A strong exit and liquidity strategy ensures you act with clarity when opportunities arise and markets shift in your favor. Thoughtful exit planning demonstrates that you can generate real returns, not just paper gains, through a predictable, well-governed process. Approach distributions with the same intention as fundraising, because true credibility comes from returning capital and building a lasting reputation for results…

Events have long been treated as a tool for visibility: a branded cocktail hour, an investor dinner, or a founder showcase. However, perhaps the most forward-thinking approach is to reframe events as something much more powerful — data engines. When designed intentionally, events not only create connections, but also generate proprietary data, as they capture patterns of behavior, reveal what themes are resonating, and indicate where capital or talent are moving next…

Accelerators have become a cornerstone of innovation ecosystems, serving as powerful platforms for driving entrepreneurship, fostering collaboration, and creating economic impact. Accelerators offer unique opportunities to nurture promising companies and amplify their potential, whether run by established firms, emerging managers, corporations, or others. Here is an in-depth look at why running an accelerator may be valuable, how they are structured, and the support mechanisms that ensure their success…

As a fund manager, your portfolio’s success goes beyond the capital you invest. Setting expectations and outlining an onboarding process for new companies are vital for success. This process presents an opportunity to forge relationships, evaluate and enhance the current performance of portfolio companies, pinpoint areas for improvement, and showcase your value. Establishing a transparent workflow for new investments enables fund managers to monitor progress, enhance your community where companies can benefit, and implement corrective measures when necessary…

As fundraising is one of the most challenging aspects of running a fund, it is helpful to have a full plan with a starting point, ending point, and realistic expectations on timing along the way. During the journey of building your fund, there are times you may feel lost, unsure of where to begin or what steps to take next — we prepared a Fundraising Plan Blueprint to outline the requisite steps…

Nimble funds are contemplating whether a physical office space is necessary or preferred. These same fund managers are discussing similar options with their portfolio companies, as startups decide whether their location matters as a variable for collaboration and attracting talent…

To Institutional Investors, the term “Emerging Manager” indicates a venture capital investor with less than ten years of investing experience, fewer than four funds, and under $1bb in assets under management (AUM). However, the terms “Emerging Manager” and “EMVC” are often used in market today to denote fund managers from overlooked backgrounds, funds under $250mm in size, and fund managers with varied investing expertise…

Before an investor commits capital to a Fund Manager, it is common to conduct due diligence to evaluate potential risks and fit. Diligence helps investors sift through multiple investment opportunities to find the winners, by confirming the facts, profile, and abilities that could signal future success. The following is a sample investor due diligence checklist for funds…

As a new fund manager, it is critical to configure your fund’s basic setup *before* you begin fundraising and investing. A fund setup consists of a clear vision, a differentiated investment thesis, plus a long-term framework for fund structure and operations. Here are the basic steps to set up a fund ahead of your capital raise…

As you build a new product for your business, be sure to conduct pre-launch customer discovery interviews to validate your ideas from the start, saving you the time and money by not building (or re-building) something no one wants. Here are the steps to successfully conduct your pre-launch customer discovery…

Service provider relationship management covers a wide range of operational tasks from finance to legal to technology. For many businesses, it is more effective to outsource certain operational tasks to third-parties and vendors (“providers”), than to handle in-house — especially if your team is small. By leveraging expert providers, you can save time and money where the task can be performed at a lower cost externally. Here are the common providers you’ll want to enlist to streamline your business…

Starting a business can be a daunting yet rewarding endeavor for an entrepreneur. Begin with a checklist to ensure you stay organized and hit the right milestones from the beginning. Follow this checklist to guide you through your business’s launch…

If your business is operating with a lean team and looking to hire for expansion, you’ll need to choose your next hire wisely to address your company’s most pressing need. Most early business dilemmas can be addressed across Product, Sales, or Operations. Here are some common business challenges that present early, and who you could hire to help….

If your business wishes to accelerate revenue and reach more customers even faster, consider taking deliberate steps to scale. Scalable business offerings can be delivered to more and more customers for a fraction of the cost on each additional unit — meaning it takes less time/money/production to deliver your offering to customer #1,000,000, as it did to customer #1. Here’s how to scale your business…