David York, a founder and managing director of Top Tier Capital Partners, provides invaluable insights into the intricacies of fund of funds (FOF). Delving into the dynamic nature of FOFs within the venture capital ecosystem, he sheds light on three distinct methods of investing in venture capital. Furthermore, David offers a comprehensive overview of his meticulous evaluation process for VC firms, highlighting the formidable challenges that investors encounter when selecting the most promising ventures.

In this episode, you’ll learn:

[6:47] 3 ways of how to become ‘the money behind the money’.

[11:05] Why is it difficult to evaluate VC firms?

[20:35] What goes into starting a VC firm? What are the benefits of using FOFs in your VC journey?

[26:00] Missing opportunities, how to handle NOs as a VC, and the importance of relationships in venture capital.

[28:44] Future of venture capital: will venture capital become a more attractive asset class?

The non-profit organization that David is passionate about: NESsT

About David York

David York is a founder & Managing director at Top Tier Capital Partners. He leads the Corporate Development team and is responsible for the management, development & growth of the firm’s offerings, and is a member of the Investment and Management Committees at the firm.

David has 30+ years of industry knowledge and networks, which uniquely equip him to be a liaison and international ambassador not only for Top Tier’s brand, but also the broader venture community. Previously, he led the fund of funds business at Paul Capital Partners, before spinning it out and founding Top Tier. Prior to Paul Capital, he spent seventeen years on Wall Street running various trading desks.

David is also a board member in various for-profit and nonprofit organizations. He’s on the Board of Directors of NESsT, a 23-year-old Social Development Enterprise and Impact Investing non-profit investment firm focused on the development of social entrepreneurs in Central European and Latin American countries.

About Top Tier Capital Partners

Top Tier Capital Partners is a venture capital specialist managing niche-focused funds of funds, secondaries, and co-investment strategies. The firm makes primary and secondary investments in venture capital funds and co-invests in select portfolio companies.

Top Tier’s history is marked with investments in renowned VC firms such as Kleiner Perkins, Andreessen Horowitz, Atlas Ventures, Abingworth, Initialized, Accel, and A.Capital Ventures, and its current portfolio companies include Paro, Prime Roots,

Plus One Robotics, Komprise, Career Karma, Talkdesk, LaunchDarkly, among many others.

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No Means Not Now; Keep Trying 37:17 Share

The Sure Shot Entrepreneur

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No Means Not Now; Keep Trying