Hey guys! Still basking in glory from your awesome feedback on our last week’s meetup in Lisbon. It was not only fun but also full of insights. For those who were unfortunate to miss out, we are here to fix that. We've collected all the highlights just for you.

Who threw the party?

Uniborn, represented by founder Dmitry Samoylovskikh and CCO Sebastien Toupy, along with our partner-in-crime Max Pog, brought together over 25 LPs and angel investors for a memorable dinner in Lisbon.

The formal part of the event featured punchy presentations from experienced studio founders (all serial entrepreneurs with previous exits):

• Michael van Lier of Builders
• Joost Muller of Blissgrowth
• Renan Devillieres of OSS Ventures

In the Q&A session, we delved into the differences between venture studios and other players in the game and explored the factors that make investors tick. Plus, a few new connections were made.

Afterwards, we dished about work, clinked glasses of wine, and enjoyed the view of Lisbon's rooftops.

What's the scoop besides the view and wine?

There was also a fireplace!

Well, on a serious note, here's the squeeze for those just getting familiar with an asset class like venture builders.

How does a venture studio stand out from traditional startup incubators or accelerators? Unlike them, a venture studio doesn't nurture existing startups. It births its own ideas, builds a minimum viable product, validates it early on — and then recruits rockstar founders to propel a business to the next level. It's like a startup factory that creates in-house ventures, ready for entrepreneurial leaders to take the spearhead.

Why should strong founders choose studios over going solo or joining traditional incubators? It might be more challenging for founders to go with builders, but the chance of success substantially increases. Studios provide essential operating, scaling, and fundraising experience — and a killer team with a track record. They navigate startups through every step (not just a few months) to international scalability. 

How is a studio structured, and why? They typically start out as a simple holding company. As they grow and tap into larger pools of capital, many transform into the "dual entity" model, a holding company with a fund. By the way, all our panelists are rocking the dual entity model right now.

Are venture studios hotter than traditional VC funds or solo startups as an investment opportunity? Most studios we've chatted with aren't aiming to outshine VCs. But here are the numbers — they're on track for a 5x to 6x return on current funds. And if their startups hit series B, the multiple skyrockets. Plus, startups born in top-tier venture studios boast 1.71 times higher success rates and 2.52 times higher returns than those created by independent founders.

What's the biggest challenge for venture studios? Surviving the 5-year mark. It's about deploying capital wisely until the studios are self-sustaining, generating as much revenue as they spend on fueling new ideas. If they make it past that milestone, they're looking at returns that surpass other asset classes. The key is to manage the portfolio well enough to produce 4 to 5 great companies a year for at least 5 years!

And here's a little extra advice  (yes, we took advantage of the WebSummit buzz).

Sounds good?

Then join us! 

One of the cartels on our platform is Foundation, designed to unite investors for a €10M+ investment in top builders and their spinouts by 2025.

Stay tuned for a detailed guide and feel free to drop a line to our founder, Dmitry, with any burning questions.