The Investor View on Startup Funding | Kate Shillo Beardsley (Founding Partner, Hannah Grey Ventures)

The Data Minute

In this episode of The Data Minute, Peter Walker (Head of Insights at Carta) is joined by Kate Shillo Beardsley (Founding Partner, Hannah Grey) for a wide-ranging conversation on VC, private equity, investor trends, and the chasm between seed stage startups and those that make it to series.
This jam-packed conversation also includes a debate on priced rounds versus SAFEs, the importance of a founder’s DNA over where they are located, and, of course, AI.
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Chapters:
00:00 Welcome
03:29 Intro to Hannah Grey
04:44 How are a VC or thesis and a sector different?
07:02 Discovering and identifying trends
10:11 Leading vs. following in investing
15:25 Priced rounds, SAFEs, and leverage
21:22 Developing an AI thesis
25:42 The Series A Chasm
32:10 Is it easier to build a business today with less cash?
34:47 Difference in founder mindset by geography
37:16 The thesis Kate is most excited about right now
39:26 Most unique way a fund has brought value to a portco
42:22 The number one question founders should ask during fundraising
45:28 When does venture stop being positive?
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