The VCs Making Massive Returns On Under 30 Companies

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In the Under 30 universe, we dedicate thousands of words and hours to telling founder stories. We spend far less time talking about the often over-30 venture capitalists fortifying these founders at every stage.

This week, my colleagues published the Midas List, our annual list highlighting the most important living venture capitalists, and launched a new list for the emerging VC gods (more on that later). Andreessen Horowitz general partner Chris Dixon and Ribbit’s Micky Malka claim the first and second spots on the flagship Midas List, respectively, in part because they amassed huge returns when Under 30-founded Coinbase went public in April of last year with an $85 billion market cap.

So many other Midas Listers have used their investing dollars and smarts to steer the biggest Under 30 companies from behind the scenes. Mary Meeker of Bond Capital and Steven Ji both back Canva, cofounded by now-billionaire and Under 30 cover star Melanie Perkins, Cliff Obrecht and Cameron Adams. And 13 Midas Listers backed Stripe, cofounded by the Collison brothers, who were among the first people to make the Forbes 30 Under 30 list.

Greenoaks Capital founder Neil Mehta, however, proves that you can actually bake your cake and eat it, too—by which I mean invest in Deliveroo, Robinhood, Toast, Sonder, Airtable, Brex, Canva, Checkout.com, Discord, Stripe, Databricks and others at the Series B stage, then watch as they IPO and score valuations well beyond a billion. Mehta first came into the Forbes universe when he made the Under 30 Finance list in 2014. Back then, the firm he founded had $600 million in assets.

Get the Midas List here, and maybe you’ll also turn your investments into gold (or Bitcoin).

How An Aussie From Public Housing Became A Billionaire Making Gear For Next-Gen Spielbergs

Blackmagic Design’s Grant Petty turned the chip on his shoulder about Hollywood’s tech elite into one of the most innovative manufacturers of inexpensive filmmaking equipment. Thanks to the pandemic, a contempt for outsourcing and an army of YouTubers, his business is booming.

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This Week’s Money Moves

How China’s Anna Fang built the world’s best seed-stage startup portfolio, earning her the top spot on the Midas Seed List.

American agriculture is facing a more than $3 billion labor crisis. Seso, a startup digitizing agricultural recruitment and payroll processes, wants to solve this, and just raised a $25 million Series A to do it.

Indian infrastructure tycoon Gautam Adani has become Asia’s richest man ever with a $100 billion net worth.

The 34-year-old immigrant behind Lumafield designed CT scanners to improve consumer products from bicycles to sneakers to shampoo bottles. “We are trying to take technology developed for the most extreme applications in the world and make it accessible for every engineer,” he says.

Twingate, a cybersecurity company aimed at taking down VPNs, is now worth $400 million with fresh funding.

These billionaires with ties to Russia need you to know they are not Russian.

Yesterday, Jewish families like my own are opening Passover by asking: Why is this night different from any other night? And I ask: Why is this year different from every other year? Though you could answer with a million different reasons—Ukraine, Covid, inflation, Elon Musk, Kourtney and Travis’ shotgun wedding—let me bring you back to theForbes universe. This year we added the Midas Seed list, which highlights investors cutting checks for idea-stage companies and supporting them as they gain customers, employees and global reputations. So no, these investors have (relatively) rarely invested in companies with big public offerings—but we all know the benefit of getting in early. Check out the Midas Seed List here, and learn about great beginnings. And happy Passover, Ramadan and Easter to all who are celebrating this weekend.

Forbes Advisor | Smart Financial Decisions Made Simple

How To Lower Your Student Loan Debt In Five Easy Ways

Even with the federal student loan forbearance extension, you might still have to pay off private student loans or want a head start once federal student loan payments resume. Here are a few ways you can lower your student debt right now.

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