500

MARCH 26, 2020

When I moved to San Francisco in 2012, I was working on my fourth startup and looking to join an accelerator. But from a young age, going against the grain was in my DNA. It’s what led me to San Francisco, and, ultimately, what drew me to 500 Startups.

accelerator 306

accelerator startup entrepreneurship ventures 306

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

MAY 5, 2021

There has been this narrative about investing in VC funds that you have to get into the top quartile (25%) or possibly the top decile (10%) in order to generate good returns. Manager selection remains an important part of VC investing because the lower half of VC funds do not outperform the stock market.

VC 279

VC board investing investment 279

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 8, 2014

When I work with community leaders I often encourage them to “pool capital” together from many angels into a fund structure run by a small investment committee that can make more rapid funding decisions, take more risks (it is pooled capital so goes across more investments), and standardize investment terms.

startup 390

startup communities venture capital angel capital 390

A Smart Bear

JANUARY 4, 2018

Of course a nice chunk is primary capital, i.e. for the company balance sheet, to invest in growth initiatives, security and quality, and advancing our existing strategic priorities through acceleration and de-risking. The majority of the funds pay back our early investors who believed in us enough to trust us with their money.

investing 175

investing investment leadership culture 175

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 12, 2013

It was perfect timing since in 2012 GRP raised its fourth fund bringing our total assets managed to nearly $1 billion. We both wanted to build a practice that would make Los Angeles proud but where we would travel tirelessly to other locations to make investments in the best entrepreneurs wherever they were. They were effusive.

VC 360

VC communities investing investment 360

This is going to be BIG.

DECEMBER 21, 2012

It would be over two years until he took his first round of capital earlier in 2012. He just raised $7mm from Andreessen Horowitz, to tack onto their January 2012 party round of everyone and their mother. Good for him--I'm happy to see him get resourced to built out his vision. Just a few days ago, he added a monster $10mm raise.

VC 253

VC education entrepreneurs development 253

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 14, 2013

But through expressing points-of-view I can raise above the consciousness of my customers (entrepreneurs and limited partners who invest in VC funds) in ways that I couldn’t without breaking through the noise of the hundreds of others of VCs who also have money. Think about Luma Partners.

mix-use 389

mix-use advice VC technology 389

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 1, 2013

In 2012, I started my second company--a venture capital firm called B rooklyn Bridge Ventures. More sleep in 2013 will have mental health effects beyond the time investment. 3) Invest in your real friends. Start paying them back--or start investing in people that you hope to be better friends with using real life action.

sustainability 320

sustainability innovation entrepreneurs investing 320

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Most of USV’s big wins have been in companies where we were the first institutional VC to talk to the company or where we had way more conviction about the opportunity than other investors at the time of our investment. You can call it negative social proof.

VC 254

VC pitching investing investment 254

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 7, 2013

This followed an investment late last year by Time Warner in the company in a round totaling $36 million , led by Rachel Lam , head of their investment group. Ynon & I first discussed Maker in early 2012. Why I Invested in Maker Studios in the First Place. This has been a very welcome addition.

peer-to-peer 320

peer-to-peer media networking board 320

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 6, 2017

Mayor Eric Garcetti at Upfront Summit, February 2017 I first sat down with then councilman Eric Garcetti on the Ides of March 2012 — almost 5 years ago exactly. He was running to be the 42nd mayor of Los Angeles and he outlined his vision to “open up the city government to technology and innovation” if he were elected. Are you kidding me?

energy 191

energy innovation venture capital capital 191

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

And now that I''m an investor out on my own, one of my best performing companies is an investment that the founder could hardly give the equity away for in the beginning. My story as a "picker" really starts with two deals I didn''t even invest in. Tell that one to the Native Americans who were already here. Make quick decisions.

venture capital 286

venture capital ventures education pitching 286

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 18, 2015

They take fewer bets, they don’t mind being counter-conventional and investing in things that make others scratch their heads. And with the crash of Sept 2009 – March 2009 the market cleared out created an open field in which to invest, go slowly, learn and let companies mature before they felt the need to be “hyped.”

advice 398

advice VC entrepreneurs transportation 398

TechCrunch

DECEMBER 22, 2021

Serial fintech entrepreneur Walter Cruttenden founded Acorns with his son, Jeff, in 2012 with the goal of helping low- and middle-income households invest and save responsibly. The pair wanted to simplify investing for the millions that have trouble getting started or continuing to invest.

investing 112

investing investment founder mix-use 112

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 17, 2012

For me Silicon Beach doesn’t quite encapsulate the wonderful, dynamic, creative, large, thriving community that is the 13 million proud Angelinos any more than Silicon Alley captures the bustling 2012 community of New York City. IA Ventures – Roger Ehrenberg was doing angel investing before he became a VC.

communities 304

communities startup creativity VC 304

Dream It

APRIL 26, 2019

In late-March, the United Kingdom's Huawei Cyber Security Centre Oversight Board reported that the company had not fixed critical security flaws in its products, even after promising to patch specific issues back in 2012. Mangrove Capital Partners led a $6 million investment in security operations center services provider CyberHat.

consulting 250

consulting networking board VC 250

This is going to be BIG.

JUNE 16, 2014

I went back across the 21 investments I''ve made both at First Round and at Brooklyn Bridge Ventures --a period that dates back to January 28, 2010, when I closed on Backupify. How long in advance did I know someone, or know about a deal before I wired money?

VC 417

VC pitching networking venture capital 417

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 13, 2012

This is consistent with data I see from RingRevenue , a company in which I invested and sit on the board. RingRevenue grew it’s revenue 3x 2010 over 2011 and is on track to grow more than 3x again in 2012 with no signs of slowing. Here are some data provided by a BIA / Kelsey report (2012). We have ridden the mobile wave.

media 311

media board technology investing 311

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

APRIL 22, 2020

I’m betting on Duolingo (and have been since we made our seed investment in the company in 2012). Both TOEFL and IELTS, after spending a lot of time saying that online tests were no good, now have online options. So now the market is open to competition and the best product can win.

incumbents 192

incumbents education investing investment 192

TechCrunch

NOVEMBER 18, 2020

Cloudbolt , a Bethesda, MD startup that helps companies manage hybrid cloud environments, announced a $35 million Series B investment today. It was split between $15 million in equity investment and $20 Million in debt. Cloudbolt was founded in 2012 and has around 200 customers. We also recruit with with those ideas in mind.

investing 94

investing investment frameworks education 94

HPA

JANUARY 8, 2025

Chicago, IL – January 8, 2025 – Hyde Park Angels ( HPA ), a premier early-stage venture capital group specializing in investing through its unique People First model, is pleased to announce that its portfolio company, Simple Mills , has entered into a definitive agreement to be acquired by Flowers Foods , Inc.

innovation 70

innovation leadership sustainability support 70

AsiaTechDaily

OCTOBER 11, 2023

Register Singapore’s Jungle Ventures has announced the launch of First Cheque@Jungle , a new program aimed at investing in startups during their pre-seed and seed stages. Second, the program offers an initial investment without imposing minimum ownership criteria. Over the years, it has consistently grown in size and impact.

investing 98

investing investment startup accelerator 98

TechCrunch

APRIL 13, 2023

Amazon’s unending drive to outflank the rest of the world birthed an industry with its 2012 acquisition of Kiva. Investments began flooding into robotics around this time. Slowed investments have been compounded by continued economic woes and the recent bank collapses have further shaken confidence.

investing 112

investing investment construction ventures 112

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 10, 2016

I laid out the following goals: Hire investment partners with operating experience combined with investment experience and deeply committed to LA Tech, but with strong relationships in SF, NYC and beyond. Build out our junior staff including pulling through some younger professionals into the investment ranks. I sat on panels.

disruption 226

disruption VC communities ventures 226

TechCrunch

JULY 18, 2022

Investing in private markets has long been reserved for the ultra-rich. Ben Miller founded Fundrise in 2012 to give retail investors access to the private real estate market, and the company has since become one of the top 20 investors by size in that space, Miller, who serves as CEO, told TechCrunch in an interview.

real estate 91

real estate venture capital capital ventures 91

TechCrunch

MARCH 10, 2021

Since launching in 2012, Savannah Fund — led by Mbwana Alliy and Paul Bragiel — has backed more than 30 startups. Some of its well-known investments include South African car subscription company, FlexClub; Kenyan on-demand logistics company, Sendy; and Nigerian fintech company, Lidya. Mbwana Ally (Managing Partner, Savannah Fund).

investing 100

investing investment startup venture capital 100

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 20, 2012

Sam is the managing director of Launchpad LA and we were about to pick our 2012 class of entrepreneurs. One of the things I like the most about Tracy’s businesses is that she is focused on volume & deflationary economics ( which is my main investment thesis as I covered in this post ). How’s that for an ex painter?

peer-to-peer 363

peer-to-peer entrepreneurs startup entrepreneurship 363

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 16, 2011

While that post resulted in term sheets for Dennis and Naveen from VCs, the original intention was actually to get Yelp to invest in the company. That's why I think that, by the end of 2012, Foursquare will have double the amount of users it has today.

VC 270

VC opportunity investing investment 270

Dream It

AUGUST 29, 2019

Investors are giving you capital to make 10x, 20x, or 100x their investment. The definition of Exit Strategy from Investopedia: “The method by which a venture capitalist or business owner intends to get out of an investment that he or she has made in the past. In other words, the exit strategy is a way of “cashing out” an investment.”

strategy 299

strategy VC energy disruption 299

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 5, 2012

But that’s hardly fair compensation when your former cube mate gave you $25,000 of money she didn’t really have to invest in you, took tons of risks with her money, and now has to pay a VC price for that money a year after she invested it. Maybe because it’s on small dollar investments. Investors call Bull Cap.

startup 354

startup VC entrepreneurs financing 354

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 28, 2014

by Michael Woolf that is worth any startup founder reading to get a sense of perspective on the reality warp that is startup world during a frothy market such as 1997-1999, 2005-2007 or 2012-2014. otherwise I prefer to invest less and risk less). (it is also the title of a fabulous book from Internet 1.0

startup 383

startup VC frameworks capital 383

Entrepreneurs' Organization

SEPTEMBER 8, 2023

As business owners, we often have a huge amount of wealth tied up within our businesses, but don’t form the habit of creating other income streams and forms of wealth, such as investments outside our businesses.

founder 262

founder advice entrepreneurship entrepreneurs 262

Onevest

MARCH 19, 2015

Join the rest of the nation including equity crowdfunding platforms like 1000 Angels , the private investor network that connects startups with investors, where currently only accredited investors are allowed to invest. Even 2012's Congress agreed, passing the JOBS Act with bipartisan support through both the House and Senate.

advice 189

advice investing investment startup 189

TechCrunch

JUNE 29, 2021

Notably, the 38-year-old Silicon Valley-based venture firm is doubling down on global investing. billion global “Leaders” fund that is focused on later-stage investing that Accel closed in December. Accel expects to invest in about 20 to 30 companies per fund on average, according to Partner Rich Wong.

investing 100

investing investment incubation opportunity 100

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 14, 2014

Throughout 2012 & 2013 we funded many companies and then pulled together a second fund. And since we all knew that Sam’s dealflow and judgment were sound we empowered him to make early-stage, accelerator-like investments in early-stage entrepreneurs under the Upfront brand. We decided on the latter. Jamie did, too!

accelerator 290

accelerator mentorship peer-to-peer VC 290

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 5, 2016

I remember when seed funds first started (they were being incorrectly called “super angels” and then Micro VCs before Seed Funds stuck) and every LP (who invest in VCs) told me they weren’t convinced about Seed Funds (too small, too hard to pick winners, would they be able to follow on?). Now seed funding is conventional wisdom.

venture capital 271

venture capital capital ventures VC 271

David Teten VC

AUGUST 19, 2019

A new wave of Revenue-Based Investors are emerging who are using creative investing structures with some of the upside of traditional VC, but some of the downside protection of debt. I believe that Revenue-Based Investing (“RBI”) VCs are on the forefront of what will become a major segment of the venture ecosystem.

founder 99

founder investing investment VC 99