A Launch Checklist for Emerging Manager Funds
To Institutional Investors, the term “Emerging Manager” indicates a venture capital investor with less than ten years of investing experience, fewer than four funds, and under $1bb in assets under management (AUM). However, the terms “Emerging Manager” and “EMVC” are often used in market today to denote fund managers from overlooked backgrounds, funds under $250mm in size, and fund managers with varied investing expertise.
Emerging manager funds appeared in the early 2000s when a ground-breaking theory on Founder Services began — delivering value add offerings to portfolio companies beyond contributing capital — with approximately 370 funds doing early-stage investing. Fast forward to today, Founder Services has since become ubiquitous, and more than 1,750 EMVCs exist in this sub-$250mm fund size landscape.¹
One thing that has remained constant is the importance of differentiating yourself as a fund manager. With our New Fund Manager Checklist, we outline how you can speak to investors while fundraising and answer the important question of “Why does the world need another fund like yours?”
Whether you are establishing your track record with a Fund Zero portfolio or refining your investment thesis to raise another fund, this checklist can help you define and articulate your differentiators. If you are partnering with a new team member or two in your investing practice, the benefit of this checklist is found by ensuring that you are all on the same page while fleshing out your unique value adds.
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Sincere appreciation to my co-author, Shea Tate-Di Donna!
Kaego Ogbechie Rust is CEO at Foresight Advisors — working with foundations, investment firms, non-profits, and for-profit ventures — offering comprehensive support across vision & strategy, investing & financing, and operational planning during critical periods of your growth.
If you’re looking for help, contact kaego@foresightadvisors.co or visit www.foresightadvisors.co.
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Read More:
New Book Release
• The Venture Fund Blueprint — Our #1 Best Selling book helps you learn to build, launch, and grow your organization — with step-by-step guides from crafting messaging and operations to running finance and legal.
Pitch Decks & Messaging
• How to Make a Pitch Deck for Your Fund
• How to Write an Investor Update (With Example)
• How to Write a One Pager
• Building Your Fund’s Investment Thesis
Launch & Growth
• 12 Steps to Scale a Business
• The 10-Point Checklist to Launch Your Business
• A Launch Checklist for Emerging Manager Funds
Market Size & Viability
• How to Calculate Market Size
• Know Your Niche & Cost
• How To Measure Results
• The 9 Point Due Diligence Checklist for Fund Investments
Sales & Operations
• 7 Steps To Assess Your Competition
• Competitive Advantages That Last
• Developing a Go-to-Market Plan (GTM)
• 5 Ways to Productize Your Business
• Finding The Right Customer Profile
Finance, Tax, & Legal
• How To Choose a Lawyer For Your Fund
• A Simple Way to Track Your Business Finances
