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The Capital Behind Venture Report - 2020
The Capital Behind Venture Report - 2020
The Capital Behind Venture Report - 2020
Behind
Venture
2020
Insights from the investors behind
Europe’s Venture Capital
Ecosystem
Stay updated CapitalBehindVenture.com
Disclaimer
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publisher are not engaged in rendering consulting advice or other professional advice to the recipient with
regard to any specific matter.
63 Limited Partners with offices in over 15 countries contributed to the report, over a period of three months.
We used Typeform to collect the data, along with manual checks to check whether participants were in
fact LPs.
The contents of this publication are protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The contents of this
publication, either in whole or in part, may not be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means,
without written permission of the publisher.
© Copyright 2020 Mountside Ventures. Mountside Ventures is the trading name of Mountside Venture
Partners LLP. It is regulated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales for a range of
investment business activities and is registered at 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX.
© Copyright 2020 Allocate Events Ltd, which is registered at 207 Regent Street, Third Floor, London, W1B 3HH.
2
Before we get started
Foreword
Despite COVID and BREXIT, this remains a very exciting - albeit challenging -
time for the European technology venture capital ecosystem.
For fund managers and investors alike, there is very little information in the public
domain on best practice, preferred terms and practical advice on raising a VC
fund. Our goal in writing this report is to reduce barriers for VC fund managers,
but also show Limited Partners how their peers are exploring investing into
European Venture Capital funds. We hope that this report is a first step towards
making the ecosystem more transparent and shedding some light on the
mechanics of this exciting and growing space.
Heading into 2020, there was cause for optimism within the European VC
Ecosystem. While American investment slowed, European VC deal value in 2019
recorded a record-breaking high as deal sizes swelled across the continent, with
over 110 billion Euros being invested in European startups, across 48 countries, in
the last five years¹.
We would like to thank all our survey respondents and distribution partners
without whom this report would not have been possible.
Jonathan Hollis
Managing Partner, Mountside Ventures
Lomax Ward,
Managing Partner, Luminous Ventures; Co-founder, ALLOCATE
Andrew J Scott
Managing Partner, 7percent Ventures; Co-founder, ALLOCATE
¹ Pitchbook
5 17
Executive Summary Practical insights for VC funds
6 21
Overview of participants You've raised, now what?
7 22
Why venture? COVID-19
9 23
Building LP relationships Improving the Ecosystem
10 25
LP investment thesis Our public contributors
13 26
Government funding of Distribution partners
European VC
14 27
Emerging VC managers About the producers
54
Executive summary
This report is based on detailed data collected LPs' appetite to invest in a
from 63 Limited Partners (LPs) globally who particular VC is driven by,
invest in, or are interested in investing in, in order of importance:
55
Overview of participants
Geographic spread
Despite European VC funds securing just 13% of aggregate capital raised globally,
the region represents a favourable fundraising environment: 90% of venture
capital vehicles raised by European managers met or exceeded their target size,
compared to only 79% of North America based funds¹. Our view is that this is as a
result of the recent EU Venture Capital Funds (EuVECA) regulations which
address certain issues arising from the Alternative Investment Fund Managers
Directive (AIFMD). The changes included greater flexibility on VC investments
across the region, as well as limiting the imposition of host fees and charges,
making the asset class more attractive to investors.
Respondents
also included
those based
in South East
Asia and the
Middle East.
Many Limited
Partners and
Family offices are
also based in
America, and are
interested in what
You have the right to remain silent
Europe has to All respondents were offered anonymity. Many LPs and Family
offer. Offices continue to remain private.
23 40 35
Shared data & Shared data Declined to
published their name participate
6
Types of Limited Partners
Capital flows into VC funds from Limited Partners (LPs) such as pension funds,
other venture capital funds, university endowments, government agencies, fund
of funds, and high net worth (HNW) individuals or family offices. Some of these
players have a stronger focus on private markets, whilst others such as pension
funds and university endowments, allocate more of their capital to the public
markets. 2018 was a record high for fundraising in Europe, with over 11b Euros
being committed ¹.
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7
Why venture?
Partner
Input
The European ecosystem is maturing, closing in on and now rivalling the US and
Asian ecosystems. Europe produced more tech IPOs than the US in the years 2012-
2018* and VC deal value in 2019 hit a record-breaking 110b Euros invested in
European startups, across 48 countries, over the last five years.²
Europe was responsible for completing over 4,600 rounds* in 2019 into high-growth
sectors such as healthcare, artificial intelligence and financial services. Factors
including the deregulation of certain sectors, lower costs of living and established
corporates investing in VC have all contributed to Europe’s progress, whilst helping
the ecosystem flourish.
In the UK alone, the focal point for European tech, early-stage companies were
responsible for around 500 exits in both 2018 and 2019, many with strong multiples on
their initial valuations. The benefits of having such a booming startup scene reach far
and wide, not only increasing jobs, but creating innovation that can dramatically
improve our personal and working lives.
Over the last 9 years, UK startup expenditure has soared, increasing by £10b in
investment, from £2b in 2011 to £12b in 2020. Moreover, investors have been driving
growth by deploying significant cash into the economy marked by startups securing
£2.7b in equity investment in Q3 2020, a 48% increase from Q2 2020 and just a 1%
drop from Q3 2019, despite the pandemic.
8
Building LP
relationships
The venture ecosystem has always been
rooted in forging trusted relationships between
managers and investors. COVID-19 and the
move to remote working has arguably put a
strain on the VC/LP dynamic in 2020.
Collectively,
Relationships are based on trust, transparency
and time in person. respondents met
with over 2,000
Most venture relationships have to last longer prospective VC
than most marriages (typically over a
funds each year.
decade), so it is crucial to know who you are
partnering with. LP's want to understand
intimately how VCs invest and how they do
business in general.
Over 70% of LPs strive to engage as early as possible, with 16% (mostly
family offices) engaging after soft commitments and the rest looking to
engage after the first investments have been made.
0%
1-5 5-10 10-15 15-20
9
LP investment thesis
Co-investment
10
Restrictions Track record
Sector popularity
Preferred sectors
11
Investment criteria summary
9% 9% 12%
Percentage of
respondents who
thought these
factors were most
Alignment Size of network Fund investment
important of Interest thesis
12
Government
funding of
European VC
5 120
Governmental institutions of the 360 VC funds were
account for a large proportion invested in by
of investment activity. government backed LPs
Public policies for VC have sparked an gap, or pump more financial resources
active theoretical and empirical into the private venture capital market.
debate. First, do European
governments need to intervene in the Public funding in VC has remained
VC market in the first place? Previous relatively stable, although private
reports emphasise that government wealth that has accumulated over the
intervention can be justified as a past decade from exited entrepreneurs
result of the “equity gap”, which arises is, now more than ever, being
from a lack of funding for channeled back into the VC ecosystem,
entrepreneurs. Private investors also with Atomico reporting a 38m Euro
have limited resources and may increase in commitment from private
decide not to fund ventures requiring individuals over 2017-2018.¹
high set up costs and large R&D
budgets. Our objective has always been to
foster innovation and support the
Therefore, a considerable number of development of a sustainable market,
independently of the economic
potentially promising ventures may
cycles. By funding massive European
remain unfunded, and the shortage of
GPs, and thanks to stronger
capital may constrain their performances, this market has
development and growth. It is, become attractive for private
therefore, natural for governments to investors; we now see more and more
either invest in companies that are VC funds being oversubscribed!”
adversely affected by the equity
David Dana, EIF
¹ The State of European Tech 2019 Report
13
Emerging VC managers
There is no one size fits all when it comes to "emerging fund managers". Nor is
there a consensus between LPs as to how they are defined. The diagram below
presents data on how respondents define an emerging manager:
Emerging Market
First Fund 14%
25%
Previous Experience
12%
Fund I - III
Fund I - II 19%
30%
14% 25%
Defined emerging as a manager saw first-time fund managers with no
targeting emerging markets. prior institutional investing experience,
but with angel investing or operating
Investing in emerging markets backgrounds as emerging managers.
comes with a number of challenges,
in particular:
greater uncertainty about the
30%
consider VCs continue to be emerging
political, economic, legal and after having deployed their first fund,
regulatory environments and a further 19% still within the scope
longer holding periods may be when raising their third.
needed to develop an asset to
the point where it is suitable for
a trade sale, reducing liquidity
a lack of a viable IPO exit route Other ideas
in some markets
Some LPs believed the
definition was more
nuanced. Such as: those
A minority 'with "small, agile teams" or
14
82% of all the LPs have invested in emerging fund managers.
80%
of non-governmental LPs have invested in
emerging fund managers. We feel this is a very
encouraging statistic for the European ecosystem.
It is very hard for emerging VC The time to market has always been critical
funds to raise, especially with for startups as much as it is for venture funds.
increasing competition. It’s also Backing emerging managers is a great
hard for LPs to build conviction on opportunity to spot new funds with a more
new VC managers, but it sophisticated and innovative investment
happens. Focus on building your thesis, giving them a competitive advantage
track record, having a truly over us (as a direct investor) and more
differential strategy and ensuring established funds to access the best deals.
there is economic alignment to
build LP interest. Bilal Djelassi, Orange
15
The emerging fund manager's competitive advantage
Some investors cite the lack of track record and possible resource constraints as
the biggest challenge when investing in emerging fund managers, but many
Limited Partners now consider emerging managers to have other advantages.
16
Practical insights for VCs
What are the biggest sources of frustration for LPs when
being pitched to by VCs?
17
Jurisdiction
Fee structure
These results would suggest that the traditional "2 and 20" is not
contentious and that innovation in fee structure should not be a
priority for VCs.
18
Recycling
It's generally accepted that re-investing profits to cover previously
drawn down fees (thus making a fund whole again) is a good idea.
More capital invested should mean a greater chance of returning the
fund.
Only 10% of LPs were not comfortable with VCs recycling their fees.
These were mostly pension funds and other VC firms.
LP ownership
LPs have limited liability and while they usually have monetary priority
over the VCs upon liquidation of the partnership, traditionally an LP
does not have any ownership in the general partnership, or access to
the IC / approval of investment decisions - the decision sits with the
General Partner (GP).
Placement agents
For 1/3rd of LPs, use of a placement agent doesn't impact negatively
their view of the VC. Of the 2/3rds of LPs who do believe it has a
negative impact, 30% still invested in VCs they met through an agent.
19
Best practice: sharing
your track record Partner
Input
For more than 90% of LPs, track 3 This single Excel worksheet should
record is the most important part of present your track record line by line,
their due diligence. This puts great where each line represents a
pressure on VCs to deliver complete portfolio company - that is why it is
and accurate performance data to also called a “deal-by-deal” track
prospective investors. record. Very often, fund managers
ask Betterfront if they should display
the round-by-round information.
Betterfront has helped While this information is important
dozens of VCs upgrade for fund returners and outlier
their track record portfolio companies, it might create
presentation to better an information overload for most
engage with LPs. Here are LPs. Our suggestion is to only provide
5 practical tips from their round information when LPs
CEO, Michel Geolier:
specifically ask for it.
2 5
All track record data should be in one Finally, your fundraising will most
single worksheet. Yes, all funds in just likely last more than 3 months. In this
one worksheet. That way LPs can case, you need to update your
easily kick off their analyses and give fundraising with new quarterly data
you feedback faster! to show the development of your
portfolio."
20
You've raised, now what?
In the same way that many VCs provide not only capital but often take an active
role in the portfolios of companies they back, many Limited Partners take a
similar approach with the fund managers they invest in.
VCs are often willing to provide co-investment rights, but can become frustrated
by ad hoc approaches, or that may depend on LPs performing their own DD on
co‑investment opportunities, impacting time frames when closing deals.
Staying connected
30% of LPs are happy with receiving monthly updates, 38% with
quarterly updates and 15% updates on fund performance twice
a year. Others expected weekly or bi-weekly contact.
21
COVID-19
No 2020 report would be complete without mentioning Coronavirus. Although
the VC and startup sector has been impacted, only 20% of LPs stated that they
have reduced the amount of funding they are looking to deploy into new funds.
43%
Family offices
The pandemic has decreased
their desire to invest in VC.
The effects of the crisis have been particularly felt by emerging managers, with
LPs tending to prioritise existing relationships, according to survey results.
The counter to this is that first time managers are unencumbered by an existing
portfolio that's potentially troubled by the impact of COVID, enabling them to
focus on the opportunity ahead.
22
Improving the ecosystem
Diversity and Inclusion
Most LPs do not have a policy to Yes, it's a goal Yes, have KPI
actively try and increase capital 18% 18%
23
The future
What is the single thing that, if changed in Europe, would
enable more money invested into VC funds?
1 2 3
‘More business friendly regulation, less tax, more incentives, flexibility of the workforce, and a
major risk taking mentality, can be positive to the European VC environment’
- Family office
24
Our public contributors
We would like to thank all of our contributors, without whom this report would
not have been possible.
Listed below are the LPs who contributed to the survey and who were happy to
be named.
25
Distribution partners
United Kingdom
European-wide
26
Producers
Mountside Ventures seeks to optimise the fundraising process for European startups,
investors and family offices. Firstly, they advise early-stage companies raising their
next round of funding. Secondly, they organise community events and a conference,
Funding Venture, in Central London, for the most promising VC Fund Managers, and
Limited Partners & Family offices. It typically involves panel discussions, curated round
tables and networking opportunities.
ALLOCATE is a grassroots initiative founded by Andrew J Scott and Lomax Ward with a
vision to accelerate the European tech VC ecosystem to be the most active and best
performing in the world. ALLOCATE is making it easier for LPs to find the right funds to
invest in and for VCs the right investors, by building a community of forwarding
thinking collaborators on a not-for-profit basis. In 2019, ALLOCATE held Europe's first
ever VC pitch event, and the next one will be held on November 17-18-19 2020.
27