The VC Stack Makeover: What Today's Funds Need - Webinar
The Seraf Compass
JULY 21, 2025
For an industry built on innovation, our infrastructure has lagged behind.
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The Seraf Compass
JULY 21, 2025
For an industry built on innovation, our infrastructure has lagged behind.
This is going to be BIG.
MAY 2, 2025
How do you get 150+ VCs to show up for something? nextNYC, the startup events platform I run, produces the largest formal VC/Founder intro event at NY Tech Week. Last year, over 150 VCs participated and were looking forward to having even more. No VC on the face of the earth has a magical Good Deals Only stream of opportunities.
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NZ Entrepreneur
MARCH 16, 2025
Over time, the co-working space developed and there was a natural progression towards a lot of individuals starting new ventures coming out of that space. And we’ve kind of moved to a virtual event because, for us, we have a great relationship with VC’s in the market, and with angel investors in the market.
Berkonomics
NOVEMBER 27, 2024
Sooner or later, you may need to seek venture capital and accommodate the needs of the venture community in negotiating the terms of an investment. What VC’s can and cannot do First, VCs in general cannot invest in ‘S’ corporations or limited liability companies (LLC’s).
Tomasz Tunguz
MAY 29, 2025
We recently dove deep into one such transformation with Barr Moses, CEO of Monte Carlo, during a Theory Ventures Office Hours. ” This involved “changing the language both inside of the company & with the board around one key metric.” Fundamental shifts in go-to-market strategy tied to pricing?
American Entrepreneurship
JUNE 24, 2025
Superconducting Compute Platform Unlocks Ultra-Efficient, High-Performance Infrastructure for Next-Gen Workloads A bold new entrant in the compute infrastructure landscape, Snowcap Compute has officially launched with $23 million in seed funding led by Playground Global, alongside participation from Cambium Capital and Vsquared Ventures.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 27, 2013
If you’ve been following the press about VC funds you’ll know this is no small feat. Perhaps the biggest piece of new news is that after 17 years of operations we’ve changed our name from GRP Partners to Upfront Ventures. Well, the venture capital industry has changed a lot in the past 20 years … and we have too.
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. Venture Capital & Technology' I am not trying to build a big firm, employ a lot of people, or manage the most money possible.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 6, 2020
But I have been in close contact with the NVCA, many of the major law firms and many of the major VC firms. 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. shouldn’t I?
Both Sides of the Table
MAY 27, 2013
He wrote a post this long weekend on how he manages the board of DataSift. In his post he asserts, “You get the VCs you deserve” and the corollary “You get the performance out of your board that you deserve.” Quiet-as-a-mouse Roger Ehrenberg of IA Ventures. One key board member knows Marissa.
This is going to be BIG.
OCTOBER 3, 2016
That was a question posed to me by a new analyst at a venture capital fund. While there are lots and lots of really kind, generous people working in venture capital--the recently retired Howard Morgan, Hunter Walk, Brad Feld, and Karin Klein for example--it's really tough to argue that there isn't widespread jerkery. So what gives?
A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC
JUNE 25, 2020
The board diversity problem is a symptom of a much broader problem around lack of diversity in founders that get funded and lack of diversity in VC firms. Most startup boards are made up of a few founders and a few VCs. No wonder you have no diversity on the board. Boards don’t need three or four VCs on them.
David Teten VC
JUNE 9, 2021
Would you like to work with private equity and venture capital funds? There are relatively few jobs directly inside private equity and venture capital funds, and those jobs are highly competitive. See How to negotiate a partner role at a VC or private equity firm.) At Versatile VC , we’ve used all these models.
Both Sides of the Table
JANUARY 22, 2014
Picking a VC is hard. So I thought I’d write about out with what I would look for in a VC knowing what I know now and why. Most VCs are book smart. VCs should be more of a coach than proscriptively telling you what to do. You want a VC who will spar with you but then STFU and let you get on with things.
Both Sides of the Table
SEPTEMBER 29, 2013
If you track the venture capital industry it would be hard to miss the conversation going on this week over AngelList “Syndicates.” My favorite new VC blogger, Hunter Walk, weighed in with some thoughtful comments about how Syndicates might actually pit, “ angel vs. angel.” They will have to sit on boards.
This is going to be BIG.
NOVEMBER 15, 2020
Investors let him control the board as long as he continued to make them paper rich, and then actually rich--so they couldn’t technically force him out. When it happens at companies run by women, the media, disgruntled employees, and their investor board members, burn them at the stake. VC David Sacks tweeted “??
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 27, 2014
I was having dinner with a friend last night and we were chatting about venture capital and a bit about what I’ve learned. I know I can’t be in every deal and I know that the easy part of being a VC is writing the first check in a deal. Upfront Ventures' They worry too much about missing out on a deal.
Both Sides of the Table
MAY 30, 2013
His imagination of what is wrong with VC has captured perfectly in satirical format what ails our industry. It is Nikolas Tesla pitching a VC firm. The back-and-forth between Andy & me if anything I hope just raised the issue a bit more about entrepreneur & VC relationships. He knew me then. by Dorrian Porter.
David Teten VC
MARCH 1, 2022
The easiest way to work with and for VC funds is to become a part-time scout, getting paid for sourcing investments. How to win consulting, board, operating, and investment roles with private equity and venture capital funds (video). How to find a job as a VC scout. How to get a job in venture capital.
Both Sides of the Table
NOVEMBER 11, 2013
Nearly four months ago we rebranded at Upfront Ventures. You can watch the video above for a very brief overview of why we rebranded and where we see our place in the VC ecosystem along with what has changed in our industry. Relaunching our brand is part of our larger initiative to build a VC firm of the future.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 11, 2015
This morning it was announced that Matt Murphy had left his role as a partner Kleiner Perkins to join as a partner in Menlo Ventures. It’s even more rare for VCs to talk publicly about other VCs, so I thought it would be fun to break rank and tell you about Matt. What did I learn in working with Matt? NextPlus is in LA.
Both Sides of the Table
NOVEMBER 20, 2012
Board Meetings. Frankly, I think venture capital is that way, too. How do VCs break out of group think when they are shuttling from one board meeting to the next, from one conference to the other and talking with all the same people? How does the world in Los Angeles intersect differently with venture capital?
TechCrunch
OCTOBER 4, 2022
Mar Hershenson , co-founder and managing partner at Pear VC. Mar Hershenson co-founded and serves as managing partner at Pear VC, a seed-stage investment firm in Palo Alto backing companies like Guardant Health, DoorDash, Gusto, Aurora Solar and Branch. Aileen Lee , founding partner at Cowboy Ventures.
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?”
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 8, 2014
Changes in the Software World & in Venture Capital. That didn’t make them bad – it just didn’t make them efficient at making rapid decisions of whether to fund a startup or not and the terms on which they would fund were typically not “market” for a startup company that would become venture backed one day.
This is going to be BIG.
DECEMBER 11, 2014
I''m super proud of Rob, Ben and the whole Backupify team--and this is particularly special for me because Backupify was the first investment I ever made as a VC, and the first board I ever sat on. I joined the board and I was assuming everything would always be up and to the right, because that''s the way success happens, right?
A VC: Musings of a VC in NYC
SEPTEMBER 9, 2020
Matt and many members of his leadership team got the band back together early this year and started a new company called Bolster in partnership with Silicon Valley Bank and the early-stage VC firm High Alpha. Bolster also will allow venture capital firms and startup investors to participate in its platform as super users.
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. million in seed funding (5.1
StartupNation
NOVEMBER 15, 2021
With so many entrepreneurs and startup ventures seeking investment opportunities, it’s crucial that venture capitalists (VCs) create a list of criteria they want their potential investments to meet. As such, VCs have to consider a number of factors when choosing which companies or entrepreneurs in whom to invest.
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). Let me start with the news that I’m excited to share with you.
This is going to be BIG.
MARCH 24, 2014
Not every potentially good VC previously worked for Fred Wilson and Josh Kopelman. Not every VC used to get pitched by VC funds for a living and has seen hundreds and hundreds of VC pitch decks. Venture capitalists play an important role in burgeoning ecosystems. Venture Capital & Technology'
TechCrunch
JULY 6, 2022
Raising venture capital is rarely an easy lift for startups, but 2022 is turning out to be a more challenging year than we’ve seen for some time. As venture capital continues its slowdown after an aggressive 2020 and record-breaking 2021 , it’s clear that early-stage founders looking for their first dollars will require a new approach.
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?
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.
This is going to be BIG.
DECEMBER 21, 2017
Board meetings at @amplehills are dangerous. Yet, the lessons learned from their $8mm round of funding announced this week are still widely applicable to every startup--particularly food startups and those in four walls retail that struggle through the traditional venture process. 3) Find a flexible lead.
Jason Malki
JANUARY 23, 2023
who is a junior investor in the Venture Capital industry. He hopes to find a fulltime position in venture capital after graduation. He currently serves as a Venture Partner at Mech Ventures where they invest in the future of pop culture. Azriel Nicdao otherwise known as (A.Z.) What is it that excites you about investing?
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 26, 2015
We recently released the video sharing app Ferris and announced that Upfront Ventures led the funding in the company in our seed round of $2 million and I personally joined the board. As a VC (especially based in LA), I see hundreds of video apps. That was just a question of limited resources and wanting to get V1 right.
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? ” Associates have different functions at different VCs. VC firm admin. Portfolio community building.
Both Sides of the Table
NOVEMBER 14, 2017
As an early-stage VC I love this phase. He came to work in our offices at Upfront Ventures as an EIR and immediately began building software to improve how storage was picked up, photographed, scanned and routed to a warehouse. If I could close with some advice for startups and boards …. Startups are like families.
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
TechCrunch
DECEMBER 30, 2021
Two years ago, the African tech ecosystem saw newfound attention from global players that translated to the continent’s best year of receiving venture capital. Venture capital investment in Africa predicted to reach a record high this year. The European VC also led the pre-seed rounds of Kippa and Edukoya.
TechCrunch
MAY 5, 2022
Rali_cap , an early-stage venture capital firm focused on emerging markets fintech, has launched a $30 million fund. Last month, the firm, formerly known as Rally Cap Ventures, reached its first close of $20 million (its initial target) before increasing the fund size, signaling a strong LP appetite.
AsiaTechDaily
NOVEMBER 12, 2022
Register Wavemaker Impact , Southeast Asia’s first climatetech venture builder , has announced the first close of its debut fund to drive decarbonization in the region at scale. The climatetech venture builder also has the support of EDB New Ventures, the venture-building arm of the Singapore Economic Development Board.
TechCrunch
AUGUST 20, 2021
If you’re a founder who finds yourself in a meeting with a VC, try to remember two things: You’re the smartest person in the room. A VC shares 5 things no one told you about pitching VCs. When VCs turned to Zoom, Chicago startups were ready for their close-up. I hope you have an excellent weekend.
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