The Sandbox: How Sandwater turns data into venture insights
From day one, it was important for us to take ownership of our own data. The real shift started when we started structuring it, writes our Head of Operations and Finance, Morten Korsveien.
Over the past year, we’ve been deliberately shaping Sandwater into a more data-driven VC firm. With the average life time of a VC software tool now measured in months, building a scalable and flexible data foundation matters more than ever. We do this through simple progression: first, we collect the data. Second, we structure the data. Thirdly, we act on the data.Like most VC firms, Sandwater had no shortage of data. We have inbound deal flow, deal activity and market data, all flowing through emails, forms, CRM systems, excel and powerpoints. From day one, it was important for us to take ownership of our own information. The real shift started when we started structuring it. To stay ahead venture capital firms need not only to adapt quickly but to think strategically about their data architecture and design systems. The firm needs to be flexible and ready to integrate the next generation of AI capabilities.Over the past months we’ve been building The Sandbox: it’s our internal data and AI platform designed to connect the tools, systems and insights that helps us apply what already works today, while staying adaptable as capabilities evolve.From fragmented tools to connected intelligenceThe Sandbox brings together data from core systems used across the investment and operations process: deal management, market intelligence, portfolio tracking, and internal documentation, into one unified structure.
The goal is straightforward: reducing manual work across sourcing, diligence, and portfolio management, with data helping us make better decisions.The platform already powers:An AI-driven deal scoring framework aligned with Sandwater’s themes. This helps us screen incoming deals better and faster. An assistant the team can use for searching through all relevant Sandwater data. The tool is able to search and summarize internal knowledge. Automated collection of portfolio updates and relevant market signals. With the tool we can get access to the latest news and updates across the portfolio. Building the next layer – from data to decisionsAs discussed at Vestberry’s Venture Intelligence Day and the SuperReturn CFO/COO Forum, the industry focus is rapidly moving beyond data collection towards turning live data into action. This applies across both investments and operationsFor us, being data-driven isn’t about hype. It’s about making better decisions, faster, across all dimensions at Sandwater.
The goal is straightforward: reducing manual work across sourcing, diligence, and portfolio management, with data helping us make better decisions.The platform already powers: