David Tswamuno's path to venture capital wasn’t traditional, it was deeply personal. Shaped by early lessons from his father about business and service, David built Fairbridge VC around a simple but powerful idea: capital with character. As General Partner, he backs founders tackling the biggest socio-economic challenges across health, wealth, and the planet—where opportunity meets responsibility.

In this episode, David shares how his life experiences, from banking to impact investing, inspired Fairbridge’s mission to fund startups solving real-world problems. He opens up about the challenges of launching a first-time fund, why empathy is a founder’s superpower, and what makes the best investor-founder relationships thrive.

From investing in labor innovation to rethinking access, fairness, and technology’s role in social progress, David brings clarity to the intersection of purpose and performance.

Here’s what’s covered:
• The story behind capital with character and why it matters
• Building a fund that bridges health, wealth, and the planet
• Four core criteria Fairbridge uses to evaluate startups
• What founders misunderstand about fundraising
• The “wide discrepancy” test for meaningful innovation
• How empathy drives better products—and better investors
• The difference between momentum and lasting product-market fit
• Rethinking AI as a tool, not a strategy
• The future of impact investing and emerging managers
• Why building a startup is both a privilege and a responsibility