YZ Yuanzhe Fu + YY Yuyan Wang, founders of YUVC are thrilled to be joined by Peter Lasinger, General Partner at 3VC, largest series-A fund in Austria investing in Europe.

Peter is a proud investor in PicsArt, DeepCodeAI, StoryBlok, Lokalise, Tatum, Kaia Health, among others. One of the earlierst VCs in Austria, Peter candidly shares his journey into venture capital, providing valuable insights into the evolution of the European VC market, the significance of data-driven strategies, and the pivotal role of market fit and team dynamics in investment decisions.

Highlights:

YZ: What do you think will be the most important fit in the era of AI?
Peter: The product market fit + a tight alignment of infrastructure, hardware, GPUs, algorithms, and the data layer, which needs to work cohesively to create value.

YZ: Do you still believe that the return is still parallel to the risk in early stage venture capital industry right now?
Peter: Of course, I say yes, because I have my own money in the fund and I wouldn't do the job if I don't believe that there is a super high lever.

YZ: What kind of advice would you give to the younger self?
Peter: Not to be discouraged. Be a little bit more patient, trust your friends, your skills, your networks.

Chapters:

00:00 🚀 Peter's Journey to Venture Capital
04:15 🌍 The Evolution of the European VC Market
10:19 💼 3VC's Strategy: Quality Over Quantity
14:57 📊 The Role of Data in Venture Capital
21:22 🤝 The Importance of Market Fit and Shared Vision
26:30 📚 Learning from Failures and the Importance of Team
30:05 🧠 AI Market Fit: A Complex Equation
36:05 🌐 The Importance of Localization and AI's Role
38:55 🤖 3VC's AI Investing Thesis
43:05 🚀 The Future of Venture Capital
47:41 💡 Peter's Perspective on Life and Meaning

Links:

• Substack
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• X
• 小红书
• Bilibili
• 36Kr

YZ Yuanzhe Fu + YY Yuyan Wang, founders of YUVC are thrilled to be joined by Jiang Xu, Executive Director at Vertex Ventures China, senior VC investor in tech and new energy.

Jiang was previously a consultant and new business manager at 36Kr. This episode focuses on Ms. Jiang's investment journey, highlighting the transition from an employee's mindset to an investor's outlook. It touches on fundraising, valuation, and sector choice, showcasing the growth mindset and team's technical strengths essential for successful founders. The discussion also looks at the future of China's venture capital scene and personal development in the field, emphasizing rational investing and ongoing education.

Highlights:

YZ: What sets a successful seed fund apart?
Christian: What sets a successful seed fund apart is that they can get into difficult deals.

YZ: How do you evaluate founders who don't fit the traditional criteria?
Christian: By conducting in-depth interviews with non-obvious unicorn founders and using AI to analyze the data, we are able to identify specific factors and questions that help predict the success of an immigrant founder without a network in the US.

YZ: What's a perfect founder profile for you now?
Christian: Founders who have experience building and are very cognizant of the mistakes they made in the past. They should have a new idea for a market where they can compete effectively. Hunger, technical capability, and experience are also important factors. Additionally, having a team and experience working together in the past is preferred, as it makes coordination and decision-making easier.

Chapters:

00:15 💼 Fundraising in China
02:32 🔄 From Consulting to VC
05:25 🤖 AI Investing: Learning and Contemplation
08:31 🛠 Framework for Hardware Tech Investment
12:25 📊 Valuation Logic in China
20:27 🛣️ Doubling Down on Which Sector
21:53 📉 From Quantity to Quality
26:32 🕒 Portfolio Management
31:46 🚀 Future of China's Venture Capital
40:29 💬 The Biggest Bubble: AI
42:23 🌈 Differentiation in Fundraising
43:24 🌱 Meaning of Life
49:12 📰 Value of VC Media
52:37 🏋️ Secret to Staying Energized

Links:

• Substack
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• X
• 小红书
• Bilibili
• 36Kr

YZ Yuanzhe Fu + YY Yuyan Wang, founders of YUVC are thrilled to be joined by Christian Dorffer, Founder at Defiance Capital, seed investor in B2B SaaS and AI in Europe and the US.

Christian was previously the CEO of Sweet Capital, having backed 100+ early-stage deals. His publication Unicorn Founder DNA on 1000+ unicorns was cited by TechCrunch. He was also a founder backed by Index Ventures among others. Now, Christian is starting his new fund!

Highlights:

YZ: What sets a successful seed fund apart?
Christian: What sets a successful seed fund apart is that they can get into difficult deals.

YZ: How do you evaluate founders who don't fit the traditional criteria?
Christian: By conducting in-depth interviews with non-obvious unicorn founders and using AI to analyze the data, we are able to identify specific factors and questions that help predict the success of an immigrant founder without a network in the US.

YZ: What's a perfect founder profile for you now?
Christian: Founders who have experience building and are very cognizant of the mistakes they made in the past. They should have a new idea for a market where they can compete effectively. Hunger, technical capability, and experience are also important factors. Additionally, having a team and experience working together in the past is preferred, as it makes coordination and decision-making easier.

Chapters:

00:00 🤝 Backing Right Founders
04:04 🎓 PhD to VC Journey
07:53 🌟 Immigrant Unicorns
10:37 🔍 Non-Traditional Founders
14:14 🤔 Non-Obvious Entrepreneurs
18:01 💼 Challenges of Unicorns
21:26 🧐 Mentors & Founder Profiles
25:41 💼 Experience in Founder Selection
28:52 🚀 Talent & Innovations
32:44 📊 Sales & Seed Fund Value
36:18 🔄 Support for Serial Founders
40:17 🛠️ Skills & Startups
43:28 💡 Flexibility in Investing
48:12 🌱 Life's Curiosity & Progress
51:51 🌐 Chinese Founders & Medicine
56:37 📚 VC Podcasting Bridges

Links:

• Substack
• YouTube
• LinkedIn
• Apple Podcasts
• Spotify
• X
• 小红书
• Bilibili
• 36Kr