Value, valuation, VC – 20 quotes on investors and startups from TechSparks 2021

Launched in 2014, StoryBites is a weekly feature from YourStory, featuring notable quotable quotes in our recent articles. Share these gems and insights from the TechSparks 2021 speakers with your colleagues and networks, and check back to the original articles for more insights.

In this special collection of quotes from YourStory’s TechSparks 2021 coverage, we present insights on impact, IP, growth and scale by successful investors, entrepreneurs and business leaders. See our earlier quotes compilations from conference editions in 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, and 2014.

Check out our profiles of the Tech50 startups of 2021, and Tech30 startups over the years: 2020, 2019, 2018, 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, and 2011.

At the early stage, investors are driven by hope. They look into the founder’s mind and vision, and fund on the basis of hope and not on performance metrics. - Sanjay Mehta, 100X.VC

Companies succeed because you back phenomenal founders. - Priya Mohan, Venture Highway

If you want to build a big business, then one needs to attack a big market. - Aakash Kapoor, Sequoia India

In case you are seeking ways of increasing your funds or valuation, you cannot ignore the IP forming a major part of your assets. - Hemang Shah, Qualcomm

Focus on building value; valuation will follow. - Beerud Sheth, Gupshup

It's not valuation that gives satisfaction, it's the impact. Valuation is a producer. - Sanjeev Bikhchandani, Info Edge

People make angel investing very complex than what it is, while it is actually very simple. - Shanti Mohan, LetsVenture

There are strong cases of debt as every business has its own set of requirements. - Ishpreet Singh Gandhi, Stride Ventures

Exits play a huge role. They catalyse the whole ecosystem because they complete the loop. - Sateesh Andra, Endiya Partners

ESOP is a critical tool for founders because it’s a tool to drive entrepreneurial behaviour. Employees start thinking of themselves as owners of the company and go the extra mile to ensure the company succeeds. - Vikram Sivaraman, Qapita Fintech

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Wealth creation cannot happen unless every person in an organisation puts in their best efforts. - Ruchi Kalra, Ofbusiness

Employees should have a clear understanding of how much they are liquidating, and founders should provide clear visibility on numbers, especially for younger employees. - Shantanu Deshpande, Bombay Shaving Company

Making sure that all your employee incentives are aligned with their stock options. Once you start to build that solid team, you can achieve anything. - Stefan Nagey, Capbase

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In the US, at least 10 SaaS firms have gotten listed in the last 18 months. - Dhruvil Sanghvi, LogiNext

The role of VC funding in India is considerably smaller. While India has witnessed the growth of 30-35 unicorns this year itself, most investors making them are foreign ones. - Siddarth Pai, 3one4 Capital

Investors are excited about the real step jump in digital adoption, and especially on the varied categories of shoppers that are unfolding. - Vinay Singh, Fireside Ventures

Businesses these days are not solely about making money for your shareholders. Instead, it’s how you sustainably source your products and pay work as a decent wage, and still make money. - Sabine Stuiver, Hydraloop Systems

Proper impactful funds in sync with the SDG model is what we require for social entrepreneurs of both countries to scale up and grow. - Emile Schmitz, Bopinc

The next couple of venture capital cycles may actually be more focused on climate tech. - Prashanth Prakash, Accel Partners

YourStory has also published the pocketbook ‘Proverbs and Quotes for Entrepreneurs: A World of Inspiration for Startups’ as a creative and motivational guide for innovators (downloadable as apps here: Apple, Android).