Does “Better Data” Actually Lead to Better Investment Decisions?

Accomplished data professional with deep expertise in data science, strategy, and culture development. Renowned for driving data and AI strategies that foster data- driven transformation, Mustafa Torun was recognized as one of the top 65 global thought leaders in the Data-Driven VC Landscape in 2023. Currently leading the data team at Invest-NL, he is instrumental in steering the organization towards a robust, data-centric culture, empowering impactful decision-making and innovation.

Francesco was the former Director of Data at Greycroft , where he oversaw the firm’s data strategy and builds data-driven engines to source, screen, and assess new deals. Prior to Greycroft, Francesco spent three years at Balderton Capital leading the data and research function, working on end-to-end tools, data, and algorithms for the investment team. Previously, he worked at Anthemis Group as a Fellow, and as a post-doc researcher at Ca’ Foscari University. Francesco holds a PhD in Economics from LUISS Guido Carli.

Felix Zwart leads research and data at the Dutch Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (NVP) and serves on the board of the European Data Cooperative (EDC) — a joint initiative by Invest Europe and its national association partners that produces Europe's go-to dataset on private equity and venture capital activity, covering fundraising, investments, divestments, economic impact, and ESG. The data is recognised as authoritative by the European Commission, OECD, ESMA, and Statistics Netherlands (CBS). From that vantage point, Felix has spent years working through a deceptively simple question: what does it actually take to turn raw industry data into something institutions trust and act on? He brings that perspective to policy debates, academic research, and public discourse — through op-eds, evaluations, journal articles, and speaking engagements. He holds degrees in sociology and economics from Utrecht University, and is completing a PhD at Erasmus University Rotterdam on Public Policy, Private Ownership, and Firm Behaviour.