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. I had previously raised VC in 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2005. In case VC’s haven’t figured this out yet, shit rolls downhill. My blog was wiped out. And covered we did.

Venture Capital 274

Venture Capital Blogging Startup Slides 274

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). This is part of my ongoing series Startup Advice. 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.

Venture Capital 297

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Entrepreneur 297

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

Let me start with the news that I’m excited to share with you. After years of trying to persuade Kara Nortman to become a partner at Upfront Ventures I can officially announce now that she’s joined us effective immediately. Investment experience (5 years a VC at Battery Ventures).

Venture Capital 408

Venture Capital Startup Outsource Development CitySearch 408

socalTECH

DECEMBER 4, 2020

Los Angeles-based The Skills , a startup which operates an online education site where professional sports players teach different skills, said on Friday that it has raised $5M in a seed funding round. The funding was led by Will Ventures, and also included Global Founders Capital, 8VC, Maveron, Hack VC, and Correlation VC.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Seed Funding Education Course 100

TechCrunch LA

MAY 23, 2019

The Los Angeles ecosystem is $76 million stronger today as Fika Ventures , a seed-stage venture capital firm, announces its sophomore investment fund. Fika invests roughly half of its capital exclusively in startups headquartered in LA, with a particular fondness for B2B, enterprise and fintech companies.

Funding 218

Funding Startup Seed Funding Los Angeles 218

socalTECH

MAY 23, 2016

The Green Screen Institute , a startup accelerator which is looking to create innovation in the virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) areas, says that it is getting close to closing applications for its first, startup accelerator program.

Fandango 174

Fandango Startup Screening Venture Capital 174

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2020

Los Angeles-based SketchyMedical , a startup best known for presenting medical topics using graphical illustrations and art, said on Thursday that it has raised $30M in a funding round. The company currently offers up courses in microbiology, pharmacology, pathophysiology, biochemistry, internal medicine, surgery, pediatrics, and OB/GYN.

Education 113

Education Course Los Angeles Content 113

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 24, 2014

The group will tap a yet un-named group of outside experts to help technology startups coming out of UCLA to better navigate their way through commercialization efforts. The moves come as the University of California system approved a move to allocate $250M in a venture capital fund to invest in startups founded by UC faculty and students.

UCLA 166

UCLA Startup Education Venture Capital 166

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 26, 2010

Because if you’re truly that early / novel there’s a good chance that you’re too early and will spend lots of time / money educating the market. Leaving your real competitors off of you presentation to a VC is not recommended. where do you need to make investments to make up ground and therefore need capital?).

Venture Capital 313

Venture Capital Slides Competition Education 313

socalTECH

MARCH 11, 2013

According to creativeLive , it has raised $8M in a funding round, which came from Creative Artists Agency (CAA), William Morris Endeavor (WME), CrunchFund and Google Ventures. The startup has locations in San Francisco and Seattle. The startup has locations in San Francisco and Seattle. READ MORE>>.

Education 168

Education Sites Course Hollywood 168

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 4, 2012

I recently wrote about the 12 tips to building successful startup communities. I lived in London from 1997-2005 and for 6 of those years ran my startup based out of London. It was a strange contrast for me having grown up in Northern California where failure seemed to be a badge of honor. I remember this lesson well.

Startup 350

Startup Ideas Education Class 350

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 7, 2019

Thursday, June 13, 2019 -- Orange County FundingPost VC and Angel Investor PitchFest + Pitch Workshop. At this OC Event, we will be showcasing some of the newest early-stage venture funds and angel groups in the San Diego area! We're doing it again! There are only 15 spaces left in the Workshop.

Orange County 100

Orange County Venture Capital Angel Tech Coast Angels 100

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 19, 2010

Our guest this week on #TWiVC was Dana Settle , partner at Greycroft Partners , a venture capital firm with offices in New York and Los Angeles. Greycroft is an early-stage VC. Closing a VC fund in 2009/10 is a major achievement in and of itself. To be fair to Ben Horowitz – I think he thinks this as well.

Venture Capital 240

Venture Capital Startup Platform Technical Review 240

socalTECH

MARCH 25, 2021

R/GA, the firm that was behind the Dodgers Accelerator, has launched a new startup venture studio aimed at helping Black-led and Black-owned startups, the firm said on Thursday. R/GA said the new Coalition Venture Studio will support Black founders with expertise, resources, funding, connections, and education.

Education 113

Education Venture Capital Resource Capital 113

socalTECH

MARCH 26, 2013

Add another startup accelerator to the growing list of Southern California startup accelerators: this time, from the University of Southern California's Viterbi School of Engineering. The startup accelerator is behind headed by Ashish Soni. Last a pilot middle school at the L.A.

USC 187

USC Startup Southern California Incubator 187

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2013

You took the risk to start your company. All of a sudden you know you’re going to be judged. ” Your peer group is envious of your finally doing what they’ve always wanted to do but found it too hard to give up the golden paycheck and predictable future. ” Your VC friends have been egging you on.

Startup 417

Startup Course Venture Capital Writing 417

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 31, 2021

The sweeping infrastructure package put forward today by President Joe Biden comes with a price tag of roughly $2 trillion (and hefty tax hikes) but gives startups and the broader tech industry about $1 trillion worth of reasons to support it. The vast majority of those are nowhere up to modern codes. ” Climate resiliency .

Startup 229

Startup Technical Review Invest Research 229

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

According to a recent Forbes article , UC Santa Barbara''s Technology Management Program offers students a superior startup education over the University of Pennsylvania (home of Wharton), as well Harvard, Northwestern and even its acclaimed southern neighbor, the University of Southern California. Techpreneurs. All-Star Alumni.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

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?” On the other hand, there are many additional creative options available for starting a business that you might not find for buying a car, home, or other major consumer item. Trade equity or services for startup help.

Funding 174

Funding Startup Equity Examples 174

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 6, 2020

One of the simplest questions I get from aspiring entrepreneurs, and ironically one of the hardest, is “How do I start?” I want to tell them to just start anywhere, but I realize that most have no idea where anywhere is. The wealth of online education offerings is a great start, but is not enough.

Entrepreneur 137

Entrepreneur Tips Startup Education 137

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2012

Brad wrote up his answer here – you should read it because it’s very instructive for how I believe communities ought to think about naming conventions. I recommend that you start by writing down the attributes you would want people to think about when they think about your brand. This is the list I would start with.

Startup 304

Startup Venture Capital Los Angeles Woodland Hills 304

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 29, 2018

Sound Ventures , the Los Angeles-based venture capital investment firm of Ashton Kutcher, is one of the lead investors in a funding round for LearnLux , a startup which develops software that helps employees of companies with financial wellness.

Seed Funding 124

Seed Funding Venture Capital Funding Guide 124

socalTECH

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

In an unprecedented surge in startup support activity in Los Angeles this morning, another venture startup accelerator, Start Engine , formally launched this morning, applying the accelerator model to startup in the Los Angeles area. READ MORE>>.

Startup 219

Startup Southern California Activision Mentor 219

Xconomy

AUGUST 11, 2017

If you’re looking for a counterpoint to the recent flurry of news stories about sexual harassment and gender bias in the tech sector, the Kauffman Fellows program isn’t a bad place to start.

Mentor 76

Mentor Venture Capital Screening Education 76

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.

Venture Capital 67

Venture Capital Statistics Mentor Invest 67

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 7, 2021

Most of these are easy to avoid if you do your homework up front, but can cost you dearly if you get sucked in. No real investor or venture capital firm asks for money from the company they are intending to invest in. Work at home to fund your startup. Off-shore unsolicited investor offers. Phantom fund investors.

Technical Review 148

Technical Review Tips Funding Startup 148

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2014

San Diego-based Portfolium , a startup developing an online platform to share a students'' academic portfolio, has raised $900,000 in a seed funding, according to startup incubator EvoNexus. The funding came from the Tech Coast Angels, Taner Halicioglu of Keshif Ventures, and others. READ MORE>>.

Seed Funding 157

Seed Funding Tech Coast Angels Funding Incubator 157

Tech.Co

NOVEMBER 29, 2017

Mega startup campuses, the latest trend in coworking, are spreading their wings in Europe. As the founding head of Campus London , Google’s first physical hub for startups and now home to over 80,000 registered members, I thought it would be interesting to share the latest developments in this space from my perspective.

Startup 70

Startup Google Venture Capital Outsource Development 70

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2012

Partisan rancor aside, we had just come off a boom decade – especially in tech – and many people at the start of the election thought Al Gore was a shoe in. In a VC pitch this type of messaging will do just fine. Whenever I think of messages to communicate I always start by thinking about the audience.

Entrepreneur 370

Entrepreneur Startup Press Venture Capital 370

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 9, 2014

I only say that because after years as a VC I can always tell when my peer group invested in something because “it seemed like it would make money” versus when they invested out of passion. On reflection of the role that I want to play as a VC it is clearly in the camp of passion. I’m a VC.

Venture Capital 373

Venture Capital Startup Course Entrepreneur 373

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 23, 2011

I took the opportunity this past week to publish summary notes of some of the VCs and entrepreneurs I had interviewed on This Week in VC. One of my goals in doing the show was not only to educate entrepreneurs but also to put a human face on many of the VCs in our industry as VCs can be hard to get to know.

Capital 265

Capital Venture Capital Veoh Startup 265

socalTECH

AUGUST 3, 2018

Venice, California-based WeeCare , a new startup which is creating a marketplace to help people start and manage their own home daycare, has raised $4.2M The funding came from Social Capital. The company claims its providers can earn up to $90,000 a year operating their businesses. READ MORE>>.

Seed Funding 100

Seed Funding Venice Startup Education 100

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 19, 2014

We are often asked how companies get funded, why VCs make the decisions we make and what we’re looking for in entrepreneurs. I think this is a Seriously great example of how this process works for at least one VC – Upfront Ventures. We met in August (so much for VCs taking the Summer off!)

Funding 373

Funding Technical Review Startup Screening 373

TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

The husband and wife co-founders behind the direct-to-consumer cookware and dinnerware startup retailer OurPlace are big believers in the notion that the doorway to inclusive communities opens through the kitchen. . The project has received its initial capital from some pretty high-end backers. So far, the company has raised $2.35

Los Angeles 150

Los Angeles Education Venture Capital Study 150

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

I’m often asked about the differences between being at a VC and being an entrepreneur and whether I prefer one or the other. The biggest difference I cite is that Venture Capital often feels like an “individual sport” while startups are a “team sport.” Branding & Shared Values.

Rancho Palos Verdes 150

Rancho Palos Verdes Santa Monica Venture Capital Startup 150

Tech Zulu Event

MARCH 21, 2014

Introducing Bitcoinference | A Decentralized Conference , hosted by illustrious startup accelerator, 500 Startups. Bitcoin has had a rough start to the year (to say the least) – with a never-ending news feed consisting of massive bankruptcy , scandal stories, and car chase media fiascos. Getting Things Started.

Startup 104

Startup Venture Capital Draper Invest 104

Xconomy

NOVEMBER 2, 2016

But underlying all that, in a sense, is education. We have long run stories about STEM education, educational technology, and more—and even put out a special Xconomist report on the future of education. Now we are bringing that coverage even more front and center with the launch of a national Education channel.

Education 40

Education Newsletter Training High Tech 40