Kate McAndrew shares her experience with venture capital AI and how it is disrupting the industy. She also talks about unconventional journey into venture capital, from studying art history at McGill to running an accelerator in the Southeast before moving to San Francisco and co-founding Baukunst, a $100M fund focused on pre-seed investments. Kate discusses the venture capital cycle, the advantages of investing at the earliest stages, and the high-risk, high-reward nature of her approach. Today we discuss...
- Kate McAndrew shares her unconventional journey into venture capital, starting with an art history degree and entrepreneurial ventures.
- She explains the venture capital cycle, highlighting her focus on the earliest stages of company building.
- The fund emphasizes technology and design-driven innovation over pure tech solutions.
- Kate believes strong businesses with real enterprise value naturally find successful exits.
- She describes how her firm supports founders through recruiting, product strategy, and board participation.
- Kate argues that despite industry changes, great businesses are always built by great founders.
- Mega venture capital funds now dominate the market, reshaping valuations and the early-stage funding landscape.
- Top talent will always attract capital, and fund managers must focus on identifying exceptional companies rather than investing in every deal.
- The venture capital model prioritizes upside potential over downside protection, unlike private equity.
- The AI investment landscape is shifting from infrastructure to application-layer innovations.
- AI is becoming an essential part of all new technology companies, much like mobile technology once did.
- AI adoption may take longer than expected due to human behavioral factors and trust issues.
- SEO and traditional search-based marketing may become obsolete as AI-generated responses improve.
- AI is moving toward full automation of specialized white-collar jobs, raising concerns about economic and societal impacts.
- Some in Silicon Valley are focused on ensuring AI development aligns with ethical and environmental responsibility.
- While AI will disrupt many industries, human connection and purpose-driven work will remain valuable.
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Today's Guest: Kate McAndrew
Kate McAndrew is a Venture Capitalist with over a decade of early stage investing experience. She has led investments in over 70 companies at the concept stage. Kate specializes in helping founding teams build their brands and businesses from scratch. Kate is a seasoned board member and currently sits on the board of seven companies in areas as diverse as climate technology, consumer packaged goods, and marketplaces.
Kate is the Co-Founder and General Partner at Baukunst, an early stage VC fund and collective of creative technologists based in San Francisco. Baukunst launched in 2022 with a massive debut fund of $100M. Baukunst invests the first $500k-2M in new companies at the frontiers of technology and design. Kate has a passion for investing in women-led start-ups. In her career, she has consistently led investments with diverse co-founding teams, including breakout consumer hits like Bobbie Baby.
Kate is the founder of Women in Hardware, the premiere community for women and non-binary people building startups at the intersection of the digital and physical worlds. She is a member of All Raise, an elite community of women and non-binary investors. She graduated from McGill University in Montreal with a degree in Cultural Studies/ Critical Theory and Analysis. Along with her sister Jane McCarthy, a brand strategist, Kate authored The Goddess Guide to Branding, a book focused on empowering women to build the companies and brands they are called to. In 2024, Kate and Jane launched The Goddess Office platform to elevate women and the archetypal feminine in business.
Kate's Online Presence:
Today's Panelists
Kirk Chisholm | Innovative Advisory Group