Sound Investments: Global Venture Capital and Emerging Markets with Will Poole, Managing Partner at Capria VC
In this episode of Sound Investments, Ed Barker speaks with Will Poole, co-founder and managing partner at Capria VC, about his journey from a tech executive at Microsoft to a global venture capitalist. Focusing on emerging markets in Latin America, Africa, and Asia, Will discusses the unique opportunities and challenges of investing in these regions. The conversation explores Capria's network-driven approach, the impact of generative AI on venture capital, and the promising sectors like healthcare, education, and fintech. Will also shares insights into managing risk and the importance of founder selection.
00:00 Introduction
00:21 Meet Will Poole: From Tech Executive to Global Investor
06:07 The Genesis of Capria VC
07:52 Capria's Investment Philosophy and Strategy
10:41 Managing Risks and Selecting Founders
17:50 Generative AI in Emerging Markets
21:51 Impact of DeepSeek on AI Costs
25:41 AI's Role in Various Sectors
28:27 Regulatory Challenges and Opportunities
32:21 FinTech and AI
34:47 Exciting Startups and Success Stories
38:11 Focus Areas and Future Plans
41:04 Conclusion
About Your Host
Ed Barker has enjoyed a weird and varied career. Ed is a Brit now resident in Seattle and has started three startups, enjoyed a long career in corporate strategy, and most recently was a VC. He's now building a podcast production company. Sound Investments is a small attempt to shine some light on the fantastic work being done in the Pac NW entrepreneurial community.
Will Poole, Managing Partner at Capria VC
He is the Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Capria Ventures where he also serves as the firm’s Chief AI Evangelist. He has been directly investing in startups since 1997. His first institutional venture fund was raised for Capria’s predecessor Unitus Ventures, in 2012. He and his partners together manage over $180M AUM in companies spanning the Global South, from São Paulo to Nairobi to Bangalore to Jakarta. In his big tech career, Will was a Corporate Vice President at Microsoft, leading several business lines, including the $13 billion Windows client business. After that he led the company’s efforts to tailor products to the needs of mass-market customers in emerging markets. Will serves as a strategic advisor to African health systems transformer Village Reach, and as a board member of blended-finance leader Convergence Finance. He is also a Managing Director of The W Fund, a Seattle-based tech and life-sciences fund affiliated with the University of Washington.
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