#10: Featuring Anne-Louise Thon - The Perfect Investment

Episode 10 of Growing For It with Anne-Louise Thon In this episode, we welcome Anne-Louise Thon, a seasoned investor and VC partner. Anne-Louise shares her insights on what makes or breaks a startup's chances of getting funded by her VC firm, Vår Ventures (Vaar Ventures). She also reflects on her adventures experiencing different cultures around the world, and how those experiences have shaped her approach to investing.One of the key highlights includes Anna's pivotal moment working in Zimbabwe for 2 years, which shifted her perspective on the importance of supporting entrepreneurs and building businesses over traditional aid. She also discusses the challenges she faced implementing Western-style working conditions in Chinese factories, as workers preferred higher pay over improved facilities. Anna goes on to share how she and her partners built one of the first sustainable investment funds in Europe, and the skepticism they faced initially before proving the financial viability of sustainable investing. The criteria Anna looks for when evaluating startup pitches includes authentic, ambitious founders with a clear vision for impact.In terms of advice for founders on effective fundraising, Anna emphasizes the importance of having a strong storyteller on the team and being transparent about both financial and impact metrics. She also shares her personal experiences with failure and conflict in her entrepreneurial journey, underscoring the importance of having a supportive network to get through tough times.Overall, this episode provides valuable insights from an experienced investor who has seen entrepreneurship from multiple angles - as a founder, consultant, and now VC. Anna's global perspective and focus on sustainable, impactful investing offer inspiration for founders and aspiring entrepreneurs.Key Take-Aways:Anna's pivotal experience working in Zimbabwe for 2 years shifted her perspective on the importance of supporting entrepreneurs and building businesses over traditional aid.Anna and her partners built one of the first sustainable investment funds in Europe, overcoming initial skepticism by proving the financial viability of sustainable investing.When evaluating startup pitches, Anna looks for authentic, ambitious founders with a clear vision for creating positive impact.For effective fundraising, Anna advises founders to have a strong storyteller on the team and be transparent about both financial and impact metrics.Anna's personal experiences with failure and conflict in her entrepreneurial journey highlight the importance of having a supportive network to navigate tough times.If you wanna learn more about our "Elite Founders Fundraising" program, DM us on our socials listed here:Mikkel on LinkedIn: https://growing-for-it.captivate.fm/miliTravis on LinkedIn: https://growing-for-it.captivate.fm/traliMikkel on Insta: https://growing-for-it.captivate.fm/mikkelTravis on Insta: https://growing-for-it.captivate.fm/travisBe sure to check out Anne-Louise Thon on LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/annelouisethonjensen/Thanks to our sponsors:Shaping New TomorrowState Energy