Today we have Andrew Noble with us. Andrew is a partner at Par Equity, an early-stage venture fund backing health tech, climate tech and industrial tech companies. Par Equity invests in the north of the UK, applies a hybrid investment model (angel approach meets VC), and focuses on B2B IP rich companies to create outstanding results.Par Equity has a total of £213m AUM and an established portfolio of 77 companies, 48 in the current portfolio and 29 exits, and notable investments including Integrated Graphene, AEM, Fuuse, Current Health, Delta DNA and ICS Learn.Chapters02:12 - From Professional Skiing to VC 05:40 - From Intern to VC - Andrew’s journey at Par Equity07:27 - The Grit of Being a Sports Athlete in Business09:10 - Launching a Self-Funded Search Fund15:37 - The Role of VCs in the Startup Journey17:43 - The Evolution of ParEquity and the Benefits of a Melting Pot Approach19:16 - Deep dive on the North of the UK Tech Ecosystem21:07 - Dislocation in the Funding Landscape22:57 - Concentration of VC $$ in Capital Cities & Investing outside of them28:45 - Success Story: Delta DNA32:13 - Andrew’s Three Biggest Learnings from the Last 10 Years34:01 - The Importance of Local Players and Existing Relationships in VC 36:00 - Investing in People in Your Region37:44 - Key Advice for Emerging Managers39:06 - Considerations for LP Makeup40:42 - A VC firm's success indicators