Venture Capital is often presented as a rational, data-driven process—but in practice, investment decisions are shaped by cognitive bias, pattern recognition, and social dynamics. Drawing on experience across angel investing, ecosystem building, and European innovation policy, this roundtable challenges the assumption that the "best" companies get funded. It will explore what actually drives investor conviction, and how founders can navigate these dynamics more strategically. The focus is on practical ways to understand investor psychology, design more effective fundraising processes, and avoid behavioural traps that lead to missed opportunities or suboptimal outcomes.
Thought Starter Questions: If venture capital is not truly meritocratic, what actually determines who gets funded—and how should founders adapt? Are founders optimising to build strong companies, or to fit investor bias and expectations? How can founders design their fundraising to build stronger investor conviction?