Venture Capital Related Topics 
Both Sides of the Table
MAY 24, 2021
Of the first four investments I made as a VC in 2009, two have exited and two (Invoca & GumGum) still are independent and likely to produce $billion++ outcomes . The abundance of late-stage capital is good for us all. My first ever investment as a VC was Invoca.
TechCrunch LA
MARCH 25, 2021
The partners at MaC Venture Capital , the Los Angeles-based investment firm that has just closed on $103 million for its inaugural fund, have spent the bulk of their careers breaking barriers. Image Credit: MaC Venture Capital.
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Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 11, 2016
Gregg Johnson, CEO of Invoca For the first 5 years or so after I became a VC I didn’t talk much about what I thought a VC should be excellent at since frankly I wasn’t sure. Most VCs did well academically and had enough career success that a venture firm was willing to give them an investment role or they were able to raise their own fund. It’s easy to think the role of a VC is to have strong opinions about markets, trends, tech dynamics and so forth.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 5, 2016
There was an explosion in number of startups both because it was cheap and there was tons of available capital. Non VC Growth Rounds. The other major trend of 2012–2015 was the entrance of “non VCs” into late-stages of venture capital , which mostly consisted of hedge funds, mutual funds, corporate investors, sovereign wealth funds and even LPs doing direct deals. VC Infighting. If you have 2–3 traditional VC funds they usually work together in tough times.
Both Sides of the Table
MAY 23, 2012
Many observers of the venture capital industry have questioned whether its best days are behind it. There are obvious reasons the industry has had less-than-desirable returns, including: massive over-funding of the sector, huge increases in inexperienced venture capitalists that took a decade to peter out, and the massive correction in the value of the public stock markets that closed many exit opportunities for half a decade. Morning in VC.
Both Sides of the Table
JULY 29, 2010
We received so much positive feedback from our This Week in Venture Capital show walking through valuation calculations & term sheets that we decided to do a Q&A show this week to address topics that entrepreneurs want to learn about. People assume that I’m biased because I’m a VC and think you should always get the highest valuation possible. In fact, far better if you haven’t raised venture capital.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 29, 2014
It’s not hard to find people willing to write the narrative that “venture capital is not an asset class” or “venture capital has performed terribly.” That’s a shame because many of these people missed out on what will be a few great VC vintages. I wrote about this in a blog post last year titled “ It’s Morning in VC ” but I never made the full deck available until now.
Xconomy
MARCH 12, 2018
Boston Xcon Boulder/Denver Xcon Detroit Xcon Indiana Xcon National National Xcon New York Xcon Raleigh-Durham Xcon San Diego Xcon San Francisco Xcon Seattle Xcon Texas Xcon Wisconsin Xcon Beatrice Foods culture Diversity Fairview Capital Finance Investors micro VCs National Venture Capital Association Private Equity Reginald Lewis startups VC Venture Capital Vista Equity Partners
socalTECH
APRIL 15, 2020
The National Venture Capital Association (NVCA) says that Q1 2020 venture capital investments had a "strong showing" in Q1, however, it expects that the impending economic downturn due to the COVID-19 pandemic will slow activity through the rest of the year. According to the NVCA, and its PitchBook-NVCA Venture Monitor, there was $34.2 nvca venture capital pandemic covid19 quarterly investments
Both Sides of the Table
SEPTEMBER 26, 2015
One of the least understood parts of the venture capital industry and venture capital firms is how investment decisions actually get made. The number of partners who have told me, “yeah, we all decided X in the meeting but then [insert dictator VC name] decided he wanted to win the deal so badly that he was willing to pay up to win it.” But once your feet are firmly under the desk, I believe the job of a VC is actually to make the harder bets.
socalTECH
JANUARY 22, 2019
This morning's interview is with Kevin O'Connor , a longtime investor and serial entrepreneur, who is now running venture capital investment firm ScOp Venture Capital. Congrats on the new name for your venture capital firm. Just this past September was a year with Amazon, when I left, and we started investing in September under the new name, ScOp Venture Capital. It's always hard with venture capital.
Both Sides of the Table
SEPTEMBER 15, 2022
At our mid-year offsite our partnership at Upfront Ventures was discussing what the future of venture capital and the startup ecosystem looked like. What is a VC To Do? I can’t speak for every VC, obviously. What Does the Post Crash VC Market Look Like?
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 15, 2010
I was on This Week in Venture Capital (TWiVC) again this week with Jason Calacanis. mm in Series A; IdealLab ( Bill Gross ), Index Ventures ( Danny Rimer ), Revolution LLC ( Steve Case ), First Round Capital , BetaWorks , Jason Calcanis. 6mm in Series B - Benchmark Capital ( Bob Kagle ); with participation from insiders New Atlantic Ventures and angels Ron Conway and Ed Scott. In my mind, not a typical VC investment.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 21, 2010
Investors: Foundation Capital (lead), with existing investors: Morgenthaler Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Canaan Partners. Investors: TomorrowVentures (Eric Schmidt’s investment vehicle; Court Coursey joining board), CompuCredit Holdings, with existing investors Accel Partners, Benchmark Capital, DAG Ventures, Meritech Capital Partners, Omidyar Network, QED Investors, Volition Capital. Investors: Union Square (lead), Spark Capital (lead).
Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 20, 2011
Early today I gave a keynote at the VCJ Venture Alpha conference here in San Francisco. I was asked to speak about the topic of “what is going on in the venture capital world and what is the next big thing after social networking?”. Future of VC Internet – Tough topic, but what the heck? Some of the big ones I left off was Tim Connors of PivotNorth and Aydin Senkut of Felicis Ventures. Tech Market Analysis VC Industry
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 28, 2011
In this three-part series I will explore the ways that the Venture Capital industry has changed over the past 5 years that I would argue are a direct result of changes in the software industry, not the other way around. Venture capital is in the process of its own creative destruction with new market entrants and new models of innovation at the precise moment that our industry itself is contracting. Tech Market Analysis VC Industry
socalTECH
JULY 9, 2012
It looks like it's going to be a good year for venture capital -- fundraising, that is, according to numbers released by Dow Jones Monday. venture funds raised $13 billion in the first six months of the year, a 31 percent increase in fundraising activity compared with the first half of 2011. venture capital fundraising finance dowjones
Xconomy
OCTOBER 25, 2016
venture industry is also exhibiting some fatigue as we finish the 88th month since the last recession. According to the National Venture Capital Association and PitchBook , this past quarter $15 billion was invested in 1,810 deals , which compares unfavorably to both the prior quarter ($22.1 Have investors drifted, becoming less dogmatic about hitting interim milestones with as little capital as possible? billion raised by venture capitalists.
Xconomy
MARCH 12, 2018
At Correlation Ventures, we spend a fair amount of time using our proprietary database to identify the telltale signs of successful startups. One question we asked recently is whether there are diminishing returns for adding VCs to the board of directors at venture-backed startups. Many of us have seen highly effective boards where experienced and engaged VCs work with management and independent directors, offering timely and valuable insights, guidance, and connections.
Both Sides of the Table
DECEMBER 6, 2017
I titled this post “We Must Have Zero Tolerance in Venture Capital” but of course I could just say “zero tolerance anywhere” because that’s true. As a VC let me specifically just speak out for our industry. Please read the image below that comes from the testimony of Trae Vassalo (then a VC at Kleiner Perkins) about the actions of her male counterpart Ajit Nazre This is the kind of s**t that women have to put up with from exploitative men in power.
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. Investors: August Capital (David Hornik) (lead) with existing investors Charles River Ventures. Jeremy Liew, a respected VC from LightSpeed, obviously saw the change to ramp up sales.
TechCrunch LA
NOVEMBER 11, 2020
Tech solutions for such pressing issues as the climate crisis and social inequality have seen a 280% increase in global VC investment from 2015 to 2020, while investment in this space more than doubled in both cities over the past five years.
Xconomy
MAY 8, 2017
Austin —Dell Technologies is publicly unveiling a venture capital investment arm that has been quietly investing in startups since the operation was run by EMC, the data storage giant that Dell agreed to acquire for $67 billion in 2015. Called Dell Technologies Capital, the investment arm plans to provide funding to about 20 startups this year, Scott Darling, president of group, told Bloomberg , which first reported the news this morning.
InfoChachkie
DECEMBER 7, 2015
Who makes more money, entrepreneurs or venture capitalists? Jason concludes that: A top founder takes much more risk, at least on paper, but can make a lot more than even the best VC of all time. A pretty good VC probably makes more than a pretty good and successful founder. A mediocre VC makes a lot, lot, lot, lot more than a mediocre founder and if lucky and has good partners, can make more than a pretty good and successful founder.
Xconomy
OCTOBER 9, 2018
Once considered a passing phase, the concentration of capital into fewer, larger venture capital deals appears to be the new normal. based venture-backed companies as of the end of the third quarter hit a decade high, and is on pace to pass the $100 billion mark by year’s end. In the third quarter VC investments totaled nearly $28 billion, bringing the year’s total as of Sept.
socalTECH
MARCH 4, 2013
Is Amgen the next source of the healthcare industry's venture capital deals? It might be, on news that Kevin Sharer , the former CEO of Thousand Oaks-based Amgen , has joined venture capital investment firm Foundation Medical Partners. amgen kevin sharer venture capital investment biotech lifescience medical healthcare
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 29, 2011
Yesterday I wrote Part 1 of the series on the changes to the software industry over the past decade that has led to changes in the venture capital industry itself. Amazon in turn led to the formation of an earlier stage of venture capital now led by what I call “micro VCs&# who typically invest $250-500k in companies rather than the $5-7 million that VCs used to invest. Or at least venture-style returns. Enter VC.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 20, 2009
Below you will find an outline for the posts I’ve done on how to raise VC. Continue reading on Medium
Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 8, 2018
Upfront Ventures has a deep-seated commitment to equality in funding & building diverse teams across all ethnicities, nationalities and genders. If you’re an entrepreneur who would like to see this clause in more startups please ask your VC to include it in future term sheets and link to it from their home page. “We diversity venture-capital
Both Sides of the Table
SEPTEMBER 18, 2014
On the phone … Me: So, you raised venture capital? I have never come across a sophisticated A, B or C round venture capitalist who thinks convertible notes are a smart move for entrepreneur or investor. ’ But do you want to start a relationship with your most important supplier – that of capital to fuel your business – by avoiding talking about his or her expectations in terms of rights or privileges? This week.
socalTECH
SEPTEMBER 8, 2022
Google said today that it has backed two, Los Angeles area venture capital firms, as part of a bigger effort to invest in Black-led venture capital firms. According to Google, it has made investments in seven, Black-led venture capital firms, including two Los Angeles venture investors--Collide Capital and Share Ventures. investment equity diversity capital collide share black venture google
socalTECH
FEBRUARY 12, 2021
San Diego-based Dexcom, which develops equipment for continuous glucose monitoring for people with diabetes, has launched its own venture capital fund, Dexcom Ventures. The company said its venture capital arm will be led by Steve Pacelli. Dexcom did not say how much funding it has committed to Dexcom Ventures, if it has a fixed fund or if it will be funding investments as needed, which is sometimes common with corporate venture capital funds.
Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 1, 2016
At the Upfront Summit in early February, we had a chance to have many off-the-record conversations with Limited Partners (LPs) who fund Venture Capital (VC) funds about their views of the market. We All Know That Dollars into Venture Have Gone Up … As a starting point, we know that the dollars into venture have steadily rebounded to pre great-recession levels, with just under $30 billion committed to US technology venture capital in 2015.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 30, 2011
This is the final part of a 3-part series on the major changes in the structure of the software & the venture capital industries. But … Downsizing Venture Capital. The venture capital business itself is going through an even more fundamental change than just the entry of a new category at the earliest stage. Creative destruction is what drives capitalism and innovation. Tech Market Analysis VC Industry
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 8, 2010
I was on This Week in Venture Capital today with Jason Calacanis talking about the big VC deals at the moment and talking about the VC industry. Box.net ( raised $15 million led by Scale Venture Partners and included DFJ and USVP. Gdgt (l ed by Spark, True Ventures ) – Love the idea. Also in the video: - Is it a good idea for VC’s to pay stratospheric prices? - Tags: VC Industry
socalTECH
OCTOBER 7, 2022
Amazon, which has significant operations in the Los Angeles area, is putting some capital to work in at least two, Los Angeles area venture capital investors, as part of a new fund to back underrepresented entrepreneurs. Amazon said this week that it will invest $150M in venture fund that provide underrepresented entrepreneurs access to capital. amazon share ventures investment access techstars shareventures minority catalytic
socalTECH
OCTOBER 30, 2013
For our Insights and Opinions section today--where we feature the thoughts and opinions of the local high tech community--we have an article from Jeff Grabow , of Ernst & Young, talking about the changing world of venture capital : The VC environment isn''t what it used to be. The venture environment has evolved and understanding three key trends in that evolution can be critical to getting your company funded. invest opinions investments insights capital venture
Both Sides of the Table
JULY 23, 2014
There has been much discussion in the past few years of the changing structure of the venture capital industry. The rise of alternative sources of capital (crowd funding and the like). 15 years ago we were at the peak of Internet hype with the launch of many over-capitalized businesses with a market size & opportunity was limited. The VC market has right-sized (returned back to mid 90′s levels & less competition). Upfront Ventures VC Industry
socalTECH
JUNE 17, 2021
The Alliance for Southern California Innovation said on Thursday that it is launching a new program, the SoCal Venture Pipeline. According to the company, the new program will provide companies that have demonstrated clear market traction and provides targeted introductions to venture funds. The Alliance said the program came about, because SoCal founders continue to struggle to raise growth capital despite "a wealth of talent and potential".
socalTECH
JUNE 28, 2021
Newport Beach-based Ankona Capital, a new, venture capital company founded by Josh Harmsen, Brian Mesic, Newth Morris, and Jared Smith, has raised $66M in its first, venture capital fund. ankona capital venture investment fund financial startup harmsen mesicThe company says it invests between $5M to $10M in early, growth-stage B2B software companies which are already generating $5M to $15M in recurring revenues.
TechCrunch LA
NOVEMBER 10, 2018
Jason Rowley is a venture capital and technology reporter for Crunchbase News. The SaaS VC gap: China & other markets trail the US. Early-stage SaaS VC slip snaps recovery as public software stocks soar. companies’ largest VC raised in 2018 , and no surprise here: the 10 largest rounds all topped out well north of $100 million. In the chart below, we’ve plotted the count of supergiant venture rounds 1 topping out at $100 million or more through November 5.
Startup Professionals Musings
JANUARY 7, 2013
Based on the final report for 2012 from Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), it may appear that IPOs are back as a viable startup exit strategy. For the full year 2012, venture-backed initial public offerings raised $21.5 The dot.com heydays of free flowing venture capital and supercharged IPOs are not back. The market and venture capitalists are looking for business, but with a continuing focus on proven business models.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 14, 2010
I know that the tone of the title and post will seem a bit aggressive for a post from a venture capitalist on fund raising. If you want to raise venture capital more easily the advice could be quite practical and counter-intuitive. Many companies that are raising B or C venture capital rounds right now raised their initial money in 2005-2008. They often have “dead&# or “tired&# investors who have stranded capital. Not so VC.
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