Investment Opportunity in Africa - Africa is the most undercapitalized, high potential geographic area in the world [1][3] - Venture space inflows in Africa reached approximately $4 billion to $5 billion, significantly lower than the US (over $28 billion) and Europe (approximately $8200 billion) [1][2] - Africa's biggest assets are its people, particularly its young, educated population [4] - Venture capital is seen as a vehicle to distribute opportunity [5] Capital Mobilization and Investment Strategies - Mobilizing local capital through pension funds is crucial, with Ghana setting an example by allowing a percentage of pension funds to invest in the venture space [5][6] - Attracting diverse capital pools, including DFIs, Japanese capital, and Middle Eastern investors, is essential [7][8] - Balancing short-term capital seeking early exits with long-term investments is necessary for unlocking Africa's true potential [8] - Diversifying investments across the continent (e g Francophone Africa with the CFA franc) and sectors provides a strategic hedge against devaluation [13] - Supporting portfolio companies in diversifying revenue streams and focusing on capital-efficient, fast-scaling businesses is key [15] Regulatory Environment and Regional Collaboration - Francophone Africa (Senegal, Cote d'Ivoire, Morocco, Tunisia) offers a regime where companies can start in one country and easily expand to others [17][18][19] - Regional challenges within ECOWAS are not seen as a major deterrent to trade and investment [20][21] - Increasing intra-African trade through initiatives like the AFCTA is crucial for the continent's economic development [23]

RT Mario Gabriele 🦊 (@mariogabriele)The Future 50 is here.5 months ago, we asked +200 of the world’s best VCs to pick the 2 companies with the highest ceilings. The only rule: they had to be valued under $200M.After months of research, we chose the 50 we believe are best-positioned to dominate.More here: https://t.co/wTQqONQku4 ...

Meet The Investor Who Sold His Coffee Shop And Raised $186 Million To 'Disrupt' Venture Capital https://t.co/9EmHGwgXT3 https://t.co/9EmHGwgXT3 ...

Meet The Investor Who Sold His Coffee Shop And Raised $186 Million To 'Disrupt' Venture Capital https://t.co/tWAGaA8RD8 https://t.co/tWAGaA8RD8 ...

Core Insights - SuRo Capital Corp. reported a significant increase in net asset value (NAV) per share, reaching $9.18 as of June 30, 2025, up from $6.66 per share at the end of March 2025 and $6.94 per share a year earlier, marking a growth of over 35% [2][3][24] - The growth in NAV was primarily driven by investments in AI-focused companies, with notable contributions from CoreWeave's IPO and OpenAI's record $40 billion capital raise, which underscored the demand for AI platforms [3][4] - The company declared an initial cash dividend of $0.25 per share, reflecting successful monetizations of its public securities and indicating a positive outlook for further distributions throughout the year [4][11] Financial Performance - As of June 30, 2025, SuRo Capital's total net assets were approximately $219.4 million, with liquid assets around $52.4 million [2][9] - The company reported a net investment loss of $3.7 million for the second quarter, but realized gains on investments amounted to $21.2 million, contributing to a net increase in net assets from operations of $62.3 million [9][21] - The total investment portfolio had a fair value of approximately $243.8 million, with the top five investments accounting for about 53% of the total portfolio [5][6] Investment Activity - During the second quarter, SuRo Capital invested $5 million in Plaid, a fintech platform, and exited investments in CoreWeave and ServiceTitan, realizing gains of $15.3 million and $5.9 million respectively [7][8] - The company held positions in 36 portfolio companies, with 33 being privately held and 3 publicly held, indicating a diversified investment strategy [5][18] Market Context - The strong performance of SuRo Capital is reflective of broader market trends favoring AI infrastructure companies, which have gained significant attention and investment in recent years [3][4] - The company's strategy focuses on identifying and investing in high-growth, category-defining companies, particularly in the technology and fintech sectors [4][18]

Venture capitalists have become high school AI talent scouts at the International Math Olympiad, looking to invest in hopes of a buyout or an "acquihire," TBPN's @johncoogan and @jordihays said on the Odd Lots podcast https://t.co/WfYUapTAfI https://t.co/E88ChJtdN7 ...

index. I think they have to be in a market that is as bad as you hear in the news. The performance that they've delivered and are delivering here in the future is unbelievable.I mean, largest shareholder in Figma, largest shareholder in Dream Games, largest shareholder in Whiz, second largest shareholder in Scale AAI Revolute. It's unbelievable. And and I give Index all the credit in the world for not scaling.They even reduced their latest fund size. They reduced it after the 2021 era. Like the the credit I ...

Meet The Investor Who Sold His Coffee Shop And Raised $186 Million To 'Disrupt' Venture Capital https://t.co/fEIuHmSySl https://t.co/fEIuHmSySl ...

Meet The Investor Who Sold His Coffee Shop And Raised $186 Million To 'Disrupt' Venture Capital https://t.co/I1ulNDpTeK https://t.co/I1ulNDpTeK ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The second quarter revenue was $190 million, down from $218 million in the same quarter last year, primarily due to asset sales and lower office occupancy [19][20] - General and administrative (G&A) expenses improved significantly to $13.5 million from $20.7 million year-over-year, and $80.5 million in the first quarter of this year, marking a 3527% improvement [19][20] - Funds from operations (FFO) excluding specified items was $8 million or $0.04 per diluted share, compared to $24.5 million or $0.17 per diluted share in the same quarter last year [19][20] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Office leasing activity resulted in 1.2 million square feet of leases signed year-to-date, with 558,000 square feet signed in the quarter, 60% of which were new leases [5][12] - Studio revenue increased by 3% to $34.2 million due to additional studio occupancy, while studio expenses decreased by 11% to $36.6 million [16] - The trailing twelve-month net effective rents were 2% lower compared to the prior year and 11% lower versus pre-pandemic levels [13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The West Coast office recovery is being driven by tech and AI companies, with San Francisco experiencing the largest quarterly occupancy increase in seven years [6][7] - In Silicon Valley, over 1 million square feet of positive net absorption was driven by the tech sector, with AI job postings increasing significantly [7][8] - The Bay Area currently hosts 60% of AI's footprint, indicating strong demand for office space in this sector [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on enhancing its cost profile and has executed operational enhancements, asset sales, and capital transactions to drive future cash flow growth [6][11] - The strategic pursuit of non-core asset dispositions continues, with the sale of 625 Second for $28 million completed in the second quarter [11] - The company anticipates a stable and growing office occupancy due to lower expirations and increased demand [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the recovery of office occupancy, projecting a low to high 8 handle by year-end 2026 [31] - The company expects to see increased allocation activity in the studio segment due to the California Film and Television Tax Credit [10] - Management noted that the balance sheet is in a strong position, allowing for a focus on leasing and operational improvements [34] Other Important Information - The company has over $1 billion in liquidity, including $236 million in unrestricted cash and $775 million in undrawn capacity under its credit facility [21] - The outlook for the third quarter expects FFO per diluted share to range from $0.01 to $0.05, with gross FFO expected to increase due to the recent equity offering [22][23] Q&A Session Summary Question: Concerns about future tenant move-outs - Management confirmed there are no significant issues with any tenant that would change the leasing dynamics [26][28] Question: Pace of occupancy recovery - Management indicated a comfortable projection for occupancy recovery, aiming for a low to high 8 handle by year-end 2026 [31] Question: Focus on leasing versus balance sheet - Management stated that the focus has shifted to leasing and occupancy growth, with no immediate major steps needed on the balance sheet [34] Question: Studio business and lease terminations - Management explained that lease terminations were part of cost-cutting efforts, with significant reductions in expenses achieved [36] Question: Revenue recovery in the studio segment - Management projected potential recovery in studio revenue, aiming for a breakeven point with increased show counts [44] Question: Leasing environment and activity levels - Management confirmed that leasing activity has picked up, surpassing previous quarterly averages [53][54] Question: Guidance for third quarter - Management indicated that studio business activity will be a key variable affecting guidance for the third quarter [62][64]