Fund III- closed Bilbao-based Acurio Ventures has not only rebranded from All Iron Ventures, but just closed a EUR 150M continuation fund. The fund will invest across 50 follow-on deals in EU-based seed and Series A tech startups, taking between 3%-10% stakes. 🔊🇪🇪 Estonia Defense Fund- extended In May 2024, the government of Estonia announced a EUR 50 million fund that will invest in defense-related or dual-use technologies, managed by SmartCap. It announced yesterday it would double the fund size to EUR 100M. 🎉 🇺🇸 Cerulean Ventures Fund I- closed This USD 10M climate-focused micro-fund founded by Jahed Momand and Matthew Stotts 🌐 has just announced it’s final close. The fund will invest in approximately 40 pre-seed software startups devoted to reducing the human impact on climate change. 🎉 🇺🇸 Avid Ventures Fund II- closed Avid Ventures led by Addie Lerner, a former Principal at General Catalyst has just announced a USD 87M close for it’s second Fund.  Fund II has already completed 5 investments and will back Seed through Series A software and fintech plays, with check sizes starting from USD 500K to USD 2M- with double-down follow-on for select Series B portfolio companies. #venturecapital #emergingmanagers #investmentmanagent #technology Adam Sah Dan Engel Kim Pochon Bob Mason Mohammed AhmedAbduljabar Totonji Myrto Lalacos VC Lab

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Data and observations on recent trends in VC deal terms. Along with more "structure" (participating preferred, multiples on liquidation preference, and cumulative dividends), pre-money valuations have dropped significantly more and not recovered in later stage deals but early stage deals are much closer to 2022 pre-money values & raise sizes. https://lnkd.in/g2kcxznr

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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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This article from The Rapacke Law Group, P.A. underscores the need for #Funds, #Investors, and #InvestorFounders to have the right tool to navigate the rapidly evolving #AI landscape. Experience the #EvalifyEffect and know in minutes whether your venture is headed for clear skies or potential infringement, whom you could be up against, the IP you could be up against, and more. Use this to get the IP legal counsel you need to pivot or drive full throttle. Internal or external M&A teams will quickly see the potential for using the insight from an Evalify report to enhance exit strategy with defined targets. Closing thoughts from the article: “Patent filing has surged, and from 2002 to 2018, annual AI patent applications increased by more than 100%, highlighting an influx of innovation, with companies seeking to safeguard this IP immediately. According to the resource “Inventing AI” from the Office of the Chief Economist, active AI inventor-patentees started at 1% in 1976 and skyrocketed to 25% by 2018. AI has effectively diffused through multiple technology classes, from machine learning to knowledge processing to speech and natural language processing, giving organizations a multitude of ways to patent their inventions and ideas.” #EvalifyEffect #IPProtection #IntellectualProperty #Funds #VentureCapital #IPLawyers #MergersAndAcquisitions #RenovatioInsights

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What to Include in a Data Room for Investors? — Advice From VC Fund GP https://buff.ly/4eEUahI Investors look for comprehensive data rooms to make informed decisions. A well-organized data room should include financial statements, legal documents, market analysis, and growth projections. Providing detailed information on past performance and future strategies is crucial. Additionally, incorporating visual aids like charts and graphs can enhance understanding. According to a study by PwC, data rooms with thorough documentation increase investor confidence by 40%. Ensuring the data room is secure and easily accessible is also essential. #InvestorRelations #DueDiligence

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Check out this article from Carta on venture deal terms featuring some quotes from yours truly.

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Closing off our 2024 series of Euclid Law competition breakfast events with a fascinating discussion on the CMA's recent AI merger control decisions - thanks to Becket McGrath and Stuart Hudson for their extremely well prepared and insightful contributions. #euclidlaw #AI #mergercontrol

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Over the last week, since the British Private Equity & Venture Capital Association (BVCA) released their latest report on the state of venture capital in the UK, not one person has asked me for my thoughts. It's almost like you don't eagerly wait for the next BVCA report like I do. Here's the thing, I think the report is actually quite interesting. If you're in the VC ecosystem or thinking of raising funds from VC, I'd recommend you take a look at it. So, notwithstanding the lack of interest so far I've written down some of my thoughts anyway, touching on some of the points I found most interesting from the report and adding a few comments from an RWK Goodman perspective. Themes include: - General health of the UK VC market 💪 ✅ - Risk of competition from international markets ⚠️ - Activity outside of London 🙃 - Gender gap in funding 👎 👎 👎 For more detail on these and other thoughts, including some of the BVCA's key recommendations for improvement, please see my full post using the link below. It's shorter than the full report, but if you're interested, you should read that too (link within my full post). #VentureCapital #VC #Funding #Tech #Investment #Equity

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Cambridge Future Tech builds DeepTech ventures and last week we hit another milestone; we're co-founding our 15th venture 🤘 It's awesome building new ventures from the ground up. It's why we started CFT in the first place. It always feels great to be at the start of the build phase, helping founders articulate a new venture’s tech and potential, building a strong narrative. We’re collaborating closely with founders to transform groundbreaking ideas into companies. 🚀🚀🚀 More to come on this. I'm hyped to share what we're building 🤘 #venturebuilder #deeptech #startups #cambridge

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Tech startup founders: is your New Year's resolution to get on the path to unicorn status? 🤔 For those not in the know, a unicorn is a startup company valued at over $1 billion. 🦄 As a patent attorney who has been fortunate to work alongside companies who went from seed stage to $1 billion plus valuations, I have learned a few things about developing patent portfolios in order to grow a company's valuation. 📈 This carousel explains why you might want to build a patent portfolio and how to achieve some common portfolio goals! 🥅 🙌 #StartupPatentThursdays #patentportfolio #startup #patent #IP

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Building an early-stage company? Protecting your innovation from day one is critical, and your intellectual property strategy can be the difference between success and failure. In my latest post, I walk you through the key IP tools every startup needs—patents, trade secrets, and more—and how to use them strategically to secure investment, build partnerships, and outmaneuver competitors. Want to know how to balance protection and cost-efficiency while growing your business? Click through to learn how to craft a winning IP strategy. https://lnkd.in/eNbNqXnT

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This article provides some insights on the direction of travel in the UK in relation to distributed ledger technology (DLT) and digital assets, in light of recent legislative and policy developments that signal the UK’s ambitions for scaling the adoption of DLT technology and facilitating growth in this space. These include: (1) an update on the future regulatory regime for cryptoassets, including stablecoins and staking services, (2) the Bank of England’s remarks at the Tokenisation Summit 2024 on DLT in wholesale markets, and (3) next steps for digital gilts in the UK.

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The Trends I’m Seeing in VC and PE-Backed Companies as a Fractional Advisor. One big shift I’ve noticed is earlier involvement in mentoring pre-seed and scale-ups. Previously, I’d typically step in at Series A or later. But now, I’m being asked to guide companies at much earlier stages. The market is so competitive that founders want to lay solid foundations well before investment lands. It’s a smart move - preparing for growth and scaling in today’s challenging environment requires clear strategies and strong operational frameworks from the start. Catch the full episode: https://lnkd.in/e_JfxnzS #FractionalAdvisor #VC #PE #Startups #ScalingUp

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A great upcoming webinar for anyone considering raising $$$ from US investors - details below

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Good to see the UKIPO is looking at #AI and #copyright to hopefully build on the strengths of the UK AI sector. My colleague Oliver Pooley has taken a look at the consultation. #patents #UKIPO

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