Ed Barker is a senior associate at Square Peg Capital. Square Peg is Australia’s largest VC fund, with over $1.4b of funds under management.  We chatted with Ed about his investment process, the industries that excite him the most and his advice for students at the start of their career.

Timestamps:

·         1:04: Who Ed wanted to be when he grew up

·         2:05: What Ed studied at university

·         3:45: Landing a role at Square Peg Capital

·         5:40: The importance of reaching out to people and having conversations

·         6:00: The role of a VC investor

·         7:50: How the investment process works: team, thematic and timing

·         9:10: The impact of COVID-19

·         10:30: Moving to Singapore

·         12:40: The rise of Grab in South East Asia

·         13:15: How a background in consulting helped 

·         14:00: The industries that Ed is excited about

·         15:50: The rise of social commerce

·         18:10: Surprising things about VC

·         19:35: Qualities that make a great founder

·         21:35: Books, podcasts and articles that informed Ed’s thought process

·         24:45: How has failure set Ed up for success in the future?

·         28:10: Ed’s advice for uni students