Spotting Trends in AI, Robotics, and Space – Finn Murphy’s Investment Playbook on building Nebular as a Solo GP

In this episode of Unicorn Bakery, Mike Mahlkow sits down with Finn
Murphy, General Partner at Nebular, to discuss how Finn identifies
emerging trends and invests in founders building the future. Finn
shares his philosophy of investing 12-18 months ahead of the
market, focusing on areas like AI, robotics, space-based data
centers, and quantum computing. Finn discusses the challenges of
being a solo GP, how he balances managing his fund while supporting
founders, and why curiosity and a deep understanding of technology
are essential to his approach. He also dives into the differences
between the European and US startup ecosystems, the role of
founders in driving innovation, and why building trust is essential
in venture capital. What you’ll learn: The Nebular Approach to
Venture Capital: How Finn invests in trends 18 months ahead of the
market and supports founders working on cutting-edge ideas Why
Nebular focuses on early-stage startups at the pre-seed and seed
stages Spotting Trends in Emerging Technologies: The importance of
intellectual curiosity in identifying trends like AI applications,
edge computing, and robotics How Finn evaluates founders working in
niche, unexplored areas The Role of a Solo GP: The challenges of
running a venture fund solo, from fundraising to supporting
portfolio companies Why building trust with founders is critical to
winning deals and creating long-term relationships US vs. European
Startup Ecosystems: Key differences in funding, risk-taking, and
founder mindsets between the US and Europe Why American investors
tend to back founders earlier and take bigger risks compared to
their European counterparts Support and Accountability for
Founders: Why Finn believes in being a partner to founders rather
than trying to impose solutions How founders can hold themselves
accountable and build trust with their investors Talent and Culture
in Startups: The importance of ownership and equity in attracting
and retaining top talent Why creating a high-performance culture is
essential for startup success ALL ABOUT UNICORN BAKERY:
https://zez.am/unicornbakery  Where to find Finn: LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/finn-murphy-16160465/  Website:
https://www.nebular.vc/  More about Mike: LinkedIn:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikemahlkow/  Website:
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Woche bekommst du die Taktiken der besten Gründer der Welt direkt
ins Postfach: https://www.tactics.unicornbakery.de/  Chapters:
(00:00:00) Who is Finn Murphy and what does Nebular do? (00:06:03)
Business first vs. founder first - how is Finn meeting the right
people? (00:10:39) Finn's framework for prioritizing (00:15:59)
Advantages of a Solo-GP (00:22:04) The European Ecosystem vs. the
US-Ecosystem (00:28:44) Which founder should stay in Europe/which
one should try the US? (00:36:00) The difference in terms of
compensation (00:40:46) Equity & Salary: Costs, differences,
problems (00:45:58) Overworking, 6-day-work-policy: The Learnings
for Hiring (00:50:21) Finn's "What gets you going?"