Masterclass on Startup Incorporation Playbook for VCs: Where to Start, When to Flip, and What to Avoid?
๐ 28th May โฐ 12:00 PM - 2:00 PM GMT+1 (Virtual)
Setting up the right corporate structure is one of the most critical (and overlooked) early decisions for globally ambitious startups. Itโs also one of the highest-leverage areas where GPs can provide real value beyond the check.
โIn this 2-hour virtual masterclass, weโll arm you with the frameworks, horror stories, and practical tools to help founders avoid costly mistakes - and build globally investable companies from Day 1.
โLed by Shadoโs cross-border legal experts Rena Kakon and Tom McGinn, General Counsel at Northzone, this session is designed specifically for investors. Weโll explore how you can support your portfolio through complex incorporation decisions, tax considerations and jurisdiction flips with clarity and confidence.
โWhy Attend?
โActionable Insights: Avoid the horror stories. Learn how to guide founders away from incorporation pitfalls and towards structures that support growth and exits.
โJurisdiction Deep-Dive: Understand the pros and cons of incorporating in the US, UK, Netherlands and Estonia.
โDecision-Making Framework: Get access to practical frameworks for supporting cross-border startups.
โInteractive Q&A: Bring your own cases or questions - this is a space to get practical answers and learn from peers.
โWho Should Participate?
โThis masterclass is ideal for:
โEmerging Managers
โEspecially those investing at pre-seed and seed, supporting globally ambitious teams, where these decisions happen (and go wrong).
โCross-Border Investors
โGPs whose portfolio founders build across markets or plan to enter other markets (US, Europe or beyond).
โAdvisors and Ecosystem Builders
Accelerators, angels and consultants working with/investing in international teams.
โTime Commitment
โThis is a 2-hour online workshop, including:
โFounder Horror Stories: Real-world cautionary tales of painful tax hits and government-level red tape.
โThe Incorporation Deep Dive: Why it matters more than you think, jurisdiction trends across Europe and a decision-making framework for GPs and founders
โFlipping: When and Why: How to advise founders on flipping their jurisdiction - and the costly traps to avoid.
โAudience Q&A + Peer Discussion: Bring your own cases and hear from others navigating similar cross-border dilemmas.
โKey Learning Points:
โWhy Incorporation Matters: Tax, fundraising, exits, investor appetite - get it wrong and youโre stuck.
โHorror Stories Unpacked: Learn from real startup mistakes that cost teams equity, time, and opportunity.
โThe GPโs Role: How to raise red flags and coach founders toward the right setup early.
โJurisdiction Trade-Offs: Get clarity on US vs Europe, and the pitfalls of poor planning.
โSolid Framework: A founder-friendly framework to match company profiles with top jurisdictions.
โThe Flip Decision: How to think about and navigate mid-stage jurisdiction changes.
โBeyond Incorporation: Understand how incorporation affects downstream issues like banking, equity, and tax.
โRรฉna Kakon โฏis the co-founder of Kara Ventures, a tech angels fund investing across Africa, and partner of Janngo, a VC fund. She wears many hats, as an advisor, operator and investor with a passion for Africa Tech. Her career started at Fenix, a cleantechโฏstartup based in Uganda that was acquired by Engie in 2018. After that she became a tech lawyer, advising mostly YC companies as she is qualified in California. Most recently she launched a newsletter Shado, to help global founders launch and expand their business internationally.โฏ
โTom McGuinn is the General Counsel at Northzone, a multi-stage venture capital fund investing across Europe and the US. Since joining in 2021, he has played a key role in supporting Northzoneโs portfolio and operations, following the firmโs successful close of a โฌ1 billion fund. Tom brings deep expertise in venture and startup law, having previously helped build the emerging companies team at Cooley in Europe, where he advised high-growth startups on everything from formation and fundraising to exit.
โHe began his legal career at Osborne Clarke in London and was seconded to Microsoft as its lead consumer and retail lawyer in the UK. Passionate about early-stage innovation, Tom has also worked closely with accelerators and enjoys partnering with founders navigating the complexities of seed-stage growth.
โโโโโDavid Cruz e Silva is the founder of eu.vc, Europeโs Venture Community, and an angel LP supporting European early-stage funds and their breakout companies. His unique experience and positioning are invaluable for emerging VCs and LPs navigating European VC.
โโโFrequently asked questions
โโโโWill attendees get access to the materials of the session?
โโโโMaterials are made available to EUVC community members in a protected data room without download access. Attendees will be offered a 30-day trial.
โโโโIs group pricing available?
โโโโYes, contact us for more information.
โโโโDo you provide a certificate?
โโโโWe provide an online certificate that you can add to LinkedIn.
โโโWhat's the cancelation policy?
โโโAll sales are final. No refunds. We may review exceptional cases at our discretion, but this is rare and decided on an ad hoc basis.