Why I invested in Karbon. A discussion with David Yuan

Accounting Leaders Podcast

Dave is the Founder of Tidemark. He has 20+ years of experience in investing, advising, and building technology companies. In this episode, Dave and Stuart discuss the difference between technology companies in 1999 vs. 2021, how technology in accounting has been developing, and why Dave chooses to work with B2B software companies. Dave also talks about his passion for venture capital, and what the future holds for him and his company.

Together they discuss:

• Dave’s early career (00:40)
• Dave’s introduction to venture capital (2:00)
• Tech companies in 1999 vs. 2021 (4:00)
• Dave’s journey into B2B SaaS companies (6:40)
• Why Dave chose to work with B2B companies, and Karbon in particular (9:00)
• Why Dave loves working with accountants (11:30)
• The special relationship between accountants and their clients (14:10)
• Dave’s story of investing in Xero (16:00)
• What makes companies from New Zealand special (18:00)
• Opportunities for small business platforms today (23:00)
• What the next biggest innovation in accounting is going to be (25:00)
• The state of small business software globally (29:00)
• Dave’s journey and the idea behind Tidemark (31:00)
• The ideal model for Tidemark in the future (35:00)
• Foundation for non-profit businesses (37:00)
• Dave’s long-term view on Karbon (40:20)

The information presented in this podcast is for illustrative purposes only and is not an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to purchase an interest in any private fund managed or sponsored by Tidemark or any of the securities of any company discussed. Companies discussed in this podcast may include current Tidemark portfolio companies and/or prior investments made by Tidemark employees while at other investment firms. These companies identified in this podcast are not necessarily representative of all Tidemark investments, and no assumption should be made that the investments identified were or will be profitable. The information in this podcast is not presented with a view to providing investment advice with respect to any security or making any claim as to the past, current, or future performance thereof.