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<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Môrena colleagues, <o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="color:black">Please join us on zoom for our next
<b>Research Seminar</b>. We will hear from </span><b><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/mfco/staff/olivier-jutel">Olivier Jutel</a></span><span style="color:black"> (The University of Otago)
</span></b><span style="color:black">on <b>‘A Critical Theory of Venture Capital’</b> at
<b>3pm NZT (1pm AEST) </b>on <b>Tues 9<sup>th</sup> Sept.</b> Please </span><span style="color:black"><a href="https://forms.gle/MhJfW1cSWs8QfWYR7">register</a> for the zoom link.
<i>All welcome!</i></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p style="margin:0cm"><span style="color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="color:black">Abstract: A Critical Theory of Venture Capital</span></b><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">Venture capital (VC) embodies powerful fictions about the nature of capitalism, technological progress and the state.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><b><span style="color:black"> </span></b></span><span style="color:black">VC
is a particular formation of financial, technological and ideological power that remains under-theorized in political economy, communication studies and critical theories of technology. I hold that it is the hegemonic fraction of capitalist power due to its
popularization of specific techno-fantasies. Global corporate behemoths like Google, Meta and Nvidia serve as tales of VC backed abundance. The likes of Peter Thiel and Marc Andreessen cultivate the mystique of single-minded iconoclasts who have stared into
‘the abyss of death’ and emerged as ‘dragon slayers’.<b> </b></span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">This presentation will outline a broad theory of VC power from private networks of finance, a media eco-system and an unbounded geography of techno-experimentation. At the heart of VC power are the financial and ideological imperatives
of exit. The logics of growth, scale and monopoly are premised upon venture capitalists exiting from an equity stake. Ideologically exit fuels performative contrarianism, an arbitraging of the public trust and fantasies of ‘Network States’ and freedom cities.
Social networks and culture war are essential to the valorization of VC networks. a16z is exemplary having described itself as “a media company that monetizes via investing” while championing technologies such as web3 that seek to make users venture capitalists
in miniature. The VC philosopher or influencer emerges through this convergence of social networks and financialization to dictate future social necessity. </span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<b><span style="color:black">Bio</span></b><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">Olivier's work is centred on the geopolitics of digital media and emerging technologies. In his first post at the University of the South Pacific he saw the importance of the developing world to American narratives of network freedom
and NGO experiments in Fintech. Emerging technologies continue to be dominated by colonial logics of abundance and the venture capitalist dream of 'blue oceans'. Olivier's work has looked at blockchain in the developing world as an extension of American techno-colonialism.
This has included the rise of</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><u><span style="color:black"><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/2053951720985249" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.sagepub.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1177%2F2053951720985249&data=05%7C02%7Crosemary.overell%40otago.ac.nz%7C101175ce7fcd48beb88308dde9aac383%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C"><span style="color:#FE46A5">Pacific
blockchain imperalism,</span></a></span></u><span style="color:black"> <u><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2666389921003056" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.sciencedirect.com%2Fscience%2Farticle%2Fpii%2FS2666389921003056&data=05%7C02%7Crosemary.overell%40otago.ac.nz%7C101175ce7fcd48beb88308dde9aac383%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7"><span style="color:#FE46A5">crypto-colonialism</span></a></u> in</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><u><span style="color:black"><a href="https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/blockchain/articles/10.3389/fbloc.2023.1160257/full" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.frontiersin.org%2Fjournals%2Fblockchain%2Farticles%2F10.3389%2Ffbloc.2023.1160257%2Ffull&data=05%7C02%7Crosemary.overell%40otago.ac.nz%7C101175ce7fcd48beb88308dde9aac383%7C0225efc578fe4"><span style="color:#FE46A5">West
Africa</span></a></span></u><span style="color:black"> or the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><u><span style="color:black"><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/29768624251325128#bibr73-29768624251325128" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fjournals.sagepub.com%2Fdoi%2Ffull%2F10.1177%2F29768624251325128%23bibr73-29768624251325128&data=05%7C02%7Crosemary.overell%40otago.ac.nz%7C101175ce7fcd48beb88308dde9aac383%7C0225efc578fe492"><span style="color:#FE46A5">platform
imperialism</span></a></span></u><span style="color:black"> of American policy settings in Aotearoa / New Zealand. More recently he has written about the Network State movement of venture and crypto nomads, which Gizmodo has dubbed the</span><span class="apple-converted-space"><span style="color:black"> </span></span><u><span style="color:black"><a href="https://gizmodo.com/worst-new-trend-of-2024-techno-colonialism-and-the-network-state-movement-2000525617" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fgizmodo.com%2Fworst-new-trend-of-2024-techno-colonialism-and-the-network-state-movement-2000525617&data=05%7C02%7Crosemary.overell%40otago.ac.nz%7C101175ce7fcd48beb88308dde9aac383%7C0225efc"><span style="color:#FE46A5">"Worst
New Trend of 2024"</span></a></span></u><span style="color:black">..</span><span style="color:#212121"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:#212121"><o:p> </o:p></span></p>
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<span style="color:black">Ngâ mihi<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:black">Rosie.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p>
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<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><a href="https://www.otago.ac.nz/mfco/staff/rosemaryoverell.html" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.otago.ac.nz%2Fmfco%2Fstaff%2Frosemaryoverell.html&data=05%7C02%7Covero05p%40otagouni.mail.onmicrosoft.com%7C9cf135f1c54d41dbc16008dd90dba3e4%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7"><span style="color:#0563C1">Rosemary
Overell</span></a></span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Pűkenga Matua | Senior Lecturer</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Pâpâho, Whitiâhua, Pârokoroko | Media, Film & Communication Programme</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Ôtâkou Whakaihu Waka | The University of Otago</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Otepoti | Dunedin</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Aotearoa New Zealand</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">9054</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><b><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Latest publications:</span></b><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Overell, R. (2024). ‘<i>Don’t Worry Darling</i>: The anxious question of what women want after #MeToo’. <i>Psychoanalysis, Culture & Society</i><a href="https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-024-00461-5" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fdoi.org%2F10.1057%2Fs41282-024-00461-5&data=05%7C02%7Covero05p%40otagouni.mail.onmicrosoft.com%7C9cf135f1c54d41dbc16008dd90dba3e4%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C63882599523648"><span style="color:#0563C1">https://doi.org/10.1057/s41282-024-00461-5</span></a></span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Millar, I., Nicholls, B., Overell, R., & Tutt, D. (2023). Power and politics in Adam Curtis' <i>Can't get you out of my head</i>: An emotional history of the modern
world. In C. Owens & S. Meehan O'Callaghan (Eds.), <i><a href="https://www.routledge.com/Psychoanalysis-and-the-Small-Screen-The-Year-the-Cinemas-Closed/Owens-OCallaghan/p/book/9781032223223" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.routledge.com%2FPsychoanalysis-and-the-Small-Screen-The-Year-the-Cinemas-Closed%2FOwens-OCallaghan%2Fp%2Fbook%2F9781032223223&data=05%7C02%7Covero05p%40otagouni.mail.onmicrosoft.com%7C9"><span style="color:#0563C1;font-style:normal">Psychoanalysis
and the small screen: The year the cinemas closed</span></a></i>. (pp. 163-189). Abingdon, UK: Routledge.</span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB">Overell, R. (2025). ‘<a href="https://theconversation.com/on-her-new-album-lorde-creates-pop-at-its-purest-performative-playful-and-alive-to-paradox-259994"><span style="color:#467886">On
her new album, Lorde creates pop at its purest – performative, playful and alive to paradox’</span></a>.
<i>The Conversation</i>. 30<sup>th</sup> June.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"> </span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><a href="https://scholar.google.co.nz/citations?user=ZW7oyEAAAAAJ&hl=en" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fscholar.google.co.nz%2Fcitations%3Fuser%3DZW7oyEAAAAAJ%26hl%3Den&data=05%7C02%7Covero05p%40otagouni.mail.onmicrosoft.com%7C9cf135f1c54d41dbc16008dd90dba3e4%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9b"><span style="color:#0563C1">Google
Scholar</span></a></span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><a href="http://www.linkedin.com/in/rosemary-overell-047786222" title="https://apc01.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.linkedin.com%2Fin%2Frosemary-overell-047786222&data=05%7C02%7Covero05p%40otagouni.mail.onmicrosoft.com%7C9cf135f1c54d41dbc16008dd90dba3e4%7C0225efc578fe4928b1579ef24809e9ba%7C0%7C0%7C638"><span style="color:#0563C1">LinkedIn</span></a></span><span style="color:#212121;mso-ligatures:none;mso-fareast-language:EN-GB"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
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