In this episode, Winter Mead, CEO and founder of Coolwater Capital shares his take on what it takes to support emerging fund managers. Coolwater Capital serves as an accelerator for emerging venture fund managers, offering training, resources, and a supportive cohort model to help them successfully build and scale their firms. He has influenced over 200 fund launches and continually adapting to the dynamic needs of the venture capital market.

We discuss the latest trends in VC funding and the types of fund managers that are currently securing funding. He points out common pitfalls that new fund managers should avoid. Winter also explains the cohort model used by Coolwater to support fund managers, emphasizing the importance of information sharing and strong networks.

Here's what you're in for:

• (00:00) - Intro

• (00:40) - Transition from working as a limited partner to founding Coolwater

• (03:03) - The challenges of starting Coolwater

• (09:06) - How Coolwater evaluates and supports fund managers

• (15:05) - Differences in fundraising for startups vs funds

• (23:22) - Trends in VC funding

• (31:51) - Common mistakes emerging fund managers make

• (47:05) - Profiles of fund managers in Coolwater

• (52:23) - Outro

This episode is sponsored by ThunderVC, an investment bank for founders by founders.

Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders

Raising debt? Find the perfect lender in minutes here: https://debt.thunder.vc

Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips - https://join.thunder.vc

ABOUT WINTER MEAD

Winter Mead is the founder and managing member of Coolwater Capital, specializing in emerging managers and technology investments. He authored "How To Raise A Venture Capital Fund" and operates Coolwater, an academy dedicated to training and scaling emerging fund managers. With a history of building an evergreen fund at SAP and working in private equity and venture capital in San Francisco, Winter has made significant contributions to the venture capital community, including founding the LP transparency movement, #OpenLP. He also served as junior faculty at Stanford's Graduate School of Business and holds advanced degrees from the University of Oxford and Harvard University. Winter lives in Utah with his family and is deeply committed to enhancing the capabilities of new managers in the venture capital industry through his work at Coolwater.

Connect with Winter on:

• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/wintermead/

• X: https://x.com/wintmead?lang=en

  
  

ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED

Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape.

Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders.

ABOUT JASON

Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 exits and 15 years of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development.

You can reach out to Jason through:

Email: jason@thunder.vc

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/