The Investor With Joel Palathinkal

In this episode, the focus is on the critical role of legal counsel in fund formation, featuring Robert B. Weiss from Kramer Levin an expert guest discussing the "anatomy of fund documents." The conversation begins with an overview of private fund formation and essential fund characteristics. Topics include the indicative closing checklist, custodian use, LLC agreement structure, and marketing pre...

In this episode, Joel Palathinkal chats with Krista Morgan about her transition from private equity to launching Stage Fund. They discuss the challenges of starting the fund, the role of family dynamics in business, and Stage Fund's acquisition and restructuring strategy, highlighted by a retail tech case study. The conversation covers founders' roles post-acquisition, creative deal structures, an...

Join Joel Palathinkal and Victor Kwok as they explore Victor's journey in founding VantagePoint and his AI investment thesis. They discuss AI's potential to disrupt industries, legal risks for CFOs, and finance considerations for startups. The episode covers insurance essentials, co-founder dynamics, and crafting strong investment theses. Delve into AI applications in healthcare, focusing on predi...

Joel Palathinkal sits down with Akira Dunham from Fundomo to discuss her multicultural journey into venture capital and her roles at Hillside Ventures and Connecticut Innovations. They explore Connecticut Innovations' commitment to diverse founders and the evergreen fund, along with their international investment strategies in Israel and Toronto. The conversation delves into the tech ecosystem in...

Joel Palathinkal talks to Olaf Sakkers about the future of electric vehicles and transportation. Olaf shares insights on mobility startups, especially in South Africa's tech scene, and discusses challenges for Japanese carmakers. They explore strategies for evaluating startups, due diligence, and networking for fund managers. The episode highlights relationship-building with Limited Partners (LPs)...

Joel Palathinkal engages with Anton to discuss his transition from physics to finance and his journey in venture capital. Anton elaborates on his investment strategy with a global perspective, distinguishing between prop desk and typical trading desk operations. The episode delves into portfolio management tactics and contrasts business management with scientific experimentation. Anton shares insi...

Joel Palathinkal explores the intersection of AI and biotech with Nathan Lian from Pareto VC. Nathan discusses his career journey and investment strategies in deep tech and biotech. They delve into AI's role in drug discovery, lab experiments, and the PH fellowship's goals and selection process. The conversation highlights opportunities in synthetic biology, longevity, health tech, and behavioral...

Joel Palathinkal chats with Josh Payne about his journey from entrepreneur to venture capitalist. They delve into earn-outs in acquisitions, Josh's role as an angel investor, and strategies for building an LP pipeline. The episode explores brand building for funds, deal sourcing for emerging managers, and Nashville's tech and VC scene. They discuss OpenSky's pre-seed investment strategy, comparing...

Joel Palathinkal welcomes Vishal to explore his venture capital journey and the founding of Next Legacy. They discuss the unique roles athletes and celebrities play in venture capital, highlighting Next Play University and community-building initiatives. Vishal elaborates on successful athlete investors and the leadership skills they bring, including asset allocation strategies for LPs. The conver...

Joel Palathinkal chats with Vishal Harishchandra about his entrepreneurial journey from Vulcan Group to Ocean AI. They discuss investment strategies, the importance of integrity, and Vishal's unique start from winning a raffle car. The episode highlights AI's transformative role in supply chains, business operations, and code development, including conversational AI and its sector-wide implication...

Joel Palathinkal sits down with Chris Cunningham to discuss his journey in venture capital, beginning with the founding of AppSavvy and leading to the establishment of c2 Ventures. Chris shares insights on crafting recession-proof investment strategies and the importance of geographic diversity in venture capital valuations. They explore the art of deal sourcing, screening, and the dynamics of bra...

Joel Palathinkal delves into negotiation power for fund managers with Matthew Bobrow of Nixon Peabody LLP who shares his journey into private funds and experiences with major asset managers. They discuss trends in fund structures, capital allocation, and the intersection of private equity and venture capital. Key topics include liquidity demands, global diversification, and sector specialization....

Joel Palathinkal chats with Balaji about his journey from founding Snapstick to its acquisition by TiVo. Balaji delves into career transitions, CEO roles, and tech industry compensation, sharing lessons from Vinod Khosla and Larry Ellison. They discuss Snapstick's scaling, CES success, and investor relations. Balaji offers book recommendations, discusses valuations, and the value of advisory board...

Joel Palathinkal chats with Noah Friedman about storytelling's influence on marketing and consumer behavior. Noah shares insights from his career and founding Top Shelf Ventures, focusing on people dynamics in business. They discuss whiskey trends, celebrity partnerships, and local craft beer appeal. Key topics include KPIs for beverage investments, health trends, and Ryan Reynolds' success with A...

Joel Palathinkal chats with Ishaan Sachdev about his journey from engineering to investing. Ishaan discusses his educational background, the role of technology in trading, and his experience with iPay's sale. They explore his time as a summer policy advisor, his move to PSG for growth equity, and founding Dessian's Capital. Ishaan offers advice on scaling a fund, including KPIs, strategies for sub...

Joel Palathinkal chats with David Baeckelandt from Sumi Trust about Japan's investment scene, highlighting record-sized buyout funds. David shares his career insights and Sumi Trust's role, discussing Japanese investment trends and private market evolution. They explore entrepreneurial growth, legislative shifts, and leadership challenges in small firms. The conversation touches on the changing bu...

Joel Palathinkal welcomes Bibash Mukhopadhai to discuss the significance of market cycles in venture capital. Bibash shares his journey, highlighting the role of mentorship and the impact of his upbringing and education on his success. They delve into his early entrepreneurial experiences and transition to academia and venture investing. Bibash offers advice for PhD students, drawing parallels wit...

Joel Palathinkal sits down with Ananya Vasagiri to discuss her journey into venture capital, beginning with her early exposure and experiences at UChicago. Ananya shares insights on skillsets vital for success in the field, drawing from her roles at Adams Street Partners and Schematic Ventures. The conversation covers the importance of emotional intelligence and niche focus in LP interactions, alo...

Joel Palathinkal chats with Rex Salisbury of Cambrian VC, about evolving venture capital strategies, focusing on fintech community building and Cambrian VC. They discuss family reactions to career shifts, fintech trends, portfolio successes, and assessing risk at the pre-seed stage. The episode highlights the role of community in VC, access in venture capital, and how multi-stage firms affect seed...

Joel Palathinkal chats with Matt Roberts about his journey from technical roles to venture capital, starting from his Ottawa roots. They discuss how engineers can thrive as investors, the evolution of family offices, and Canada's tech ecosystem. Matt shares advice for new fund managers on differentiation, storytelling, and investment structuring. They explore liquidity strategies, fund management,...

Joel Palathinkal chats with Mary D'Souza about her journey from education to investment banking, her move to Emirates, and managing a family office. Mary shares her career success pillars: dreaming, focus, manifesting, perseverance, and pivoting. They discuss relationship-building in investment, private credit trends, and entrepreneurship's link with expertise. Insights on Indian investing trends,...

Joel Palathinkal converses with Devon Melotra from Valhalla Ventures, emphasizing the significance of identifying enduring moats in venture deals. Devon recounts his career journey and Valhalla Ventures' mission, detailing their investment strategy and first fund. The discussion touches on how his New York upbringing influenced his approach to business and investing. Devon shares valuable advice f...

Joel Palathinkal welcomes Samir Kumar, who shares his journey from Microsoft and ROTC to Palm, webOS, and Samsung, highlighting mobile tech evolution and work-life balance. They delve into Samir's AI and deep learning focus at Qualcomm and his role in m12's deep tech investments. The discussion covers Turing's origins, trust with LPs, investment strategies, and venture capital professionalism. The...

Joel Palathinkal welcomes Russ Krivor to discuss the impact of interest rates on real estate and Russ's early career. They explore multifamily units, community building, and cost management in development, contrasting development and acquisition strategies. The episode covers fundraising, market trends, manufacturing investments, water availability, and coastal real estate risks. Emerging markets,...

Joel Palathinkal engages with Mary Wheeler, exploring her career journey and the founding of BioRock Ventures. They discuss investing in serious diseases and the significance of in-person interactions in the business realm. Mary shares insights into the investment criteria and evaluation of drug efficacy in the biopharma sector. The conversation highlights identifying successful biopharma founders...