The second module of the SHE Invests course brought attendees to the Startup Campus in Olso. Here they were introduced to the startup ecosystem and the finer workings of what to look for when investing.
SHE InvestsThis portion of the course series was hosted by Arkwright X, investors that specialize in business-to-business software, with successes in their portfolio like Unloc and Spacemaker. Their insights provided clear delineations on how different investing in a startup is compared to the stock market.
While speaking about the process of deciding what to invest in, Nicolai Klemeyer Smith of Arkwright X, expressed the fear of missing out (FOMO) one experiences when listening to different business plans and pitches. Always wondering if this is going to be the unicorn startup that launches sky high.
In the startup world, a “unicorn” is a company valued at over $1 billion USD. Throughout the course, we also discussed why startups are so hot right now. Venture capitalists, corporate ventures, and private investors all have their ears to the ground trying to figure out who will be the next Spotify, Uber, or Tik Tok.
When asked to provide the largest takeaway from the course, Investment Manager of Arkwright, Mathilde Tuv Kverneland said, “Thoroughly consider, is this for you?” She then went on to clarify, that when investing in a startup, it is more than money. “You’ll be investing a part of yourself, your skills, and time.”
Only investing in startups will lead to a quite volatile portfolio, but with a balance between sensible investments and passion projects like a startup you feel confident backing, any losses will be easier to tackle.
