E318 | EUVC | Sumer Juneja, Managing Partner at SoftBank Investment Advisors on fundraising dynamics in venture between Europe and India

Welcome back to a new episode of the European VC Podcast! Today, we are very excited to introduce you to Sumer Juneja, the Managing Partner of SoftBank Investment Advisors in Europe.For those of you who don’t know, SoftBank is the GP of the Vision Fund that we all know about.SoftBank has an AUM of $147B across all funds, has made around 60 investments in Europe so far, and has allocated $13B in total here. In their current portfolio, you can find companies like Revolut, Klarna, eToro, or BytdeDance.Sumer has been investing since 2006. Before SoftBank, Sumer was a Partner at Norwest Venture Partners, focusing on growth equity and venture investments in Indian companies across various sectors. He has led and successfully exited multiple investments, including Swiggy, Indusind Bank, Shriram City Union Finance, Cholamandalam Finance, and National Stock Exchange.At SoftBank, Sumer is covering the EMEA region and India, and today we’ll talk about things like:Europe vs. India - and how each market is differentWhy Sumersh joined Softbank, and his view on fundraising.How does investing in Europe look for SoftBank?… and more that we invite you to discover below.Chapters:04:06 Sumer's Journey into Venture Capital05:49 The Importance of Mentorship in Career Growth08:52 Joining SoftBank: A Game-Changing Decision11:43 SoftBank's Investment Strategy15:54 Comparing Venture Dynamics: India vs. Europe22:45 The European Exit Environment26:46 Lessons from Success and Failure in VC40:29 SoftBank's Success in India42:35 The Importance of Having Your Feet on the Ground43:15 SoftBank's Organizational Structure in Europe and India46:45 Building Relationships with VCs53:44 Evaluating Founders and CEOs57:49 Case Study: Swiggy's Success in India01:03:42 Challenges of Scaling Across Regions01:04:23 Balancing Work and Family Life01:12:20 Key Learnings and Advice for Emerging Managers