Today, we welcome Lucas Timberlake, Partner with Fintech Ventures Fund to the Charlotte Angel Connection.  Lucas was in town in November for the Southeast Fintech Venture Conference and we had a chance to talk about Venture funds, Charlotte, Atlanta, and tech in general.  It became apparent quickly that Lucas would make a great guest on the podcast.  He’s got experience in the Venture space and has watched Charlotte from afar over the last couple of years.  More importantly, he expects to be in town more frequently as things continue to pick up with QC Fintech, the Carolina Fintech Hub, and Charlotte’s startup scene in general.

Here are some key topics from today’s podcast:

  • Lucas’s background and how he ended up Co-Founding the Fintech Ventures Fund.
  • How were they able to raise their first fund?
  • How many companies do they expect to invest in with their first fund?
  • What is a growth stage venture fund and where does it fit in the venture world?
  • Are they active venture investors or what value do they offer to the companies they invest in.
  • How do you decide when to become active in a business versus just sitting back to see how things go?
  • What does Lucas look for in a management team?
  • What’s the difference between venture capital in San Francisco and the rest of the country?
  • There’s a disconnect between the amount of money in the south and how much is being invested in startups.  Why is that the case.
  • And more….

We finish the podcast with an eye towards Charlotte – the startup and investor scene.  We will also expand more on the role Fintech Ventures fund plays with their portfolio companies and more.  Essentially, I wanted to discuss some of the operational aspects of the discussion.

Please join us next week to listen to Part II of our podcast with Lucas.