Conversation
Highlights

Welcome to another episode of Category Visionaries — Funding the Future. In today’s episode, we’re speaking with Ren Riley, General Partner at Fin Capital, a B2B fintech-focused venture firm with over $800 Million under management.

Here are the most interesting points from our conversation:

• Venture Market Evolution: Ren reflects on the drastic changes in the venture industry over the past 25 years, from the dot-com bubble to today’s market challenges.
• Impact of Economic Cycles: He provides insights into how various economic downturns, including the 2000 dot-com crash and the 2008 financial crisis, have shaped venture investing practices.
• Fin Capital’s Strategy: Fin Capital is laser-focused on B2B fintech, investing across all stages from pre-seed to public, with a specialized emphasis on eight fintech subsectors.
• Importance of Repeat Founders: Fin Capital only backs repeat founders, emphasizing the value of experience in navigating both opportunities and challenges in the venture landscape.
• State of the IPO Market: Ren discusses the current challenges facing the IPO market, noting the lack of liquidity and the impact on employees and founders within the venture ecosystem.
• Future Outlook for Unicorns: He addresses the uncertain future for many of the 1,500+ private unicorns, highlighting the need for resourcefulness and potential consolidation in the market.