Raphaël Grieco

Dec 2, 2024 | imd.org | Raphael Grieco |Raphaël Grieco

Research suggests that 42% of startups fail due to a lack of market need. To establish this, entrepreneurs must conduct robust market research and customer development. Venture capitalists prioritize startups with evidence of strong product-market fit over those with merely novel ideas. The first-mover advantage is also overrated, especially if the first-mover cannot establish effective barriers to entry.

Nov 29, 2024 | imd.org | Raphael Grieco |Raphaël Grieco

Traditional pension funds have much to learn from the runaway success of university endowment funds in the US, where Yale and others are reaping the benefits of investing heavily in hedge funds, venture capital, and real estate. With inflation eating into yields and growing pressure to meet long-term obligations, the need to integrate VC into portfolios has never been more pressing. The results of the endowment model can be spectacular.

Oct 30, 2024 | imd.org | Raphaël Grieco |Karl Schmedders

Over the past decade, American VCs have outraised their European counterparts by hundreds of billions of dollars. But why? Nathaniel Arnold and Jan-Martin Frie say several factors are at play, including fragmented markets, a disparity in private capital, and Europe’s comparative dearth of institutional investors. The result has been a “scale-up gap” pushing promising EU startups to seek foreign funding.

Oct 8, 2024 | imd.org | Raphaël Grieco

In venture capital (VC), the allure of the “next big thing” is perpetually tantalizing. Entrepreneurs approach VCs daily, eyes gleaming with the conviction that their idea will revolutionize industries, disrupt markets, and yield exponential returns. It is a seductive narrative, one that has captured the imagination of investors for decades. However, the “great idea” is often a mirage, a deceptive oasis in the harsh desert of startup reality.

Jun 14, 2024 | imd.org | Karl Schmedders |Raphaël Grieco |Sarah Toms |Shelley Zalis

As technology advances and industries transform, venture capitalists face a critical decision: should they cast a wide net, or home in on a niche? To guide investors through this choice, Evgenia Plotnikova, General Partner at Dawn Capital, has sat down with IMD’s venture asset management team. As the youngest woman in Europe to be internally promoted to GP, Evgenia leads the company’s B2B SaaS (Software as a Service) deals from early stage to pre-IPO.