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Today we are welcoming Bastian Larsen, Founding Partner of BlackWood Ventures, a pan-European early-stage VC fund focused on Fintech, Web 3.0 and Cleantech. Blackwood has a value-creating approach that leverages AI to minimize biases and a proprietary pan-European network of over 1200 angels. BlackWood had a $10m first closing in early April this year, with a $50m target. As of today, BlackWood has made investments across 5 countries in just 6 months, counting companies like Qaptis, Trips and Fingreen AI.

We wanted to bring Bastian on because BlackWood, just as ourselves, build on a strong angel community, so for this episode, that\u2019s where we focus \U0001f440

Chapters:
00:02:54 - From London to New York: Bastian\u2019s Journey into VC
00:04:17 - Building the European VC Market
00:05:37 - A Pivotal Moment in Venture Capital
00:06:57 - The Power of a Small Positive Impact
00:08:22 - The Lack of European Growth Stage Funds
00:09:41 - Launching Growth Stage Funds
00:11:03 - Building Blackwood and Overcoming Hurdles
00:12:15 - Leveraging the Power of Angel Networks
00:13:30 - Building Relationships with Angels
00:14:41 - The Importance of Angel Networks in Startup Investing
00:16:00 - The Importance of Feedback and Strategic Investments
00:17:16 - Leveraging the Network for Co-investment and Cash Injection
00:18:33 - Investing and Dividing Deals
00:19:54 - Monetization and Scaling Up
00:21:15 - Personalized Approach in Angel Investing
00:22:52 - Jacob Kilgard: A Backer of Blackwood
00:24:10 - Fundraising success and trust in our network
00:25:28 - Staying Curious and Building Relationships
00:26:46 - Building a Common Vision
00:28:01 - Comparing Opposites and Writing Children's Books
00:29:22 - Fundraising and Leveraging Networks in the VC Industry
00:30:43 - Drop Us a Review and Join the Blackwood Gang