Fireside Chat, Interview, Roundtable
Sheel Mohnot: VC Funds Are TOO BIG
- Industry trends point toward smaller fund sizes to shift focus from management fees to returns, potentially lowering valuations and resolving the current cycle's inefficiencies.
- Capital return to investors is not anticipated within the current cycle, as managers have not yet begun returning funds despite the feasibility of such actions.
- Fund expansions, such as doubling from $75 million to $150 million, are driven by the necessity to support follow-on rounds to prevent the misalignment of first-check and follow-on strategies.
- Refusing follow-on participation risks a "one check" strategy that forces funds to support underperforming companies simply to deploy capital, rather than concentrating resources on top performers.
- The identification of successful investments is described as inherently difficult, with early winners often failing to materialize as ultimate successes despite initial indicators.
- Investors may withhold capital support for portfolio companies unless they execute strategic pivots, as seen in specific Southeast Asia fintech cases where growth trajectories require customer base changes.
- Founders are often not informed of the low probability of receiving additional funding to maintain confidence, acknowledging that market development frequently diverges from initial expectations.