Jacopo Siniscalco
"Jumping into a new venture can be like drinking natural wine for the first time; wild, challenging, and sometimes it leaves a sour aftertaste, or a brisk revitalization"
My Backstory
Where were you born?
I grew up in Essen, the industrial heart of Germany, where people are known for being hard workers, straight shooters, down to earth, and easy to grab a beer with. My parents taught me the value of dreaming big and working hard. My mother founded a successful biomedical startup in the 1990s, growing it for 15 years before selling to a large firm. She taught me about perseverance, breaking through barriers, and doing simple things better than overconfident incumbents. My father started as a car mechanic before founding his own dealership in the 1970s. He saw success come and go with industry changes, but his amazing relationship skills allowed him to relate to anyone.
Starting at age 8, my parents had me help out on a small farm, which helped me appreciate physical labor. In my teens, I worked admin roles at my mom's startup, learning efficiency and attention to detail. At 16, I took a monotonous job besides high school at a bank’s account statement printing department that taught me patience - which is valuable as an early-stage investor. I studied energy management and finance, doing my undergrad in Germany before a Master's at Purdue and Tsinghua.
After university, I started in corporate finance and M&A, focusing on renewable energy deals. I then joined a large utility amid industry transformation during and after Fukushima. My role changed to business development in batteries, grid storage, and distributed energy. I also supported early tech investments at the intersection of energy and power retail tech. Later, I helped a global engineering firm leverage its vast hardware expertise to partner with early-stage hard tech founders - right before embarking on my own journey as a founder (unsuccessfully).
Where were you born, where were you raised?
Turin, Italy.
What is the area you are from famous for?
Fiat, Juventus, and "agnolotti del plin" – please note that the order is random.
What did/do your parents do?
While both being architects, my father works in the family studio founded by my great-grandfather, and my mum worked in a different architecture studio before raising me (though nowadays she's an amazing knitter).
Any siblings when you grew up?
Only child (but not lonely). I like to say I was the dominant one since my mum told me I should have had a twin; trust me, it would not have been fun with two of me.
What are the two things (outside of school) that you spent the most time on when you were a kid or teenager?
Playing sports (from snowboarding/skiing to soccer, tennis, and triathlon) and making future plans with my friends.
What are you missing from your younger years?
The freedom of behaving recklessly. Growing up, I am sadly becoming more and more responsible and bored by certain forms of childish behavior. Honestly? I might just be envious.
Did you have a side job during school?
I had a little gig as a Cambridge invigilator, but I mostly focused on my studies and running. In fact, I finished a half-marathon just before the whole running hype started.
What did you study, and where?
I studied Economics with a specialization in emerging economies (Latin America, more specifically) and, finally, Finance and Investments (I know, a boring finance bro path with a Latin twist).
Summarize your work after university and before Foundamental.
I started off with a 6-month internship at a private equity firm in Santiago, Chile while finishing my bachelor's degree. After my master's, I worked for a year between an early growth equity fund and the M&A team at Santander CIB in Amsterdam (where, yes, I learned a lot and, at times, slept little).
What is your story of getting into Foundamental?
Since I first joined Finch Capital, I knew I wanted to work in the venture capital ecosystem. After my short stint in M&A, I realized that I wasn’t being myself. After a talk with a friend, I discovered all the bright minds at Foundamental, their philosophy, and their approach to investing. I applied, and not even three months later, I joined the team. All in all, it was a mixture of factors that led me here, starting with the first VC chat/beer I had with a uni mate, where he introduced me to this world. I then took all the entrepreneurial finance electives during my master's to get closer to this ecosystem and to begin understanding its nuances (with which I still struggle).
I Am On The Lookout For
What makes a great VC investor?
Open-mindness, ability to think on your feet, and curiosity. But oh well, there is no magic formula
What are 3 things you look for in a founder?
Humility (be open to feedback and potential rejections), passion (one gotta love what’s creating), solid background (nice plus if you can back your idea with some “objective” facts - not mandatory)
What are the things in a business that excite you?
Building new relationships and learning constantly
What are mistakes that AWESOME founders don’t make, but many other founders make and you see repeatedly?
Some happen to be quite confused on their product offering or they are simply looking for a quick exit
What are values that are ultra important to you in other people in business life?
Transparency and respect. Without these it becomes tough to build any type of relationship
Describe what ‘partnership’ means to you.
Mutually agreed trust and vision (simply put in writing or words and “signed”)
What are you chasing in your life?
Wisdom, which I am led to believe can be reached through different life experiences
What intrigues you? As in, you see or hear something like this, you stop whatever you currently do.
Neuroscience. I am not a big reader of such topic but every time I have the chance to talk with someone in the space or that studied it I could be asking thousands of questions
Think of VC as an artisan craft, where every craftsmen has their unique method and finesse. How would you describe your unique ‘craft’ to VC?
I see concrete understanding foundamental - if I’m not able to explain a company or a technical space to my grandma, I most likely didn’t understand it in the first place
Any favorite readings?
South-American Cartels novels as I’ve always enjoyed a good Don Winslow crime story, yet I can also be tempted by intricate contemporary stories. Oh, and I love history, hence anything to do with it.
What is your favorite quote or mantra that can be applied in a business context?
"The wound is the place where the Light enters you.”
Cool. Now give a second quote or mantra you like in a business context.
"The worst thing in the world is not being a failure, but not learning from it.”
What is your secret ninja-skill?
Effortlessly rolling cigarettes blindfolded or biking
In what ways do you feel inferior to some people you look up to?
I really admire peers that showed me a high degree of discipline no matter the adversities
If you were a super-hero, what would be your super-hero name?
Jack. My dad started calling me that way when I used to ski, in those moments I felt like I was a super-hero (not that I usually don’t eh)
What is one person in the world you would like to have dinner with?
Anthony Bourdain
What can you nerd out over for hours with the right discussion partner?
How will our society fall? The most disparate ideas come out from this topic and once me and my partner begin to ramble, who knows where our speculations take us
When someone who knows you in your business life very well were to describe you, what adjectives would they use for you?
Talkative, easygoing, and always ready to give a hand
Is there something you would never mind spending a lot of money on?
Italian trattoria’s food & natural wine (in fact that’s where I spend most of my money)