Introducing Not Boring Capital: A Unique Venture Fund for Companies with Stories to Tell

Introducing Not Boring Capital: A Unique Venture Fund for Companies with Stories to Tell

Not Boring Capital is not your typical venture fund. With $8 million in assets, we invest in companies that have compelling narratives and help them amplify their stories. Our investment focus primarily lies in Seed through Series B companies, although we occasionally make pre-seed and growth-stage investments as well.

What sets us apart is the synergy between our investing and writing capabilities. Packy, our founder, believes that his skills as an investor have been enhanced by his writing, and likewise, his writing has improved due to his investing experiences. This virtuous cycle creates a flywheel effect that propels our fund forward.

When it comes to sectors, fintech is our leading vertical. We have made six investments in this space, totaling $525k. However, we also explore opportunities in other industries that align with our investment thesis. We categorize our investments into three distinct buckets: Core, Explore, and Growth.

The Core investments are the ones that have the potential to generate significant returns and contribute to the overall success of the fund. This category accounts for approximately 75% of our total invested dollars. On the other hand, Explore investments are smaller in size but allow us to secure a seat in the next funding round or expand our deal flow. While the individual returns from these investments may be modest, they help us discover promising opportunities. Explore investments make up around 5-10% of our invested dollars. Lastly, Growth investments are relatively safer and typically involve later-stage companies. Although these investments may have a lower ceiling, they offer a higher floor of returns. We allocate approximately 20% of our invested dollars to this category, with the expectation that the collective returns will be sufficient to meet our fund's objectives.

Looking at the broader market, the exponential growth of companies like Apple showcases the vast potential of investing. In 2011, Exxon, the most valuable company at the time, had a market cap of around $400 billion. Today, Apple's market cap stands at a staggering $2.4 trillion, almost six times higher. This highlights the transformative power of investing in the right companies at the right time.

At Not Boring Capital, we believe in the strength of our community. While most venture firms operate with a small team, we leverage the support of our 60,000-strong readership. We encourage our portfolio companies to engage with our readers and tap into the collective knowledge and resources. This symbiotic relationship benefits both our portfolio companies and our readers, creating a dynamic ecosystem of collaboration and growth.

For Packy, the founder of Not Boring Capital, retirement would mean pursuing three passions: meeting and conversing with intelligent individuals, reading and writing, and investing. These three pillars form the foundation of his vision for the fund. By combining these elements, Packy aims to create a platform that nurtures intellectual curiosity, facilitates knowledge sharing, and drives investment success.

To further enhance the reading and writing experience, we have partnered with Glasp, a platform that allows users to read, highlight, and share content seamlessly. We believe that knowledge should circulate freely, and Glasp empowers our readers to engage with our articles and disseminate valuable insights.

In line with our commitment to pushing boundaries, we have leveraged advanced technology to enhance the immersive experience for our audience. We utilize play.ht's ultra-realistic voices to render our podcast episodes, while also generating accurate transcripts through fine-tuned language models. For instance, our Steve Jobs episode involved training AI on his biography and all available recordings to bring his voice back to life. By showcasing what is currently achievable in speech synthesis, we aspire to inspire others to explore the limitless possibilities of content creation.

In conclusion, Not Boring Capital is not just an ordinary venture fund. We invest in companies with captivating narratives, harness the power of writing and investing in synergy, and foster a community-driven approach. Our focus on fintech and other sectors, along with our strategic allocation of investments, positions us for success. Furthermore, our belief in the value of intellectual exchange and our commitment to innovation through technology sets us apart. To thrive in the ever-evolving investment landscape, we offer three actionable pieces of advice:

1. Embrace the power of storytelling: Companies that can effectively communicate their vision and mission through compelling narratives have a higher chance of attracting investment.

2. Foster symbiotic relationships: Building a community-driven ecosystem where portfolio companies and readers can collaborate and support each other creates a virtuous cycle of growth.

3. Embrace innovation: Utilize advanced technologies and platforms like Glasp to enhance the reading and writing experience, and explore new frontiers in content creation.

As we embark on our journey to uncover the next generation of remarkable companies, Not Boring Capital remains committed to its unique approach and the pursuit of excellence in investing, writing, and knowledge dissemination. Together, we can create a future where stories become investments and investments become stories.