Kauffman Fellows

New Report: Introducing the first-ever Kauffman Fund Returners Index! ?? At Kauffman Fellows, we believe venture capital empowers entrepreneurs to transform industries across software, biotech, fintech, AI, robotics, and beyond. But how do we measure success in venture capital? While traditional metrics like net MOIC (net-realized multiples of investment capital) are private, we created a proxy to evaluate VC success: the number of startups reaching $1B+ valuations, exits, and their corresponding exit values. ?? What You’ll Find in the Report: ? Global unicorn activity since 2016, broken down by country and sector. ? An Index of Kauffman Fellows’ Venture Success. Key Insights: ? 1 out of 140 VC-backed startups becomes a unicorn. ??1 in 5 unicorns globally have a Kauffman Fellow in the cap table. Shoutout to the thirty Fellows who topped the Kauffman Fund Returners Index: Allen Taylor (Endeavor Catalyst), Koichiro Nakamura (Sozo Ventures), Yinglan Tan (Insignia Venture Partners), Justin Fishner-Wolfson (137 Ventures), Fredrik Cassel ?(Creandum), Mamoon Hamid (Kleiner Perkins), Shailendra J Singh (Peak XV Partners), Miriam Rivera (Ulu Ventures), Clint Korver (Ulu Ventures), Vinnie Lauria (Golden Gate Ventures), Eric Perez-Grovas (Wollef), Rob Rueckert (Sorenson Capital), Nathan Harroch (Ergeny Investments), Phil Wickham (Sozo Ventures), Patrick S. Chung (Xfund), Hian Goh (Openspace Ventures), Joon Sung Park (Legend Capital), Santi Subotovsky (Emergence Capital), Arjun Sethi (Tribe Capital), Cameron Teitelman (StartX), Jon Rezneck (Geodesic Capital), Alexandre Lazarow (Fluent Ventures), Mike McCauley (Garage Capital), Ken Elefant (Sorenson Ventures), Marlon C. Nichols (MaC Venture Capital), Srini Ananth (Intel Capital), Conrad Shang (Ensemble VC), Helen Pei-Hua Wong (AC Ventures), Ralph Taylor-Smith (ETS Strategic Capital), and SC Moatti (Mighty Capital). ?? Download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gK68v-B7

As we wrap up our final day at #KFSingaporeTrek, we're inspired by the remarkable insights shared by our Fellows. We heard a powerful discussion on unlocking regional growth opportunities, featuring Phil Wickham (Charter Class, Sozo Ventures), Vinnie Lauria (KF Class 17, Golden Gate Ventures), Terry Chou (KF Class 29, Alpha Intelligence Capital), and Anthony Chang (KF Class 7, Galaxy Entertainment and Education and JoJo Education). Then Nick Nash (KF Class 19, Sea) detailed IPO preparation strategies and Helen Pei-Hua Wong (KF Class 8, AC Ventures) explored China's influence on global venture dynamics. The dialogue deepened with seasoned perspectives on global-local venture dynamics from Patrick Arippol (KF Class 27, Alexia Ventures), Ashish Agrawal (KF Class 23, Peak XV Partners), and Michael Fanfant (KF Class 27, Runa Capital). Amit Anand (KF Class 18, Jungle Ventures) and Jon Bradford (KF Class 27, Dynamo Ventures) shared their journey to billion-dollar milestones. Later we had a dynamic discussion on fund returners with Aakash Kapoor (Class 29, Peak XV Partners), Varun Malhotra (Class 25, Quona Capital), and Justin Hall (Class 20, Golden Gate Ventures). The afternoon featured Shailendra J Singh (KF Class 11, Peak XV Partners) discussing Peak XV Partners' evolution, followed by an intimate conversation with Gojek co-founder Kevin Aluwi and Pachara (Pinn) Lawjindakul (KF Class 25, Lightspeed) on building region-defining startups. We capped off the day with a final discussion with Sherman Williams II (KF Class 26, AIN Ventures) and Joyce Zhang, CFA,CAIA (KF Class 29, The Wallace Foundation) “Closing the Loop on Opportunity to and from SEA”. Our ecosystem gathering marks the end of an incredible first trek. Thank you to all who made it possible. We couldn't have done it without this powerful network of Fellows! #KauffmanFellows #VentureCapital #SoutheastAsia

We had an exceptional day at the #KFSingaporeTrek, where Southeast Asia's venture ecosystem leaders met for transformative discussions. The morning kicked off with Helen Pei-Hua Wong (KF Class 8, AC Ventures) and Fernando Fabre (KF Class 14) unpacking the elements of venture excellence in Southeast Asia. This was followed by an insightful fireside chat where Jacqueline Poh (EDBI Pte Ltd) and Pol de Win (SGX Group) illuminated Singapore's evolution as a global IPO destination. After lunch at the iconic Lau Pa Sat, Kishore Moorjani (LXA) and Hian Goh (KF Class 20, Openspace) delivered a masterclass on navigating special situations and executing disruptive strategies in Southeast Asian markets. The day culminated with a LP/GP afternoon where we hosted 40 LPs to network and bridge new connections with our KF GPs. We kicked off with a powerful LP perspective panel moderated by Vishal Harnal (KF Class 22, 500 Global), with Russell Tham (Temasek), and John Tang (GIC), who shared unparalleled insights into the region's investment dynamics. Concluding with a series of roundtable discussions and reception, it was an incredible day building new relationships. Immense gratitude to SGX Group for hosting and to our distinguished speakers for their wisdom. The energy continues tomorrow! #KFSingaporeTrek #KauffmanFellows #VentureCapital #SingaporeVC

Kauffman Fellows are gathering in Singapore at the heart of Southeast Asia's innovation hub for our inaugural Trek to explore the region's thriving tech ecosystem ???? With over 80 Fellows representing 20 countries, we look forward to the couple days ahead. From LP/GP connections to curated content showcasing the vibrant Singapore ecosystem, this Trek will be the first of more to come around the world. Two days packed with strengthening cross-border connections and charting the future of global venture capital from this strategic center for Southeast Asia. #KFSingaporeTrek #VentureCapital #StartupEcosystem #KauffmanFellows

Thrilled to share two major fund raises in our network! ?? ?? Karim Gillani (Kauffman Fellows Class 25) and the Luge Capital team have successfully closed their second fund at $96M CAD! This milestone demonstrates the continued confidence in their early-stage fintech investment thesis. https://lnkd.in/e-x4ZPNc ?? Andrew Gershfeld (KF Class 24) and Flint Capital have raised $160M in challenging market conditions. What makes this raise particularly special? Several of their portfolio founders have become investors. As Andrew notes, this founder reinvestment shows "we're doing something right." https://lnkd.in/eJfNKTrb These successes showcase the resilience and innovation in our venture community. Looking forward to seeing the impact of these new funds! #VentureCapital #Fundraising #Innovation #KauffmanFellows

Understand global trends happening in VC by hearing from our Fellows in this curated podcast playlist: ?? Will Prendergast (KF Class 14) on EUVC discusses founders chasing unicorn status and patterns in entrepreneurship from US v. EU.? https://lnkd.in/gTbx9eT6 ?? Helen Pei-Hua Wong (KF Class 8) appears on Bloomberg to share the opportunities in Indonesia. https://lnkd.in/gUaHTdWJ ?? Lexi Novitske, CFA (KF Class 22) on Disrupt Africa digs into the findings of Disrupt Africa's recent research publication "Diversity Dividend." https://lnkd.in/gDR-ub_c ?? Eloho Omame (KF Class 29) hosts Venture Voices to explore the VC market in Africa. https://lnkd.in/dDyHSfTJ Give these a listen and gain some fresh insights for your weekend! #VC #IndustryInsights #Podcasts

A well-deserved shoutout to Anna Palmer (KF Class 28), General Partner at Flybridge, for her spot on Business Insider's '19 Best Female Early-Stage Investors' list! https://lnkd.in/gAu6Smi7 Anna has built an impressive track record as both founder and investor. After graduating from Harvard Law School in 2011, she launched Fashion Project, a designer clothing donation company. Her entrepreneurial drive led her to found multiple ventures, including XFactor Ventures, a Boston-based fund investing in early-stage female founders. Palmer joined Flybridge as the first female general partner in 2020, bringing her entrepreneurial expertise to the firm. Beyond venture capital, she's expanded into sports business as a co-founder and part-owner of Boston's newest professional soccer team, which will join the National Women's Soccer League in 2026. Anna’s inclusion in this esteemed list underscores how hands-on founding experience can significantly enhance a VC's ability to identify promising opportunities and add value to portfolio companies. #VC #StartupInnovation?

We're thrilled to spotlight SC Moatti (KF Class 25), Managing Partner at Mighty Capital, in our inaugural Kauffman Fund Returners Index whose innovative approach has yielded breakthrough results: ? 5 unicorn investments ? 2 firm-defining exits ? $9.2B in total exit valuations SC's strategy, leveraging insights from over 500,000 product managers and focusing on diverse, non-standard entrepreneurs, is redefining the VC playbook. Her emphasis on connected product experiences taps into a seismic shift in how companies interact with customers. Read more about SC's strategy here: https://lnkd.in/gR3EDAPv Meanwhile her partner at Mighty Capital, Jennifer Vancini, unveils the "Discovery Round", a critical new funding stage bridging Seed and Series A. This development promises to accelerate startup growth and enhance capital efficiency, potentially reshaping the entire startup ecosystem. Read more about Jennifer's insights here: https://lnkd.in/g_vejZW9 As traditional investment paradigms evolve, SC and Jennifer's insights offer a compelling roadmap for VCs navigating this new terrain. #VentureCapital #TechInvestment #StartupEcosystem

Looking to learn what industry experts are saying in the VC world? Here are some podcasts from our Fellows you should check out this weekend: ?? Jenny Fielding (KF Class 23) on VC10X advocates for community driven VC. https://lnkd.in/gqejzbPG ?? Chris Smith (KF Class 25) on PreSeed Now discusses the state of pre-seed VC in 2024. https://lnkd.in/gbSi6hUW ?? Joanna Rupp,CFA (KF Class 21) on OpenLP shares her take on endowments, small funds v. big funds, and capital surplus in VCs. https://lnkd.in/gxwqRpSv ?? Michael Lints (KF Class 23) joins The Scale Podcast to explore the art, science, and business of startups. https://lnkd.in/ghG3ms_k ?? Ahmad Takatkah (???? ??????) (KF Class 17) on Startups Arabia talks about leveraging data science in Venture Capital and hypergrowth in Silicon Valley.? https://lnkd.in/g6FJevcw ?? Bryan Roberts (KF Class 3) joins BioVenture VoiCes to share Venrock's history, moving from NYC to the Bay Area, and his investment philosophy. https://lnkd.in/gt3Agciv Give these a listen and gain some fresh investment strategies! #VC #AI #IndustryInsights #Podcasts

Don't miss your chance! ? The Venture Deals Winter 2024 online course is open for enrollment. Gain insider knowledge from experienced investors, learn proven negotiation tactics, and navigate the VC ecosystem like a pro.?? Courses fill up fast, so secure your spot today before it's too late. ??Course kicks off on October 25th ??Register at https://lnkd.in/gKKM5hbi Tag a fellow founder who won’t want to miss this course in the comments below. ?? ?#Venturecapital #startups #fundraising #venturedeals #techstars? Brad Feld | Techstars | Elliott Robinson | Miriam Rivera | Nicole Glaros | Jaclyn Freeman Hester | Jeffrey Harbach