FAQ

As a limited partner, what level of involvement and decision-making authority can I expect to have in the investments made with Tryvesting?

At Tryvesting, we prioritize customer centricity in our partnership, meaning that the right customer is always right. If you are approved by our existing partners to join as a new limited partner (who's effectively a customer of general partners since they charge limited partners for their services), we trust that you will involve yourself in decision-making to the extent you maximize the value of your involvement for yourself and the partnership. However, it's important to remember that with power comes responsibility. In order for our general partners to take charge of failures and our limited partners to take charge of success, there needs to be a clear separation in the level of involvement in decision-making.

We usually advise our limited partners to apply customer centricity when working with our investees, helping them adjust their business models to better cater to the customers our limited partners may represent or, even better, introduce to the startups we have invested in. This approach allows us to maintain a healthy balance between the responsibilities of general and limited partners while still capitalizing on the unique insights and connections each partner brings to the table.

How does Tryvesting differentiate itself from other VC firms operating in the AI space? What unique advantages do you offer to your limited partners?

At Tryvesting, we believe that a valuable technology is the one that is able to eventually generate profits. Typically, AI startups are driven by tech-driven engineers who don't fully understand and even don't wish to understand how the world of business works. Therefore, we focus on letting our limited partners provide business experience to the tech teams in our investees. Our unique approach involves leveraging the expertise of our T-shaped general partners who have experience both in tech and in business, acting as translators between the tech talk and business talk.

This approach not only bridges the communication gap between the technical and business sides but also creates an environment where our limited partners can actively contribute to the success of our portfolio companies. By doing so, we ensure that the startups we invest in have a strong foundation in both technology and business, increasing their chances of success.

Furthermore, our emphasis on partnership and collaboration creates a strong network of support for our limited partners, who can not only benefit from the returns on their investments but also gain valuable insights into the AI industry. This helps them to better understand the opportunities and challenges in the sector, ultimately enabling them to make more informed decisions regarding their own businesses, careers, and support for their family members as they enter the industry as first movers.

Can you provide examples of AI startups that Tryvesting has successfully invested in, and what kind of returns have been generated for the partners?

As a visionary and early adopter who likes to try everything new, you might enjoy the fact that AI as a mass-market business is a rather new industry and Tryvesting is a newly established venture capital firm focused on capturing the value of future growth. Therefore, as Tryvesting, we have not yet had the opportunity to invest in AI startups and generate returns for our partners. However, Tryvesting is founded by a team of experienced entrepreneurs and investors who have a strong track record of success in the industry. Together with our partners, we invested in a handful of non-AI fast-growing companies like Facebook, Alibaba, Xiaomi, Yandex, DeliveryHero, Revolut, etc, and a significant amount of yet-to-become successful AI startups like UiPath, Databricks, Ring, Zipline, DataRobot, etc.

The full potential of AI is just beginning to be realized. We anticipate significant returns in the future as the industry continues to mature and expand. Based on our estimates, around $17 billion was invested in AI between 2000 and 2015, while the total value of exits from AI startups from 2007 to 2022 was around $350 billion. This indicates that AI investments have been generating substantial returns for investors and that the trend is likely to continue as the industry evolves.

At Tryvesting, our focus is on identifying and nurturing the most promising AI startups, ensuring that our partners have the opportunity to participate in the massive growth that lies ahead in this exciting and rapidly developing sector.

What is your investment strategy when it comes to selecting AI startups, and how do you ensure a diverse portfolio that caters to the interests of your limited partners?

Our investment strategy involves several key components:

By employing this investment strategy, we ensure a diverse portfolio that caters to the interests of our limited partners and optimizes our chances of generating strong returns from the rapidly growing AI industry.

As a limited partner, what kind of support and resources can I expect from Tryvesting to help me learn more about AI and its potential impact on my existing business or career?

At TryvestingTryvesting, we understand the importance of keeping our limited partners well-informed and educated about AI and its potential impact on their existing businesses or careers. As a valued partner, you can expect the following support and resources from us:

At Tryvesting, we believe that our limited partners' success is our success. By providing you with the necessary support, resources, and opportunities, we aim to help you harness the power of AI to unlock new possibilities for your business and career.

What is the typical timeline for an investment in an AI startup, from the initial funding to the exit, and how will Tryvesting support these startups throughout this period?

The typical timeline for an investment in an AI startup can vary significantly depending on the specific company, its development stage, and market dynamics. Generally, it may take anywhere from 5 to 10 years or more from the initial funding to a successful exit. During this period, Tryvesting is committed to supporting our portfolio companies in a variety of ways:

Throughout the investment lifecycle, Tryvesting remains a committed partner to our portfolio companies, ensuring that they have the necessary resources and support to achieve long-term success.

What are the key metrics and indicators you use to track the performance of the AI startups you invest in, and how do you ensure transparent communication with your limited partners regarding these metrics?

At Tryvesting, we firmly believe that what gets measured gets improved. To ensure the growth and progress of our portfolio companies, we meticulously track a vast array of metrics and indicators. It is important to note that not all of the below metrics hold equal significance in determining the future success of an AI startup. Tryvesting's true value lies in our ability to identify, prioritize, and focus on the key metrics that are strongly correlated with a startup's future success.

Our expertise and experience in the AI industry enable us to concentrate on the most critical factors, ensuring informed investment decisions for our limited partners. By closely monitoring these indicators, we not only facilitate the improvement of our portfolio companies but also help attract larger venture capital firms to invest in them. By investing in these startups and gaining access to more extensive data, we provide bigger VC firms with a more comprehensive and rational basis for their investment decisions, reducing the reliance on emotion-driven investing.

This data-driven approach, coupled with our unique know-how, sets Tryvesting apart and positions us as a leading AI-focused venture capital fund that not only fosters improvement but also streamlines the investment process for larger venture capital firms.

Here is the long list of metrics that we typically choose from together with our partners and investees:

Team value metrics:

Technicalities like:

Customer success and product-market-time fit indicators:

Revenue drivers:

Cost drivers:

Profitability drivers:

Successful exit indicators:

Risks

Besides aggregated metrics, at Tryvesting, we encourage all our partners to carefully study the raw logs of our investees and come up with their own suggestions for metrics. This hands-on approach allows our partners to gain a deeper understanding of the AI startups' operations, challenges, and opportunities. By engaging in data mining and creating customized metrics, our partners can identify previously overlooked insights and trends that can significantly improve the chances of success. This collaborative process not only helps optimize the performance of our investee companies but also fosters a strong sense of partnership and shared responsibility among all the stakeholders involved in the journey towards AI-driven growth and prosperity.

At Tryvesting, we prioritize transparent communication with our limited partners regarding metrics and other essential aspects of our investments. We achieve this through several approaches:

Through these measures, we strive to maintain transparency and trust with our limited partners while working together towards the common goal of realizing the full potential of AI-driven businesses.

How does Tryvesting plan to adapt and stay ahead in the ever-evolving AI landscape, ensuring that the investments made today remain relevant and valuable in the future?

At Tryvesting, we recognize the dynamic nature of the AI landscape and are committed to staying ahead of the curve, ensuring that the investments we make today remain relevant and valuable in the future. As a new venture operating like a startup, we are agile, adaptable, and keenly attuned to the market. Our approach is deeply rooted in the agile methodology, which equips us with the ability to respond promptly to changes and effectively channel insights to our investees. Here are some ways we plan to adapt and stay ahead in the AI landscape:

By combining our startup mindset, agile methodology, and a relentless focus on staying ahead of AI advancements, Tryvesting is well-positioned to adapt and thrive in the dynamic AI landscape, safeguarding the value and relevance of our investments for the future.

What is the minimum commitment required to become a limited partner at Tryvesting, and are there any additional fees or expenses I should be aware of?

At Tryvesting, we aim to make it accessible for investors to participate in the exciting opportunities presented by the AI industry. The minimum commitment required to become a limited partner in our fund is in line with the industry standards for AI-focused funds, which can range from $100,000 to $1,000,000 or more, depending on the size and target of the fund. However, we encourage you to reach out to us for specific details on the minimum commitment for our current fund offering. Typically, our limited partners commit around $250,000.

In addition to the capital commitment, limited partners should be aware of the standard fees associated with venture capital funds. These fees are:

It is important to carefully review the terms and conditions of the fund offering documents to fully understand the fees and expenses associated with becoming a limited partner at Tryvesting.