212 Updates #126 | February 3rd
Kivanc Aydin | Venture Felow Program | MEVCA Summit in Abu Dhabi
Over the last few weeks, we have continued to bolster our presence in the US, which is a pivotal market for the continued growth of our portfolio companies as they prepare for the next round of investments.
To support this advancement, we are pleased to welcome Kivanc Aydin, who will be leading our initiatives in the US. Additionally, we are broadening our Venture Fellow program with the addition of Emre Baser and Faruk Oztok. We are excited about the potential for success with these new members of our team, and we look forward to achieving great things together.
Last week, I took the first business trip of 2025 to Dubai and Abu Dhabi. In addition to several fruitful meetings, I attended the MEVCA (Middle East Venture Capital Association) event at ADGM, where I had a chance to (re)connect with investors in the region. It helped me discuss the latest developments and compare notes with the stakeholders of the ecosystem. While everyone is pleased with increased Seed and Series A round investments and the strong, vibrant deal flow, growth equity investments and exits are still a significant challenge. Another major concern for most of the investors is the increasing valuations in the region. While it is hard to ignore the validity of this concern, I remain optimistic that the market will eventually find the proper valuations.
As Ramadan will start in March this year, February is packed with events in MENA, including AI Summit in UAE, RiseUp AI Summit in Egpyt, Web Summit in Doha, Step in Dubai, and Leap in Riyadh.
Venture Capital Glossary: Fund Life (Fund Lifespan)
Fund life refers to the total duration a fund operates before it is liquidated, typically ranging from 10 to 12 years. This period is divided into two periods, namely the investment period (usually the first five years, during which the fund actively invests in new companies) and the harvesting period (during which the fund focuses on managing and exiting investments). Most of the time, GPs have the right to extend the fund life thrice, one year at a time.
At 212, our funds typically have a lifespan of 10 years, with the option for three one-year extensions. The first five years constitute the investment period, during which we expect to call approximately 70-80% of the committed capital. This usually translates to capital calls of about 15-20% of the total commitments each year during this period.Last Week
Investment teams interacted with 75 companies.
Ozge and Idil attended Mastercard Lighthouse Investor Day.
I was at MEVCA Investors Summit in Dubai.
This week and next
Selma will speak at NVIDIA Inception Capital Connect on Tuesday, February 4th.
Gizem will attend Arya Get Together Event on Wednesday, February 5th.
Ozge, Zeynep, and Ali Naci will attend Founders & Friends on Friday, February 7th.
Some News
Meta in Talks to Reincorporate in Texas or Another State, Exit Delaware. Read more…
Lead founder equity drifted downward, according to Carta. Read more…
