In a recent fireside chat, Nick James, Global Co-head of the Venture and Growth Banking Group at Lazard, discussed the growth capital landscape trends with host Giovanni Amodeo. The conversation began with James sharing his background and the work of his team at Lazard, which focuses on private capital market fundraising. He also discussed his team’s T500 platform, which identifies 100 promising businesses in Europe and 400 global investors most relevant to these opportunities.

James then delved into the criteria for investable companies, emphasizing the importance of market opportunity, leadership position, team strength, and a clear path to value creation. He also discussed the role of experience and data in identifying potential technology hypes and the importance of maintaining a database of investor preferences and activities.

The conversation also touched on the venture capital landscape in the UK and the US, with James noting that while the European market has grown significantly over the past few years, it still lags behind the US. He also discussed the role of corporate venture capital funds and the potential for consolidation in the venture capital market.

James also shared his aspirations for his team at Lazard, emphasizing their goal to be a catalyst for the growth of the venture capital ecosystem and to build long-term relationships with the new generation of multi-billion dollar companies. He concluded by stressing the importance of resilience and discipline in navigating market cycles and the need to ensure that European populations are more exposed to investment dynamics.

Key timestamps:

00:08: Introduction to ION Influencers Fireside Chat
00:33: Nick James’ Background and Lazard’s Team
02:03: Genesis of Building the Team
02:47: Lazard’s Fundraising Success
05:28: Criteria for Investable Companies
07:07: Investment Criteria and Qualitative Assessment
07:45: Identifying Hype and Future Potential
09:14: Maintaining Investor Database and Relationships
10:27: Advising Companies and Long-term Partnership
12:22: Comparison of UK and US Markets
15:06: Venture Capital Fundraising and Market Trends
17:05: Investment Strategy and Portfolio Approach
19:27: European Companies and Risk Capital
19:54: Future of Company Funding
21:05: Role of Venture Capitalist Arms
21:30: Corporate Venture Capital Funds
22:25: Strategic Partnerships with Corporates
22:47: Role of Asset Managers
24:38: Market Structure and Fragmentation
25:12: Crowdfunding and Investment Scale
26:27: Aspirations for the Future
27:29: Long-Term Business Relationships
28:14: Building the Ecosystem