What Investors Look for in the AI Era

About this episode

In this episode, Kate interviews Jim Ferry about what investors look for in the AI era and how to be investment-ready.

What does it actually take to be investment-ready in today's market? In this episode, Kate sits down with Jim Ferry, Partner at Volition Capital, a growth equity firm known for backing high-growth, founder-owned, capital-efficient businesses. Jim reveals what he looks for in a founding team, the most common mistakes he sees in pitch decks, and how the bar for raising capital has changed in the age of AI. He also explains how his firm is building AI fluency internally — and why the "defensible moat" question is now front and center in their investment decisions. We also cover: What Volition learned about successful founders after analyzing 100+ founder attributes across its portfolio How to build a durable company when engineering is no longer a barrier to entry The right way to present your TAM to build credibility with investors How investors are using AI to source and evaluate deals No matter where you are in your fundraising journey, Jim's perspective offers a valuable window into how top investors are thinking right now. ----Stay connected with our host, Kate Adams, here on LinkedIn ! Learn more about Volition Capital: https://www.volitioncapital.com/ This episode is produced…

People in this episode

Host: Kate Adams

Guest: Jim Ferry

Topics covered

• investment readiness
• AI in investing
• founding team attributes
• pitch deck mistakes
• capital raising
• durable companies
• TAM presentation

Keywords

• investment
• AI
• founders
• pitch deck
• capital raising
• Volition Capital
• TAM
• durable company
• investing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Volition Capital, Ellas Media, Amplify Podcasts

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