Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 22, 2014

Picking a VC is hard. So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Most VCs are book smart. VCs should be more of a coach than proscriptively telling you what to do. You want a VC who will spar with you but then STFU and let you get on with things.

Venture Capital 364

Venture Capital Coach Writing SaaS 364

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 15, 2012

One the most frequent questions asked of me by entrepreneurs is, "How can I become a Venture Capitalist?" The inquiry is common because being a VC is (to an entrepreneur, at least) a sexy job. I define a "VC" as, "a professional investor who deploys third-party funds into relatively early-stage companies."

Venture Capital 242

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest RSS 242

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 1, 2014

One of the reasons that now is the time to be an entrepreneur is the explosion of startup assistance organizations, usually called incubators or accelerators. Common resources provided by most of the incubators and accelerators today include the following: Access to shared office facilities for multiple startup teams at a very low cost.

Incubator 98

Incubator Startup Help Resource 98

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 18, 2021

Angel investors and venture capitalists are looking for startups with real products and a proven business model, ready to scale. If you need funding for these early stage activities, I have some suggestions on better strategies to follow. Thus the best entrepreneur strategy for funding is to build solutions, not technology.

Help 165

Help Research Startup Funding 165

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 14, 2013

Los Angeles-based cloud-based talent management software solutions firm with over 13 million users, Cornerstone OnDemand has launched Cornerstone Innovation Fund , to invest in disruptive LA-based cloud startups building cutting-edge solutions for organizations. Applications to the fund are now open and available online here. .

Cornerstone OnDemand 88

Cornerstone OnDemand Incubator Santa Monica Funding 88

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Even if you ignore all the hype around crowdfunding, there can be no doubt that it is a real alternative for entrepreneurs to achieve visibility and funding today. The crowd gets the satisfaction of helping, with minimal risk, and no expectation of any high return. Product pre-order model.

Funding 141

Funding Startup Outsource Development Satisfaction 141

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

Qualcomm Labs , the incubator subsidiary of Qualcomm Technologies , has announced the first set of companies funded through its new QualcommLabs@EvoNexus program today, saying that it has funded three companies with a round of seed funding.

Incubator 140

Incubator Company Companies Seed Funding 140

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. I keep meaning to get him drunk to spill the stories.

Venture Capital 270

Venture Capital Capital Rustic Canyon Mobile 270

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

Here is a short list of the areas where you should be able to find help, whether you are a student or an independent entrepreneur: Exploring hot ideas. The professors know how to get grants to fund development for you in strategic focus areas, like biotech, that would otherwise cost you many thousands of dollars. Early-stage funding.

Incubator 172

Incubator Mentor Class Resource 172

socalTECH

AUGUST 14, 2014

Vadio , the developer of a platform which helps match music videos and ads with streaming music , said Thursday that it has raised $2M in a seed funding round, which included Mucker Capital, Amplify.LA, as well as other LA investors. READ MORE>>.

Capital 138

Capital Funding Seed Funding Incubator 138

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

For example, professional investors put great priority on your previous experience in building a business, and they expect to own a portion of the business equity and control for the funds they do provide. Trade equity or services for startup help. Join a startup incubator or accelerator. Solicit venture capital investors.

Funding 174

Funding Startup Equity Examples 174

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2018

This morning, Moonshots Capital (www.moonshotscapital.com), led by Kelly Perdew and Craig Cummings , announced its first formal fund, a $19M seed stage fund. Finally, when that happened, we'd roll off the board and help in an advisory slot. We did our first close on the fund, and have made a number of investments.

Capital 164

Capital Funding Startup Venture Capital 164

socalTECH

MARCH 8, 2013

DatAllegro was one of the first companies in what is now the "big data" industry, and helped to pioneer the entire segment. he's been spinning out of his incubator. What's the idea behind the incubator? Now, we're turning into a formal incubator. Second, we only incubate companies we ourselves start.

Incubator 208

Incubator Startup CTO Hire Ideas 208

socalTECH

APRIL 12, 2013

There''s been a lot of activity over the past two years in the Southern California accelerator/incubator market, with numerous groups (Amplify, EvoNexus, K5, LaunchpadLA, MediaCamp, Science, StartEngine, and many, many others) looking to help entrepreneurs start and fund their companies. where we totalled up $33.85M in funding.

Southern California 222

Southern California Incubator Report Startup 222

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 5, 2015

Even if you work every day in the world of new-venture funding, as I do, the options are confusing, and their meanings seem to change on a regular basis. Remember, you have only one chance to make a great first impression, so it helps to know the lingo when dealing with investors. A micro venture capital firm.

Funding 104

Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

socalTECH

JANUARY 2, 2014

Santa Monica-based venture capital investor Siemer Ventures is one of the backers of a new, Japanese mobile video entertainment startup, Breaker. According to Breaker, it has raised $2M in a seed funding round, to help bolster its efforts to produce and distribute mobile video entertainment in Japan. READ MORE>>.

Mobile 224

Mobile Santa Monica Incubator Seed Funding 224

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 28, 2018

Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined some time ago from a funding perspective. Funding or rollout stage.

Funding 94

Funding Startup Organization Incubator 94

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. For the rest of us, the following suggestions will help you survive the valley of death: Accumulate some resources before you start.

Startup 136

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 3, 2016

A question I often get as an adviser is whether or not to join a business incubator or accelerator as a way to move forward faster and smarter and increase the odds of business success. Here are some of the key parameters that will help you decide where you fit in this spectrum: Your commitment to the entrepreneur lifestyle.

Incubator 58

Incubator Startup Seed Funding Equity 58

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2020

Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined a long time ago from a funding perspective. Funding or rollout stage.

Resource 171

Resource Startup Organization Incubator 171

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2021

in a funding round, to expand the company's locations and markets. The funding was led by Fuel Capital and also included Mars PetCare, Muse Capital, Animal Capital, Gaingels, The Helm and CEO dog care startup, Wag. startup incubator and studio. Los Angeles-based dog care startup Dogdrop has raised $2.9M

Legalzoom 113

Legalzoom Incubator Los Angeles Capital 113

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 8, 2013

If you’re looking for funding, you don’t just want to “meet” investors, shake their hands and give them your quick pitch. With our client roster of successfully funded startups and my close relationships with many in the investor community in Silicon Valley, I think I’ve figured out 8 keys for making these kinds of real connections: 1.

Venture Capital 86

Venture Capital Tips Incubator Startup 86

socalTECH

APRIL 21, 2014

Preact , a developer of software to help software companies reduce churn in their subscription customers which came out of Los Angeles-based startup incubator/accelerator Launchpad LA , has raised $4.6M in a funding round. The company said the funding came from Trinity Ventures. READ MORE>>.

Orange County 197

Orange County Incubator Venture Capital Software 197

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2009

I came across this blog post about getting a computer science degree as the best degree for getting into venture capital or working at a VC-backed start up. I just completed an exercise where I went out to hire a new associate for my VC firm, GRP Partners. I had to laugh a bit reading it. So back to MBAs.

Startup 337

Startup Venture Capital Study Course 337

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2019

The USC Viterbi Startup Garage , the startup accelerator that is part of the University of Southern California, has scored backing from the Amazon Alexa Fund , the venture investment arm of Amazon that invests in startups using Amazon Alexa. Financial details of the investment by the Amazon Alexa Fund were not announced.

Marina Del Rey 124

Marina Del Rey USC Southern California Funding 124

socalTECH

APRIL 3, 2014

Los Angeles-based startup studio, incubator, and investor Science , which is led by former MySpace CEO Mike Jones, is part of a new funding round for automated investment service Wealthfront , the company has confirmed. READ MORE>>.

Incubator 147

Incubator Venture Capital Invest Los Angeles 147

socalTECH

JULY 23, 2012

There's been a surge in startup accelerator activity in Los Angeles in the last year, as interest in starting a company in the region has grown, and a wide range of experienced entrepreneurs and investors have pitched in to help companies get to the next level. Of that, $97.47 in companies associated with digital studio Science Inc.

Los Angeles 234

Los Angeles Angel Report Startup 234

From the Venture Trenches

MARCH 29, 2013

Over the past several years there have been a plethora of incubators and accelerators springing up all over southern California and particularly on the west side of Los Angeles. Here is a list of useful resources to help you in your search: News & Resources. How you get referred into these shops is a subject for another post.

Southern California 45

Southern California Venture Capital Funding Los Angeles 45

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

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. Companies were getting funded more easily and many more companies were actually being created.

Venture Capital 290

Venture Capital Startup Idealab Funding 290

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2014

There seems to a perpetual shortage of local venture capital investors in the region, despite the huge growth in startup activity here, particularly along Silicon Beach. Among those funds is TYLT Lab (www.tyltlab.com), which recently announced a new, $20M early stage investment fund specifically focused on companies here.

Seed Funding 220

Seed Funding Santa Monica Funding Startup 220

socalTECH

OCTOBER 22, 2012

Los Angeles has a new, well funded, investment firm in town, with big plans for local investments: Karlin Ventures. Zhou recently moved to Los Angeles, after a stint at Innovations Endeavors, the venture fund of Eric Schmidt. Karlin Asset Management has $1.4 billion in assets. READ MORE>>.

Los Angeles 183

Los Angeles Invest Angel Startup 183

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 15, 2013

Every entrepreneur needs help and support along the way, from developing the initial idea, to selling off the successful business (exit strategy). It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined before from a funding perspective. Funding or rollout stage. Marty Zwilling.

Entrepreneur 102

Entrepreneur Funding Incubator Startup 102

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 22, 2018

We’ve also seen a substantial inflow of venture capital from all over the world.”. We believe by finding, filtering and aggregating exciting startups from top universities, research institutes, and incubators/accelerators, we can demonstrate the combined strength of SoCal in a compelling way to top investors and thought leaders.”.

Southern California 224

Southern California Dollar Shave Club SoCal Develop 224

socalTECH

JANUARY 27, 2010

On Thursday, the City of Ventura is formally launching a new incubator, the Ventura Ventures Technology Center (www.v2tc.com), targeted at high tech businesses. The incubator so far includes startups Lottay , Geodelic , and a number of other Internet and other technology firms. What is the Ventura incubator?

Ventura 200

Ventura Incubator Technology Startup 200

Xconomy

JUNE 30, 2016

Healthtech entrepreneur Parker Hinshaw and his wife Jean Balgrosky said they intended to take a step back when they founded Bootstrap Incubation near San Diego in the fall of 2012. We started the incubator with the idea of helping people with ideas, and making some investments,” he said. Jean Balgrosky.

San Diego 67

San Diego CIO Incubator Startup 67

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2019

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. For the rest of us, the following suggestions will help you survive the valley of death: Accumulate some resources before you start.

Startup 128

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 128