Democratizing VC Investment Opportunities w/ James Kwan, VentureCrowd - EP197

Economics Explored

Show host Gene Tunny chats with James Kwan, in-house counsel at VentureCrowd, about venture capital. VentureCrowd describes itself as “Australia's leading equity crowdfunding investment platform, leveraging the power of crowdfunding for investments that back a better future.” Gene and James discuss how VentureCrowd is bringing venture capital investment opportunities to a wider audience through equity crowdfunding. Tune in to learn about the significance of venture capital in financing and supporting innovative ideas and businesses, particularly in the early stages when traditional sources of capital may be less accessible. Of course, listeners are reminded to do their own research and seek professional advice before making any investment decisions.

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What’s covered in EP197

• James’ thoughts on venture capital and what he does at VentureCrowd. (1:31)
• Initial thoughts on government policy towards VC (6:26)
• The valley of death for startups (12:05)
• What’s the range of funding for startups? (13:07)
• Challenges in accessing the private capital markets. (17:29)
• Crowdsourcing VC investment - example of success: Be Fit Food (19:50)
• What is VentureCrowd’s pitch to investors? (21:41)
• ESG investments and societal values. (24:13)
• What are the different ways people can invest through VentureCrowd? Is it based on specific startups? (25:54)
• Tricky legal issues in VC. (27:01)
• What’s the impact of blockchain on venture capital? (32:04)
• Government assistance for entrepreneurs e.g. Breakthrough Victoria Fund (37:51)

Links relevant to the conversation

Venture Crowd website:

https://www.venturecrowd.com.au/s/

Thanks to Obsidian Productions for mixing the episode and to the show’s sponsor, Gene’s consultancy business www.adepteconomics.com.au.

Full transcripts are available a few days after the episode is first published at www.economicsexplored.com. Economics Explored is available via Apple Podcasts, Google Podcast, and other podcasting platforms.