Dream It

APRIL 12, 2020

Martino founded Bullpen in 2010 with a focus on post-seed, pre-Series A startups, and he led the fund’s investments in companies like FanDuel, Namely, Ipsy, SpotHero, Classy, and Airmap. Will a financial crisis affect how venture funds deploy capital? Startups should know how VCs work. startup) per month.

ventures 334

ventures startup capital board 334

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 11, 2016

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. We then help surround founders with other talent who want to join important causes but don’t have the startup idea themselves. Venture Capital is a people business.

venture capital 363

venture capital capital ventures VC 363

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 18, 2019

Across the world, various economic development organizations, government agencies, and non-profits are putting in admirable and well-intentioned efforts to develop startup ecosystems. Very little time and effort is spent helping professional, full time investors raise capital for venture funds.

startup ecosystem 339

startup ecosystem real estate startup economic development 339

This is going to be BIG.

FEBRUARY 18, 2019

Brooklyn Bridge Ventures , the pre-seed and seed stage VC fund I run in NYC, has invested in 64 companies in the last six and a half years. The diversity is the direct result of our mission—to build the most accessible venture capital fund in NY. Twenty-five of them have at least one female co-founder. Fifteen had co-founders over 40.

venture capital 413

venture capital capital ventures peer-to-peer 413

A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC

SEPTEMBER 9, 2020

Matt is a great CEO and has even written a book about leading and growing a company called Startup CEO. Their new company Bolster is all about scaling and building a great management team for your startup. Bolster also will allow venture capital firms and startup investors to participate in its platform as super users.

board 218

board leadership venture capital VC 218

Entrepreneurs' Organization

JULY 6, 2020

Like the downturns in 2008 and 2001, this has been a very trying time for entrepreneurs running startups. Many entrepreneurs are reliant on outside funding, whether angel investors, venture capitalists or strategic investors , to keep the venture going. A startup is not a lone adventure. Remember that you are not alone.

peer-to-peer 321

peer-to-peer startup advice entrepreneurs 321

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

Today we’re announcing that my partner Kara Nortman is becoming Co-Managing Partner at Upfront Ventures and I can’t tell you how thrilled I am to welcome her to her new role. She worked for 5 years as a VC at Battery Ventures and co-headed M&A at IAC working with Barry Diller. She had all of the skills and traits we sought?

ventures 361

ventures leadership mentorship venture capital 361

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 16, 2015

It's a story that just hit a milestone--a $4mm round of venture funding that I'm ecstatic to say Brooklyn Bridge Ventures just led. But just because you could see them everywhere doesn't make them an obvious venture bet--nor does it tell the story of how the round even came to be.

venture capital 359

venture capital ventures capital consumer retail 359

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 13, 2014

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). Startup CEO experience (Founded P.S. XO along with my good friend Soleil Moon Frye.

VC 408

VC networking board ventures 408

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

Nearly every successful tech startup I’ve observed over the past 20 years has gone through a similar growth pattern: Innovate, systematize then scale operations. Innovate In the early years of a startup there is a lot of kinetic energy of enthusiastic innovators looking to launch a product that changes how an industry works.

innovation 286

innovation startup board leadership 286

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 23, 2016

Kobie Fuller, Partner at Upfront Ventures We set out to build a venture capital firm that would not only be a beacon for the rapidly growing LA tech ecosystem but also one that would compete and collaborate nationally with the best firms in the country. Kobie scored highly on all fronts.

ventures 260

ventures culture venture capital SaaS 260

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

There are certain topics that even some of the smartest people I talk with who aren’t startup oriented can’t fully grok. It’s common cocktail party chatter to hear people confidently pronounce that some well known startup is sure to blow up because, “How could they succeed when they’re not even profitable!” What did they actually do?

startup 227

startup venture capital VC capital 227

American Entrepreneurship

JANUARY 21, 2025

million pre-A funding round, the FinTech startup aims to expand its regional footprint while laying the groundwork for future global growth. Now, with Flourish Ventures on board, we are laying the foundation for global expansion. With its just closed $5.2

startup 98

startup board entrepreneurship ventures 98

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2013

bang on the windows of a board meeting recently and stick his tongue out at all of us. Ex Venture Capitalist with Battery Ventures. Didn’t I make myself clear about celebrities & startups ? Turns out she’s done this startup thing before. Startup Advice' Aka Punky Brewster. We’re in LA.

startup 398

startup creativity advice entrepreneurs 398

Dream It

FEBRUARY 5, 2021

We did a previous dose on 5 things investors wish startups knew. Managing Partner, Steve Barsh , sat down to give us 5 MORE things investors wish startups knew. Keep reading for some more of the most common mistakes startups make when pitching and for Steve’s tips on how to fix them. Go here if you missed it.

startup founder 397

startup founder founder startup pitching 397

Dream It

APRIL 7, 2020

Friday, April 3 was supposed to be the orderly launch of the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) providing $349B of urgently needed funding to struggling startups and small businesses. What are the immediate do’s and don’ts for startups? For instance, one of our startups applied to J.P.

startup 348

startup communities VC ventures 348

This is going to be BIG.

MARCH 24, 2014

These days, there are a ton of options for you if you''re a startup seeking guidence. We''ve done a lot to make sure startups get all the help we can get--and it''s leading to higher companies getting off the ground. Venture capitalists play an important role in burgeoning ecosystems. Venture Capital & Technology'

accelerator 368

accelerator mentorship VC incubation 368

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 8, 2014

And there’s none that makes me happier than to announce that Jordan Hudson has been promoted to a Principal at Upfront Ventures. What is a principal at a VC firm and how does it work at Upfront Ventures? I think it’s great for some people because it really does give you some solid benefits: board exposure / experience.

investing 365

investing investment VC board 365

TechCrunch

JANUARY 27, 2023

Chroma , a startup working to build a new type of audiovisual entertainment specifically for mobile devices, is now adding a Twitter co-founder to its board. The venture most notably incubated the blogging platform Medium. However, in 2013, Stone and the others shifted their focus to individual startups.

board 110

board founder startup incubation 110

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 6, 2020

You need to: study the rules, make sure that you don’t violate the “affiliate rule” (more later), consult with your Company Counsel, consult with your board and investors and then make your own determination. The NVCA (National Venture Capital Association) Guidelines are below. You should discuss with your board second.

VC 279

VC peer-to-peer startup advice 279

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 20, 2012

Board Meetings. Startups Are for Doers. But trust me when I say that my observations across many startups (and other companies, frankly) is that not enough time goes into thinking. Startups are filled with the stresses of the here and now and it’s hard to break out of this mold of focusing two feet in front of you.

creativity 400

creativity venture capital entrepreneurs board 400

Paul G. Silva

MARCH 31, 2022

About 20 years ago I was a kid running my first startup and Baer was one of the early people to join our Board of Advisors. He came to every board meeting with deep insights and deeper belly laughs. He went on to help every student I sent his way, and continued mentoring me on each of my ventures. Baer Tierkel.

board 279

board ventures startup accelerator 279

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 2, 2015

You transition from “startup” to real business and it turns out that having an entire team be efficient is more important than that boundless energy but destructive nature of constantly changing direction from the CEO. And board confidence matters in growing companies. And board confidence matters in growing companies.

board 338

board energy financing finance 338

Paul G. Silva

FEBRUARY 11, 2025

Breaking the “Impossible” at VVM When I was at Valley Venture Mentors, we set this BHAG: “In ten years, catalyze entrepreneurs to change the economy of Western Massachusetts by generating $1 billion in cumulative revenue and investment.” ” At the time, we were running a startup accelerator for 6 companies.

innovation 130

innovation accelerator angel investing entrepreneurship 130

This is going to be BIG.

NOVEMBER 28, 2021

Turns out being in a quiet place with good WIFI minding someone who basically just eats and sleeps most of the time while tethered to all manner of monitors actually makes for a great work environment for venture capital. She’s even been on several board calls already and last week showed up on her first pitch call.

hospitality 477

hospitality board energy pitching 477

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 3, 2015

I am often asked how we make decisions on investments at Upfront Ventures. The same is true at startups. I watch founders who want to get “air cover” for hard decisions by getting too much input from their teams or boards. You’re a startup, not GE. And what most startups don’t realize.

advice 332

advice peer-to-peer startup frameworks 332

Tomasz Tunguz

OCTOBER 7, 2021

Passive venture capital investing is a relatively new idea. As later stage investors permeate venture capital, they are amassing index funds of startups. Classically, venture capital has been an active asset class. The board is fully staffed, the executive team as well. But it’s transforming the industry.

venture capital 145

venture capital capital ventures investing 145

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 21, 2014

Venture capitalists have raised increasing amounts of money from their investors (LPs) every year. I have had a version of this conversation with nearly every startup with whom I’m involved. Make sure your board challenges you enough about long-term vision & innovation. Sales Startup Lessons'

incubation 354

incubation board VC innovation 354

American Entrepreneurship

DECEMBER 4, 2024

In support of military Veteran-founded startups, the Fund focuses on space, AI, and cybersecurity leveraging a veteran’s leadership. Head of Global Operations of The Founder Institute, the world’s largest pre-seed startup accelerator, and the Co-Founder & COO of the Vet-Tech Startup Accelerator.

leadership 97

leadership startup accelerator mentorship entrepreneurship 97

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 22, 2014

First, I''ve finished raising the first Brooklyn Bridge Ventures fund--tallying $8.3 I''m not going to do too much of a victory lap, though, because it bugs me a little when startups do it, and I''m a startup, too. Fundraising is not the goal, it''s the means to an end. So there ya go.

pitching 413

pitching board VC opportunity 413

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 12, 2019

Over the past month a colleague ( Chang Xu ) and I sifted through data on the venture capital industry (as we do every year) and made a bunch of calls to VCs and LPs to confirm our hypotheses. As a result of the IPO window shifting we saw a massive inflow of public-market capital into the latest stages of venture.

investing 328

investing investment VC venture capital 328

This is going to be BIG.

JULY 16, 2014

I am there, along with other investors and board members to audit their thinking--to make sure they were considerate about the plans *they* came up with, not me. If I can provide helpful context about some of the seed stage startup best practices, great, but they know their company best. Venture Capital & Technology'

VC 397

VC frameworks venture capital opportunity 397

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 26, 2016

There has been a lot of public debate over the past several weeks about whether it’s a good thing to be “gross margin positive” or not and commentary always reminds me that some people at startups don’t quite understand financial metrics or even how to think about which ones are healthy. But none of this matters if you run out of money.

startup 280

startup SaaS financing finance 280

Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

Most venture capitalists who have been in this business for a long time foresaw this correction and have been talking about it privately for the better part of the last year or two. ” “Mark has a vested interest in talking down valuations of startups.” ” “Sure, prices are dropping. All of these are false.

startup 285

startup VC entrepreneurs investing 285

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 19, 2015

The biggest difference I cite is that Venture Capital often feels like an “individual sport” while startups are a “team sport.” Startups are team sports because you’re all working on the same shared objective of the company. That’s what we’re trying to do at Upfront.

culture 339

culture VC communities venture capital 339

Dream It

MAY 19, 2021

Your inflection points need to put the company in a position for a liquidity event - raising more money at a higher valuation or achieving an exit that delivers venture-level returns. If there is sincere interest on the part of the investor, offer to review a smaller raise and revised plan with your board.

pitching 393

pitching board health VC 393

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 1, 2014

It’s the company that evokes fear into more startups and venture capitalists looking to fund eCommerce businesses than any other potential competitor. Tech Market Analysis Upfront Ventures makespace' Every pitch I’ve ever seen has led to the, “Would Amazon eventually do this? And could we then compete?”

real estate 380

real estate ventures innovation pitching 380