Assure.co: Jeremy Neilson on all things Venture
Jeremy Neilson, Co-Founder & CEO of Assure.co, joins the podcast to share the origin story of the company that pioneered the SPV and became the engine behind modern venture capital.
5 Things You'll Learn from This Episode
- Understand the unique legal and operational background required to create the first scalable SPV product.
- Learn how the JOBS Act provided the regulatory green light for platforms like AngelList to aggregate accredited investors.
- Discover why SPV administration is a legal-heavy activity, distinct from the accounting focus of traditional fund administration.
- Explore how the democratization of venture capital has exponentially increased the number of participants in the ecosystem.
- Hear why large VC firms are restructuring to become more fluid asset aggregators to adapt to market speed.
About the Episode
Jeremy Neilson recounts his journey from running the Utah Fund of Funds and experiencing two years of failure to co-founding Assure.co, the company that created the scalable SPV model for AngelList. He explains the regulatory and operational breakthroughs that enabled this innovation and shares his unique vantage point on the sea change occurring in venture capital, from the democratization of access to the restructuring of major funds.
Timestamps
- 0:00 — Introduction
- 1:05 — The Origin Story of Assure.co
- 5:15 — Impact of the Utah Fund of Funds
- 9:45 — Why Global Startups Register in Delaware
- 12:30 — The Missing Piece: Why SPVs Didn't Exist Before
- 14:10 — How the JOBS Act Changed Everything
- 18:20 — Equity Crowdfunding vs. Accredited Investing
- 22:00 — How Assure Interacts with Web3 and Crypto
- 27:15 — A Sea Change in Venture Capital
- 32:00 — Will Democratization Lower Venture Returns?
- 36:45 — The Scale of Assure: Billions in AUM
- 39:00 — Why Large VC Firms Are Restructuring
- 44:10 — The Future of Venture Fund Structures
About the Host
Nataraj Sindam is the creator of The Startup Project, a podcast featuring founders, investors, and operators building the future.
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