Welcome to this new episode of Explore! 😎 Thank you for tuning in - I receive a lot of encouragement on LinkedIn and I wanted to let you know that the best way to send me some love is to follow this podcast and give it 5 stars. It will allow others to discover it. 🙏 Thanks to our sponsor ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠OpenVC.app⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠! Use the code "EXPLORE" to get a lifetime 20% discount on their premium membership. 🔥 In this episode I sat down with Lauri Kokkila, a partner at Inventure, a venture capital fund focused on seed and Series A investments across the Nordics and Baltics. In this episode we discussed Lauri’s journey from an intern to partner at Inventure. Lauri details the various stages of his role, from sourcing and evaluating new deals to portfolio management and internal fund operations. He provides valuable advice for aspiring entrepreneurs and investors on building relationships, the importance of trust and transparency, and understanding market timing. Lauri also discusses the unique characteristics of Baltic founders, the significance of sustainability in investments, and his outlook for the 2024 market. 🚀 If you’re an entrepreneur, listen to this to increase your chances of raising money. 📈 Have a great episode!  Listen on 🟢Spotify. Listen on 🟣Apple Podcast. Learn more about Explore: ⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Newsletter⁠⁠.  Learn more about ⁠⁠⁠Lauri and Inventure. Timestamps:  00:00 Introduction 01:10 Meet Lauri Kokkila: From Student to Venture Capital Partner 03:47 The Journey from Sales to Supporting World-Changing Entrepreneurs 06:09 Climbing the VC Ladder: From Intern to Partner 08:18 The Intricacies of Venture Capital Work 10:32 Decoding the VC Investment Process 12:55 Inventure's Investment Focus and Process 21:09 The Baltic Market: A Hub for Resourceful Founders 23:01 Investment Success Stories and Market Timing 25:39 Looking Ahead: Investment Trends for 2024 27:38 Sustainability in Startups: A Growing Focus 29:24 Advice for Aspiring Entrepreneurs and Investors 31:52 Closing Thoughts and Resources This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit explorepodcast.substack.com