Despite some failures, including the implosion of star investment Babylon Health, Kanji continues to make bold investment decisions. As Hoxton Ventures approaches its 10-year anniversary, Kanji plans to double down on his original strategy of Silicon Valley-style investing in London, with some adjustments. He has hired three Silicon Valley veterans to expand Hoxton from a boutique to a more ambitious VC firm. Despite increased competition, Kanji believes there's still room for Hoxton's "anti-thematic" bets on bold founders and technologies.
Key takeaways:
- Hussein Kanji, co-founder of Hoxton Ventures, has seen success with his early stage investment firm, with three tech unicorns to its name, including cybersecurity startup Darktrace.
- Kanji moved from a comfortable job at Microsoft in the US to London in 2005 to bring Silicon Valley-style seed investing to Europe, a move that was controversial at the time but has since paid off.
- Hoxton Ventures' portfolio contains a range of eclectic picks, from a startup making leather out of mushrooms to a company developing a virus that eats disease-causing bacteria.
- Despite some failures and clashes with founders, Kanji's no-nonsense approach has been appealing to some founders and has led to a streamlined investment process.