Adam Struck: New Lands of Opportunity

December 22, 2020

Just like Florida is known for strawberries and tourism, LA is still known for Hollywood – but things are gradually changing. The technology landscape is constantly growing and although LA has become a huge market, it still feels young. This means there are, yet, a lot of opportunities for angel investors to practice the art of venture capital in the right way, and grab their share of the market.

Adam Struck is South African, grew up in Floridian, and currently lives in LA with his family. Through his company, Struck Capital, he supports young founders providing core technology innovation to tackle the world’s largest problems. Adam and his team of investors focus on seed investments into companies led by visionary technologists.

Adam is a very successful young man who was named the Forbes 30 Under 30 Most Influential People – and in today’s episode, he is going to share his journey from being a lawyer to dedicating himself to transform LA into a place known for technology. We dive deep into his mindset and Struck Capital’s mission, as well as some successful deals he’s had over the years. Similar to the work we do at Florida Funders, Adam believes there is great opportunity in lands outside of Silicon Valley, and we were excited to explore that with him.

Tune in, to learn more about the changing landscape of LA and the investment opportunities you can find there.

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Some Questions I Ask:

After you left the law firm, did you go right on to start your own firm? (03:57)
Tell us more about the journey at Struck Capital. What was your vision from the beginning? (07:31)
Why did you move to LA? (08:42)
What is the main way you’re able to help founders grow their business? (15:08)
How did you find out about the Postmates deal? Are you still in it today? (17:35)
Have there been any investments that you passed on that you look back on and they really took off? (19:43)
What stage are you typically investing in? (21:46)
What do you see as the innovation and the opportunities in your area that you tend to look at? (25:00)

In This Episode, You Will Learn:

Adam’s journey from lawyer to becoming a venture capitalist. (01:20)
The entrepreneurial history of Adam’s family. (02:54)
The advantages of doing SPVs – Special Purpose Vehicle. (10:12)
The landscape in LA, in terms of tech companies. (11:07)
The reason Struck Capital was able to capture a lot of market share in a short time. (12:39)
The typical Struck Capital cheque size for investments. (22:28)
The partnership between Adam’s company and Leonardo DiCaprio’s platform. (23:33)
Adam’s advice for investors. (27:00)