Berkonomics

DECEMBER 31, 2020

I was chairman of a company that, for twelve years never took a dollar of outside investment. The company was funded entirely by grants from the National Institute of Health, amounting to millions of non-dilutive dollars in all. No dilution to shareholders or the founders. The effort to write a grant request is not trivial.

Equity 156

Equity Writing Education Research 156

socalTECH

AUGUST 29, 2013

Can tapping the power of the crowd not only help you find customers and help fund your project, but also help you shape your startup idea and find funding? Dirk Ahlborn: We are coming out of the nonprofit incubator, the Girvan Institute of Technology, which has been around since 2002, and is funded by NASA Ames.

Ideas 178

Ideas Patents Funding Startup 178

socalTECH

DECEMBER 31, 2018

Editor's note: As we head into the new year, we've been featuring reflections on 2018 from notable investors, entrepreneurs, and others from Southern California's technology community. Raising money as a first-time VC fund is hard.In You'll be able to browse all of those contributions here.

Capital 113

Capital Venture Capital News Patents 113

socalTECH

APRIL 8, 2014

Among those funds is TYLT Lab (www.tyltlab.com), which recently announced a new, $20M early stage investment fund specifically focused on companies here. Tell us a little bit about your investments and firm? We decided to formalize our investing in October, and call it TYLT Labs, so here we are.

Seed Funding 220

Seed Funding Santa Monica Funding Startup 220

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2016

Either of these qualms can ultimately sidetrack your startup as not worthy of investment, so it pays to do your homework on what you say and how to communicate effectively. Just because your technology is exciting and potentially disruptive doesn’t mean you are ready to build a business. Investors invest in people more than the idea.

Invest 108

Invest Startup Slides Equity 108

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 30, 2014

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand. Often new technologies are seen by senior decision-makers as new opportunities for litigation and hack attacks. Payback on investment.

Customer 98

Customer Custom Technology Startup 98

socalTECH

OCTOBER 22, 2020

Earlier this week, Good Growth Capital (www.goodgrowthvc.com) announced it has started looking at investments in Southern California, adding Krisztina Holly as West Coast Venture Partner for the firm. What kinds of areas does the fund make investments in? It looks like there's some link to MIT with the fund?

Southern California 124

Southern California Capital Technical Review Startup 124

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2020

For example, “We just patented a new battery technology that will cut your smartphone charge time and cost in half.” Be sure to include this in your “elevator pitch,” which you must always deliver as a prelude to your technology features. Professional investors and even customers invest in people, rather than just a product.

Product 169

Product Summary Startup Examples 169

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. Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 2, 2013

People with money to invest have choices. Venture investing is often mentioned as the most sexy form of wealth creation, but it’s also recognized as one of riskiest. Funding risk. Angels expect at least a working prototype and a hint of market acceptance (traction) before investing. They bet on the jockey, not the horse.

Invest 107

Invest Startup Venture Capital Ideas 107

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 14, 2019

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. Leading with this answer will likely terminate any further investment opportunity with this investor. Neither speaks well for you or your startup.

Competition 120

Competition Patents Resource Invest 120

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2011

San Diego-based Qualcomm has made another investment in femtocell and picocell technology developer ip.access , as part of a new round of funding. Ip.access is using Qualcomm's technology, including its Femtocell Station Modem (FSM) chipsets and femtocell patents. READ MORE>>.

San Diego 145

San Diego Patents Equity Capital 145

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 11, 2011

I’m often approached by people who claim to have invented the next big thing, and ask me how much it’s worth, or complain that they can’t find an investor who will fund it. The honest answer is that ideas and new technologies are worth nothing, outside the context of a specific business plan that meets a market need for a fair price.

Technology 95

Technology Patents Journal Ideas 95

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 7, 2016

The interview was wide ranging and discussed everything from USVs investment thesis over the past 10 years to what some emerging themes are around blockchain and artificial intelligence. And honestly it was the single biggest roadblock at Upfront when we raised out fourth fund in 2011. We as an industry have seen this.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Artificial Inteligence Invest Funding 150

Berkonomics

MAY 8, 2014

I am chairman of a company that, as I write this, is twelve years old and has not yet taken a dollar of outside investment. The company has been funded entirely by grants from the National Institute of Health, amounting to millions of non-dilutive dollars in all. Grant writing takes skill and immense amounts of time.

Company 166

Company Companies Writing Education 166

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Two founders have spent $200K of personal and family funds over a one year period to start the company, get a prototype site up and running, and have already generated some “buzz” in the Internet community. The value of patents and trademarks is not certifiable, especially if you are only at the provisional stage.

Startup 108

Startup Invest Patents Outsource Development 108

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2011

Every new startup I know dreams of being funded by an angel investor. Yet according to the latest data from Gust (formerly AngelSoft), only about 3 out of 100 companies who initiate the formal request process actually get funded. Remember the old adage that “investors fund people, not ideas.” Line up an experienced team.

Invest 99

Invest Angel Technical Review Summary 99

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

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. Most universities have a file of patents from project work that they are willing to license to any entrepreneur for business commercialization, with little or no cost up front.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 30, 2014

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. I think this is a combination of being realists as venture capitalists that outsized returns in our funds must come from taking on bigger, more impactful projects that can move markets.

Technical Review 418

Technical Review Software Review CTO Hire IP 418

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2018

Young entrepreneurs often are so excited by new technology or their latest invention that they forget to translate it into a value proposition that their customers or potential investors can understand and relate to. Often new technologies are seen by senior decision makers as new opportunities for litigation and hackers.

Social Network 91

Social Network Training Startup Technology 91

Berkonomics

AUGUST 10, 2017

Many of the start-ups my various angel funds have financed died a slow death, not because of poor concept but because of poor execution, wasting fixed overhead and draining the financial resources from the company coffers. And we were able to secure that investment along with a partner from that firm joining our board.

Venture Capital 243

Venture Capital Product Resource Marketing 243

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2016

If you expect an equity investment from reputable investors for your new startup, you need to know the boundaries that often limit their interest. It costs very little to file a provisional patent to begin your protection. Entrepreneurs with exciting new technologies too often assume that the technology will sell itself.

Funding 57

Funding Social Media Startup Patents 57

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 23, 2023

The more potentially disruptive your technology, the more important it is that this message be quick, simple, and quantified. An educated marketplace is one where your target customers already understand the problem and the impact of your technology. A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding.

Startup 96

Startup Education Ideas Customer 96

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 3, 2023

Because the product plan is aimed internally, it can assume the reader has the relevant technology and jargon background. Technology, architecture, and feature descriptions. List key competitors and alternatives, highlighting your sustainable competitive advantages, such as patents and trademarks. Marty Zwilling

Product 112

Product Summary Activity Entrepreneur 112

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 29, 2023

The critical success factors for a product business are well known, starting with selling every unit with a gross margin of 50 percent or more, building a patent and other intellectual property, and continuous product improvement. Practice being a good communicator. Customers can touch and see a great product, but services are a bit ethereal.

Startup 111

Startup Training Services Writing 111

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

Registered patents and other intellectual property. Contrary to popular belief, most investors are not looking for entrepreneurs who are desperate for funding. They seek to establish win-win relationships with all partners, including investors, and treat them all as trusted advisors, rather than win-loss opportunities.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Tech Zulu Event

AUGUST 28, 2013

a crowd-powered platform that gives accredited investors access to exclusive deal flow and technology transfer opportunities has launched in beta its crowd-powered portal for startups, JumpStartFund. Get feedback, collaborate and get funded. El Segundo, CA based JumpStarter Inc., Social network for investors.

El Segundo 76

El Segundo Social Network Startup Patents 76

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 2, 2022

There are no “overrides” – for example, businesses don’t thrive just because they offer the latest technology, or because everyone wants to be “green,” or because their goal is to reduce world hunger. Investors look for a sustainable competitive advantage, like a patent. Customers always have alternatives. Unique selling proposition.

Sales 102

Sales Customer Custom Outsource 102

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

In fact, I think the evidence is clear that many entrepreneurs started their journey while still in college, and capitalized on all the resources there, before moving on: Extend your technology focus with business basics. Contrary to a popular myth, a great invention and passion alone won’t drive a great business.

Entrepreneur 157

Entrepreneur Mentor Class Resource 157

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 4, 2020

The more potentially disruptive your technology, the more important it is that this message be quick, simple, and quantified. An educated marketplace is one where your target customers already understand the problem and the impact of your technology. A smaller market sizing may make a good family business, if you have the funding.

Startup 166

Startup Education Ideas Customer 166

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 2, 2015

How an entrepreneur answers this question speaks volumes about their knowledge of business realities, customers, confidence, and their ability to handle investor funding. Leading with this answer will likely terminate any further investment opportunity with this investor. Neither speaks well for you or your startup.

Startup 118

Startup Competition Patents Resource 118

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 30, 2016

It is a truism that with more capital you will hire people more quickly and spend more liberally whether it’s on external contractors, PR firms, attending events, doing legal work (trademarks, patents) or whatever. You will build out features or expend to platforms — often before you have enough market feedback to warrant it.

Startup 292

Startup Software Review Pricing Entrepreneur 292

socalTECH

APRIL 30, 2010

Last week, San Diego-based Confident Technologies (www.confidenttechnologies.com) announced that it had acquired the assets of Vidoop, and created a company focused on security and authentication of users. What does Confident Technologies do? The Confident authentication suite of software, which also includes out of band technology.

Technology 124

Technology Web Sites Orange County 124

socalTECH

AUGUST 12, 2019

We've helped entrepreneurs raise over $225M in early stage, venture funding. They are looking for early-stage companies, which have an advantage with IP, or some sort of patent, or sensibility from the technical perspective. In New York, for example, there are a lot of very strong fintech, fashion technology and media companies.

Entrepreneur 124

Entrepreneur Metrics Los Angeles Help 124

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 26, 2022

Working for a well-funded existing company, or pursuing your dream as a hobby, may be more satisfying and productive. Assess your own resources as well as funding sources. You need intellectual property , such as a patent, trade secret, or process expertise that will be a barrier that you can defend.

Social Media 105

Social Media Writing Ideas Resource 105

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Two founders have spent $200K of personal and family funds over a one year period to start the company, get a prototype site up and running, and have already generated some “buzz” in the Internet community. The value of patents and trademarks is not certifiable, especially if you are only at the provisional stage.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Patents Outsource Development 98

socalTECH

JUNE 13, 2012

How do you go about getting a company product--and company--funded through crowdsourcing? Olloclip managed to fund and start the company based on crowdfunding, and is one of the most popular projects that has been funded through Kickstarter. Is it even possible, and what are the pitfalls involved? It's incredible to see.

Patents 191

Patents Ideas Design Startup 191