Ryan Edwards of Prospeq on Becoming an Emerging Manager and Funding Underrepresented Founders

Last week I got to interview my good friend Ryan Edwards who is taking the leap into entrepreneurship by raising a venture debt fund called Prospeq. Ryan is stepping into the world that I am in which is called being an “emerging manager.” Definitions for an emerging managers is someone that manages <$50M AUM. Congratulations to Ryan for taking the plunge! You can listen to the podcast on iTunes or Spotify.

Ryan Edwards has 20 years of financial experience across large and small banking institutions. He has a 14-year history of lending to emerging technology companies through his time at both Silicon Valley Bank and Comerica. He has worked with hundreds of borrowers over the years and has extensive experience in venture debt, working capital finance, specialty lending, and portfolio management. The scale of companies that Ryan has worked with over the years has ranged from pre-revenue startups to public companies. His debt fund, Prospeq, works with underserved companies across the US. 

What You’ll Learn:

• Transitioning from a bank executive to an emerging manager

• Bank vs. Fund credit debt

• Fund Formation

• Current market opportunity

• LP returns 

• Emerging manager challenges 

• Debt vs. Equity 

• Deal source strategy and mechanism 

• How to set an investment decision in a new fund 

Favorite Quote:

“View everything as an opportunity, opportunistic as a partnership. Add value together and be supportive of the people that you are working with. Always think about the best way to give and not the best way to gain something”