The new generation of VC investors has boots on the ground

Indra Sharma is half Indian, half Colombian, born and raised in Sweden. She grew up around entrepreneurs, many of whom were building companies to make a living in a new country.

“They did not manage to get into the Swedish workforce,” Sharma said. “And then they started their own companies, restaurants, grocery stores to provide for their families.”

Sharma is an advocate for women and minorities in the tech and business world. She authored ‘Role Models – The Women that Shape Our Future,’ underscoring the importance of entrepreneurship in increasing equality across the world.

She says her international background has shaped how she views the entrepreneurship and investment landscape.

“It’s so important to have people from different parts of society creating huge companies,” Sharma said. “It gives you a mandate and power to have impact on the future, because you are building innovations and technology that shapes everybody’s life.”

Investing in tech founders who will shape the future

Sharma is a partner at Peak, an early-stage venture capital firm. Peak has more than 37 investments across Europe and has teams in Amsterdam, Berlin and Stockholm.

“Our LP’s are all entrepreneurs, so we are 100 percent entrepreneurs, for entrepreneurs,” Sharma said. “The people who invest in us are entrepreneurs, we who are managing the fund are entrepreneurs, and the people that we partner with are also entrepreneurs.”

Peak focuses on investing in SaaS, marketplace, and platform companies in Europe. The group has an average initial ticket size ranging from €250,000 to €4,000,000.

Sharma says venture capital has a bright future within the startup scene.

“I do believe this is a huge opportunity, and there is still a lot of dry powder in the market,” Sharma said, pointing to one example as a rise in interest rates. “Still there’s a lot of capital in the market. I have a very strong belief in the power of tech and the interest of people to invest in future innovations.”

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Indra Sharma will be speaking during the Art of Modern Investing panel on April 26th during Techarenan Summit. The all-day event at the Waterfront Congress Centre is free of charge, and you can register online below.