Translating Silicon Valley Venture for Brazilian Multifamily Offices with Avanish Sahai

This week on Swimming with Allocators, Earnest and Alexa welcome Avanish Sahai, a board member of HubSpot and venture partner at Synapse. During this episode, Avanish discusses his transition from tech to investing in VC funds and startups, emphasizing the importance of networking and building relationships in venture capital. He details the due diligence process, the significance of risk assessment, and the role of trusted advisors in venture investments. In addition to investing his own capital, Avanish works as a Venture Partner for Synapse Ventures, a group investing on behalf of Brazilian Multifamily Offices, making recommendations onco-investments with top firms in Silicon Valley and direct investments in high-potential companies. He shares his global perspective on portfolio construction, the analytical approach to identifying emerging managers, and the importance of long-term engagement and more.
Highlights from this week’s conversation include:
Avanish’s background and experience in venture (1:16)
Diligence and Relationship Building (3:21)
Allocation and Time Horizon (5:32)
Insider Segment: Exploring the Canopy Platform with John Lang (8:17)
Investment Comfort and Expertise (15:23)
LP Investments in Venture Capital (18:47)
Venture Partner Role (20:18)
Portfolio Construction and Investment Philosophy (23:51)
Trends in AI and Cybersecurity (26:40)
International Market Opportunities (29:51)
Bullish on Venture Capital and Macro Events (32:11)
Final thoughts and takeaways (35:38)
Avanish Sahai is a former technology executive with experiences in product, marketing, and ecosystems. He has held leadership positions at both early-stage and established companies including Oracle, Salesforce, ServiceNow, and Google Cloud. Avanish has served on the boards of tech companies HubSpot, Birdie.ai, and Scribe, as well as of nonprofits World Affairs and BayBrazil. Born in India, raised in Brazil, Avanish is a venture partner at Synapse Ventures, a corporate Brazilian Fund of Funds.
Canopy is a fintech company on a mission to democratize access to private investments. We believe early access to world-changing projects should not be limited to the ultra-wealthy. By automating the process of private investment with a technology-first approach, we are building a future where investing in alternative assets is simple and streamlined for both managers and individual investors alike. Learn more at www.heycanopy.com/.
Swimming with Allocators is a podcast that dives into the intriguing world of Venture Capital from an LP (Limited Partner) perspective. Hosts Alexa Binns and Earnest Sweat are seasoned professionals who have donned various hats in the VC ecosystem. Each episode, we explore where the future opportunities lie in the VC landscape with insights from top LPs on their investment strategies and industry experts shedding light on emerging trends and technologies. Follow along and subscribe at swimmingwithallocators.com.
The information provided on this podcast does not, and is not intended to, constitute legal advice; instead, all information, content, and materials available on this podcast are for general informational purposes only.