EUVC #264: Bastian Larsen of BlackWood VC on building on the back of a strong angel community

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’s where we focus 👀Chapters:00:02:54 - From London to New York: Bastian’s Journey into VC00:04:17 - Building the European VC Market00:05:37 - A Pivotal Moment in Venture Capital00:06:57 - The Power of a Small Positive Impact00:08:22 - The Lack of European Growth Stage Funds00:09:41 - Launching Growth Stage Funds00:11:03 - Building Blackwood and Overcoming Hurdles00:12:15 - Leveraging the Power of Angel Networks00:13:30 - Building Relationships with Angels00:14:41 - The Importance of Angel Networks in Startup Investing00:16:00 - The Importance of Feedback and Strategic Investments00:17:16 - Leveraging the Network for Co-investment and Cash Injection00:18:33 - Investing and Dividing Deals00:19:54 - Monetization and Scaling Up00:21:15 - Personalized Approach in Angel Investing00:22:52 - Jacob Kilgard: A Backer of Blackwood00:24:10 - Fundraising success and trust in our network00:25:28 - Staying Curious and Building Relationships00:26:46 - Building a Common Vision00:28:01 - Comparing Opposites and Writing Children's Books00:29:22 - Fundraising and Leveraging Networks in the VC Industry00:30:43 - Drop Us a Review and Join the Blackwood Gang