Reflections from the Founders Capital Summit 2025

Hey everyone,

Last week we hosted the Founders Capital Summit in Croatia, and it was something truly special.

What stood out most was the openness and generosity everyone brought to the conversations, from lessons learned to candid reflections on the challenges of the journey. It felt very different from the usual conferences and offsites, creating space for trust, clarity, and perspective that’s hard to find elsewhere.

This is just the beginning - the summit will be a staple in the Founders Capital calendar for years to come.

About the Summit

This year’s summit in Croatia was split into two back-to-back trips: one for founders and one for investors.

Over the last five years, we’ve built a community of more than 1,000 founders, investors, and operators across Europe - and the summit was a chance to bring that network to life.

From conversations on the yacht to late-night debates over dinner, the format allowed each group to connect in ways that rarely happen in day-to-day life.

Key Takeaways from the Summit

1. Portfolio Construction Matters More Than Any Single Bet
Success doesn’t come from chasing the “next big win” - it comes from discipline: diversification, sizing bets correctly, and knowing when to lean in or step back.

2. Founders Make Exceptional Investors - If They Reframe Their Lens
Operator experience gives founders an edge in spotting opportunities, but investing requires stepping back from “builder mode” and learning to back teams, not just ideas.

3. The Investor Community is Starved of Real Face Time
While founders have endless forums, investors rarely get spaces to speak candidly. The summit showed how powerful it is when investors share openly - mistakes, lessons, and blind spots included.

4. Wealth Preservation is Just as Important as Wealth Creation
Balancing risk-taking with smarter preservation strategies is critical. From liquidity planning to diversification, these conversations rarely happen in deal flow - but they matter deeply.

5. AI and Defence are Reshaping Investor Conviction
These aren’t just hot sectors, they’re paradigm shifts that will define the next decade of investing, from early-stage bets to late-stage secondaries.

6. Community is the Edge
Information and access can be commoditised - trusted community cannot. The true edge in private markets lies in the quality of the people you surround yourself with, and the depth of conversation you can have together.

Once again thanks to all who got involved.

For those who couldn’t be there, we’re opening up the waitlist for next year’s trip! Just reply to this email if you’d like to be part of it.

Best,
Richard

This content is for informational purposes only and does not constitute investment advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any securities.

Founders Capital is the trading name of FC Group Holding Ltd. FC Group Holding Ltd is an Appointed Representative of 8point8 Capital Ltd which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (reg. no. 936586). 

This communication is being sent confidentially on a restricted basis for information and discussion purposes only. It does not constitute a financial promotion and should not be relied upon as investment advice. Membership of Founders Capital is restricted to recipients who are eligible to receive exempt financial promotions under the Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Financial Promotion) Order 2005.