Building A Localised VC Firm - Brendan Wales, Founding Partner, FUSE

In this episode, Richard Kerby from Equal Ventures talks with Brendan Wales, Founding Partner of FUSE. Fuse is a Bellevue, Washington-based early-stage venture firm focused on Pacific North-West companies. Their 1st fund was $170 Million and they recently closed a $250 Million fund to back promising startups in the region. Here's a glimpse of what we discussed: The Significance of Local Venture Firms: - Brendan highlights how venture firms like Sequoia and Benchmark have thrived by owning specific ecosystems. - How being hyper-local gives them an edge in finding startups before everyone else? - The unique opportunity Fuse Ventures has found in the Seattle area. Brendan's Journey as a Venture Capitalist: - What influenced Brendan to start his own venture firm, Fuse? - Brendan's past VC stint at eVentures/Headline Building Trust and Engaging Limited Partners: - Building a mobile app to keep LPs updates - Transparency as a means to add value to founders and make connections Investment Strategies and Success Stories: - Fuse Ventures' approach to investing in the Seattle and Pacific Northwest region. - Risk Management within the portfolio by ensuring the right size of investment - The significance of AI talent in Seattle and its influence on investment strategies. Links: FUSE website - https://fuse.vc/ Brendan on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/brendanwales/ Brendan on X - https://twitter.com/Bmwales Hosted by Richard Kerby, Co-founder & General Partner at Equal Ventures Equal Venture Website - https://equal.vc Follow Richard on Linkedin - https://www.linkedin.com/in/richardkerby/ Follow Richard on Twitter - https://twitter.com/kerby Listen to the full episode for more insights and stories! You can find the episode on your favorite podcast platform & on Youtube. We hope you enjoy listening to this episode and gain insights that can help you in your venture capital journey. Do hit subscribe to stay updated on new episodes!