E490 | Jon Coker, Eka Ventures: Building Systemic Impact, Why Shared Value Wins & The Founder Learning Curve (ImpactVC spotlight series)

In this episode, August is joined by Jon Coker, founding partner at Eka Ventures, to unpack how the team behind the £68M Fund I has backed 21 early-stage companies driving systemic change in consumer health and sustainable consumption.They dive into the team’s shift from MMC Ventures to launching a new kind of impact fund, the lessons learned from backing 3 unicorns, and why founder learning velocity is Jon’s No. 1 metric for long-term success.Eka Ventures is an early-stage VC fund with a clear mission: to back the founders building a more equitable, sustainable future with business models that scale both shareholder value and societal return.Here’s what’s covered:01:50 Jon’s journey from analyst to co-managing partner at MMC05:15 Launching Eka Ventures: why impact needs its own home08:30 Choosing the themes: consumer health & sustainable consumption12:45 Building conviction around shared value16:00 Distribution in health: why access is half the battle19:25 Generalist vs. Specialist: where Eka fits in23:10 Fund I analysis: what worked and what didn’t27:45 Operating in the “real world”: why it’s harder, but worth it30:10 Lessons from unicorns and founder growth34:00 The problem with how VCs evaluate “team”