Interview Begins: 9:01
Debrief: 59:30
Victor Gutwein is the Founder and Managing Partner of M25
M25 is an early-stage venture firm based in Chicago, investing solely in tech startups headquartered in the Midwest. Since they launched in 2015, they've become the most active investor in the region.
They are led by two of the youngest fund managers in the industry, and they enjoy challenging traditions. They invest broadly, and our unique, analytical approach to venture investing aims to reduce the risk, while maintaining the high returns typically associated with this stage of investing. They emphasize our expansive networks, and thrive on collaboration - helping to syndicate deals, encouraging fair terms as a best practice, and prioritizing relationships.
A Kauffman Fellow (Class 22) and former leader in Hyde Park Angels, Victor founded M25 in 2015 and quickly grew it to become the most active venture firm in the Midwest.
We discuss:
M25 was founded in 2015 in Chicago, Ilinois.
Learn more about m25
Follow Victor on Twitter
Follow upside on Twitter
Advertise with an upside classified
–
This episode of upside is sponsored by SPMB.
SPMB is one of the fastest-growing retained executive search firms in the country, closing hundreds of C-level searches every year.
For over 40 years, SPMB has specialized in recruiting upper management and board members to VC-funded startups everywhere from early-stage to growth stage.
They can do the same for you.
Visit upside.fm/spmb to learn more.
–
This episode of upside is sponsored by Ethos Wealth Management.
Managing wealth with an eye toward the future demands vigilance and skill in today’s global economy. Over the years, Ethos Wealth Management has worked with clients and their other professional advisors – including attorneys and accountants – to create comprehensive wealth management plans designed to make the best use of their wealth today and help ensure its endurance for future generations.
They can do the same for you.
Visit upside.fm/ethos to learn more.
–
This episode is sponsored by SavvyCal.
SavvyCal is the most intuitive and powerful scheduling tool on the market. In fact, we just started SavvyCal to book interviews with our guests!
You can create personalized links in seconds and even allow recipients to overlay their calendar on top of yours.
You really gotta see how this works, and you’ll wonder why it wasn’t always this easy.
Sign up to create a free account at savvycal.com/upside and when you're ready to test out a paid plan, use the code UPSIDE to get your first month free.
–
UP047: Momentous // supplements used by professional athletes and available to you (feat. Tenika Seitz)
CC022: connecting the coasts to the heartland // a Coffee Chat from the Comeback Cities Tour
UP046: MITO Material Solutions // chemical additives for tougher composites
UP045: GTI Fabrication // scaling modular construction through pre-fabrication
UP044: Semtive // building a peer-to-peer power grid using wind turbines (feat. Benjamin Stafford of Clean Energy Economy Minnesota)
UP043: inKind // redesigning restaurant financing with House Accounts (feat. Kevin Tien of Himitsu and Hot Lola's)
CC021: thinking big, fearing less, and listening deeply in Madison // a Coffee Chat with Scott Resnick (StartingBlock)
UP042: Threatcare // automated third-party threat detection
CC020: bootstrapping the world’s largest real estate community to over 1m members // a Coffee Chat with Josh Dorkin (BiggerPockets)
Library Magic Pt. 2 // Jay's one year reflection
CC019: take two // a surprise Coffee Chat with Nathan Todhunter (editor)
Library Magic Pt. 1 // Eric's one year reflection
CC018: building the front door to #StartupCincy // a Coffee Chat with Eric Weissman (Cintrifuse) (Live from Cincinnati Podcast Festival 2018)
UP041: HoloMe // human holograms made easy with augmented reality
CC017: building a world class venture firm in Chicago // a Coffee Chat with Ezra Galston (Starting Line)
UP040: Plus One Robotics // solving the cluttered pile problem with vision-based robotics (feat. Nick Solaro of Drive Capital)
CC016: a new source of funding and optionality for early stage founders // a Coffee Chat with Tyler Tringas (Earnest Capital) and Kevin McArdle (SureSwift Capital)
UP039: Backtracks // data analytics for podcasters (feat. Meb Faber of Cambria Investment Management)
JE008: consume, contribute, create // how founders, VCs, and community builders should podcast
CC015: geography and investing, should location matter? (live from SXSW 2019) // a panel with Andy Sparks (Holloway), Rachel Carpenter (Intrinio), and Brandon Bryant (Harlem Capital)
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
The emPOWERed Half Hour
Organic Marketing Simplified: Effective podcasting strategy for growth and monetization
THE GO BIZ GUY
The Sigma Femme Podcast
The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
The Tim Ferriss Show