5 Perspectives on the State of Digitization in Venture Capital from Pietro Casella (EQT)
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👋 Hi, I’m Andre and welcome to my weekly newsletter, Data-driven VC. Every Thursday I cover hands-on insights into data-driven innovation in venture capital and connect the dots between the latest research, reviews of novel tools and datasets, deep dives into various VC tech stacks, interviews with experts, and the implications for all stakeholders. Follow along to understand how data-driven approaches change the game, why it matters, and what it means for you.
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Following the successful launch of the “Data-driven VC Landscape 2023” earlier this year, I’d like to start a series of short Q&A sessions with some of the top thought leaders from the report.
Today, I’m excited to share the first of these episodes with Pietro Casella, MD & Chief Architect at EQT. Starting in 2016, Pietro and his team have been developing one of the most innovative data-driven platforms called Motherbrain. Thank you for sharing your valuable perspectives below, Pietro!
#1 What’s the status of the VC industry in terms of data-driven initiatives and AI?
PC: The data-driven VC space has matured a lot. As I meet more VC peers, I continue to be impressed with the innovations and craftsmanship of typically very small teams, sometimes even one-person bands. You see great data work ranging from extreme operational efficiency all the way to thesis matching at scale, forecasting, or macro analysis of trends.
That said, there is still a long way to go, not only by VCs that haven't started but, most importantly VCs that are not yet tapping their full potential. One example I joke about is the correlation of changing your Linkedin title to *stealth* with the amount of VC spam in your inbox… just like fishing with dynamite, it reflects the prevalence of shallow ideas about what to do with these superpowers.
To truly differentiate, VCs must go deeper, and use first-principles thinking in combination with Data and AI techniques, but keep the genuine interest, personal touch, and value add approach that characterizes great VCs.