VC-Founder Collaboration: Gaps & Opportunities

Join EIT Community Supernovas for an online panel exploring the real dynamics between founders and venture capital investors, where collaboration works, where it breaks down, and what better models could look like.

​The founder–VC relationship sits at the heart of the startup ecosystem. Yet in practice, expectations between both sides often diverge. Founders look for long-term partners who understand their vision and challenges. Investors seek high-growth opportunities and structured governance. Somewhere in between, communication gaps, misaligned incentives, and unclear expectations can emerge.

​This session will bring together voices from across the ecosystem to discuss the practical gaps, and opportunities, in current founder–VC collaboration models.

In this conversation, the following questions will be explored:

• ​Where do founder–VC relationships most commonly become misaligned?
• ​What do founders expect from investors beyond capital?
• ​What do VCs need from founders to build strong partnerships?
• ​How can new collaboration models create healthier and more effective startup–investor relationships?
• ​Together, they will share practical insights from working across fundraising, venture investment, and founder support.

Discover the Panelists

The panel will feature perspectives from:

• ​Sarah Anto, Founder of FundHER
• ​Caritta Seppä, Senior Investment Manager at Spintop Ventures 
• ​Barbara Bachus, Co-Founder of Exomatter
• ​Celia Alija, Entrepreneurship Project Manager at EIT Food

Register here