Level Up Your Fund Management EX with #VC101

Ask any first-time fund manager (FTFM) about the journey of kick-starting a venture fund and most likely than not, this experience will be equated to opening an asset management start-up. Not to forget, FTFMs operating in the PE/VC space essentially have two jobs – being an investor and a business owner. Hence, this group of fund managers which is investing into the most risky of businesses need to have a 360 degree understanding of this journey from day zero.

With more LPs, UHNIs and family offices turning to invest in alternatives with India still being a bright spot, has resulted in the emergence of a new crop of micro-VCs across the spectrum as they continue to bridge funding gaps at pre-seed and seed rounds. The recent Venture Capital Report by Bain & Co. in collaboration with IVCA, highlights India to being home to > 80 micro-VCs with FTFMs typically managing a fund size anywhere between $10–$60M. Investing activities keep picking up as thematic micro-VCs and women-founder focused funds are on the rise as well.

Opportunities galore for sure, but so are the challenges. One such challenge is that the majority of these funds are led by FTFMs who find raising capital to networking with LPs, building a team and other key activities quite challenging in the formative years of their fund. Therefore, keeping in mind the influx of FTFMs and rise in the number of new venture funds, it has become imperative to empower them with knowledge and tools. Moreover, private investing in India is at a nascent stage, making it a dynamic field which attracts a lot of regulatory interest. In response to this latent demand and to strengthen the environment for venture capital in India, IVCA created #VC101 – a one-of-a-kind learning programme along with PwC and IC Universal legal as the Knowledge Partners for emerging venture fund managers. Sharing some key highpoints of the programme if you are a first time fund manager or manager at a micro VC fund, CIO at an active Family Office or a CVC and want to put this summer into use for levelling up your fund management experience with #VC101.

• Curated by Investors for the NextGen

#VC101 is the brainchild of the venture capital wing of IVCA, a not-for-profit, apex industry body promoting alternate capital industry and highly committed to the development of India as a leading fund management hub in the world. By virtue of being an industry body, IVCA has access to advocacy discussions with the Government of India, policymakers, and regulators which have resulted in the rise of entrepreneurial activity, innovation, and job creation in India. This learning programme is a testament towards this commitment.

• Learn from the Best in Venture Capital

Your search stops here, if you are keen to learn from the who’s who of the private capital market. #VC101 has roped in industry experts from IVCA’s VC Council which is chaired by Rajan Anandan (Managing Director, Surge & Sequoia Capital India LLP) and co-chaired by Rahul Khanna (Co-Founder and Managing Partner, Trifecta Capital). Along with them there will be other seasoned VCs and industry leaders with more than 70 years of combined experience in venture capital in India and internationally. Speakers will be of other diverse backgrounds and experiences, like GPs, LPs, Family Office veterans, Government of India leads.

• Build your Network

Besides learning and sharpening one’s knowledge, the plan with #VC101 is to offer all participants a platform to network, give access to people and resources necessary to foster key relationships with peers, mentors and special invitees from the government/regulatory bodies and advisors.

• Break away from the virtual Inertia

While the pandemic may have made us comfortable with Zoom meetings, the experience of in-person learning, hands-on training and the opportunity to interact with prominent faces from the VC world is unparalleled. Therefore, each of the three modules of #VC101 by IVCA will be held in Mumbai (June 1), Bengaluru (June 15) and New Delhi (July 6).

• Democratise Venture Capital Learning

The sector is witnessing a meteoric rise of funds and we at IVCA are aiming #VC101 to be available across the spectrum - First-Time Fund Managers (FTFMs), Micro VCs, Corporate Venture Capitals (CVCs), and active Family Offices and not restricting to only our members. Furthermore, by organising in-person learning via our sessions planned in Mumbai, Bengaluru and New Delhi – we intend to democratise the culture of learning and ensure maximum participation for venture funds from across the country.

• #VC101 Club and future engagements

Once you enrol, you are eligible to be a part of the exclusive #VC101 Club - a community of like-minded fund managers. We will continue to exchange notes with the participants and engage in other Masterclasses on tech and regulatory landscapes, which will be crafted especially for this audience from the who’s who of the VC/PE Ecosystem. Also, there will be smaller meetups planned in the coming months.

Overall, we are excited to launch #VC101 by IVCA to help new fund managers meander through a complex time and space in investing history and to be empowered to have a winning strategy for their investment decisions. We are happy to discuss more, receive feedback and respond to queries related to the programme. Shoot us an email at amit.pandey@ivca.in / sunitha@ivca.in or meet us when traveling to New Delhi or Bengaluru next. To apply, click here.