In this episode of the UKTN Podcast, Eileen Burbidge, partner at Passion Capital, discusses the lessons she learned from working in Silicon Valley during the dot-com bubble, examines the differences between the UK and US tech sectors, and shares how reproductive health support is the new frontier for employee benefits.
You can listen to the full episode here.
Burbidge, a British-American venture capitalist, began working in Silicon Valley in the 1990s when “printers were industrial-sized”. While working for Apple and Sun Microsystems, Burbidge witnessed the “internet take over the world”.
After moving to London in the early 2000s, Burbidge became a founding partner of Passion Capital, an early-stage venture capital firm. Since 2011 it has invested in 96 startups, including Monzo, Go Cardless and Tide.
Burbidge is also the director of Fertifa, a reproductive healthcare startup. During the show, Burbidge talks about reproductive health as an “underinvested in” area, the key ingredients for successful tech entrepreneurship, and the investment outlook for 2024.
Elsewhere on the show, Burbidge and UKTN Podcast host Jane Wakefield discuss how the diversity of ideas, backgrounds and cultures gives the UK an opportunity “to create propositions and services that will be more relatable and resonate with more people than those coming out of Silicon Valley”.
This season of the UKTN Podcast is sponsored by HSBC Innovation Banking, which offers flexible banking solutions for startups, scaleups, growth businesses, investors and those working towards IPO.
Listen to the full episode here, along with all previous episodes of the UKTN Podcast.
Throughout the series, the UKTN Podcast will be speaking to some of the key movers and shakers from UK tech. We’ll learn growth strategies from both seasoned and up-and-coming founders, hear market sentiments from investors, and question policymakers on the decisions shaping technology businesses across the country.
New episodes of the UKTN Podcast are published every Tuesday morning. Sign up for our podcast newsletter to ensure you don’t miss an episode.