US (December 2022)
On the last days of this year, WIT Angels Club shares Forbes’s predictions for Venture Capital in 2023.
But before talking about what’s ahead, let’s have a look at 2022: “Some people are calling 2022 the year the party ended. Others are calling it the hangover, or even the new normal. What we can all agree on is that 2022 was a year of reckoning for the venture capital (VC) industry”
What changes 2023 will create in the long term for the startup world?
Before reading a bunch of predictions from leading investors, our résumé in a few words: greater focus on solving big problems that matter, rigorous diligence, bigger bets on women!
#1: A resilient new generation of founders will emerge
“Still-tough market and macro environment of 2022 will produce a generation of founders that are more robust, more strategic, more determined, and far more resilient than those we’ve witnessed in the past decade”, Cherry Ventures
#2: The downturn will push startup founders to build painkillers, not vitamins
“In a recession, the lack of money forces people to be more creative, solve only problems that people are truly willing to pay for (even when budget is tight), and be more frugal, only spending on things that move the needle”, Pear Ventures
#3: Climate tech will emerge as a bright spot in an otherwise rocky environment
“As tech and crypto retrench amidst the economic downturn, climate tech investing will emerge as a relatively predictable safe haven for entrepreneurs, tech refugees, and investors”, Congruent Ventures
#4: We’ll see better investors, less “VC tourists,” and more thorough diligence
“Investors are also going back to basics. Diligence is back, along with appreciation for companies that are building real value, not relying only on future value. Less founders. Less investors. More opportunities. When it is harder, the tourists leave”, Pear Ventures
#5: Bigger bets will be placed on women
“We have no doubt that female founders and female-led funds will prove resilient, and more investors will double down on diversity as the smart play in 2023. Long story short, if you’re not backing women, you’re losing out”, Pivotal Ventures
These are shifts in the VC industry worth celebrating!