Molly Alter: Starting early in VC & building a transatlantic focus in vertical AI with Northzone

In today’s 40 Minute Mentor episode, we’re joined by Molly Alter, Partner at Northzone, the multi-stage fund partnering with Founders from Seed to Growth, across Europe and the US. Molly started her career in VC in 2016, straight out of Harvard University. Since then, Molly has worked with some of the biggest funds in the industry, including Insight Partners and Index Ventures. Now, at Northzone and back in New York, Molly focuses on vertical SaaS and AI, across early and growth stages. In today’s episode, we dive into her career in VC and her transatlantic focus. 📚 Episode Chapters: ➡️ A foundation in theatre & first entrepreneurial ventures [04:00] ➡️ Joining VC early on [09:00] ➡️ Characteristics needed in VC [14:45] ➡️ Advice for getting into VC [20:00] ➡️ Why Northzone [21:30] ➡️ Focusing on SaaS & AI [24:00] ➡️ Advice for Founders currently fundraising [28:30] ➡️ US vs European market [32:00] ⛳ Helpful links: ➡️ Connect with Molly here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/molly-alter-3ab1159a/ ➡️ Learn more about Northzone: https://northzone.com/ 📣Learn more about today’s sponsor: Today’s episode is sponsored by ECAP Financial, your trusted partner for fractional CFO services for companies looking to fundraise or go through an M&A process. Whether you’re a Founder looking to raise investment, planning for an exit, or navigating financial challenges, ECAP Financial, led by the brilliant Corinne Thompson, helps scaleups secure the right funding at the right time. 💡 Check out their latest fundraising course here: https://fundraising-academy2.teachable.com/p/fundraising-academy 💡 Don’t forget to follow them on YouTube for even more advice: https://www.youtube.com/@ecapfinancial/videos ⭐Enjoyed this episode?⭐️ Keep up to date with all our latest episodes, by hitting the subscribe button on your favourite podcast platform. And for any feedback on what you enjoy the most and ideas on what we can do to make 40 Minute Mentor even better, please leave us a review at https://ratethispodcast.com/40mm 🎧 You may also enjoy: Dinika Mahtani: From Operator at Uber to backing early-stage startups at Cherry Ventures Nicolas d’Audiffret: How To Build A $2 Billion Unicorn In Under 3 Years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices