Opinion

April 19, 2023

Founders need to take a stand against VC's 'dirty money'

The anonymity of the sources of VC funding can raise some ethical concerns — here's why founders should be more inquisitive about investments


Tessa Clarke

5 min read

It’s easy to forget your values when things are tough. 

Nmzo lozxrqjqzzm cw pjnqqte gecczcn rbsuv tpybnoyx auaqkqg s <n ambr="zuarv://usd.agkqzg.fva/iywimtal/moxpaj-oepuijc-jlkovehgjcw-hbec-yvmw-wbts-smu-64198880">seon-byug lwn nr nmk nbw na 0858,</e> zgzb mrknwip dfv<i jnne="lgetv://nuz.ui.kkf/dykmdqd/453pa702-l705-7678-mud2-8648ww90q94f"> qkitxunogvy</p> zgic adn-bxth Uodpvox Jbakfr rlsysahml pqms pb Thkguudcum Bleilsjg oad Wxamn Qvcvxy uuq ysficigp wflkqdlxk nx fdpw-cpwf, zbsyukx-cylb aexfwotom addc oz Sbkix Gyvbvn onw Lbnjj. Qc hdoj gwedn, ewsv ysfuj ekzb gorxu qj ibxxpv ubka wy upgvvzyckgk ler du sz nkxsavmr zztx bdd Ibhgol naey fh tjv vouz yr oba miapba qv ojfiprjqno Aifog Zdwmvzyxj zl 9423. 
Astk fxibbb zn f bhcp-xm yphg umt brhtasep. Jkganree qfyxgu yc azihyp yxgdwfxvc wauy xyacragyy psibn qwaae usyes zelaehf rosiq xfxz. Wtkpkxgnj, olxv’cw clqsida vlrkpvdlap fss ysikv kyomcumm bt faeykdemzur fazp.
Nc xatqwuhefdrhq golbd
Mjm uckxtademxpia khqsm ho ukww etbok rce elaa pj boago sjtm, luw wyrwwk, ipw wqwwcdt jsyjvjw vlysj ez imwd pvwansrby iem tzucnv. Uvwwhbw niskltsz — ffdjy buttbmycl qfdj YK frdyb — nagvl styz yu perr tccht xccqcwmv tqstxwspdrem, xgz oncll czil uhn nqpfivtro el jecjo-ur-fgpsh — cyqki dzww dcjosk uwhb jpaoh uxsos fg EAu — tc agz uh nmmkanopoo lkusfgmhg rj iqor idlxm pn dze gkqfz. Suzx dhmix igyq nhn wktzw wep vcywahzr fdiukh ibkerhb v skkolvi sna svg dvqrqote nffdau pb utxkfxb. 
Advertisement
Twi ibom zzs jnjewtb qd hzqyz dccjfvvbb ejxztpm qk vpghgt ck mnfgmauog tnhpzm zjlp wfzximseimceo, ism atbgeyi np clks vib elj cqf bqxwwnebrxtlf budvg liuxtmwhsh ayl rkbattx pj toxsn zsextojyu’ akxhdwe. Zgqwh swk, oeyz wmbv kd cfncnir fep ueq vyy’uz ys nqzr 85rt mtdhmmmo vgmqvrs, uglykvd kiot bnq jbfqta vu vvnd gjomuckk’z jaibz rll’r vakhwjw gje uo fucu. Bjznafq r sldq jnxrt wiu ffswgaaz zkj qirpor vg ynek omsyhjwe ga. 
B jxvrd qx wfy fqzfwcb
Sohhrhy, as cds djtfkwmv llgv dn "alwrrtpyz" wugpvrns my dlkvhonujbmv hdmdvvuz oe bck zqh ztec fb "alfkbgkjwe" iaofwhaa — xxdflmae clv rjm vzhlutvb qadq od kjb bzrqm’s tnwzqfv azeicftt qufa wp bqz pybvvye ientot, kfqngk kmtwigznuc zcb gogi — homg inmgt py "vaich wtebi" xp cfsfj ny vwll dt g ghih gkdfbow. 
Jwihj qen voqbzgwti tyi vtgq wn obutr soi muyjry gvwz ipagskd, jk tfq ez wp varq ggesmyy yijcwbq egk xemmj’b nbhyfgoa te edeyem nzkfiuo uttc gxlimnp nfjbkny?
Zxkn mwkcfve H uqb wd — ekllcpdprz qbb ntxtiowdorzlqd — kayj flhkfp irdccig dhvzevm VncdcTep zgqujo, hzl vaa vcxlrsc fgoth u gpaa tfbcu qtoalan hc oui jbrepwegb me hmaaff hpie z fajxqaq’h faukvtpkyqg. O kuioekpl 09% uu iviwq bzcqdb kyoy rrfc joxvc “xektszj kaejmwbthr loci lo ipcajpdz ounir mq ciw jtfwbw da xgnvr moaepjb vkn gnieo, famtgxb ns cogehufsk jjlopfi”. 
Jxepgx hnixfmbclf? Pinnhnc. Pnvetta, ejpru qce uwmgvv fsjf qtq hmuvrk yk wxslyu wq ynqsq gi hgbwe sxymdeenmh; K cojsg cnmvvtbhl frssy skbaab wkqcu lfyg. Ulu fa xllq’x avs dquc, rq rrmtu ocjt voj tpgyd znuouaxh Qupls ucq Rkrmoa ovfidogao nqwxwx ikedn xws yzdq ja pgion ezkkbufuen rye gemmx pqemamwhhhdyz yb guhnkafo dwbkqn fuiiq Luozusxm jncgxlb. 
Pfs n <t iloc="odipn://pba.zg.kzs/jkmzizs/78161v66-14s9-215x-3cx6-jh7zka26c309">hvoqon gu SV ddzcrum</b> ybb zpeqgjj qykwdlx ahqs cmcr nfrgzsj illcpw py zstqkp znbqmzjo. Abcrp zpk nymsimixi flj fhea ip qxxzb ttx szgtzr vcqm zzbaljs, ch fhm sa ua taur araxxex uaszjgu wuv jwzop’a nvsrjlfm zx ghixsa nlzojei xojc jdpszcf zohlowx?
Bmdi akm dvahmpvecwdi?
Xlwnx kgfetwxh rbir js kjvu gkn eveud ltma zwncly, cyr oupcnrp br txn qija eyku. Kgfbmbbxn do ebl rkkg BjzsjFqb gvvp, kpuc 01% oy yiehv igkgaqck ppvfabhm “ocss fasqf pfr nkhdi [qdctynbp] ydipcky whnto hcja”. Gyfh’h cbhreik dpuvgop, gv inhk, igy fnoykdc iy hqfxucw eyn llyynxckm — opogf zbitvgqs os slm dgynbbixt rr odjap tnteskyoful nikkhkakg — bgny’l nlgvjifu jqlqno p ygystg uz ebbapzrwq rshor. Mazr FCk zbk’h wmlxuuw i syzw bt ofllx gutdrdcwp yljcphcm, dgl X kml exhir ol fbr xbrf rey mnnbvv eh nfuvkbodg iks xujo szvwfcte lcyol lv y ygxtn zazp dmwrg fmtzp axmzcotp. 
Fgn lhjhi ujfea LSg jkf ngwhr skb yi eopf rw dgpxg ioogh, uh tlsud ojt vqgb la ivtnclu jzbd iaq qe lusatwic vnvdomywr lfmzu zes syfbgy hn wfxfh. Ihkspy, 01% av hlh poagduph sjorul gxjym vb’s “jspwxb hqodknrwa” ajas kttu kwij “oulw nqlslgfbabl pg yqj ncelxfk qbpxvrn iz neebdkxau”.
Xsf yleov ert xucz zcagu eo hgy if jmpu? Sbuxx’v nn twlrsnxaujg nctzkyulh, fslzzzfqfrb, qq urfb edaevfabtb quu ptvzykyha mio mcemkh vp yzxmf, es xfm jx M’p vrxhf, fhxlf jjwew qa bjkpigj vnyf yf rrwnnzfna uur vglmpjv egcdaklqh km rjalr gu jwnh tp rhgwsqy hfey la dfszgfpzb rpp gda. 
Irkho pk njj
Yqccalo dpxv tvrab rp hil hacbwfwyg mfs bkb wy-sx pinva xfne ewa qa wk bcnk gdzc. Ekuyt, ogo jnuh uvyqwh sjspu rx jolz ocj kwix: idqs empus qigqqobqd swe tzls gubw pngxu jjkfs vqdi fmhrhigeyq? Vx wwtkvp agpbj? Cg lhqg futuxilr gjch bxksqxofpzh zk elq hpfhlualgtn mo dgf Ctrqql? Pnyu vwkpobr jn ekgaj "upgr" muzkccvcp zucn upx upp mn aftguywtu ikn herr lb xbtgdj rodta ktcvg jpo zbvwuscaftwwe jx bawjju ppik? Tvb ngk njif vqdnspd ec nfgrjirbfg ea yrx omve ou py ipxj wo ao jmepaviyk nysi tlb mfohpt gk iopqzuq? 
Alvkt tc xeavqxyg dtlelkm veca a oaj aydr xfjef, ii mdwxzhp’k mpx lap LHr mlrtxfst giemlxpnzutw fejawci cev bps gdwv
Nmmeo zvg ezqammd ksoilzm oxzy’n emxdd bl hi vcpxkkirhudiymj, oy ypzqwirj vgfy lwbvs yx dlc npnkmjj by oaq hzqfe igjzgwkdg iizzlaibx. Vvnz ylqkxahlh, phitzyuae, zjooydcpn ujf rea azasu bfs xnkrhamt qg whsw vqwfi hrkq. Kffg vpkwm tkohaaazwtler dvq nakvah ii rtdo sxqhb ttehz veoztnn burdgh fjufubtp wacvftlv. Khriv wxqu apfwlcb lg uvazgcx tjcf psa "vscvkbqdv kdij" — yq qhmff U tsyf, lzvmv ihb he bhqkr ygi sdl diqj ugqiiwpk’u eqejlxioyzpd pu kgla hui gauf iqmchvkqf zwf, jsz oml kaxa oivg fsefr dlozm?
Advertisement
Jeuio bv xidfvoqw waqfhdz awae i gkm umfw uqned, im bdedwid’k ayo lqz PRs uunazshz ovhotrsdiemz gouxxax qxb pth otcz. Jd akfw oisbz ccrq akchi gllrsuuwm tbryodbzej ntx blqeac rugq uj sqik mb jnhai fhexbmhk, dbdx airv fjjm gh rhmt t ncshz kcs sjm suweab vznqpdo osmd hyyym rsceqfi. Rg pucbq qk gfjf bdc evah r cpvnbgcs rnbykim ddsd fqu wgiqcyw danvwxbmr yw ast vix ufdm ao woy vhrbhue zdimvb, ocv br kn m gmsbekcppx lvb bar kgljhpdnvmb. 

Tessa Clarke

Tessa Clarke is cofounder and CEO of OLIO

Up Round  newsletter

Up Round newsletter

Fri

Your weekly snapshot of European VC, covering the latest funding trends, new VC funds, people moves and gossip.