The BCV Podcast

Positioning India as the Food Bowl of the World by Equipping Farmers with Data-Driven Tech: Fasal’s Shailendra Tiwari

Agtech innovation isn't only about planting new seeds, it's about giving farmers access to the right data at the right time. Fasal (translation: “crop”), a precision horticulture tech company based in Bangalore, India, is tackling one of the biggest obstacles for growers: tackling the guesswork inherent in farming.  Season 2 of the BCV Podcast continues with a wide-ranging conversation with Shailendra Tiwari, Founder and CEO of Fasal, a deep-tech company building farm intelligence and automation systems for reliable, scalable agriculture. Beyond Capital Ventures Managing Partner Eva Yazhari, Partner Nicholas Java, and Partner Christophe de Montile spoke with Shailendra about how Fasal is using IoT, AI, and real-time insights to drive farmer productivity, outcomes, and sustainability.   Key takeaways from Episode 3: * Shailendra describes Fasal’s value statement: Helping to enable India’s farmers to make precise decisions to maximize their productivity and output at scale and address much of the unpredictability that farming presents (2:05) * Shailendra delves into his personal, serendipitous reasons for forming Fasal (3:05) * How access to deep crop data—from fertilization to irrigation to pest control—stabilizes and streamlines operations for farmers around the world, removing irregularity and increasing outcomes (6:20) * Nicholas introduces the concept of agriculture vs. horticulture across Southeast Asia and how each benefit farming communities and economies in different ways (9:26) * The nexus between India and Africa: Beyond Capital Ventures’ areas of focus and these emerging markets as the epicenters of global growth (13:51) * How Shailendra and the Fasal team are positioning the company to define rather than react to the next wave of change in the agriculture industry (15:58) * The biggest misconception about Indian farmers that drives Shailendra bananas (no pun intended) (23:51)

Ampersand’s Alper Tilev on Treading the Fine Line Between Delivering Electric Mobility in Emerging Markets—While Saving Drivers Money

Season 2 of the BCV Podcast continues with an energizing conversation with Alper Tilev, Co-Founder and CTO of Ampersand, Africa’s leading EV energy tech company. Ampersand has created a world where motorcycle transport is cleaner and more profitable for customers than ever before by building a commercial e-motorcycle fleet and battery swapping network at scale. Beyond Capital Ventures Managing Partner Eva Yazhari and Partner Nicholas Java are joined in this episode by Partner and Nairobi-based Africa lead Christophe de Montille to discuss Ampersand’s impact on the continent’s environment, economy, and livelihoods. The talk also veers into the e-mobility tech trends that will continue to disrupt and define the marketplace.  Self-driving bikes? It remains to be seen, but, for now, Ampersand is focused on the limitless road ahead. Some don’t-miss moments from this high-octane conversation: * Alp discusses the key drivers that differentiate Ampersand from competitors that came before. (4:03) * Why being based in Kigali is essential to understanding Ampersand’s customer base, ensuring their voices are heard and the product developments meet their needs (5:01) * Eva explains how BCV’s relational approach to investing aligns with Ampersand’s customer-centric approach. (5:42) * What motivates the Ampersand customer beyond the environmental impact and how the company delivers on that promise (6:16) * Why the fallacy of the cheapest product always wins in emerging markets isn’t only false—that race to the bottom means missing major opportunities (8:05) * The critical role data plays in every Ampersand decision and how AI factors into the company’s future operational efficiencies and excellence (11:24) * What investors are missing out on if they’re not investing alongside BCV in companies like Ampersand that are defining the future of emerging markets (19:32) * Eva distills how empathy—listening to customers, building intentional technology, collecting data, lowering costs, entering new markets, and replicating the business model faithfully—creates a path for founders looking to build their own solutions. (28:01)

Season 2 Premiere: Viebeg CEO Alex Rosen on How Data Helps Solve One of Africa’s Biggest Healthcare Challenges

Welcome to Season 2 of the BCV Podcast! Beyond Capital Ventures Managing Partner Eva Yazhari and Venture Partner Nicholas Java are here this episode to spotlight the founders reshaping emerging markets and share the deals you wish you didn’t miss. Each episode will broaden your understanding of investment and inspire you to envision new possibilities for what capital can achieve. In our Season 2 premiere, Eva and Nicholas sit down with Viebeg CEO Alex Rosen, who explores his company’s visionary tech-forward and data-driven approach to solving one of Africa’s biggest healthcare challenges: reliable access to life-saving medical supplies and equipment.  Some key takeaways from our conversation: * How Viebeg is using data to deliver impact at scale, utilize predictive maintenance, and disrupt the healthcare industry in Africa (1:48) * Why working directly with quantitative data from Africa’s Ministry of Health is key to helping guide medical clinics to make smart, strategic decisions about diagnostic equipment, enabling them to be more effective and profitable  (5:40) * How Viebeg’s revolutionary and easily repeatable and scalable “clinic-in-a-box” model is allowing the company to move swiftly and confidently into new markets throughout the continent—including those in politically unstable regions (10:36) * Why partnering with NGOs is a critical part of Viebeg’s growth across all parts the Continent (12:06) * All of the ways AI plays an essential role in Viebeg’s overall tech-forward strategy and success by facilitating patients’ connections with medical practitioners, especially in rural areas (13:05) * In one sentence, why people would wish they had joined Viebeg’s journey sooner (26:25) * Alex takes part in the BCV Podcast lightning round, including questions about the biggest misconception about the healthcare market, the biggest company milestone Viebeg is currently racing toward, and the one mistake his team is aiming to avoid (26:34)

What Do We Mean by Beyond Capital Support?

Founder friendly vs. founder fair — many venture capital firms tout the former, but Beyond Capital Ventures embraces the latter approach for a well-rounded, fully immersive VC strategy. In this week’s episode, join our hosts Eva Yazhari and Nicholas Java as we explore all of the ways in which BCV serves as a deeply connected and committed partner to our portfolio company founders. * As a continuation from our last episode, we share our Net Promoter Score — the rating given to us by the founders in our venture portfolio (1:23) * How we define conscious leadership and why we choose to work with founders who share our abundance mindset (3:35) * The reciprocal nature of having an abundance mindset and the ability to receive beyond capital support (5:01) * Eva shares all of the ways Beyond Capital Ventures supports founders, including the Founders Forum, a powerful peer-led community (5:45) * Nicholas describes BCV’s capital mobilization strategies and the work we do to help companies raise additional funding (7:06) * Eva offers a glimpse into BCV’s Debt Opportunities Fund and the meaningful ways it is helping to close the capital gap for startups in emerging markets (10:17) * How Beyond Capital balances both equity and debt to provide more flexibility for founders (12:18) * What is BCV’s Equitable Ventures model and how does it benefit all stakeholders? (14:06) * How Brené Brown’s singular take on leadership — i.e. leading with vulnerability — is a key component of beyond capital support and long-term founder success (17:37)

How the BCV Debt Opportunities Fund Is Meeting Demand in Today’s Market

The capital gap — the difference between the financing that small to medium enterprises (SMEs) need to grow and operate efficiently and the amount of capital that they can actually access — is often the difference between innovation and sustainability and failure, especially in emerging markets. As the Beyond Capital Ventures Debt Opportunities Fund enters its second year, learn more about how this powerful tool is changing the emerging markets venture capital landscape with our hosts Eva Yazhari and Nicholas Java. * Nicholas shares the thought-provoking Data of the Day (regarding the ongoing unmet financing needs of SMEs in emerging markets) as well as some exciting personal news! (1:27) * Eva and Nicholas discuss the successes and learnings of the Beyond Capital Ventures Debt Opportunities Fund, which launched last year (2:33) * Nicholas reveals BCV’s Net Promoter Score, or the rating we received from the 15 founders in our portfolio (6:09) * Eva shares BCV’s founder-fair ethos and our firm’s straightforward approach to fees for our portfolio companies, which accelerate action and go-to-market strategies (6:40) * How SMEs in emerging markets are stepping in where foreign aid organizations such as USAID are forced to pull back (8:53) * Eva describes BCV’s proprietary credit scoring model, which evaluates companies from five unique angles, creating a comprehensive due diligence overview (11:44) * Unpacking the various barriers to funding SMEs in emerging markets (16:58) * The future of BCV’s Debt Opportunities Fund (19:29)