In this episode, Jayson Dombele sits down with Nick Durham, General Partner at Shadow Ventures, to explore the world of venture capital through a thematic focused lens. We learn why Shadow VC chose the built environment theme and the advantages and challenges of this approach. Nick shares their unique capital raising tactics and how they select startups for their portfolio. Discover the comprehensive support they offer founders beyond funding and gain insights into their evaluation process for potential investments in the built environment industry. Join us as we discuss the future of venture capital and Shadow VC's growth strategy as a thematic focused firm.

Venture Capitalists are always conducting due diligence on startup founders-- but have you ever wondered who conducting due diligence on vc funds?

Find out on today's episode!

April Oury, One of the Capital Managing Director at Prota Ventures, joins the show to discuss various topics including career switching, defining human flourishing in investing, the Prota Ventures investment process, and the pre-seed stage.

Hosted by Jayson Dombele, the podcast episode begins with a discussion about April Oury's career journey. April shares her experience as a course instructor at the Institute of Physical Art and her subsequent ownership of Body Gears Physical Therapy for 16 years. She then explains how she transitioned into angel investing and venture capital with Prota Ventures.

Next, the conversation shifts to the concept of human flourishing, a prominent focus at Prota Ventures. April shares her perspective on what human flourishing means to her and how it influences their investment approach.

The episode then delves into the four levels of the investment process at Prota Ventures: Incubator, Labs, Capital, and Exit. April provides insights into each stage and explains how they support entrepreneurs and startups throughout their journey.

One of the challenges faced by founders is determining the appropriate time to raise a pre-seed round due to market inconsistencies. April sheds light on this topic by discussing the characteristics and milestones that indicate a startup is ready for a pre-seed round.

Finally, April highlights Prota Ventures' competitive edge. She explains what sets them apart from other venture capital firms and why entrepreneurs choose to work with them.

The podcast episode offers valuable insights into April Oury's career path, Prota Ventures' investment philosophy, and the factors involved in raising a pre-seed round. Listeners gain a deeper understanding of the Prota Ventures approach to investing and the importance of human flourishing in the startup ecosystem.