MeetFounders Nov 2020 Handout
MeetFounders Nov 2020 Handout
BY ANDREW BOTT
EVENT ASSISTANTS:
CHURCHILL ONUMONU & EVANGELIA MITSA
DISCOVER AN INSIDE VIEW ON START-UP
INVESTMENT
Start-up investment or raising finance is often an opaque hidden mystery to most
seeking it. Our elite panels of investment industry insiders will shine a spotlight
on this process. This rare inside view will educate, entertain and give you solid
advice from those who know.
GET FUNDED 7:30pm-8:15pm GMT
November 30th , 2020 ‘’VC Advice: Structuring your Startup
5:45pm - 9:00pm GMT Organization’’
Startup organization has been identified as a common problem
(9:45am PST, 12:45pm EST) for startups and getting investment. This panel will discuss the
most common mistakes startups make and ways of improving
6pm-6:45pm GMT
your organization, project management and employee
“Breaking into Venture Capital – Getting your management. Attend this panel if you wish to meet experienced
first CV job” VCs and listen to their tips.
This panel will focus on the fundamentals of venture capital.
The panel will share any insights attained during their ‘’Impact Investment: How to Convey your
experience in the field and share the do and dont’s when Impact’’
getting your first VC job. A panel of VCs specializing in impact businesses. Panellists will
discuss impact investment and how to convey impact alongside
‘’Funding a Fund – Finding Limited Partners’’ financials, focusing on how startups can convey their impact
This panel, mainly oriented to investors, will discuss the well. Attend if your startup operates on the impact ecosystem
processes when it comes to funding and finding the ideal limited and want to learn more from industry’s experts.
partners. The panellists aim to share their stories and advice to
all attendees, while answering any pressing questions. 8:15pm-9pm GMT
Video Networking
6:45pm-7:30pm GMT Our software allows attendees to be matched automatically every
5 minutes in 1:1 video chats! Network, make connections, and
‘’Virtual Investment: The Permanent Effects of find opportunities through some great conversations.
COVID19’’
How much did COVID19 affect the investing ecosystem? This
panel focuses on presenting today’s virtual investment under the
pandemic’s circumstances. Ideal for any investor and startup
PITCH NIGHT
who’s currently searching for investment virtually and tips on December 1st, 2020
how to succeed on it. 5:45pm - 8:30pm GMT
(9:45am PST, 12:45pm EST)
‘’Angel Investment Insights’’
A panel with industry’s most experienced angel investors.
Panellists will focus on sharing their stories, investment process
6pm-7:30pm GMT
and things they’re looking for before investing. An ideal panel to Start-up Pitches and Feedback from Judges
any startup currently raising or researching an angel investment. Start-ups pitch to judges for Investment and are given feedback
from our judges who are all currently investors. Investors from
around the world attend and watch the pitches, and start-
ups/investors have the chance to network and build their deal
flow.
7:30pm-8.30pm GMT
Video Networking
Our software allows attendees to be matched automatically every
5 minutes in 1:1 video chats! Network, make connections, and
find opportunities through some great conversations.
Pitch Night Startups
DEC 1ST | 6 PM - 7:30 PM BST
AAZZUR DOCNOC NUW
As Investment Associate, I was responsible for Dealflow; screened +1000 pitchdecks for first
investment criteria, attended pitches, did market research & business model evaluation for
more interesting ones, represented b10 at 70+ events and conducted commercial DD +
coordinated the Due Diligence for 2 investments, Signatrix - Computer Vision for Retail and
BETAFASHION - Always Enough, Never too Much
Matthew Holding
INVESTMENT ANALYST, UKI2S & MIDVEN
Book Recommendation: Seeing What's Next: Using the Theories of Innovation to Predict
Industry Change by Clayton Christensen, Scott Anthony and Erik Roth
Matthew works as a VC Investment Analyst for Midven, where he works on the MEIF West
Growth Equity Fund and UKI2S (UK Innovation and Science Seed Fund) and assists the team
with portfolio management, conducting due diligence and supporting the investment process.
Matthew also works with the Greater Birmingham EIS fund investment team and assists with
evaluating investment opportunities. He also runs a few podcasts, The Future Impact Show &
Midven Deep Dive.
Viet Le
EARLY STAGE INVESTOR, LA FAMIGLIA VC
Book Recommendation: The End of Loneliness by Benedict Wells
Viet is an early stage investor with Berlin-based La Famiglia VC. They focus on seed stage and
love everything around B2B and software. In particular, Viet’s passion lies in companies that
reinvent how white collar employees and developers work in the future.
Hannah Redgewell
INVESTMENT MANAGER,CHANNEL 4 VENTURES
Book Recommendation: Bad Blood: Secrets and Lies in a Silicon Valley Startup by J.
Carreyrou
Hannah is an Investment Manager with Channel 4 Ventures (C4V), which invests Channel 4’s
advertising space into high growth consumer companies. She is responsible for sourcing,
leading deals, and supporting portfolio companies. Prior to C4V, Hannah was a strategy
consultant at Strategy&, where she worked with corporates and private-equity houses,
specialising in the technology, media and education sectors.
Audrey Osborne
INVESTOR, TECHSTART VENTURES
Book Recommendation: Product/Market Fit by Marc Andreesen
As an Investor at Techstart Ventures LLP, Audrey has spent the last 4 years conducting seed and
follow-on investments in early stage companies across a variety of industries and sectors. Before
becoming a VC she was a founding member of an Angel and VC backed start-up where she was a
Product Manager focused on product management, customer acquisition and established product
market fit. Prior to moving into technology, she spent 7 years in Marketing and Advertising in the US
where she conducted market analysis and ran-multi channel campaigns for international accounts.
“Funding a Fund – Finding Limited Partners”
NOV 30TH | 6 PM - 6:45 PM GMT
Jonathan Hollis
FOUNDING PARTNER, MOUNTSIDE VENTURES
Book Recommendation: Venture Deals by Brad Feld
Jonathan is the Managing Partner of Mountside Ventures, a company that helps both early-
stage companies and VC fund managers raise their next round of funding. Previously, he
launched one of the Big Four's early-stage propositions whose alumni have raised over £400m.
He is an ICAEW Chartered Accountant and also runs Tech London Advocates’ SaaS Group
Neha is a medical doctor in London. Neha spent years as a General Practitioner before
transitioning to the Life Sciences industry, where she held various roles in pharmaceutical
companies. She holds an MBA from London Business School, where she fell in love working with
entrepreneurs and startups. She has since worked with a startup med-tech company, as well as
several accelerators and VCs in the healthcare space, most recently with a global venture builder
with a focus on early-stage tech companies.
Michal Košina
EUROPEAN INVESTMENT FUND
Book Recommendation: Beyond the J Curve: Managing a Portfolio of Venture Capital and
Private Equity Funds by Pierre-Yves Mathonet and Thomas Meyer
Initially pursuing a career in development finance and public policy, Michal has now spent 4
years at EIF supporting the European VC and PE markets as Europe’s leading LP. As a Senior
Mandate Manager, Michal is responsible for mandates and investment programmes totaling
about EUR 770m focused on primary investments in VC and PE funds and co-investments
alongside business angels, and has worked on transactions from Paris to Sofia.
Jean-Andre Ahipeaud
MANAGING PARTNER, J3A PARTNERS AM
Book Recommendation: Execution by Ram Charan, Lawrence Bossidy
Jean-André is a serial high-tech entrepreneur with a track record of several companies launched
between 2001 and 2018. Mr AHIPEAUD is a Researcher in Finance. His Doctoral research focus
on the optimisation of the Venture Capital Funds’ Internal Rates of Return and the performance
of the Private Placement Markets. He designed a financial and technological risk adequacy
model that increases the likelihood of VC Funds achieving high Internal Rates of Return.
“Virtual Investment – The Permanent Effects of
COVID19”
NOV 30TH | 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
Andrew Bott
FOUNDER, MEETFOUNDERS.CO
Book Recommendation: The Lean Startup by Eric Reis
Andrew Bott is the Founder of MeetFounders.co - His core mission is building relationships with
investors like you, helping industry experts to share their knowledge, and assisting great start-
ups seeking investment.
Robin is a highly versatile, commercially experienced strategy and investment professional with
international experience. His clarity as founding entrepreneur, investor and professional advisor
is invaluable in advising others and was instrumental in founding Ruffena Capital.
David Gilgur
FOUNDING PARTNER, BLUE LAKE ACCELERATOR
Book Recommendation: Masters of Doom by David Kushner
Entrepreneur and Angel investor. Founding partner of Blue Lake, a new London based early
stage Accelerator with a focus on ‘overlooked' startups, particularly those in the developing
markets.
Adam Reeve
SENIOR INVESTOR MANAGEMENT, SEEDRS
Book Recommendation: Creativity Inc. by Ed Catmull
Adam leads Seedrs institutional investor team responsible for driving co-investment activity,
fundraising and institutional business development. Before joining Seedrs he spent 6 years in
financial services across alternative investments and investment banking.
Juliette Souliman
VC INVESTOR, MMC VENTURES
Book Recommendation: Netscape time - The making on the Billion-Dollar start-up that took on
Microsoft by Jim Clark.
Juliette is a VC Investor at MMC Ventures, a venture capital fund investing in early stage and high-growth
UK companies. She is also the Co-founder of Ground Floor Ventures – a European and US business angel
network focusing on pre-seed venture deals.
“Angel Investment Insights”
NOV 30TH | 6:45 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
Churchill Onumonu
INVESTMENT ANALYST, CREATOR FUND
STARTUP ANALYST, MEETFOUNDERS
Book Recommendation: The Entrepreneurial Bible to Venture Capital by Andrew Romans
Churchill started out his investment career on the university campus, helping to source PhD
students for Entrepreneur First. He loved the idea of helping brilliant people with new ideas and
joined Creator Fund as an analyst, to help back more founders. Analysing startups for
MeetFounders is another way to connect with new people and help them on their fundraising.
Emmett King
CO-FOUNDER, TRANSYLVANIA ANGELS NETWORK
Book Recommendation: Think and Grow Rich by Napolean Hill
Emmett King is serial entrepreneur from American where he founded and was part of the
founding team of 10 companies within 8 different industries; one of which the team took public
on NASDAQ through a reverse merger in the early 1990’s. For the past 17 years of he has been
practicing his entrepreneurial skills in Romania. He’s also the co-founder of the angel investor
group, Transylvania Angels Network (T.A.N.). During 2020 they have invested over 300,000
euro in 9 Romanian startups.
Andreas Cser
PARTNER, AUTOMAT VENTURES
ANGEL INVESTOR
Book Recommendation: The Leonardo Da Vinci biography by Walter Isaacson
Investor, entrepreneur and start-up exec, ex-banker working for the Light Side. Since 2011 he
has invested in over 10 start-ups, notably Jampp (Top 5 app monetisation platform), Tjobs (HR
tech), Pathfinder Medical (medtech), Bidnamic (AI powered martech), and Mia & Ben
(technology-driven healthy kids food), all of which have received significant follow-on funding,
most from blue-chip VCs.
Tom Britton
CO-FOUNDER, SYNDICATEROOM
NED, UK BUSINESS ANGEL ASSOCIATION
Book Recommendation: Atomic Habits by James Clear
Tom comes from a product management background and made the switch to VC about 7 years
ago. While the VC fund is data-driven, he makes a few angel investments on the side in things
he believes are solving real world problems. Tom likes to find products that have a specific focus,
one, decent sized problem that has yet to be tackled by technology.
James Bott
ANGEL INVESTOR & ADVISOR
Book Recommendation: Principles by Ray Dalio
James is a serial entrepreneur and investor. Having founded 3 companies and achieved 2
successful exits, he has hands-on experience of what's needed to launch, grow and sell a
business. He has invested in numerous businesses across multiple verticals, and also advises
companies of varying sizes.
“VC Advice: Structuring your Startup
Organization”
NOV 30TH | 7:30 PM – 8:15 PM GMT
Andrew Bott
FOUNDER, MEETFOUNDERS.CO
Book Recommendation: The Lean Startup by Eric Reis
Andrew Bott is the Founder of MeetFounders.co - His core mission is building relationships with
investors like you, helping industry experts to share their knowledge, and assisting great start-
ups seeking investment.
Neha is a medical doctor in London. Neha spent years as a General Practitioner before
transitioning to the Life Sciences industry, where she held various roles in pharmaceutical
companies. She holds an MBA from London Business School, where she fell in love working
with entrepreneurs and startups. She has since worked with a startup med-tech company, as
well as several accelerators and VCs in the healthcare space, most recently with a global
venture builder with a focus on early-stage tech companies.
Luca Cartechini
VC, PRETIOSUM VENTURES
Book Recommendation: The Lean Startup by Eric Ries
Luca is an early-stage investor focusing on Fintech, AI and Future of Work/Life. He’s also
currently serving as a guest Lecturer at ESCP Europe in London and Turin,and advising several
early stage technology companies. He was previously Equity Associate at Jefferies and Financial
Analyst at Bloomberg.
Adrame Ndione
MANAGING PARTNER, VERTIS CAPITAL
Book Recommendation: Raising Capital: Get the Money You Need to Grow Your Business
by Andre J. Sherman
Adramé is an entrepreneur and an Africa focused investment executive with a proven track
record of successful investment activities. He’s Founding Partner of Vertis Capital, a West
African Advisory and VC firm and founder of the Gambian Angel Investors Network. He
previously cofounded Ebano Finance a Paris-based investment advisory firm and held
investment positions in Private Equity firms, including In-framed Management, a 350M€
infrastructure investment fund.
“Impact Investment: How to Convey Your Impact”
NOV 30TH | 7:30 PM - 8:15 PM GMT
Yimi Zhao
MBA CANDIDATE, CORNELL
Current Cornell Johnson MBA student, previous employee at Feenix Venture Partners. A very
new professional in the VC world.
Marc started his career at innotech, a smaller VC. In 2004, he moved on to Finlab AG (before
Altira Group) where he was involved in a number of investments, IPOs, trade sales and fund
investments. In 2007, Marc took the chance to participate in the set-up of the AIG Sustainable
Investment Group. Following the bail-out of AIG, Marc switched sides and co-founded Zapitano,
a social TV platform. In 2014, he founded Business Buddies, the Customized Accelerator for
sustainable companies.
Thorgeir Einarsson
CEO, ELEVERA ADVISERS AB
Book Recommendation: Angel by Jason Calacanis
Software entrepreneur that has invested and advised more than 30 startups predominately in
Europe, US and Africa during the last 30 years.
Starting, building and exiting bootstrapped and VC backed ventures in London, US and South
East Asia. Founded entrepreneurial impact programs in South Africa and creating investment
platforms to support sustainable ventures.
Amit Grover
IMPACT INVESTOR, GROVER & COMPANY
Book Recommendation: The Hard Thing About Hard Things by Ben Horowitz
Amit is the Managing Partner at Grover & Company England Ltd, which is raising USD 50 Million
and navigating the formation of its venture capital fund. Amit's focus is to invest in early-stage
Alternative Protein, Alternative Dairy, Cell-Based Protein, Cellular Agriculture, Food Processing,
and Distribution ventures. Amit brings over 22 years of experience with corporate positions held
in global brands such as Lavazza Coffee and Pernord Ricard.
Christhi Theiss
VENTURE INVESTING, BBVA
Book Recommendation: Influence by Robert Cialdini
Christhi leads venture activities, investing in innovative ventures while defining and leading BBVA's
venture building. Former Head of Europe in Capital Markets, he combines over a decade leading
investment banking businesses from scratch to exponential growth with a global startup trajectory as
investor, founder and C-level executive in various companies in the US and Europe.
“Judges for Live Pitch Event”
DEC 1ST | 6 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
George Radford
PRINCIPAL, EXPA
Book Recommendation: Secrets of Sand Hill Road: Venture Capital and How to Get It by
Scott Kupor
George is a generalist early-stage investor, leading Expa's European investments from Pre-Seed
to Series A while also supporting entrepreneurs in Expa's accelerator program. Prior to Expa,
George was at Founders Intelligence where he advised Europe’s top executives and fund
managers on growth initiatives and early-stage investments across industries as varied as
healthcare, fintech, media, and logistics.
Colin Spiller
LONDON ANGEL CLUB MANAGER, ANGELS DEN
Book Recommendation: Show Me the Money: How to Raise the Cash to Get Your Business
Off the Ground by Alan Barell, David Gill & Martin Rigby
Colin worked for 6 years as the Business Development Manager for an early stage Tech focus
VC, and generated an extra £1.5m into investee companies. Launched and manages the
London Angel Club for Angels Den, which typically raises £1m to £2m for 5 to 8 business pa and
delivers their Masterclasses for new Angel Investors.
Vera Schroeder
ASSOCIATE, SAFAR PARTNERS
Book Recommendation: Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture
Capitalist by Brad Feld and Jason Mendelson
Vera Schroeder is an early stage tech investor at Safar Partners. As an associate at Safar, Vera
evaluates and mentors’ entrepreneurs, conducts diligence, and supports portfolio companies.
In addition to her work at Safar, Vera is a Board member and officer at MIT's Social
Entrepreneurship Alumni Group and mentor with the Junior Achievement of Northern New
England. Vera earned a PhD in chemistry from MIT specializing in nanoscience and materials
science.
Jennifer Webb
INVESTMENT PARTNER, CAPITALEX
Book Recommendation: Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Jennifer is an Investment Partner for Capitalex where she advises and assists UK start-ups and
scale-ups alongside her MBA. Previously she was an Investment Manager for LGT Lighstone
and the Impact Ventures UK fund.
“Judges for Live Pitch Event”
DEC 1ST | 6 PM – 7:30 PM GMT
Karolina Wojtas
INVESTMENT ASSOCIATE, ICOS CAPITAL MANAGEMENT
Book Recommendation: Zero to One by Peter Thiel
Semiramis Kulak
ASSOCIATE, ALBARAKA ASSET MANAGEMENT & APY VENTURES
Book Recommendation: Thinking Fast and Slow by Daniel Kahneman
Semiramis is experienced in early stage investing. She has screened more than 2K+ startups
and had meetings with sover 400. She works closely with her portfolio companies on growth
tactics and global strategy.
Gerson has more than thirty years of executive experience in multinational companies in global
roles in the Americas, Europe, and Asia, notably in the areas of Engineering, Operations and
Supply Chain/Procurement. He is currently MD of FIFTY5 Ventures, a private early-stage VC
investment vehicle where he invests in great people, technology, and future consumer trends.
He is also an active Angel Investor, member of various Angel Investment networks in Brazil and
abroad, and acts as Director/Advisory Board Member of various start-ups where he invests
directly.
Maria has a BSc in Business Economics from Cardiff University and recently completed her
MSc in Entrepreneurship at Cass Business School. She is particularly interested in marketing,
sales and business development and has related work experience in the pharmaceutical
sector in London, UK and Athens, Greece. She is now looking to progress career wise and
apply her knowledge and work experience to help startups grow.