In this episode of Money Moves, host Neil Devani sits down with Mike, a seasoned investor and entrepreneur, to discuss his journey from institutional investing to launching his own venture firm, Also Capital. Mike shares his early career experiences, starting at the Soros Family Office and later working at the Cornell Endowment, where he gained deep insights into different asset classes and investment strategies. He reflects on the pivotal moments that led him to take the leap into entrepreneurship, co-founding a hard-tech startup, and ultimately transitioning into venture capital to support other deep-tech founders.
The conversation dives into the challenges of raising capital in deep tech, the importance of resilience in fundraising, and how identifying world-class talent is the key to successful investing. Mike provides practical advice on pitching investors, navigating early-stage funding, and building strong founder-investor relationships. Whether you’re an aspiring founder, an investor, or someone interested in the future of deep-tech innovation, this episode offers invaluable insights into the evolving landscape of venture capital and entrepreneurship.
Topics Discussed in the Episode:
- Mike’s transition from institutional investing to entrepreneurship and venture capital
- The challenges of raising capital in deep-tech startups
- Key lessons on pitching investors and building resilience in fundraising
- How to identify and support top-tier engineering talent in hard-tech industries
- The future of deep-tech investing and how Also Capital is shaping the space
Connect with Mike Annunziata:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mike-annunziata-12853bb/
