Sapphire Companion Annalise Dragic
Sapphire
Whereas girls are nonetheless underrepresented in management roles in enterprise capital corporations, there are indicators of progress. Final December, on the age of simply 29, Annalise Dragic was made a Companion at Sapphire Ventures, making her presumably the youngest feminine VC Companion in Europe.
Sapphire has greater than $8.8 billion in belongings below administration and places of work in London, Austin, Palo Alto and San Francisco. In early 2020 Dragic was employed to assist construct out the agency’s European presence. Based mostly out of London, she invests in Collection B by pre-IPO B2B corporations, with a give attention to fintech and B2B SaaS.
All through her profession Dragic, she has been a passionate advocate for getting extra girls into VC and pushing funds to spend money on extra feminine and various founders. Right here she shares the secrets and techniques of her success.
Alison Coleman: What have been your earliest profession ambitions?
Annalise Dragic: “My first ambition was to be a diplomat! From a younger age, I used to be drawn to a profession that will enable me to be a part of a global neighborhood and work towards bettering the lives of others. I used to be born in London and went on to reside in 4 different international locations throughout three continents, which piqued my curiosity in several cultures and worldwide relations. I studied science, expertise and worldwide affairs at Georgetown College, and have become intrigued by profession alternatives in finance as a result of they gave me the power to mix my analytical and significant considering abilities with studying about applied sciences that would change lives throughout the globe.
Coleman: What piqued your curiosity on this planet of VC?
Dragic: I began my profession with a task in funding banking, which was a terrific alternative to be taught rather a lot, in a short time, particularly for somebody who hadn’t studied finance. I then joined LinkedIn in a technique and analytics function, working throughout their San Francisco, London, and Dublin places of work. These early profession alternatives fueled my curiosity in how tech companies are valued and what situations create success for scaling. After LinkedIn, I accomplished an MBA at Stanford College and determined to pursue a profession in enterprise capital.
Coleman: You began investing within the European ecosystem in 2017 with Atomico, how straightforward was it to transition to enterprise capital?
Dragic: Enterprise capital is a tough trade to interrupt into. Whereas I nonetheless had a lot to be taught, I discovered that in some ways, enterprise investing was just like the earlier work I had achieved whereas a part of the company improvement group at LinkedIn. For anybody who is of course curious, it’s essentially the most thrilling skilled atmosphere to immerse your self in.
Coleman: What particular challenges have you ever confronted as a girl in finance, and the way have you ever overcome them?
Dragic: As a girl in finance, there are various occasions when you find yourself the one one within the room. That’s by no means straightforward. Issues are getting higher however I’d say working at a agency that helps girls, and in search of out skilled friends who provide the identical assist, is important. Sapphire is a enterprise that takes this severely. In our London workplace, for instance, we’ve got gender parity throughout our funding group, and feminine companions throughout all three of our funding methods; Sapphire Ventures, Sapphire Companions and Sapphire Sport. Our COO, CFO and CMO are additionally girls.
Coleman: How vital is it to have good mentors and function fashions on this trade?
Dragic: Mentorship has made a significant distinction in my profession. In the event you’re seeking to break into the world of VC or startups, discover a mentor who can assist you and allow you to be your genuine self. I’m now actively in search of to mentor different girls who’re beginning their careers.
Coleman: As a VC, are you seeing constructive indicators for girls within the startup and tech sectors?
Dragic: I’m seeing progress in relation to making variety, and significantly gender variety, however, proper now, solely 12% of Companions at European VCs are girls and that’s removed from ok. We’re transferring in the proper course, however the ecosystem nonetheless has a number of work to do.
Coleman: What do you take pleasure in most about your function at Sapphire?
Dragic: Once I joined Sapphire again in 2020 to assist launch our London workplace, there have been simply two of us in Europe. Establishing a brand new workplace for such a prestigious agency has been a terrific expertise. I’m extremely proud that in solely a brief interval we’ve got grown the workplace to an eight-person group and made a file variety of investments final 12 months.
I additionally take pleasure in partnering with mission-driven entrepreneurs who’re motivated by bettering the world round them. It’s inspiring to encompass your self with that vitality day-after-day, and it’s great to be a part of a group that’s dedicated to backing the innovation that’s at present popping out of Europe.
Coleman: What are your high three ideas for founders in search of funding?
Dragic: My high tip is to take the time to plan for a fundraise. You will need to search out buyers that shall be a very good match to your firm’s operational and monetary wants.
Additionally it is very important to craft a pitch and put together metrics acceptable to your organization’s stage of development. Founders ought to perceive how potential buyers have helped speed up different companies. This can be assistance on hiring at scale, assist with a global enlargement, or insights on tips on how to diversify your board. Search for buyers who’ve the expertise and networks that may show you how to notice your imaginative and prescient. Lastly, be assured and keep decided; you’ll get there!
