Hussein Kanji is one of Europe’s most influential tech investors.As the founder of Hoxton Ventures, he’s backed companies like Deliveroo, Darktrace, and UiPath long before they were household names.
In this episode, Hussein explains how to spot breakout founders before the rest of the world sees their potential, why Europe’s startup scene is only just getting started, and what it really takes to build generational companies from zero to $300 million and beyond.
As always, if you enjoy this episode, make sure to like and subscribe 🔔
Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(00:52) The birth of Hoxton Ventures
(02:47) Europe’s first wave of VC funds
(05:17) Why Europe is just getting started
(05:41) Finding the next breakout founder
(07:54) The bridge back to California
(08:52) Winner-take-all markets
(11:40) What great outcomes look like
(12:26) The deals that got away
(13:24) Deep tech and rare earth minerals
(17:20) How to spot change before it happens
(18:57) Building networks and expert circles
(22:38) Interlude: n8n
(23:36) How AI is changing venture investing
(28:13) Lessons from 12 years of VC
(29:41) Why founders must expand to the US
(30:59) What UiPath got right
(34:39) Don’t sell too early
(35:22) What early-stage founders get wrong
(38:16) Building for customers, not VCs
(41:29) How to build a fund
(42:52) Why social signalling matters
(45:25) The balance between conviction and consensus
(47:53) Fundraising is social engineering
(51:13) The biggest regrets
(54:45) How to make better decisions as a fund
(56:33) Book recommendation: Careless People
(58:51) What it was all for
⭐ Listener Suggestion – Software of the Week: https://n8n.io/
👍 Why subscribe?If you build, invest in, or advise startups — or just care about how billion-dollar companies are spotted before they’re obvious — this channel is for you.
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