E116: Eva Yazhari: Beyond Capital Ventures

In this episode of the Female VC Lab podcast, host Barbara Bickham sits down with Eva Yazhari, Managing Partner at Beyond Capital Ventures. Eva shares her unique journey from institutional finance to venture capital, detailing how her background in hedge funds and investment banking shaped her relational and impact-driven approach to investing. She dives into the Beyond Capital Ventures thesis of backing “need-to-haves” led by conscious leaders in emerging markets like Africa and India, focusing on health care, fintech, mobility, and ag tech.

Eva discusses how her firm supports the formalization of small agricultural businesses, offers innovative solutions like land aggregation for smallholder farmers, and invests in category-creating startups – including a mobility company building battery swap networks. She also opens up about growing Beyond Capital Ventures into a multi-asset firm with a credit strategy, the importance of sustainable leadership, and her commitment to building community through unique carry-sharing initiatives with both team members and founders.

Tune in to learn more about Eva’s vision for the future of venture capital, the significance of niche investment strategies, and her philosophy of conscious leadership and aligned incentives.

Connect with Eva Yazhari:

• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/eva-yazhari/

• Instagram: @consciousinvestor

• Book: The Good Your Money Can Do (thegoodyourmoneycando.com)

• Beyond Capital Ventures: beyondcapitalventures.com

Don’t miss this insightful conversation on impact investing, leadership, and building a better, more inclusive venture ecosystem!

Beyond the Check: How Conscious Leadership and Niche Strategies Are Shaping Venture Capital with Eva Yazhari

Managing Partner of Beyond Capital Ventures, Eva Yazhari, reveals her journey from institutional finance to trailblazer of impact-driven VC, why prioritizing conscious leadership is essential, and where the future of venture capital is headed.

Entering Venture Capital: A Serendipitous Journey

On episode 116 of the Female VC Lab podcast, Eva Yazhari, Managing Partner at Beyond Capital Ventures, shared her unconventional journey into the venture industry. Eva’s entrance wasn’t the result of a lifelong plan, but a series of exploratory steps, beginning with her studies in mathematics at Columbia University. Encouraged by a friend, she took her analytical talents into finance, quickly realizing that investment banking wasn’t her calling. Instead, Eva found her footing at a hedge fund of funds, eventually helping her firm allocate hundreds of millions and raise $4.8 billion over five years.

This experience proved invaluable. Not only did Eva learn the intricate mechanics of running a fund—a skill she sees as undervalued in venture capital—but she also developed a relational and diligence-oriented approach to investing. Building relationships and staying hands-on with portfolio companies became Eva’s signature style, laying the foundation for her future in venture capital.

The Beyond Capital Ventures Thesis: Investing in Conscious Leadership

At Beyond Capital Ventures, Eva’s investment thesis revolves around “need to haves” led by conscious leaders—founders who consider the impact of their decisions on all stakeholders, not just shareholders. Why is this approach important? Eva stresses that in rapidly developing regions like Africa and India, successful companies must account for everything from community welfare to government relationships and environmental stewardship.

The firm takes a relational approach, investing in technologies and services designed for the rising middle classes. Core verticals include healthcare, fintech, mobility, and even a growing interest in agtech—critical areas for markets with youthful, burgeoning populations. The fund’s distinct philosophy aims to formalize and empower informal industries, not to replace them, but to enhance their capabilities and unlock market opportunities.

Empowering “Informal” Industries: Scaling from the Ground Up

Many businesses in emerging markets operate informally—smallholder farmers, for example, often lack access to resources needed for growth. Rather than labeling these businesses as “informal” in a pejorative sense, Eva sees them as untapped engines of development. Beyond Capital Ventures invests in ways to formalize and scale these enterprises.

One standout example is Cinch, a portfolio company that aggregates idle plots of land from smallholder farmers. Cinch’s tagline, “turning idle land into income,” captures their mission. By consolidating these patches, they meet commercial contracts and build value chains at scale—crucial for feeding Africa’s growing population and turning regional assets into widespread prosperity.

Multi-Asset Strategy: Expanding Beyond Traditional VC

Eva is no stranger to innovation within fund management itself. With the launch of their third fund and a new credit strategy, Beyond Capital Ventures has grown into a multi-asset firm. This move has enabled the fund to offer senior secured loans—anchored by strong collateral—to its portfolio companies. The outcome? Faster returns to investors, greater business sustainability for the firm, and the ability to tap returns that rival top-quartile venture funds.

Eva reflects that diversifying the business model is a powerful hedge, especially as fund responsibilities and team size grow. This lesson in organizational resilience is proving to be a critical differentiator for Beyond Capital Ventures.

The Future of Venture Capital: The Power of Niche and Conscious Culture

Looking forward, Eva predicts that while mega-funds chase scale in AI and SaaS, the most meaningful outperformance—“the alpha”—will be found in specialized, purposeful strategies that put value-add, sourcing, and thoughtful exits at their core.

Internally, Eva focuses on conscious leadership. By modeling values she wants permeating her firm—transparency, inclusivity, and a mindset of abundance—Eva aims to redefine industry norms. Shared ownership is a hallmark: every team member, from executives to assistants, and even portfolio founders, receive a share of the carried interest, aligning incentives and fostering a true sense of community.

Conclusion: Aligning Purpose, People, and Profits

From math student to fund builder, Eva Yazhari’s path demonstrates the power of intentionality—both in investment focus and in firm culture. By investing in conscious leaders, formalizing informal economies, embracing multi-asset strategies, and redefining stakeholder alignment, Beyond Capital Ventures is setting a new standard for the future of venture capital.

To connect with Eva, find her on LinkedIn, Instagram (@ConsciousInvestor), or visit Beyond Capital Ventures. For a deeper dive into values-driven investing, check out her book: “The Good Your Money Can Do.”