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Thom Frielink (Curie Capital) about the VC Essentials
The VC Essentials training offers room for interaction and, if possible, we focus on practical examples as much as possible. The training also offers sufficient opportunities to meet colleagues in an informal manner who, just like you, work within the Venture Capital sector. Thom Frielink, Associate at Curie Capital participated in the VC Essentials. He tells us about the diversity in vision and backgrounds of the participants, the topics covered and how the training allows him to do his work as a VC Associate faster and more diligently.
Can you describe a particular topic within the training that you found valuable, and explain how you applied this in your work?
What is great about the Essentials training is the overview you get of all the relevant topics needed to advance your knowledge in VC. This includes the full range of activities I do on a day-to-day basis, including deal sourcing, due diligence, deal structures (valuation techniques and term sheets), portfolio management and steering ventures towards profitable exits. In addition, you learn more about higher level fund structures and fundraising with LPs. For me, the most valuable part of the course was integrating all these topics into a mock investment proposal, presenting this to seasoned investors and getting their expert feedback to see if you can apply your newly gained knowledge.
Networking is a key component of the training. How did the opportunities to interact with venture capital experts and peers enrich your learning experience?
It was great to get to know and interact with a group of over 20 other VC professionals. This not only expands your network, but it also provides depth to all the discussions you are having in class, as everyone brings their unique vision and expertise to the table. A specific example this relates to is deal structuring and how this differs across sectors (e.g. SaaS vs DeepTech vs Life Sciences). The group of students in my cohort represented a cross-section among many different industries as well as investment stages.
What would you say is the biggest benefit of completing the NVP Venture Capital Essentials training?
The biggest benefit of completing the training is knowing you have knowledge on all aspects of VC. Moreover, I have widened my network of peers that I can reach out to. This combination enables me to do my work as a VC Associate faster and more diligently.
