Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 17, 2019

I became a VC 12 years ago in 2007 when the pace of deals was much slower. I had just left Salesforce.com where I was VP, Products, after they had acquired my second startup. It proved to be fortuitous because it allowed me the time & space I needed to get to know tons of founders and VCs and to hone my craft.

Venture Capital 223

Venture Capital IP Startup Google 223

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 7, 2019

Irvine-based Kajabi , which develops a platform that helps both individuals, as well as small- and mid-sized businesses monetize online courses, training materials, and other content, has receive an investment from private equity investor Spectrum Equity. Financial details of the minority growth investment were not announced.

Equity 138

Equity Funding Training Course 138

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2019

Los Angeles-based SHO Products , which is a manufacturer and distributor of products for the growing cannabis (legal marijuana) market, said today that it has raised $3.6M The funding was led by New York philanthropist and venture capital investor Ann Tenenbaum, along with other, un-named investors.

Product 113

Product Southern California Venture Capital Equity 113

socalTECH

AUGUST 31, 2016

Los Angeles-based Prime Focus Technologies , a developer of ERP software for the media industry, says it has received its first round of funding from private equity investor Ambit Pragma. Size of the investment was not announced.

Equity 145

Equity Culver City Invest Technology 145

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 13, 2018

If you truly believe that you, your company and your products are exceptional and your company will be valuable then you’re actually doing them a FAVOR by helping them invest in your startup. If you don’t believe in your bones that you’re amazing then it’s no wonder you don’t want to sell them on making the investment.”

Venture Capital 332

Venture Capital Funding Startup Sales 332

socalTECH

JULY 13, 2020

--who is based in Los Angeles--has launched a brand new startup accelerator called Product Club , which is aiming itself at accelerating a small class of product-focused startups. The new accelerator said it will invest $100K in three companies, taking 5 percent equity, and run its accelerator entirely remote.

Product 113

Product Startup Class Venture Capital 113

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 21, 2019

Irvine-based SurePrep , a developer of tax automation software and services for the professional tax return preparation market, has received what it calls a "significant" minority growth investment. The investment came from private equity investor Bregal Sagemount. Size and details on the financing round were not announced.

Invest 138

Invest Equity Software Help 138

socalTECH

APRIL 10, 2014

Los Angeles-based private equity investor Gores Group said Thursday that it has invested in Tweddle , a major provider of publishing and technology for the automotive OEM and supplier market. Financial details of the investment were not disclosed. Tweddle provides owner''s anse service manuals to OEMs using its technology.

Invest 147

Invest Equity Commerce Venture Capital 147

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 26, 2020

The name “investment bank” somehow always sounded like a place where I could deposit my investments, and maybe even earn a little interest. Then I learned that these banks really negotiate investments and collect fees on the transactions, sort of like commercial banks do with loans to businesses. Very confusing.

Invest 144

Invest Entrepreneur Venture Capital Funding 144

socalTECH

JUNE 4, 2010

General Motors announced Friday morning that it has entered into the venture capital industry, and created its own transportation venture capital arm called General Motors Ventures, LLC. Lauckner, former GM of Global product Planning.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Capital Southern California Equity 150

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2022

A major chunk of this activity is provided by the newer class of “super angels,” who often look more like micro-VCs, except that they are investing their own money. Institutional venture capital dispensed in 2021 reached record highs of almost $330 billion, up significantly from the last few years.

Guide 136

Guide Venture Capital Funding Class 136

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2011

This is the final part of a 3-part series on the major changes in the structure of the software & the venture capital industries. The result was a massive increase in startups & a whole group of new funding sources: both angels & “micro VCs&#. But … Downsizing Venture Capital.

Venture Capital 289

Venture Capital Capital Cloud Computing Marketing 289

socalTECH

APRIL 25, 2018

JMI Equity , the private equity firm which has one of its main offices in La Jolla, is the lead investor in a round for Phoenix, Arizona-based CampusLogic. CampusLogic said it will use the new investment for product development, customer success, and sales and marketing. READ MORE>>.

Equity 100

Equity Funding Tool Sales 100

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2010

I recently got an email from a friend who had been approached by a well known VC. I’m an investor at [Big Name, Large Fund VC] and recently came across [Your Company]. It's big, well known & we've invested in all of these really cool companies]. Why do VCs send generic outbound emails like this?

Venture Capital 294

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Email Equity 294

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 28, 2010

This was the first episode where Jason wasn’t on the show, which gave me the chance to have another VC on the show to discuss deals. Rustic Canyon is an LA-based, but geography-agnostic VC that is currently investing from a $200 million fund. VC Financings: 1. So my gut says this will be a youth-oriented product.

Venture Capital 270

Venture Capital Capital Rustic Canyon Mobile 270

socalTECH

APRIL 26, 2018

San Diego-based Mitchell International , a provider of technology and information products for the property and casualty and collision repair industries, has scored a private equity funding from Stone Point Capital. Size of the investment was not announced.

Equity 113

Equity Funding Technical Review San Diego 113

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 25, 2023

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. These are the only people likely to believe in newbies, with only minimal product evidence or business experience.

Startup 109

Startup Funding Equity Invest 109

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. We spent our future since the equity was artificial. This is tied to having consumers who feel confident enough to spend. Consumer spending is where I’m dubious. So why the ’09 bounce?

Venture Capital 269

Venture Capital Startup Funding Technical Review 269

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 30, 2010

Every investment so far in this YC batch (and there have been a lot) has been done on a convertible note.&#. Convertible debt is an investment that “converts&# into equity in the future usually at a discount to your next funding round price and sometimes has a “cap&# (maximum price). In my mind the deal is priced.

Equity 319

Equity Pricing Venture Capital Entrepreneur 319

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. But many have no insight or connections to the ethereal angel investment community, which In the U.S. Most share expertise as well as money.

Venture Capital 106

Venture Capital Angel Seed Funding Invest 106

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 15, 2010

We started this week’s show with a Q&A session where I answered viewer questions about fund raising and the VC industry. Heck, stick around and watch me discuss the seed funding debate that is going on right now and what is happening in the VC industry overall. Google’s investment in Zynga. Great exit. -

Venture Capital 210

Venture Capital Seed Funding Pricing Southern California 210

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

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2010

One of the questions I’m most often asked is, “what’s it like being a VC?&# I’ve been a VC for nearly 3 years now. I always start my answer to this question with, “you’d have to be a pretty big baby to complain about being a VC.&# And the VC job has plenty of admin and minutiae.

Venture Capital 312

Venture Capital Technical Review Startup Entrepreneur 312

Xconomy

OCTOBER 27, 2016

Prices for agricultural commodities such as corn, soy, and wheat are at their lowest levels in years, but investment in agricultural technology has never been better. They also queried 15 VC firms. Just 10 percent of corporate investments were made to build new technological capabilities, the report says.

Venture Capital 40

Venture Capital Pricing Invest Report 40

socalTECH

JUNE 17, 2020

The funding round came from invest investors Valor Equity Partners and Razi Ventures, and also included prior investors Union Square Ventures (USV), Upfront Ventures, Hearst Ventures, Pritzker Group Venture Capital, and DJI.

Santa Monica 113

Santa Monica Venture Capital Equity Software Development 113

socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2019

Graduway , a developer of software used for alumni engagement and career services management, has scored an investment from Manhattan Beach-based investor K1 Investment Management. Size and terms of the investment were not announced. K1 Investment Management says it invests in high growth, enterprise software companies.

Manhattan Beach 113

Manhattan Beach Invest UCLA Education 113

socalTECH

JANUARY 16, 2015

Venture capitalists invested more than $1.3 billion in Southern California startup, according to the latest MoneyTree Report issued by PricewaterhouseCoopers and the National Venture Capital Association last night, based on data from Thomson Reuters. in investments in San Diego. in investments in San Diego.

Southern California 100

Southern California Invest Orange County San Diego 100

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

[Email readers, continue here…] Bootstrapping: This term describes your ability to start a business with little investment and grow it using internally-generated funds. Strategic partner” investors: If you can find a strategic partner willing to invest in your enterprise, consider it a blessing.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

socalTECH

JUNE 2, 2010

Carlsbad-based Life Technologies said Wednesday that it has made an equity investment in Synthetic Genomics , a firm commercializing synthetic genomic advances. Terms of the investment were not announced. Life Technologies said SGI is applying its technology to bienergy, food production, clean water, and vaccine development.

Invest 154

Invest Technology Venture Capital Equity 154

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2021

Many first-time entrepreneurs find themselves unable to bootstrap their startups, and also unable to find early funding at the venture capital level or even with angel investors. These are the only people likely to believe in newbies, with only minimal product evidence or business experience.

Funding 138

Funding Startup Equity Invest 138

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. I would argue that the shut-down of September 2009 was equally severe yet there are signs that this “VC Ice Age” has begun to thaw. Short answer – yes.

Venture Capital 263

Venture Capital Startup Invest Funding 263

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 19, 2020

A major chunk of this activity is provided by the newer class of “super angels,” who often look more like micro-VCs, except that they are investing their own money. Institutional venture capital dispensed in 2019 was down a bit from record highs the previous year, but up significantly over the last few years.

Funding 125

Funding Venture Capital Startup Class 125

socalTECH

MARCH 2, 2018

Los Angeles-based venture capital investment firm First Beverage Ventures , which specializes in investing in beverage brands, has made an investment in vitamin-infused coffee and tea company VitaCup. Size of the equity funding was not announced. READ MORE>>.

Commerce 113

Commerce Venture Capital Equity Los Angeles 113

socalTECH

JANUARY 3, 2017

Electric bus maker Proterra announced this morning that it has raised $140M in an equity funding round, a chunk of which will go towards ramping up initial production in the City of Industry, and hiring "key personnel" in Los Angeles and elsewhere for its electric bus manufacturing.

Los Angeles 138

Los Angeles Angel Product City of Industry 138

socalTECH

DECEMBER 29, 2016

Today's contribution is from Alon Goren , the co-founder of Crowd Invest Summit and 805 Startups. Alon Goren: This year, my partners, Josef Holm (Krowdster), Darren Marble (CrowdfundX) and I started Crowd Invest Summit. We also got the LA VC community involved as well which was a lot of fun.

Invest 124

Invest Startup Southern California Conference 124

TechCrunch LA

MAY 20, 2021

Builders VC led the round, which included participation from Celtic, Newfund and Wish co-founder Danny Zhang. Stella Wu, who formerly worked as a growth product manager at Wish, got firsthand experience of the pain points related to the process when she bought her own house in 2017.

Technical Review 185

Technical Review Startup Venture Capital Software Review 185

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, crowdfunding still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. Product pre-order model. Startup equity model. In the U.S.,

Funding 141

Funding Startup Outsource Development Satisfaction 141