Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

Since 2009 we’ve been in an unequivocal bull market. An impressive number of new VCs have been created – most of them with new seed funds. Growth markets have a way of fooling us all. When markets start to turn shelfware companies are the quickest to die.

Marketing 354

Marketing Case Study Metrics Sales 354

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 20, 2015

VC funding. Our perspectives on the topic wax and wane with market cycles. If one entered between 2009-2015 he or she is no doubt in the “hazard” phase where one need to be careful about thinking he know more about the industry than perhaps he do. They enter the industry knowing that they know nothing.

Funding 150

Funding Venture Capital Startup Marketing 150

socalTECH

DECEMBER 28, 2016

Today's contribution is from Lawrence Ng , serial entrepreneur who, last year, founded OnRamp Fund , a $10 million incubator that invests in early stage startups. The partnership will bring about the first mass-market consumer application of AR drone piloting. The Fund has expertise in technology development and data management.

Funding 113

Funding Southern California Incubator Startup 113

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In the first post in this three part series I described why I believe the VC market froze between September 2008 – April 2009. When the market run started in March people were relieved that “the world wasn’t ending” so they started spending again. Unemployment continues to rise – Unemployment as of September 2009 is 9.7%

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Startup Funding Technical Review 269

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 8, 2020

Today, a startup that is doing this in the specific area of distressed property is announcing a round of growth funding to ramp up its team and expand its business. The funding is being led by QED Investors; Founders Fund, Susa Ventures, Navitas Capital, and Prudence Holdings also participated.

Sales 282

Sales Demand San Diego Funding 282

socalTECH

OCTOBER 9, 2019

There's a new opportunity in clean technology investments, according to venture capitalist Aaron Fyke , the head of a new, Pasadena-based venture capital investment fund, Thin Line Capital (www.thinlinecapital.com). Talk about the new firm and the new fund? Cleantech had an enormous rise and fall between 20006 and 2009.

Invest 113

Invest Capital Venture Capital Idealab 113

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 2, 2010

I’m writing this post to explain to entrepreneurs what you should be thinking about in terms of the VC’s you approach and the size and stage of their funds. VC’s often talk about this term as in the total amount of funds EVER raised by that VC. What is a VC fund? What is total assets under management? -

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Funding Invest GRP Partners 269

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2010

Beverly Hills-based Hydra Media , the cost-per-action (CPA) advertising network, has new funding in hand and legal issues behind it, and is now looking upmarket, the firm told socalTECH in an interview Thursday. How does the firm hope to attract more large brand advertisers?

Beverly Hills 165

Beverly Hills Funding Advertising SoCalTech 165

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 1, 2009

In my previous post, The VC Ice Age is Thawing (for now) I wrote about the reasons why the VC market came to a screeching halt in September 2008 and remained largely shut until at least April 2009. There are now signs the VC market has gathered pace meaning it’s a great time to be fund raising.

Venture Capital 255

Venture Capital Marketing Startup Social Network 255

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

Very few people fund individuals. You cannot be just a biz dev type, salesperson, marketing genius or whatever and divorce yourself from product. Market validation – This one is optional but important. At an angel round you can get away with no market validation. Team: You need a team. but the point is the same.

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

The rise of “micro VCs” or seed-stage funds. The rise of alternative sources of capital (crowd funding and the like). 15 years ago we were at the peak of Internet hype with the launch of many over-capitalized businesses with a market size & opportunity was limited. On the surface the narratives have been.

Venture Capital 398

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Seed Funding 398

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

It was 2009 and it was terribly difficult to get any financing (if you can remember a time like that!) and I thought if we brought the community together for common purpose we could create more of a sense of community to help new entrepreneurs get funded, assemble teams, raise profiles and help with biz dev, product, etc.

Venture Capital 290

Venture Capital Startup Idealab Funding 290

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 21, 2014

In one of the largest rounds for a Central Coast company in recent years--and the largest venture investment in San Luis Obispo ever--cloud software maker MindBody has raised $50M in a funding round. Mindbody first raised funding back in 2009, when it gained backing from the Tech Coast Angels, Pasadena Angels, and other local angels.

Tech Coast Angels 147

Tech Coast Angels Pasadena Angels Pasadena Venture Capital 147

socalTECH

JANUARY 14, 2013

Convetro , the online advertising targeting and optimization technology developer headed by serial entrepreneur Jeff Zwelling, has raised $5M in a Series B funding round, the company said this morning. The firm said the funding came from Bessemer Venture Partners and DAG Ventures, and will go towards sales and marketing.

Santa Monica 147

Santa Monica Advertising Equity Entrepreneur 147

socalTECH

MARCH 28, 2014

2U , an online education company which has significant operations in Los Angeles, has had a successful IPO on the NASDAQ Global Market, debuting Friday morning as TWOU. 2U was previously known as 2tor, and first raised funding back in 2009 , when Redpoint was a very active Los Angeles area investment firm. percent at 13.95

Redpoint 166

Redpoint USC Southern California Education 166

SoCal Tech Calendar

JANUARY 16, 2009

Thursday, January 22, 2009 -- "How to Win the Funding Game" TCVN. While entrepreneurs spend countless hours defining their market and their customers, they tend not to develop deep expertise when it comes to raising capital.

TCVN 100

TCVN Funding Entrepreneur Tool 100

SoCal Tech Calendar

JANUARY 16, 2009

Thursday, January 22, 2009 -- How to Fund Your Business When Venture Capital Has Said No. Without it, you can't make payroll, develop the next upgrade, or market your product. Venture funding isn't available to everyone, and-newsflash-isn't right for every company. Capital - CASH -- is a key ingredient for any business.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Technology Council TCOSC Capital 100

socalTECH

JANUARY 3, 2014

Goldberg was previously Chief Strategy Officer for the company, and has been an advisory board member for the company since it was founded in 2009. Venture Partners and the Checketts Partners Investment Fund. scorebig goldberg executive live entertainment sports marketplace market venue ticketmaster' READ MORE>>.

Ticketmaster 133

Ticketmaster Entertainment Los Angeles Invest 133

socalTECH

DECEMBER 15, 2010

Manhattan Beach-based Morphlabs , the provider of software for managing private and public cloud infrastructure, has raised $1M in funding from a strategic partner, the firm said this week. Morphlabs said that BroadBand Tower has been using its platform since late 2009. Morphlabs is headed by serial entrepreneur Winston Damarillo.

Manhattan Beach 157

Manhattan Beach Cloud Computing Platform Invest 157

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 10, 2015

in a Series A funding round. The funding was led by Alsop Louie Partners, and also included Arden Road Investments, Biotechonomy, Dolby Family Ventures, First Round Capital, Idealab and frogVentures. New Matter said the funding will go towards accelerating product development efforts. READ MORE>>.

Idealab 100

Idealab Pasadena Venture Capital Design 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2020

What you probably don’t realize is that the term disruptive brings its own set of baggage, implying to investors extra high risk, high market building costs, and a long slow ramp before payback. De Beers produced industrial diamonds, but found a market as well in engagement rings. Focus on a large opportunity in a low-growth market.

Startup 129

Startup Artificial Inteligence Examples Google 129

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 7, 2014

My view: “Spending any time or energy trying to game the ‘definition’ of your round of fund raising is a total waste. There weren’t a lot of seed funds in 2007 so this was often done by angels, funding consortia or sometimes early-stage funds that existed then (First Round Capital, True Ventures, SoftTech VC, etc.).

Seed Funding 399

Seed Funding Venture Capital Startup Entrepreneur 399

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 5, 2013

Interested in getting some help in getting your startup off the ground and funded? The group says that so far, from 2009 to 2011, it accepted 23 companies, of which 19 received funding worth a total of $80M; the accelerator said that the nine companies acquired exceeds $60M in proceeds.

Class 168

Class Startup Web Design Mentor 168

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2010

in funding, according to a regulatory filing by the firm. Source of the new funding was not disclosed. in funding in August of 2009. Westlake Village-based Zumbox , which is developing an electronic bill payment service, has raised an additional $9.7M The firm previously raised $8.0M

Zumbox 127

Zumbox Westlake Village Funding Services 127

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

There are too many deals to look at, too many seed funds or angels asking you to look at deals and weekly “demo days” with manicured and monocultural presentations crafted by experienced story tellers to help even the mundane idea sound like it will. One needs to be in during bull markets and bear markets.

Software Review 150

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Invest 150

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 24, 2014

As a result I didn’t write my first venture capital check until March 2009 – exactly 5 years ago. That company was Invoca, which just announced a $20 million fund raise led by Accel. So I think it’s now fair to rate me at 9/10 on follow-on fundings. I am closing 3 new fundings in April (2 new, 1 follow-on).

Venture Capital 387

Venture Capital Downey Writing Press 387

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2010

While many of my friends bragged about their 5 condos in Florida I kept talking about how the real estate market was in a bubble – their gains an illusion. above inflation yet in many markets in the US & Europe prices were rising at 10-25% per year. “Yeah, but there is a shortage of supply.

Invest 299

Invest Angel Technical Review Venture Capital 299

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2010

Santa Monica-based EdgeCast Networks , a content delivery network (CDN) provider, is announcing today that it has raised $10M in a Series C funding round. The new funding will go towards developing and launching new value-added services, expand its network, and for sales and marketing. READ MORE>>.

Networking 145

Networking Steamboat Ventures Santa Monica Content 145

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2010

Their first fund was a $75 million fund raised in 2006 and they very recently announced a brand new $130 million fund. Closing a VC fund in 2009/10 is a major achievement in and of itself. In the intro section of the show we talked a lot about why VC funds are becoming smaller again and where Greycroft fits.

Venture Capital 240

Venture Capital Startup Platform Technical Review 240

socalTECH

MAY 12, 2010

Mindflash said it has received funding from Investment Group of Santa Barbara (IGSB), although it did not disclose financial terms of that funding. Wells was CMO at Mint.com until its acquisition by Intuit in 2009; she has also served at Expedia as Senior Vice President of U.S. READ MORE>>.

Santa Barbara 145

Santa Barbara Training SaaS Venture Capital 145

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 29, 2009

When venture capitalists scale back investing activities it can be very swift and leave many companies that are in the process of fund raising hung out to dry. Just ask anybody who was trying to close funding the fateful week of September 11, 2001 or even March 2000. Why did the VC markets freeze so quickly?

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Startup Invest Funding 263

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 18, 2020

Difficulty in securing and protecting funding. Even in the best of times, funding for change initiatives can become a tempting target. Future growth and vitality requires equal attention to different metrics, including customer satisfaction, partnership growth, time to market tracks for new products, and internal change counts.

Metrics 122

Metrics Training Satisfaction IBM 122

socalTECH

JANUARY 19, 2010

San Juan Capistrano-based OptionEase , the stock options tracking and accounting software firm headed by Kimberly Kovacs, reports today that it had what it calls "significant growth" in 2009. According to OptionEase, the growth came because of "strong market demand" for its software for streamlining equity administration and compliance.

Miramar 145

Miramar SaaS Demand Equity 145

socalTECH

JANUARY 22, 2019

Kevin O'Connor: I've been doing venture since my first deal in 1995, and have been investing on and off since I moved to Santa Barbara in 2001, under the name O'Connor Ventures, and did that full time until 2009, when I started Graphiq, and switched back into doing another company. Kevin O'Connor: It's 100 percent our own funds.

Venture Capital 145

Venture Capital Startup Invest Capital 145

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 14, 2010

Marketing Director for Paypal Inc. CapLinked was founded in late 2009 by Eric M. As an investor, Christopher also appreciated how frustrating it could be on the other side of the table, where investors often go for months without hearing from the entrepreneurs they trusted with their funds. Jackson and Christopher Grey.

Marketing 92

Marketing Entrepreneur Competition Customer 92

socalTECH

JANUARY 25, 2010

Los Angeles-based Rubicon Project , the online ad optimization firm, said today that its analysis finds that online spending in Q4 of 2009 was up, resulting in an increase in CPMs by 34%. The firm is venture backed by $42M in funding from Clearstone Venture Partners, Mayfield Fund, IDG Ventures and GE/NBC Universal's Peacock Equity Fund.

Clearstone 113

Clearstone Advertising News Equity 113

SoCal Tech Calendar

AUGUST 21, 2009

Thursday, August 27, 2009 -- TCVN Deal Review. Need to raise funds? Entrepreneurs interested in becoming the market leaders in their industry or anyone interested in seeking equity funding should attend See [link] (more). Is your business "starved" for capital?

TCVN 100

TCVN Equity Entrepreneur Funding 100