20 VC 019: Funding the Future with James Wise of Balderton Capital

James Wise is Principal at Balderton Capital, one of Europe's most successful venture funds. At Balderton, James invests and advises early-stage technology start-ups, holding board member positions at Crowdcube.com, Surnrise.am, 3Dhubs.com and many more... Prior to Balderton, James helped build one of the UK's first social venture funds and was a consultant at McKinsey & Company, working with entrepreneurs in Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Items Mentioned in Todays's Show: Crowdcube.com JustPark Sunrise.am Chilango MyTomorrows.com An Intimate History of Humanity by Theodore Zeldin What you will learn in today's show: How James made his entry into the world of Venture Capital? How does James feel the VC model differs in the UK compared to the US? Does Silicon Valley deserve the plaudits it receives for producing revolutionary tech companies? Following Balderton's recent investment in Crowdcube.com, how does James believe the crowd will become more involved in the future? Is Crowdfunding not a competing method of financing to Venture Capital? What is Balderton's competitive advantage for winning deals? What James believes makes the perfect Series A round? Does James believe the mini-bond, introduced by Crowdcube.com have the potential to revolutionise funding for businesses? Which sector James is most excited about and why? When thinking of success who is the first person that comes to James' mind and why? We then move into a rapid fire round where we hear James' thoughts on his latest investment and why he said yes? Does James experience a fear of missing out (FOMO) when passing on investments? Finally, James' favourite book and why?  

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