Unlocking Venture Capital through Private Wealth w/ Samir Kaji, Allocate

This week’s guest is Samir Kaji, a prolific writer and host of Venture Unlocked, a podcast and blog that dives into the inner workings of venture capital, and the CEO and co-founder of Allocate. With over 20 years of experience in VC and private equity ecosystem, Samir’s work has guided many investors, entrepreneurs, and fund managers on how to navigate and succeed in the private markets.

Our conversation covers everything from the scale of private wealth funding, venture capital to the explosion of emerging managers and why the track record trap is one we need to be mindful of. Whether you are a GP, LP, or founder tuning in, this episode is full of gems.

TIMESTAMP / KEY TAKEAWAYS

0:00 – Intro
2:09 – Who is Samir Kaji?
04:25 – How are banks different moving forward in 2024; interest rate and the end of ZIRP era
09:24 – Allocate: to provide opportunities to private markets & to invest with more visibility and transparency
12:50 – Business model of Allocate; bridging venture gap or beyond?
16:35 – Trends in venture from 2022 onwards
20:39 – How should LPs be thinking about misinformation of performance; portfolio construction as LPs
27:35 – Generating alphas and diversifying networks
32:05 – The track record trap; Pejman, Pear VC
36:26 – Fundraising, building enduring franchise and common mistakes of emerging managers; Kirsten Green, Forerunners
40:11 – Diversity in the realm of venture
41:46 – Predictions for 2024
44:00 – Billion dollar questions

ABOUT SAMIR

With over 20 years of experience in the venture capital and private equity ecosystem, Samir co-founded and lead Allocate, a platform that democratizes access to the best technology and life sciences private alternatives. Allocate removes the barriers of discovery, diligence, and access that prevent qualified investors from participating in this lucrative asset class.

Samir also hosts Venture Unlocked, a podcast and blog that dives into the inner workings of venture capital. Samir shares his insights and perspectives from working with over 700 private funds and venture-backed startups at First Republic Bank and SVB, where he completed over $12 billion in debt transactions and made early stage investments in companies like Carta, Side, Policy Genius, and Fanduel. He is passionate about empowering and educating investors, entrepreneurs, and fund managers on how to navigate and succeed in the private markets.

https://www.linkedin.com/in/samirkaji/
https://www.instagram.com/samirkaji21/

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Tune in to learn from world’s foremost funders and founders, and their unicorn journey in the dynamic world of venture and business.
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