Riding Unicorns: Venture Capital | Entrepreneurship | Technology

Hector and James discuss mega rounds, valuations, and the effect of public markets on private markets.

Vidu Shanmugarajah is a Partner at GV (formerly Google Ventures), where he invests in transformative tech companies across Europe. In this episode of Riding Unicorns, Vidu joins James Pringle and Hector Mason to share his journey from corporate law to venture capital, highlighting how his unique background has shaped his approach to investing.

Vidu discusses his atypical career path, starting as an M&A lawyer before transitioning to private equity and eventually venturing into tech as an entrepreneur and investor. He sheds light on GV's distinct model as an independent venture firm backed by Alphabet, explaining how it leverages Alphabet’s resources while maintaining a startup-focused ethos. Throughout the conversation, Vidu offers insights into his investment strategy, emphasizing the importance of identifying standout founders, the growing role of AI, and the value of diversity in venture capital.

This episode provides a compelling look into the mindset of a successful VC, the nuances of investing in tech, and the evolving landscape of European startups. Whether you’re a founder, investor, or just curious about the venture capital world, you won’t want to miss Vidu’s insights on building and scaling impactful tech companies.

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Welcome back to our latest Startup Spotlight, our mini-series, which will provide you with an insight into an early-stage company that we are very excited about.
On this weeks episode we will be discussing Monet, an embedded fintech for the creator economy - enabling platforms and agencies to offer borderless credit and payments.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the Riding Unicorns podcast to never miss an episode. Also don't forget to give Riding Unicorns a follow on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep on top of the latest developments.

Hector and James take a look back at the 25 episodes recorded in Season 2, their favourites and the most-listened to shows. Then they introduce the incredible line-up for Season 3. This is the first place to find out who is going to be on the show for the next 20 weeks.

Welcome back to our latest Startup Spotlight, an entirely new series, which will provide you with an insight into a company that we are very excited about.
This weeks episode features Awabah, a digital pension platform for self-employed Africans. The co-founder & CEO Tunji Andrews joins us to explain exactly what the business does and how be plans to achieve his big vision.
Make sure to like and subscribe to the Riding Unicorns podcast to never miss an episode. Also don't forget to give Riding Unicorns a follow on Twitter and LinkedIn to keep on top of the latest developments.