Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 5, 2023

It’s helpful to think of startups as proceeding through several stages, which I have defined a long time ago from a funding perspective. Usually these will not give you money, but will provide inexpensive expert mentoring and office services. Funding or rollout stage. Don’t waste your resources on the wrong ones.

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TechCrunch LA

JANUARY 26, 2020

“Kobe was loved in Los Angeles,” wrote Mark Suster , managing partner of the Los Angeles-based venture capital firm Upfront Ventures , in a private message to TechCrunch. billion investment vehicle that was launched in partnership with the private equity fund, Permira, according to a report in USA Today.

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Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

I’ve become fond of saying “if I had a dollar for every person who told me just how much they loooooved Kara Nortman, I’d have a 10x fund.” So mostly we just had to listen to customer feedback from founders, VCs and LPs. She worked for 5 years as a VC at Battery Ventures and co-headed M&A at IAC working with Barry Diller.

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Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 24, 2015

I recently interviewed Matt Mazzeo of Lowercase Capital. By now most of you know that Chris Sacca invested in what is now thought to be one of the best performing VC funds of all time having invested an $8.4 million fund in: Uber, Instagram, Docker and Twitter, amongst others.

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Venture Capital Funding RSS Technical Review 150

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

Thus your startup maturity and growth stage is the primary key to success with potential funding sources. Different types of investors tend to specialize in capitalizing on businesses at different stages. My invention and prototype works, but I need funding to continue.” Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 21, 2023

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” 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.

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Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 27, 2014

I was having dinner with a friend last night and we were chatting about venture capital and a bit about what I’ve learned. I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal. Hedge funds, other public investors, corporates, etc. I don’t.

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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. These sites often sponsor pitch contests with small cash prizes for funding, as well as other valuable services to support entrepreneurs.

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Funding Startup Outsource Development Satisfaction 141

Xconomy

OCTOBER 10, 2017

In mid-October, eleven college students will be flying to California for an opportunity that would be the envy of any Ivy League MBA candidate—they’ll meet the venture capital firm partners who will personally mentor them throughout the school year. Read more » Reprints | Share: UNDERWRITERS AND PARTNERS.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 22, 2020

They don’t realize that according to statistics from Startup.co , almost 60 percent are funded with personal savings and credit, and another 25 percent get their money from friends and family. That leaves only about fifteen percent that actually get their funding from investors, through crowdfunding, banks, angels, and venture capitalists.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 29, 2021

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. Collaborative efforts with local companies, like Siemens Venture Capital, are available for certain technology and focus areas.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” 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.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2021

If the entrepreneur wants total control of their own venture, with no one looking over their shoulder, they should work within the limits of their own resources, a process called bootstrapping. Every funding term sheet is followed by a set of milestone commitments, which should not be considered optional suggestions.

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Funding Startup Entrepreneur Report 173

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 1, 2015

*. What is the role of a VC for entrepreneurs? I suppose it can be different for every founder and for different VCs but I’d like to offer you some context on what I think it is and it isn’t. Crowd funding now exists. They are unique to you and not to each other situation that VC has faced.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 26, 2016

I recently sat down with Troy Carter to talk about what he does and why he believes it is applicable to venture capital. And more recently he has turned that into a fund called CrossCulture VC such that many in Silicon Valley and beyond now know Troy as well. Barbie looks a lot different than she did decades ago.

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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. Working with early-stage teams : coaching, mentoring, setting strategy, rolling up sleeves: 9/10. None have exited.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. A sample of three views is adequate.

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Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Investment experience (5 years a VC at Battery Ventures). Wonderful human being who is civically engaged, mother of 3, mentorer of younger founders, hard worker and arguer extraordinaire (so says her current Twitter bio). I can’t speak for other VCs but it may interest you to at least know our thought process at Upfront.

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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. Crowdfunding is rapidly becoming the major source of funding for seed-stage startups. A micro venture capital firm. A “genesis” venture capital round.

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Funding Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding 104

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2016

My partner Greg Bettinelli (worth following on Twitter) was recently named by The LA Business Journal as the “ Top deal maker in Los Angeles in Venture Capital.” I created an accelerator & mentor network (Launchpad LA). ” Numero uno. I was nowhere to be found. I tried to be at every event. I keynoted.

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From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 11, 2013

Experience has shown that a strong emotional tie to a deal will help more than any other factor when raising venture funding. Just because you do not personally know any of the partners at a fund does not prevent you from accessing their extended network. The VC did not see the necessity of such a move.

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socalTECH

FEBRUARY 12, 2014

According to Disney, it will provide $120,000 in investment capital to startups to help them develp their ideas, and also provide mentoring from Disney executives. disney startup accelerator walt angeles entertainment consumer funding venture capital' READ MORE>>.

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Startup Entertainment Venture Capital Mentor 187

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 15, 2014

They started their company in LA but a couple of years after raising capital from Khosla Ventures in the Bay Area they ended up relocating there. A few years later they announced $150 million in a funding round at $1 billion+ valuation and are ramping up jobs to secure their market-leading position. Local capital matters.

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Company Companies Startup Snapchat 369

socalTECH

JULY 7, 2014

Disney is providing $120,000 in investment capital to startups to help them develop their ideas, and also provide mentoring from Disney executives. disney startup accelerator walt angeles entertainment consumer funding venture capital techstars' READ MORE>>.

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Class Entertainment Venture Capital Mentor 173

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 11, 2013

Experience has shown that a strong emotional tie to a deal will help more than any other factor when raising venture funding. Just because you do not personally know any of the partners at a fund does not prevent you from accessing their extended network. The VC did not see the necessity of such a move.

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Venture Capital Capital Startup Invest 40

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 8, 2010

My primary role was “chief psychologist&# and as I’ve learned over the past few years the same has been true as a VC. Once you’ve been around for a few years, attracted some great people, landed real, paying customers and raised venture capital you’ve likely got a talented team around you.

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Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

Cincinnati, like many startup communities in the US over the past 5 years, has revitalized important regions in its urban core, created accelerators, built co-working facilities, pooled together angel capital, attracted VCs, involved educational institutions and solicited the help of important corporations in a more cohesive ecosystem.

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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. .

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Both Sides of the Table

MAY 25, 2013

But VC is like congress. “I don’t know the exact math, but I hear it again and again: the top 2% of firms generate 98% of the returns in venture capital.” As you can see from the chart their data suggests there are about $25 billion of VC distributions per year in the US. Their data looks at tech VCs.

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Venture Capital Entrepreneur Invest Funding 374

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. A sample of three views is adequate.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

socalTECH

JULY 3, 2013

Santa Monica-based Engrade announced this morning that it has raised $5M in a Series B funding round, for the company''s district-level education platform. The funding was led by Javelin Venture Partners, and also included Rethink Education, Samsung Venture Investment Corporation, Kapor Capital, Expansion Capital and Ed-Mentor.

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Education Tool Santa Monica Venture Capital 173

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 11, 2013

Are you an entrepreneur looking for a sympathetic ear from a local venture capitalist on your idea? Karlin said its will be holding office hours every Thursday, starting February 21st, at ROC Santa Monica, as part of an effort to help aspiring entrepeneurs. READ MORE>>.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2021

By way of a definition, a business or startup incubator is a company, university, or other organization which provides resources to nurture young companies, usually for a share of the equity, hoping to capitalize on their success, or at least strengthen the local economy. Initial funding. Expert mentoring and training.

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Incubator Technical Review Entrepreneur Mentor 146

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

I had witnessed a number of early-stage tech startups in LA raise seed capital from the Bay Area and relocate. 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.

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Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 12, 2013

I am thrilled to announce that we have added Hamet Watt as a Partner at Upfront Ventures. This is a big news day at Upfront Ventures. In other news we announced the closing of $61 million in funding at Maker Studios , which I’ll talk publicly about soon. Mark, why wouldn’t you fund him? Startup DNA.

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Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

The lesson of finding help, connections, and even funding where other people may never look is one that makes all the difference in the entrepreneur lifestyle. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

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Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

She hasn’t raised any venture capital. It represents the great majority of entrepreneurship and eschews the fairytale rags-to-VC-riches stories we so often read about in the press. I blog on entrepreneurship & VC precisely because entrepreneurs and other VCs are my customers. That may soon change.

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