M&A Special — CB Insights buys Blockdata with Founders Anand Sanwal and Jonathan Knegtel
Listen on Spotify | Apple | Soundcloud
In a Wharton Fintech exclusive, Ryan Zauk goes behind the scenes with CB Insights Founder Anand Sanwal and Blockdata Founder Jonathan Knegtel to discuss their recent transaction.
The three of them walk through the details & rationale of the acquisition, the global state of blockchain, and the cold email Jonathan sent that started it all.
What was the email that caught Anand’s eye amongst a sea of inbounds? See below:
Why did Anand respond?
“What I appreciated about Jonathan’s email was it was direct, and I think that’s something a lot of people don’t do. They kind of talk around it — let’s partner, let’s exchange notes — candidly, there’s no time to just share notes with random people on the internet…it’s helpful that he said I thought about what we’re doing and here’s how it fits in with what you’re doing. I really appreciated that it wasn’t a lengthy email. It was a lucid email.”
Anand & Jonathan strike a perfect balance with Anand’s macro view of corporate blockchain strategies/appetite and Jonathan’s in-depth knowledge of the ecosystem. Jonathan lays out the current blockchain approach of the major markets below:
They cover a ton in these 30 minutes, sharing insights into global blockchain, M&A, and the future of their companies. We’ve highlighted some of our favorite bits below:
- How Anand & Jonathan first got into blockchain technology, and Jonathan’s first bitcoin purchase (4:19–6:53)
- The cold email that got Blockdata on Anand’s radar and what made it so effective (6:54–9:25)
- A deeper look at Blockdata and why Anand bought them (11:38–15:27)
- The roadblocks still facing global blockchain adoption (15:28–19:18)
- *Our favorite part…Jonathan comparing the blockchain regulatory ecosystem of the US, EU, and China (21:15–23:47)
- Where they see the most growth in blockchain tech ahead (24:31–27:01)
Listen on Spotify | Apple | Soundcloud
— —
Anand Sanwal is the CEO & Co-founder of CB Insights, a technology market intelligence platform that provides predictive intelligence into emerging technology trends, startups and corporate strategy. Prior to founding CB Insights, Anand managed the $50 million Chairman’s Innovation Fund at American Express and worked in VC and corporate M&A. Before AmEx, Anand worked at Kozmo.com, one of NYC’s most infamous dot com flameouts, where he learned that if you buy something for $2 and sell it for $1, you will not make it up in volume. He has degrees in Chemical Engineering from the University of Pennsylvania and in finance and accounting from the Wharton School of Business.
Jonathan Knegtel is a passionate community builder and connector of people and technology. Before he started wearing his wooden bow tie at blockchain meetups, he studied electrical engineering and has worked in startups as diverse as 3D food printing, private jets, bitcoin exchanges, and a data company tracking VC funding for tech companies. He co-founded Blockdata to help people track the growth and application of this revolutionary technology.
Previous Episodes You May Enjoy:
Analyzing the Sofi-Galileo Acquisition with Anthony Noto & Clay Wilkes
Plaid’s John Pitts on the Current Regulatory Landscape, COVID FinTech Adoption, and More
From Poker Star to Unicorn Founder — Nima Ghamsari, CEO/Co-Founder of Blend
Financial Literacy, Mocking Oprah, and Life Lessons with Neale S Godfrey
Investing in Transformational Technologies — Raj Ganguly, Co-Founder of B Capital Group
Creating Pathways to Better Financial Health — Anu Shultes, CEO of LendUp
Creating an African Fintech Giant — Olugbenga Agboola, Co-Founder & CEO of Flutterwave
For more insights from FinTech leaders, follow:
Wharton FinTech
Twitter | Medium | LinkedIn | Facebook | Instagram
Ryan Zauk
—
Ryan Zauk is an MBA Candidate at The Wharton School, where he runs the Wharton FinTech Podcast. After graduation, Ryan will join Morgan Stanley’s Menlo Park Office focused on technology. He has a passion for music, media, and all things FinTech.
You can reach him at rzauk@wharton.upenn.edu or on Twitter.
