Single Family Office Mandates and Strategies Panel
$100M & $1B+ Single Family Office Investor Mandates & Strategies
Founders and capital raisers who want to hear how family office investors think about founders, trust and valuations.
Summary
Lisa, who invests in later stage venture from New York and Miami, suggests investors focus on what they understand. Her firm is sector agnostic, takes straight equity, skips real estate and funds, and looks for deals that could reach an IPO within about 2 years. She also says the founder matters more than the idea and that she wants to see skin in the game.
David, a multi-family office CFO, discusses how families think about wealth and says to know the family you are talking to. Kevin explains a patent based business model built on partnerships with family offices in many countries. Donald runs a single family office for a Latin American family and shares an in-house strategy built from back tests. The panel also covers valuations and how to earn trust.
5 key takeaways
- Invest in what you know. Lisa says families often chase the latest theme, from SPACs and EVs to crypto and AI. A serious investor should have real expertise in what they buy.
- Back the founder first. Lisa says to bet on the jockey, not the horse. She asks founders about their biggest problem and wants a realistic plan, not a growth chart with no path behind it.
- Look for skin in the game. Lisa wants to see that founders have invested themselves. That can mean taking no salary, working full time or mortgaging a house.
- Know your numbers. Kevin says he moves on if a CEO cannot explain recent results. He ties this to pattern recognition. Pump the good patterns and correct the bad ones fast.
- Keep valuations realistic. Kevin says founders should think carefully about valuations from round to round, because early investors feel they lost money when a later round is lower. He also warns founders not to treat a round valuation as personal wealth.
Said on the call
"Invest in what you understand and what you know."
"If you don't know your numbers, you don't know your business."
"Money is only a magnifier for who we all are."
Facts from this talk
- Kevin says his family office has operated for 20 years and has done business in 80 countries.
- Kevin says his team's refrigerant gas technology has been used in 150 installations in the United States and, in his experience, cut electrical bills by 20 to 40%.
- Donald says the family's in-house strategy has run since December 1st of last year and is up about 45% year to date.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: $100M & $1B+ Single Family Office Investor Mandates & Strategies. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Talk to a securities attorney to explore options around family office structures, offshore investment vehicles and patent licensing arrangements. Do not use AI to write your own legal agreements.
Related questions
- How do I close a funding round?I close a funding round by focusing on investors who fit the opportunity and moving each interested prospect through clear, consistent follow-up.
- What documents do investors request during due diligence?Prepare a clear, organized package covering your operations, investments, compensation, team, and track record.
- How do I raise capital for my business?I raise capital by building a repeatable system for attracting the right investors, establishing credibility, and developing relationships before asking for money.
Questions about this video
How does Donald's family office prefer to invest?
Donald says the family invests internationally and has its own preferences about how it participates in deals. In real estate it prefers direct deals over funds, and the principal likes full control of the building or project.
What gets past an investor's inbox filter?
Donald says a referral from someone he knows works best, such as a common connection, school or event. Richard C. Wilson adds that fake references are a big red flag.
How do families think about passing on wealth?
David says families often talk with their advisors about how to organize and pass on wealth. Members also get family buying power in deals and can use one point of contact to handle administration.
Put this into practice with the family office fit check. See all investor mandates resources.
