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.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Journal Invest Santa Monica 150

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Today marks another great day for the LA startup community as one of the city’s prominent mentoring programs , Launchpad LA, received VC funding – for each startup.

Venture Capital 74

Venture Capital GRP Partners Funding Idealab 74

Tech Zulu Event

NOVEMBER 9, 2011

Today marks another great day for the LA startup community as one of the city’s prominent mentoring programs , Launchpad LA, received VC funding – for each startup.

Venture Capital 65

Venture Capital GRP Partners Funding Idealab 65

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 11, 2013

Ask any venture firm or accelerator which investments get done in their shop and they will tell you the deals that come through their personal network. At Kline Hawkes & Co, the venture firm where I worked for 14 years, the “personal relationship” deals comprised approximately 90% of the entire portfolio.

Venture Capital 45

Venture Capital Capital Startup Invest 45

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. At every entrepreneur event I through between 2008-2012 I invite Hamet because he was a great mentor for entrepreneurs. He reached out to younger founders and offered to help via his network at AT&T, Google, media agencies … you name it.

Invest 340

Invest Venture Capital Startup News 340

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 29, 2022

One of the things I’ve learned over my years as a business mentor and investor is that life isn’t fair when it comes to succeeding in business. Use friends and mentors with extensive experience to gauge both. If you need venture capital, maybe you need to spend more time in Silicon Valley or Boston.

Help 130

Help Mentor Paramount Technical Review 130

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 11, 2013

Ask any venture firm or accelerator which investments get done in their shop and they will tell you the deals that come through their personal network. At Kline Hawkes & Co, the venture firm where I worked for 14 years, the “personal relationship” deals comprised approximately 90% of the entire portfolio.

Venture Capital 40

Venture Capital Capital Startup Invest 40

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 17, 2017

He eventually founded and sold consumer health firm ViSalus to a public company and is now back making investments, in technology companies, as a venture capitalist here at Los Angeles-based HashtagOne (www.hashtagone.com). I'm a bit of an anti-VC, as you know. Ryan Blair: I took $20M of personal capital to start the fund.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Entrepreneur Technical Review Software Review 100

socalTECH

APRIL 15, 2010

Los Angeles-based Launchpad LA , the startup mentoring effort spearheaded by GRP Partners' Mark Suster, is announcing this afternoon that it has selected 10 startups for the second season of the program. Luanchpad LA's last class had thirteen companies, of which eleven received venture funding and where one was acquired. READ MORE>>.

Class 188

Class GRP Partners Mentor Incubator 188

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas. They have connections to industry associations and entrepreneur organizations that can kick-start your networking efforts, both locally and globally.

Entrepreneur 110

Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 21, 2010

The new group, The Tech CEO Network , said it is looking to help bridge between the technology present at local schools like Caltech, UCLA, USC, UC Irvine, and other universities, and actual, viable companies. Tags: startups university research mentoring network tech.

Research 164

Research Tech Coast Angels Company Companies 164

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2023

Through networking with other entrepreneurs, you should find one or more to visit that have relationships with this investor. That means you and your business must benefit from both the money and mentoring from the investor, and the investor will win from getting a larger return sooner. A sample of three views is adequate.

Technical Review 138

Technical Review Startup Innocal Offshore 138

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 111

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 111

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

Throughout all of these years I was a full-time VC so Launchpad really came out of evenings and weekends for me. Adam had a full time startup and then was doing consulting (he later raised a VC fund). And Jim & I went on to raise several more venture capital funds in our day jobs. So we went for it. And Jamie hers.

Venture Capital 290

Venture Capital Startup Idealab Funding 290

socalTECH

JANUARY 16, 2013

The accelerator said that the demo day is a culmination of its latest three month program, which included ten new companies in mentoring, collaboration, funding, and access to its network of investors and entrepreneurs.

Class 159

Class Startup Incubator Los Angeles 159

socalTECH

OCTOBER 14, 2010

What is the idea behind the Tech CEO Network? The Tech CEO Network is there to fill the gap. That's why we're hoping that bringing domain expertise and an industry network will help facilitate that process. To better understand what they're trying to do, we spoke with both Richard and John about the group. Thanks, and good luck!

Networking 215

Networking Research Startup USC 215

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas. They have connections to industry associations and entrepreneur organizations that can kick-start your networking efforts, both locally and globally.

Class 124

Class Startup Resource Mentor 124

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 16, 2014

I got three calls from another big name, big check VC. He’s an incredibly smart investor and somebody that I actually consider to be a mentor to myself. VCs will spend over a year networking just to position around one founder or one deal, and if they lose it, it’s gone.” Why am I so lucky? Is it plausible?

Venture Capital 333

Venture Capital Startup Technical Review Email 333

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.

Startup 363

Startup Entrepreneur SEO Venture Capital 363

socalTECH

JANUARY 7, 2013

Solarflare ($22M, San Diego, high speed networking). How to find a startup mentor. In the latest roundup of fundings (big few weeks for San Diego, apparently): PatientSafe Solutions ($20M, San Diego, mobile health). Ignyta ($6M, San Diego, personalized medicine). Independa ($5M, San Diego, software for senior independence).

Southern California 168

Southern California Technical Review SoCal San Diego 168

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 23, 2015

We talk a lot about his schooling, his early jobs as a developer and then as a VC and we talk about his decision to spend winters in Los Angeles. Fred has of course been a public mentor to us all with his market-defining terminology that he popularized including “freemium” and “mobile first.”

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital Startup Writing Blogging 150

socalTECH

JANUARY 27, 2010

The group also said it is focusing on its SeedTrack program, which is specifically focused on seed stage funding and extensive mentoring. Tags: tech coast angels funding venture capital seed fund. The angel group also mentioned a web site design as part of its initiatives this year. READ MORE>>.

Tech Coast Angels 157

Tech Coast Angels Orange County Seed Funding Santa Barbara 157

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 17, 2023

Different types of investors tend to specialize in capitalizing on businesses at different stages. Venture capital firms look for the most mature companies they can find, Angel investors typically deal a tier lower, while friends and family are most likely to help you get started. Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

Funding 125

Funding Startup Ideas Equity 125

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

Entrepreneur 126

Entrepreneur Social Media Patents Mentor 126

Tech Zulu Event

SEPTEMBER 4, 2012

Today they say its Africa’s largest and fastest growing social networking utility with over 4,000 daily new sign-ups. They also add that LAGbook ranks #2 in the city of Yaba-Lagos, where the social network was incepted, and #37 in the city of Hirtshal, Denmark. Who are your mentors, role models? What is LAGbook?

Social Network 100

Social Network Networking Advertising Startup 100

InfoChachkie

OCTOBER 20, 2014

In addition, Entrepreneur Magazine recently included UCSB in its Top 50 Schools For VC Backed Entrepreneurs at number 37. A decent showing, but well below a number of larger schools, as the ranking is based on the number of graduates who secured VC funding.

Santa Barbara 258

Santa Barbara Technical Review Startup Venture Capital 258

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?” Solicit venture capital investors. Use online platforms like Gust to find them, and local networking to find ones that relate to your industry and passion. Start a crowdfunding campaign online.

Startup 106

Startup Capital Equity Funding 106

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 11, 2020

Through networking with other entrepreneurs, you should find one or more to visit that have relationships with this investor. That means you and your business must benefit from both the money and mentoring from the investor, and the investor will win from getting a larger return sooner. A sample of three views is adequate.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Funding Innocal Offshore 124

From the Venture Trenches

APRIL 30, 2013

As a fourteen-year veteran of the venture industry I have often heard the phrase, “value added investors”, which is usually touted by certain VC’s as their biggest differentiating quality. Amplify Mentor Panel in full swing. Amplify’s close mentoring is by design. Setting up for Eric Garcetti.

Web Design 103

Web Design Social Media Seed Funding Design 103

LATechDigest

MAY 22, 2016

.” The Q2 Investor Festival follows the success of previous Investor Festivals, which have drawn panelists and public speaking engagements from the likes of Paige Craig (Arena VC), Suzy Ryoo (Smashd Labs), and more. Each startup will be able to choose up to three mentors to meet with for 7-minute sessions each.

Startup 45

Startup LAVA Mentor Venture Capital 45

socalTECH

AUGUST 24, 2015

The Dodgers Accelerator is investing $120,000 in funding in each of the startups, which all will be part of a coworking space in LA, and also gain access to the Dodgers organization, mentors, and more. READ MORE>>.

Class 100

Class Entertainment Mentor Organization 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2014

One of the interesting things about being a VC is that you often see companies in transition. In a VC business when you raise additional capital you need to “level up” and act the round you are. You’re the coach, mentor, cheerleader. But your job isn’t to make every decision for him.

Startup 381

Startup Resource Venture Capital Activity 381

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?” Solicit venture capital investors. Use online platforms like Gust to find them, and local networking to find ones that relate to your industry and passion. Start a crowdfunding campaign online.

Funding 174

Funding Startup Equity Examples 174

socalTECH

OCTOBER 24, 2011

To that end, last week, Los Angeles-based MuckerLab (www.muckerlab.com) announced its plans--and a big lineup of local CEO mentors--to start up a new, YCombinator- and TechStars-type program in Los Angeles, headed by former Silicon Valley venture capitalist Erik Rannala , and affiliated with the TechStars Network.

Technical Advisors 176

Technical Advisors Startup Southern California Los Angeles 176

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 22, 2020

Different types of investors tend to specialize in capitalizing on businesses at different stages. Venture capital firms look for the most mature companies they can find, Angel investors typically deal a tier lower, while friends and family are most likely to help you get started. Don’t sign up for one, expecting the other.

Startup 148

Startup Ideas Equity Invest 148

TechCrunch LA

APRIL 1, 2019

Defy , the early-stage venture investment firm founded by Neil Sequeira and Trae Vassallo, is putting a new twist on the venture partner model as it brings Brian Lee and Sujal Patel on board to help out with investing and guiding companies in the firm’s portfolio. Just don’t call them venture partners.

Invest 109

Invest Legalzoom Los Angeles Blogging 109

Tech.Co

MARCH 2, 2018

You’ll have the chance to enjoy a startup lunch on the rooftop , panels, mentor sessions, VC sessions, a special Startup Pitch Jam, and finally, the big party and “must attend” event known as Startup Night SXSW 2018. “ Doors will open around 11:00 AM, welcoming SXSW attendees to learn about these regions.

Startup 70

Startup Organization Networking Venture Capital 70