What a Seasoned VC Looks for in Early-Stage Startups

Today, we have a remarkable guest in our studio, Suzanne Fletcher, the founder and general partner of Zelda Ventures. Suzanne’s career as an investor spans 20 years including a stint at StartX, Stanford’s startup accelerator & founder community, where she helped over 900 founders raise early-stage capital. In 2023, she launched Zelda Ventures and raised $33M for her new fund in spite of “apocalyptic” fundraising conditions— an incredible accomplishment! Suzanne dives into her VC journey and shares Zelda’s focus on backing serial entrepreneurs, a unique strategy that leverages her well-established founder network and deep industry knowledge. We discuss: Her framework for selecting startups to fundWhat she looks for in a founding teamWhy a "no” from an investor may actually mean "not yet”Her advice for early-stage foundersLessons she’s learned from founders on tenacity, team dynamics and transparency Join us in this enlightening conversation with Suzanne Fletcher as we explore her investment philosophy and valuable advice for entrepreneurs. ——— Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn!