20 VC 010: Niko Bonatsos on Startup Valuations

It is a great pleasure to have Niko Bonatsos on today’s episode of The Twenty Minute VC. Niko is Principal at General Catalyst Partners where he specialises in mobile, consumer and healthcare technology. At General Catalyst Partner, Niko has been involved in the investments in the likes of Snapchat, TuneIn and SpoonRocket, just to name a few. Niko is also reknowned for being the 1st Angel Investor in Yik Yak, recently valued between $300-400 million.

In today’s episode you will learn:

• How Niko made the jump into the world of Venture Capital?
• What were the fundamental lessons Niko learned when his startup failed?
• Why Niko prefers to invest in founding teams instead of individual founders?
• How Niko determines whether a startup will be successful or not? What Niko looks for in startups?
• Does Niko ever experience FOMO (fear of missing out) on an investment?
• How do you value a company, in particular a startup with no revenue?
• Does Niko think Silicon Valley will continue to be the dominant hub for innovation and investment?
• What parts of the world have seen large growth in both funding and innovation?
• What Niko would advise graduates looking to make the entry into the Venture Capital industry?
• What is the best piece of business advice Niko has ever received?

We then move onto a quick fire round where Niko tells us his thoughts on the future of education technology and the primary reason Niko says no to startups.

For all the resources mentioned in today’s show, check out www.thetwentyminutevc.com

We would love to hear from you. If you have any questions you would like to ask the VCs, drop us an email at harry@thetwentyminutevc.com