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Yury Mitin

Venture Capitalist. 15 years of experience. Founder of Accelerator. Fundraised $200M+ for VC funds and startups.

Professional Background

Yury Mitin is an accomplished venture capitalist with over 15 years of robust experience in investing in startups and fostering the growth of technology businesses. As the Managing Partner at Red Sharks Ventures, Yury has played a pivotal role in shaping the startup landscape by providing invaluable support to budding entrepreneurs. His expertise lies in identifying innovative business models and facilitating the fundraising efforts that have amount to over $200 million in capital for various startups and venture capital funds.

Additionally, Yury's passion for supporting the next generation of entrepreneurs led him to establish a successful business incubator and accelerator that has empowered more than 500 tech entrepreneurs. Through mentorship and strategic guidance, he has helped these individuals transform ideas into thriving companies. His leadership style is characterized by excellent communication skills, which allow him to inspire and motivate those around him, fostering a culture of innovation and resilience in every venture he undertakes.

Education and Achievements

Yury holds an Executive MBA in Entrepreneurship from the esteemed Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO. This program provided him with a solid foundation in advanced business management and entrepreneurial strategy, which he has adeptly applied to his venture capital career. Furthermore, he obtained his Ph.D. in Innovation and Entrepreneurship from the prestigious Moscow State University (МГУ). This deep academic background equips Yury with a unique perspective on the challenges faced by startups today and the innovative strategies that can help them succeed.

Throughout his career, Yury has held several noteworthy positions that underline his expertise in the field. Notably, he served as a Venture Partner at Good News Ventures and iTech Capital, where he honed his investment acumen and developed a keen understanding of what it takes for startups to flourish in a competitive environment. Additionally, Yury was the Director of the Startup Academy at Moscow School of Management SKOLKOVO, where he educated aspiring entrepreneurs on the essentials of launching and scaling businesses.

Notable Contributions

Beyond his educational achievements and professional roles, Yury's influence extends to various sectors that have benefited from his experience. He was the Founder and CEO of the MSU Business Incubator, where he spearheaded programs that successfully nurtured innovative business ideas into operational companies. He has also made significant contributions to the media as a former radio presenter at Kommersant, sharing insights and fostering discussions around entrepreneurship and technology.

As a co-founder of a Stealth Startup, Yury continued to immerse himself in the startup ecosystem, further demonstrating his commitment to developing new ideas and supporting innovative thought across industries. Yury's journey as a venture capitalist and educator exemplifies a relentless pursuit of excellence and a deep-rooted belief in the power of technology to change the world for the better.

Highlights

Aug 2 · linkedin

Startup Fest 2024: Impressions from Canada's Top Startup and Tech VC Conference.

The first Startup Fest I attended was in 2015 in Montreal. Back then, it was a relatively small tent event in the Old Town of Montreal, held on St. Helen's Island by the St. Lawrence River. It was mostly focused on the Quebec and Montreal tech ecosystem, but you could find investors from several provinces across Canada.

Having participated in Startupfest more than seven times, I’ve had the chance to compare this event to different VC-tech conferences around the globe (San Francisco, Dubai, New York, Dublin, Boston, Moscow, Paris, Miami).

It always felt more like a local event than a global one. I even wrote a post about this last year. But this year, I decided to dive deeper into the Canadian VC ecosystem. I even took part in the special GP Fest, a funds networking event, and hopped on the Startup Train filled with founders and funders. That was a blast! Not only could you talk to like-minded peers from the VC-PE community, but you could also watch Euro 2024 and Copa America 2024 football games.

Here are a few takeaways and impressions overall after the conference:

  1. It feels like we’re in a VC spring now. Lots of new emerging managers are fundraising for the first time, with funds ranging from $5M to $30M. They’re presenting new theses, fundraising models, and legal structures. Some of the old-school VCs (no names disclosed) are struggling to raise funds #3-4 due to poor performance during the VC winter.

  2. There’s even a special workspace, like a co-working space for investors in Downtown Montreal, supported by CDPQ (one of the biggest pension funds and a large LP in many VC funds). For example, if a founder is looking to raise capital, they can set up a meeting with one VC and coincidentally get introduced to another 10+ VCs working in the same spot.

  3. GPs and LPs. I had the chance to connect with funds from Toronto running a first $5M USD fund with plans to list it on the TSX like an ETF in a few years, structured as a C-corp. On the other hand, I met global hedge funds from Boston with $50B+ AUM, deploying capital into PE and VC funds, specifically attending the LP fest to connect with new GPs and check in on the ecosystem.

To sum it up, key takeaways for me: *The VC market is alive and in a spring phase right now. Conferences and VC socials are packed. *Old-school models like the 2-20% for a 10-year fund need to evolve and change.

  • Entry barrier to the VC game is dropping from a $25K angel ticket to a $1K ticket on AngelList, or even buying an ETF-type venture fund on the stock exchange with $50. *VC-PE secondary investments are growing (forecast $150bn+ for 2024 by Cambridge Associates)
  • The Canadian VC market was $8B in 2023, the UK $6.8B, and the US $144B.

Looking forward with optimism and hoping that IPO window for late-stage tech companies will be open soon. Too-too) 🚂 📈 💰
#venturecapital #privateequity #secondaryinvestment #tech #vc

Jul 9 · linkedin

From Collision 2024 in Toronto to Startup Fest in Montreal.

I'm currently in the business lounge, eagerly waiting for the "Startup Train" to depart from Montreal to Toronto for the Top Startup Tech Conference in Canada (Startupfest).

Last month, I had the incredible opportunity to participate in one of the world's premier tech conferences, Collision Conf. This year's event in Toronto was a massive gathering, with 40,000 participants from 57 countries, 1,600 startups, and over 700 investors. It was a vast ocean of innovation, spanning from seed-stage startups to growing companies.

Collision 2024 attracted a diverse crowd, including startups, corporations, funds, business angels, and trade missions from countries like Korea, Qatar, Latvia, and Italy. It truly felt like anyone involved in technology, venture capital, and innovation in Canada was present.

This year, I was honored to attend the conference by invitation from the Korean Embassy and the Korean Trade Association (KOTRA). I had the privilege of participating in the Korean AI Startups Demo Day, where I witnessed groundbreaking advancements in AI.

It seemed like 80% of the speaker panels focused on AI and AGI, with many startups developing AI solutions for legal, mental health, security, and transportation sectors, etc. The discussions highlighted how this technological shift will impact various aspects of our lives.

Canada has a strong presence in the AI field, with notable AI unicorns originating from Toronto. However, Montreal is the primary hub for AI innovation. In 2023 alone, the Canadian AI sector attracted over $1.6 billion in venture capital.

Excited for the journey from Toronto to Montreal ahead and talk directly to Startups, VC, Tech ecosystem players.

P.S. If you are in VC, PE world and will be in MTL this week - pls DM, happy to connect

#venturecapital #privatequity #startups #fundraising #secondaryinvestments #startupfest #conference

Related Questions

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Yury Mitin
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Location

Toronto, Ontario, Canada