Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2009

This is part of my ongoing series about Raising Venture Capital. A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. A few years ago it became fashionable for large VC’s to do seed funding. Some larger VCs felt they were being “scooped&# by some younger, nimbler and smaller VCs.

Seed Funding 283

Seed Funding Venture Capital Funding Software Review 283

socalTECH

OCTOBER 5, 2021

Los Angeles-based Jurny, a developer of software used by independent hotels and vacation and short-term rental property operators for property and guest management, has raised $9.5M The funding was led by Mucker Capital. According to the company, the funding will go towards global expansion of its product, Jurny Virtual.

Software Review 196

Software Review Screening Los Angeles Software 196

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 7, 2014

I spend a lot of time with startups and thus hear many companies talk about their approach to sales and their interactions with customers. I had dinner this week with a top new customer at one of our enterprise software investments. Contrast that with a VC conversation I had. We were talking about raising money from LPs.

Customer 341

Customer Custom Venture Capital Software Review 341

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2011

Sometime around 2003/04 my technology team turned me on to “Spolsky on Software&# a periodic newsletter served up blog style from Joel Spolsky of FogCreek Software, a maker of bug-tracking software. Blogs weren’t popularized yet so it was an oddity for me to read the founder of a software company spewing out advice.

Software Review 285

Software Review Software Blogging Startup 285

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

But what IS the right amount of burn for a company? Burn rate in case you don’t know is the amount of money a company is either spending (gross) or losing (net) per month. (it Conversely if you’re burning $600,000 per month (yes, some companies do) then you only have 5 months of cash left. Gross Burn vs. Net Burn.

Startup 383

Startup Company Companies .Net 383

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 29, 2011

I do not advocate that you perform unnatural acts in an attempt to make your company more advantageous to venture funding. LOCATION: I Wish They All Could Be California Companies. A clear trend over the past 15-years is that many Silicon Valley venture capitalists enjoy investing within driving distance.

Venture Capital 233

Venture Capital Capital Funding Technical Review 233

InfoChachkie

JULY 7, 2016

Note: I invest almost exclusively in b-to-b software companies. In contrast, we value entrepreneurs' time and thus our diligence generally includes introducing them to potential customers and partners. In turn, we receive unfiltered, frank feedback regarding the company’s product, team and value prop. Don’t Demo Me Bro.

Venture Capital 176

Venture Capital Product Software Review Technical Review 176

TechCrunch LA

MAY 20, 2021

Builders VC led the round, which included participation from Celtic, Newfund and Wish co-founder Danny Zhang. As more people spent time at home last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the startup saw its contract revenue spike by 5x, Wu says. The company plans to take its new capital and “go deep into the product side.”.

Technical Review 185

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Software Review 185

socalTECH

JANUARY 26, 2011

Manhattan Beach-based CapLinked , the developer of a software-as-a-service tool for managing venture capital and angel fundraising efforts for companies, said today that it has launched a free library of document templates covering the startup process. CapLinked, which is headed by PayPal alum Eric M. READ MORE>>.

Doc 178

Doc Software Review Manhattan Beach Template 178

socalTECH

JULY 30, 2020

Santa Monica-based MomentFeed , which develops software used by retail brands for optimizing mobile and proximity searches, has raised $10M more in funding, the company said on Thursday. The funding was led by Level Equity, and also included Signia Venture Partners, Draper Nexus, and DFJ Frontier, all prior investors.

Software Review 157

Software Review Draper Santa Monica Google 157

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2009

On December 2nd, 2006 I wrote the blog post published later in this post when I was CEO of startup Koral about my experiences in pitching VCs. After my company was acquired by Salesforce.com I was asked to stop blogging and they took over my blog as an asset in the sale of the company. My blog was wiped out. Tempus Fugit.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2014

I always advise software startups to file patents to protect their “secret sauce” from competitors, and to increase their valuation. This patent holding company has charged infringement and demanded royalties from every app developer for the iPhone and Android, for a feature most agree has been in apps for many years.

Patents 100

Patents Software Review Software Technical Advisors 100

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 25, 2009

Beware of VC Seagulls, who shit on you and then fly away (or worse yet leave you with Red Herrings). I write this post as a warning to pick your VC’s carefully. I like to say to first-time entrepreneurs, picking a VC is more permanent than marriage. I guarantee this is a bad VC. Let me explain.

Venture Capital 297

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur 297

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Fast forward to almost exactly one year later, and a lot has changed for the payments and software startup. Today, SpotOn said it has closed on $300 million in Series E financing that values the company at $3.15 SpotOn is paying $415 million in cash and stock for the Los Angeles-based company. Image Credits: SpotOn.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Software Review Invest Acquisition 296

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. It affects even B2B companies because ultimately most must sell to companies who sell to consumers and if they suffer they cut back on suppliers.

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Startup Funding Technical Review 269

TechCrunch LA

FEBRUARY 6, 2022

Hello friends, and welcome back to Week in Review ! The company’s stock tanked by more than 26 percent, representing a $230 billion reduction in market cap and a $31 billion drop in Zuckerberg’s personal net worth. Last week, we talked about about the “de-stonkifying” of the market.

Marketing 246

Marketing Newsletter Technical Review News 246

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2019

With Startup Boost, we had dozens of investors, service providers, successful entrepreneurs, and major industry leaders (including Microsoft, Google, Softbank, REME, and TechStars) coalesce around our initiative to help early stage companies get to the next level. Yet they turned-out each and every week of our six-week programs.

Technical Review 157

Technical Review Software Review Startup Coach 157

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

He eventually founded and sold consumer health firm ViSalus to a public company and is now back making investments, in technology companies, as a venture capitalist here at Los Angeles-based HashtagOne (www.hashtagone.com). After we sold it to that public company, I founded HashtagOne. It's all about leverage.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Technical Review Software Review 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 17, 2017

Tortuga Logic , a new startup focused on chip-level cybersecurity technology whose founders include professors from UC San Diego and UC Santa Barbara, has raised $2M in a seed funding, the company disclosed on Thursday. The seed funding came from Eclipse Ventures.

Software Review 124

Software Review UCSD Santa Barbara San Diego 124

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

Lots of discussion these days about the changes in the VC industry. The VC industry grew dramatically as a result of the Internet bubble - Before the Internet bubble the people who invested in VC funds (called LPs or Limited Partners) put about $50 billion into the industry and by 2001 this had grown precipitously to around $250 billion.

Venture Capital 311

Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding Rustic Canyon 311

socalTECH

DECEMBER 1, 2020

San Diego-based GoSite , which operates an online platform to help small businesses bring their business online, has raised $40M in a Series B funding round, the company announced this morning. The funding was led by Left Lane Capital, and also included Longley Capital, Cove Fund, Stage 2, Ankona Capital and Serra Ventures.

Services 113

Services Software Review San Diego Platform 113

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2021

Los Angeles-based Magnite, the sell-side advertising software developer which was previously known as Rubicon Project, says it has priced an offering of $350M in convertible senior notes. The company said the convertible note offering was made to qualified institutional buyers. The notes are due in 2026.

Pricing 113

Pricing Software Review .Net Advertising 113

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

Today I’m handing her the largest A-round check I’ve ever written as a VC as we lead her $10 million A-Round at uBeam. As I’ve written about recently, at Upfront Ventures we started talking a couple of years ago about wanting to fund stuff with more meaning. We hired IP specialists to review prior art.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 23, 2012

Los Angeles-based CapLinked , the developer of software for helping companies to raise capital which is headed by Eric M. Companies use CapLinked to help manage the fundraising process in angel, venture capital, and other fundraising efforts. According to CapLinked, the PRO accounts start at $39 per month.

Software Review 140

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Los Angeles 140

socalTECH

JANUARY 24, 2020

Glendale-based Reveleer , a developer of cloud-based software used for managing medical data, has raised a Series C found of financing, the company said this week. The company said the funding was led by Boston Millenia Partners, and also included existing investor Upfront Ventures.

Funding 113

Funding Software Review Glendale Organization 113

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 29, 2021

One customer assumed that poor usage rates at a particular station was due to a lack of EVs in the area, Terry recalled in a recent interview. “There was an abandoned vehicle parked there and the station was surrounded by mud,” said Terry who is CEO and co-founded the company with Evette Ellis. Hiring approach.

Incubator 287

Incubator Outsource Development Los Angeles Startup 287

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 9, 2018

You race back to the office to tell everybody how well it went and you wait for the follow-up call to have a partners’ meeting or talk about term sheets or at least dip into due diligence. This is a very common scenario when entrepreneurs pitch VCs and frankly is a very common scenario when VCs try to raise money from LPs.

Software Review 381

Software Review Startup Email Conference 381

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 2, 2015

For today''s Insights and Opinions section, where we feature contributions from our readers and others in the community, we have Peter Cowen , a veteran of the technology and venture capital industry at Clear Capital Advisors. peter cowen insights opinions subscription essay review economy' READ MORE>>.

Software Review 100

Software Review Technical Review Conference Venture Capital 100

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 9, 2017

Santa Monica-based enterprise software developer Cornerstone OnDemand has raised $300M in a strategic investment from private equity investor Silver Lake, according to the company. Cornerstone said the investment came after a "review of strategic alternatives", including both solicited and unsolicited interest in the company.

Silver Lake 113

Silver Lake Cornerstone OnDemand Software Review Santa Monica 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2021

As a business advisor, I have to recommend even to established companies that they review and revamp their competitive strategy now, even if it appears to be working today. The old approaches of controlling distribution channels, saturating retail, and methodically scaling your brand awareness don’t protect you anymore.

Competition 142

Competition Software Review Social Media Customer 142

TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 29, 2020

Kleiner Perkins , one of the most storied franchises in venture capital, has already invested much of the $600 million it raised last year and is now going back out to the market to raise its 19th fund, according to multiple sources. Companies are raising some angel money or Y Combinator money.”

IBM 164

IBM IBM Venture Capital Invest 164

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2014

It’s the company that evokes fear into more startups and venture capitalists looking to fund eCommerce businesses than any other potential competitor. He spent a few months building out the software because just taking stuff from people isn’t that difficult. Tech Market Analysis Upfront Ventures makespace'

Technical Review 380

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire Startup 380

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 14, 2011

Dat told us about the issues with valuation, how his experience in a Big 4 accounting firm led to starting the company, and where the company is going next. What does your company do? Why did you decide to start your own company? Who would be purchasing the software? That's my background in valuation.

Software Review 193

Software Review Startup Venture Capital Software 193

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 15, 2009

This is a story of one of the risks of venture capital. When you’re an early-stage startup that hasn’t raised any institutional money you end up doing almost every job function of the company yourself. Our first big round of venture capital (our A round) was a whopping $16.5 This is what happened to me.

Startup 299

Startup Venture Capital Technical Review Training 299

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

Yeah, that was when I changed for me…” “…there was so much positive feedback on demystifying this one element of venture capital. A deep dive into the Foundry Group investment philosophy including an interesting discussion of their investing Themes. “… our lens is: Internet Software Companies anywhere in the U.S.

Venture Capital 288

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Software Review 288

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 19, 2013

The era of VCs investing in successful consumer Internet startups such as eBay led to a belief system that seemed to permeate many enterprise software startups that hiring sales or implementation people was a bad thing. We only want software revenue.” We prefer to sell software, not get involved with client systems.”

Startup 403

Startup Sales Software Review Technical Review 403

socalTECH

JANUARY 28, 2016

Los Angeles- and Berlin-based eKomi , a developer of software to solicit ratings and reviews from e-commerce customers, has added Anastassia Lauterbach to its board of directors. The company looks to have set up its Beverly Hills offices and took a big funding from Goldman Sachs in August. READ MORE>>.

Beverly Hills 100

Beverly Hills Software Review Invest Commerce 100