📢 HCP Newsletter: AGM Highlight Reel & New Podcast Drop ⚡️ – July 2023

Harlem Capital’s monthly recap on our portfolio companies, industry news, events & beyond! 🏎️💨

The Headlines 🗞️ 

Watch the recap of HCP’s first-ever annual meeting in NYC!

 5 Key Learnings We Shared (blog post here):

1) Prep for follow-on financing
We need to be very close during the fundraising process as we have more connections and data points. Many founders don’t know what best-in-class metrics are (which change over time), so it’s important we set clear targets with them.

2) Utilize fractional revenue officers
The #1 issue we see with startups is sales. Getting top-of-funnel, conversion, and crafting a strong GTM strategy are integral to a company’s success. Founders have the raw materials but need someone to sit on sales calls, optimize the pitch and standardize the process.

3) Stay close to founders
Early-stage funders can no longer pass the baton to Series A leads. We talk monthly or quarterly with all our founders. Even non-board calls can provide invaluable insights to us and the founders in our portfolio. This level of rigor and consistency keeps founders accountable and motivated.

4) Lean into founder archetypes
After analyzing the 10,000+ deals we’ve seen, we came up with four distinct archetypes: 1) Hustler 2) Star 3) Veteran 4) Academic. Now that we’ve invested in 50+ companies we see the strengths and weaknesses of each archetype. This impacts how we do diligence and work with the founder post-investment.

5) Develop industry themes
We remain a generalist fund, but we have found core industries that most align with our mission 1) Enterprise SaaS / AI 2) E-commerce Enablement 3) FinTech 4) Vertical SaaS.

Harlem Capital Related 🚀

The newest podcast series on More Equity brings the HCP team together for the first time ever. Catch the first two drops below 👇

More Equity — Henri, Brandon & Nicole

Henri Pierre-Jacques, Brandon Bryant, and Nicole DeTommaso discuss the evolution of VC and how their strategy has become more network-driven, providing better accessibility to entrepreneurs.

They dive into the rising popularity of AI and consumer fintech as industries of interest. Furthermore, they reflect on the delicate balance between supporting extraordinary founders and spotting favorable market conditions for maximum success.

Tune into this exciting episode on your next midday power walk here 🎧 

More Equity — Henri, Gabby & Nicole

The trio got together to explore the rise of Threads as an alternative to Twitter and discuss how unique features can propel the success of platforms, using TikTok as an example.

They share insights on the market shift towards pre-seed deals and the challenges in the seed-stage investment space. The discussion also highlights their internship program at Harlem Capital, emphasizing the autonomy and hands-on experience it offers in the venture industry.

They round up the episode by discussing the Essence Festival and the importance of finding representative spaces.

Find this episode here 🎧 

Henri on Venture Voices Episode #1

Henri joined Richard Kerby from Equal Ventures for the inaugural episode of Venture Voices, where they discussed ​​the challenges and opportunities of starting a venture capital firm, diversification strategies, fundraising during market turmoil, and much more.

Listen in here 🎧

Gabby Cazeau on Agapé in Insider

Partner Gabby was asked for her take on the most promising startups of 2023.

She nominated HCP portfolio company Agapé, a mobile platform that uses 5 steps — communication, affirmation, reflection, investment, and council — to strengthen daily relationships in under three minutes. 

"They've gone viral on TikTok and are resonating with a new generation that's excited to build stronger, healthier relationships — with their romantic partners, friends, and family. There are a lot of products that focus on our individual mental health and wellness, but very few focus on improving relationship wellness with the people we care about most,” she said.

Read more here 📖

🚨 Jobs in VC 🧑🏾‍💻

Peep Nicole’s weekly VC jobs roundup.

Interested in working at one of the startups in our portfolio? 💻👇

Search job openings across the Harlem Capital network here! 

Music to Our Ears 💯 

20VC: Sheel Mohnot, Co-Founder @ BTV

Covering: why fund sizes should be smaller, should founders also have their own funds, is emerging markets investing gone, is fintech investing dead & who will be the winners and losers in VC in the next 10 years.

Josh Kushner: Building Thrive Capital

A fantastic deep dive on how Kushner went from $8M to $15B AUM in under 15 years with some iconic investments.

If you made it this far, thanks for reading! See you all next month for more updates 👋

And don’t forget to follow us @harlemcapital on Twitter, LinkedIn, and Instagram to stay up to date on all things HCP, including upcoming opportunities with the team 👀