Insights

Latest insights

Talent

12 May 2022

Dear Founders and CEOs: don’t forget to secure your own oxygen mask first

You don’t have to spend much time with the founder or CEO of a company to find yourself blown-away by their juggling skills. Not only must they deftly manage an unenviable host of responsibilities — they have to balance them against a full cast of different personas.

Written by Jeevs Mahil

9 May 2022

Why we’re excited about European VC Secondaries

Dany Bidar outlines the importance of the secondaries market in venture capital

Written by Dany Bidar

Health

5 May 2022

Tripling down on bio

Why Octopus Ventures is investing in European biotech and the areas we think will produce the next wave of breakout bioscience businesses

Written by Uzma Choudry

How to guides

How to guides

9 Oct 2020

Pitching deck perfection from an expert

Claire Macmillan knows how startups can better tell their story through their deck.

Written by Laura Willming

How to guides

19 Mar 2020

Remote pitching: a brief guide for entrepreneurs and investors.

Remote pitching will become the new normal. Here’s a brief guide from our experiences so far.

Written by Zoe Chambers

How to guides

11 Dec 2019

If everyone needs a coach, how do you pick the right one?

If everyone needs a coach, how do you pick the right one?

Written by Laura Willming

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Building teams

Building teams

21 Mar 2022

Building a business around a mission: Taryn’s tips for startups

How do we build and scale companies that are going to change the world? Taryn offer’s her top tips for healthtech talent

Written by Taryn Timmons

Building teams

19 Nov 2021

How to hire top talent in a shifting jobs market

The jobs market is changing as millions reassess what they want from work. Laura Willming explains why this presents an opportunity for startups.

Written by Laura Willming

Building teams

27 Oct 2021

Lessons in Deep Tech recruiting

Deep tech demands deep understanding. Jonathan shares his top tips for attracting talent after spending 3 years recruiting at DeepMind.

Written by Jonathan Durnford-Smith

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Scaling

Scaling

29 Apr 2021

Back to Basics: new world, same rules?

Two unicorn-builders ask if the basic rules of leadership still apply.

Written by Howard Bell

Scaling

29 Mar 2021

Alex Chesterman: the archetypal unicorn-builder

Long term relationships pay off, as proved by Alex Chesterman’s latest $7bn success with Cazoo

Written by Alliott Cole

Scaling

20 Jan 2021

Welcoming Emma Davies, our new Co-CEO

A new Co-CEO joins us to meet the opportunity in European tech, Emma Davies.

Written by Alliott Cole

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CEO masterclass

CEO masterclass

13 May 2020

Advisors learn too: what are the new lessons?

Crash and recession are nothing new to Howard Bell and Pete Daffern, 6 unicorns between them. But what new lessons have they been learning?

Written by Pete Daffern

CEO masterclass

15 Apr 2020

What have two unicorn builders been telling Founder-CEOs about crisis leadership?

No less than six unicorns feature Pete Daffern or Howard Bell in their origin story. The two Octopus Venture Partners have lived through triumphs...

Written by Pete Daffern

CEO masterclass

30 Mar 2020

Leadership through a crisis, from a CEO who’s been there.

Been there: what can we learn from an ex-CEO (x3) who steered his company through dark times?

Written by Pete Daffern

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US expansion

US expansion

27 Jan 2021

Expanding to the US: has Covid changed the rules?

US expansion: before, during and after Covid.

Written by Tosin Agbabiaka

US expansion

20 Nov 2018

Question the Questions:

Question the Questions is a report from Octopus Ventures that provides a stress-tested guide to international expansion, powered by insights...

Written by Octopus Ventures

US expansion

19 Nov 2018

Question the Questions Resources

First Ask Should you expand abroad? 15: Hello Fresh link: https://www.hellofresh.com Should you enter the US? Is the timing right? 18: Y-Plan...

Written by Octopus Ventures

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Health

Health

5 May 2022

Tripling down on bio

Why Octopus Ventures is investing in European biotech and the areas we think will produce the next wave of breakout bioscience businesses

Written by Uzma Choudry

Health

12 Apr 2022

Mind & Machine: What’s next for neural interfaces? Matt Vallin takes a dee...

Introduction: We have so much to learn about the brain. Identifying which neurons or groups of neurons correspond to a specific action, thought,...

Written by Matthieu Vallin

HealthPortfolio

1 Mar 2022

Our investment in Automata

Automata is helping scientists achieve better results faster with automated lab solutions. Read why Octopus Ventures have led their latest investment round

Written by Jess McCreadie

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Fintech

FintechPortfolio

8 Mar 2022

Our investment in Nosso

Read about Octopus Ventures investment in Nosso, the finance app for families and their children.

Written by Tosin Agbabiaka

Fintech

13 Jan 2022

Trend spotter: Natasha’s fintech predictions for 2022

Natasha Jones outlines her predictions for the top five trends shaping fintech in 2022.

Written by Natasha Jones

Fintech

25 Nov 2021

LimeWire or Spotify? How to build the crypto winners of the future

Nick Sando explains how crypto startups can make it into the mainstream, learning the lessons from Spotify’s success and LimeWire’s failure.

Written by Nick Sando

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Deep tech

Deep tech

22 Mar 2022

Soundtracking the future: how deep tech is pushing the limits of creativity

LifeScore is creating a radical shift for the music industry — it gestures to a new realm of possibility that opens up when technology is married to the forefront of human artistic creativity

Written by Akriti Dokania

Deep tech

15 Mar 2022

Our investment in LifeScore

LifeScore’s platform uses AI to adaptively generate music, based on the listener’s surroundings and inputs. Read why Octopus Ventures has invested

Written by Akriti Dokania

Deep tech

19 Jan 2022

Demystifying deep tech

Akriti Dokania explains what sets the deep tech space apart - and what we’re looking for

Written by Akriti Dokania

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