Interview with Diadem Capital

Aug 7

AUGUST 7, 2024 | 00:42 | Episode 31

Joe & Stephanie of Diadem Capital on the Changing Landscape of Venture Capital and Fundraising

Joe Hammill and Stephanie Rieben discuss the state of venture capital and fundraising, highlighting the challenges faced by both founders and investors. They also share insights on what founders often get wrong about fundraising and the importance of grit in the startup world. Joe and Stephanie explain their business model at Diadem Capital, which aims to connect private companies with private capital and provide a platform for curated deal flow. They emphasize the value of trust and alignment in their approach.

ABOUT MY GUESTS

Stephanie Rieben & Joe Hammer, founders of Diadem Capital

Stephanie spent over a decade on Wall Street starting out in investment banking at Goldman Sachs and Citigroup before jumping over to capital markets on the Equities trading floors at both Citi and later Berenberg Bank where she ran the US relationship business covering buy side clients. In 2019, she exited banking to jump into the startup world working for 2 venture backed Fintech funding platforms covering investors. In 2022, she co-founded Diadem Capital with Joe after seeing how founders were struggling to fundraise.

Born in Germany yet raised on both sides of the atlantic and an undergraduate degree from the Lausanne Hotel School in Switzerland she is trilingual. She holds an MBA from Georgetown University.

Every break she gets she loves spending with her two little boys who she’s raising in the suburbs of NYC with her French husband.

Joe spent 10 years on the trading floor at Citigroup covering both equity and credit. While at Citi, he led global projects for Citi Velocity, the #1 Wall Street web-based data and analytics platform. He’s also familiar with the founder’s journey as this is Joe’s fourth startup. When he’s not building products, Joe is likely talking about fantasy football, Josh Allen, and why this is finally the year the Bills win the Superbowl.

Summary

In this conversation, Jothy Rosenberg interviews Joe Hammill and Stephanie Rieben about their backgrounds and their work in the venture capital industry. They discuss the state of venture capital and fundraising, highlighting the challenges faced by both founders and investors. They also share insights on what founders often get wrong about fundraising and the importance of grit in the startup world. Joe and Stephanie explain their business model at Diadem Capital, which aims to connect private companies with private capital and provide a platform for curated deal flow. They emphasize the value of trust and alignment in their approach.

Takeaways

The state of venture capital has changed recently, with lower capital deployment and liquidity constraints for LPs.
Founders often have misconceptions about fundraising, such as expecting venture capital to fund the building of their business.
Grit is essential in the startup world, and it can be developed over time through experiences and a mindset of perseverance.
Diadem Capital aims to create a private markets ecosystem by connecting private companies with private capital and providing curated deal flow.
Trust and alignment are crucial in the venture capital industry, and Diadem Capital's success-based fee model helps incentivize collaboration.