David Levine, what every tech ecosystem needs...

Coffee with the Glenluna Ventures founder is never dull. Strap in for a view on everything from music to milkshakes

Hello Rainmakers,

I thought I’d share one of my own personal and regular treats with you today. Coffee with David Levine, a kind, generous and super interesting man who has great ambitions for tech, investment and making the world a better place.

“People say we need more investment funds here. That there's not enough money. They are wrong. There is more than enough money here, right? What we don't yet have is good enough quality venture scale businesses.”

WHAT CITIES NEED TO BE GREAT

There’s a lot been written about what places need to thrive as a vibrant, prosperous, tech and financial ecosystem. 

On that checklist will be references to secret sauces and how a place can replicate all the good things about Silicon Valley, the birthplace of California’s many tech successes. 

There will be a need for a stream of good ideas, spin outs from universities, a pool of willing talent, a big tech presence, anchor corporates who provide a stream of well trained business brains, a culture of risk taking and ideas, and most obviously of all, the provision of funds. Afterall, you can’t have a thriving ecosystem without the investors who want to back good, investable, sustainable ideas in businesses run by good people. 

But arguably you need a few characters too. Not something you could easily describe, but the enablers, the fixers and introducers.

As someone once said - the art of good business is being a good middleman, putting people together.

Someone, in fact like David Levine.

Since returning to frontline business journalism in 2022, regular coffees with David have been an essential part of keeping an ear to the ground of deal stories (my currency) and building a better understanding of new ideas and businesses (very much his).