Securing Funding during Challenging Times: Insights from Ben Marrel, Breega on VCs’ Strategies.

# How to Secure Funding in an Uncertain Investment Landscape

Are you an investor wondering how to prepare for a potential downturn? Are you a GP struggling to raise funds in an increasingly difficult market? Look no further than Ben Marrel, Managing Partner at Breega.

At SuperVenture 2020, Ben discusses the current investment climate and offers advice for securing funding in uncertain times. While many are worried about an impending downturn, Ben suggests that the difference between today and the Great Financial Crisis is that it’s not a private debt issue, but a government debt issue. This means that a government bankruptcy would take more time to materialize. However, investors should still be vigilant and plan ahead.

As for GPs, it’s essential to raise funds before a crisis hits. While it’s never easy to raise money, the ideal situation is being cashed up before the crisis hits. Ben reminds us that VC is a young asset class in Europe, so LPs may be more hesitant to invest in the midst of a crisis. However, he notes that LPs are more educated than they were 10 or 15 years ago.

In addition to discussing the strategy behind securing funding before a crisis, Ben also touches on the current state of the European startup landscape. He notes that prices are currently high, but that crises have a way of calming investors down and making prices more relative to potential exits. European founders are getting better and better, with more international ambitions, so there’s plenty of potential despite the uncertain times.

For more insights on private equity and venture capital, check out the [SuperReturn Content Hub](https://informaconnect.com/private-capital/articles/). And for more information on SuperVenture, visit the [event website](https://informaconnect.com/superventure/).

Keywords/Tags: SuperReturn, Private Equity, Investing, Investment, SuperVenture, SuperVenture 2020, Fundraising, Venture Capital, Ben Marrel, Breega.

Source: [SuperReturn Content Hub](https://informaconnect.com/private-capital/articles/), [SuperVenture website](https://informaconnect.com/superventure/).

Transcript:

“I think you know a lot of people have been talking about a downturn for a quite a few months now and everyone he’s kind of you know trying to figure out where it’s gonna come from and when he’s gonna come. I think it’s really hard to say. You know I was at a panel this morning and obviously you know the major difference between GFC and today is that it’s a it’s more of a government debt issue than a private debt issue and you know to put a government bankrupt takes a bit of time so I don’t know it’s gonna be tough. Everyone is thinking about it but not on a very short term. I think everyone is kind of worried in the last in the next story 12 to 24 months probably.

Well, it’s super hard I mean you know you have to do it before this is these times right so the ideal situation is you know being cashed up before the crisis hit. Obviously you know it’s that it’s never easy to raise money for whatever activity in these in these times I think VC especially Europe you know it’s a relatively young asset class so I would lp’s continue invest in VC through the crises. I’m not sure of that obviously they’re much more educated than you know 10 or 15 years ago where you know back in the 2000 obviously the money literally you know ran off. I think that people understood that he was a long-term asset class that you know you build a fund over four or five years and then you you know divest long four five six years so I think people understand that much better now but yeah I think to all the GPS I would recommend to sort of you know raise money before the crisis hit. Obviously I think it will you know you know one of the symptoms of you know a bit of a boiling environment and therefore an expected crisis is that you know prices in in in VC and in startups are are you know probably to the high level today.

I think they were very much at a very low level for a lot of time and that’s why Europe had so much of a the potential to become a tremendous ecosystem because you know you’re buying cheap and building potential massive companies. I think the number of massive companies is still to be confirmed. I think you know we see a trend of more and more bigger exits but still not to the level of the US or or Asia and on the other end if you pay you know Asian or American prices to begin with obviously there’s a discrepancy here that you know it doesn’t give you the return you expect so I think obviously crises will sort of you know calm everyone down and make sure that you know all these prices get relative to the potential exits but the reality is that you know European founders are getting better and better so more international better ambitions so we’ll see.”

How worried are investors about a potential downturn, and how can GPs secure funding as it gets more difficult to raise money? Hear from Ben Marrel, Managing Partner at Breega. from SuperVenture 2020.

Visit the SuperReturn Content Hub for more insights in PE and VC: https://informaconnect.com/private-capital/articles/
Visit the SuperVenture website for more about the event: https://informaconnect.com/superventure/