INDUSTRY INSIGHTS YOUR PEERS ARE READING
I am thrilled to announce that we have added Hamet Watt as a Partner at Upfront Ventures. This is a big news day at Upfront Ventures. Hamet started his career in Venture Capital working for the first post-apartheid VC fund in South Africa. He will be a venture partner. MORE
We’ve been dying to tell you all for a while that we had raised a new venture capital fund and of course given SEC filing requirements the story was somewhat already scooped by the always-in-the-know Dan Primack a few weeks ago. Why do they invest in venture capital? MORE
It was only a year ago that many in the Venture Capital industry were predicting that “winter was coming” and to be fair the author of this post was chief amongst them. While this it total FDI as opposed to just venture, it should give you an indication of the international trend. MORE
One of the first things I did when I joined the venture asset class as a lowly institutional LP analyst in 2001 was to build the VC fund cashflow model. And no, the numbers don't exactly add up--but they're more than close enough for venture capital. MORE
The fact is, it''s just not cool to criticize the investing side of the venture capital market. For the most part, journalists give startups a free pass when venture capital money is raised or when companies that clearly seem to have failed get "acquired". Venture Capital & Technology The other day, I saw that one of my favorite products, Slack, just raised $120mm at a $1.12 Billion valuation. The company is doing about a million a month in recurring revs. MORE
After much thought and consideration, I''ve decided that the best move for my career right now is a second stint as an analyst at Union Square Ventures. Why go back to a job I first took nine years ago when things are going so well for me and I''m running my own fund, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. I applied for the job before there was even an opening--even before Union Square Ventures was really on the map. Venture Capital & Technology They say you can''t go home again. MORE
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. MORE
On a slightly smaller impact scale, there isn’t a lot of content out there about “How to build a venture fund.” Most of them won’t see a Fund II, and very few, if any, will become a permanent part of the venture fabric. In this podcast, Eggers details his view of the phases the venture capital industry has gone through and recounts some stories about how Lightspeed was able to break through, and how hard it was to get that chance. MORE
Interestingly, the large majority of venture capitalists are very friendly. Similarly, while venture capitalists typically invest in only one out of every 400 companies they see, for them to have the *opportunity* to invest in that one, they need to convince all 400 that they would make great, long-term partners. Industry Experts entrepreneurs friendly investment venture capitalist MORE
Recently Upfront Ventures published its outlook for the technology startup world and venture capital overall titled it “ WTF Happened to Winter ?” venture-capital startup MORE
Every year Upfront Ventures surveys Limited Partners (LPs) who are the main source of capital that invests in VC funds and thus the main source of capital that goes to startups to get an early-warning sense of the year ahead, leaving aside any Black Swans. startup venture-capital MORE
Press Release The venture fund and growth-focused accelerator accepted the cohort from a field of nearly 2,000 pre-Series A companies NEW YORK CITY, NY — April 2, 2019 — Dreamit Ventures, an early stage venture fund and growth-focused accelerator, announced its latest batch of startups this week. MORE
If you take venture capital money. 3) You will almost certainly take more venture capital money after that. 10) You will face more competition as venture investment signals that what you''re doing may be attractive. Venture Capital & Technology 1) You increase the chances that you may not be CEO of your own company one day--and that also might be the best thing for its long term success. MORE
Many observers of the venture capital industry have questioned whether its best days are behind it. Looking ahead at the next decade I am excited by what I believe will be viewed as one of the best and most rational investment periods for venture capital due to seven discrete factors: 1. MORE
As a prequel, here are some of the resources I’ve found helpful in launching a new fund: What it takes to start your own venture capital fund. How to Launch a Private Equity / Venture Capital Fund. The post Checklist for Launching a New Venture Capital Fund appeared first on David Teten. Fund Management Venture CapitalI posted a while ago my syllabus on how to manage and invest a VC fund. MORE
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. MORE
Not every company raises venture capital—most don’t. Venture Capital & TechnologyTweet. 1) You need it. Not raising gives you flexibility about the market size you want to go after, speed of growth, and de-risks your plan—because once you start spending someone else’s money, the clock starts ticking on your “out of cash” date. Slow and steady isn’t a bad thing. 2) Only 22 year old hacker dudes get funding. MORE
So with that in mind, here are 9 innovative ventures to watch that are on a mission to disrupt fast fashion: 1. These ventures contribute to the following SDGs: . The post 9 Ventures Forming the Future of Fashion appeared first on Impact Hub. MORE
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. MORE
There aren't many people who get the chance to analyze venture capital fund return data. Analyzing venture returns without even looking at the 90's? Looking at interim IRRs of young funds, especially during boom periods in venture isn't predictive of outcomes. If you don't think that it's harder to put more money to work in venture than less, in a world where companies do more with less, and great deals are scarce, than I don't know what color the sky is in your world. MORE
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. He’s one of the truly nice guys in venture: buttoned-up and prepared. MORE
Five-and-a-half years ago I first met Chamillionaire at a tech conference in LA. I saw him on stage at the event talking about how he used social media to engage audiences. This was 2009 and his understanding of audience engagement was far beyond anything I was hearing from most people at that time. MORE
There is a lot of uncertainty about the state of the private, high-growth technology markets and the venture capital markets that underpin them. Technology riches yield bumper crops in venture capital with new firms and new largesses – the rewards of LPs rediscovering our asset class. MORE
Hopefully, the fund gets some nice wins early and you start to get your money back, but when you're in a venture fund, you're in for a really long haul. I recently met up with an investor who I'm not totally sure is a fit for my second fund , so it was important to me that I was upfront about all the reasons why he shouldn't come in. The last thing you want as either a founder or even a VC is to have an investor get stuck with you when you're not on the same page about expectations. MORE
Nearly four months ago we rebranded at Upfront Ventures. We felt nothing embodied these attributes more than the name Upfront Ventures. It’s next to impossible to call yourself Upfront Ventures and not be, well, upfront. MORE
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. Fundamentally venture capital is about human capital. Venture Capital is a people business. MORE
I’ve heard a lot of people question whether there is too much money in venture capital chasing too few great deals. “We’re Others believe that new business models are emerging that could replace venture capital all together. MORE
Investors: Foundation Capital (lead), with existing investors: Morgenthaler Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Canaan Partners. Investors: FirstMark Capital (Amish Jani)(lead), with existing investors: Accel Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, First Round Capital, Reid Hoffman. MORE
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. Most likely your venture will fail (most do!) MORE
I am so proud and humbled to be able to formally announce that Upfront Ventures has raised its 6th venture capital fund in the past 21 years. But there is clear evidence that the overwhelming majority of startups will raise their first dollars from LA-based venture capital funds. MORE
Venture Hacks is now independent of AngelList. The first version of AngelList was a blog post on Venture Hacks. Now, Venture Hacks is going solo with new posts on fundraising, investing and good times. Muchos thanks to AngelList for assisting with this transition (Aaron, Jake, Kevin). It shipped in one day, maybe two. I don’t know if anyone remembers, but it was called AngelBase back then. They’ve come a long way since then. MORE
Today is amongst the proudest days I’ve had at Upfront Ventures — getting the chance to announce that Kevin Zhang has been promoted to Partner. years at Upfront has been both a pleasure and also has taught me a lot about venture capital. venture-capital startup MORE
Techstars co-founder Brad Feld and Techstars mentor Jason Mendelson—both renowned venture capitalists, partners at the Foundry Group, and authors of Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist —are opening enrollment for the Fall 2019 online course, Venture Deals. MORE
I'm a lead investor. That means I'm usually the first person to put down a price on what your company is worth--a dollar value on months, if not years, worth of your work, blood, sweat, tears, stress, etc. Here's a piece of paper that says how much I think your dreams are worth." The reality is, any price that I put down at the stage that I invest isn't going to feel like enough--and if it doesn't feel like enough, I'm probably grossly overpaying. But, you don't feel like that as the founder. MORE
The number one challenge women face is a significant disadvantage in securing access to venture capital funding compared to their male peers. of all venture capital in the US went to companies founded solely by women. There are more than 11.6 MORE
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. This week. Him: Yeah. We raised a seed round. About $1 million. Me: At what price? Him: It wasn’t priced. We raised a convertible note. Me: With a cap? Him: Yes, $8 million. Me: Ah. I see. So you did raise with a price. It’s just a maximum price. MORE
I think I’m at the expert stage of venture capital and I mean in the Wardley sense. What do I know about venture? VC funding. Our perspectives on the topic wax and wane with market cycles. MORE
The post From Accelerators to Venture Capital: What is best for your startup? How To Fundraise Starting Your Company accelerators angel funding incubators venture capital MORE
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. MORE
Investors: August Capital (David Hornik) (lead) with existing investors Charles River Ventures. ShoeDazzle was already profitable and growing and had already taken capital from Polaris Ventures and Crosscut Ventures. Investors: Google Ventures. MORE
Image via IntellectualVentures.com. If you expect to succeed in the thrill-a-minute, roller coaster ride of a startup, let me assure you it takes more than a good idea, a rich uncle, and luck. In fact, the idea is often the least important part of the equation. MORE
I am ecstatic to announce the creation of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures --my new seed investment fund. It is the first venture capital fund based in Brooklyn--the city’s most exciting and creative borough. Tweet. MORE
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. Five have LGBTQ+ founders. Three teams have African-American founders. Three of the founding teams are married couples. MORE
The facile answer to this assumptive question is “because some women are not seeking funding from venture capital firms” But there is actually quite a bit of truth in both statements. Women-led ventures definitely account for a smaller percentage of venture investments than do ventures led by men, but women-led ventures also account for a MUCH smaller percentage of ventures seeking funding in the first place! MORE
ventures Related Topics Both Sides of the Table
OCTOBER 18, 2015
There is a lot of uncertainty about the state of the private, high-growth technology markets and the venture capital markets that underpin them. Technology riches yield bumper crops in venture capital with new firms and new largesses – the rewards of LPs rediscovering our asset class.
Venture Hacks
APRIL 16, 2019
Venture Hacks is now independent of AngelList. The first version of AngelList was a blog post on Venture Hacks. Now, Venture Hacks is going solo with new posts on fundraising, investing and good times. Muchos thanks to AngelList for assisting with this transition (Aaron, Jake, Kevin). It shipped in one day, maybe two. I don’t know if anyone remembers, but it was called AngelBase back then. They’ve come a long way since then.
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. Five have LGBTQ+ founders. Three teams have African-American founders. Three of the founding teams are married couples.
Impact Hub
APRIL 24, 2019
So with that in mind, here are 9 innovative ventures to watch that are on a mission to disrupt fast fashion: 1. These ventures contribute to the following SDGs: . The post 9 Ventures Forming the Future of Fashion appeared first on Impact Hub.
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. Fundamentally venture capital is about human capital. Venture Capital is a people business.
Both Sides of the Table
DECEMBER 16, 2014
We’ve been dying to tell you all for a while that we had raised a new venture capital fund and of course given SEC filing requirements the story was somewhat already scooped by the always-in-the-know Dan Primack a few weeks ago. Why do they invest in venture capital?
Both Sides of the Table
AUGUST 20, 2015
I think I’m at the expert stage of venture capital and I mean in the Wardley sense. What do I know about venture? VC funding. Our perspectives on the topic wax and wane with market cycles.
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. This week. Him: Yeah. We raised a seed round. About $1 million. Me: At what price? Him: It wasn’t priced. We raised a convertible note. Me: With a cap? Him: Yes, $8 million. Me: Ah. I see. So you did raise with a price. It’s just a maximum price.
Gust
MARCH 21, 2016
The post From Accelerators to Venture Capital: What is best for your startup? How To Fundraise Starting Your Company accelerators angel funding incubators venture capital
Dream It
APRIL 2, 2019
Press Release The venture fund and growth-focused accelerator accepted the cohort from a field of nearly 2,000 pre-Series A companies NEW YORK CITY, NY — April 2, 2019 — Dreamit Ventures, an early stage venture fund and growth-focused accelerator, announced its latest batch of startups this week.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 6, 2017
It was only a year ago that many in the Venture Capital industry were predicting that “winter was coming” and to be fair the author of this post was chief amongst them. While this it total FDI as opposed to just venture, it should give you an indication of the international trend.
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.
This is going to be BIG.
DECEMBER 8, 2014
If you take venture capital money. 3) You will almost certainly take more venture capital money after that. 10) You will face more competition as venture investment signals that what you''re doing may be attractive. Venture Capital & Technology 1) You increase the chances that you may not be CEO of your own company one day--and that also might be the best thing for its long term success.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 5, 2016
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.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 6, 2019
I’ve heard a lot of people question whether there is too much money in venture capital chasing too few great deals. “We’re Others believe that new business models are emerging that could replace venture capital all together.
Both Sides of the Table
MAY 23, 2012
Many observers of the venture capital industry have questioned whether its best days are behind it. Looking ahead at the next decade I am excited by what I believe will be viewed as one of the best and most rational investment periods for venture capital due to seven discrete factors: 1.
Both Sides of the Table
DECEMBER 14, 2016
Today is amongst the proudest days I’ve had at Upfront Ventures — getting the chance to announce that Kevin Zhang has been promoted to Partner. years at Upfront has been both a pleasure and also has taught me a lot about venture capital. venture-capital startup
Smart Hustle Magazine
JULY 17, 2019
The number one challenge women face is a significant disadvantage in securing access to venture capital funding compared to their male peers. of all venture capital in the US went to companies founded solely by women. There are more than 11.6
This is going to be BIG.
NOVEMBER 3, 2014
The fact is, it''s just not cool to criticize the investing side of the venture capital market. For the most part, journalists give startups a free pass when venture capital money is raised or when companies that clearly seem to have failed get "acquired". Venture Capital & Technology The other day, I saw that one of my favorite products, Slack, just raised $120mm at a $1.12 Billion valuation. The company is doing about a million a month in recurring revs.
This is going to be BIG.
JULY 30, 2015
One of the first things I did when I joined the venture asset class as a lowly institutional LP analyst in 2001 was to build the VC fund cashflow model. And no, the numbers don't exactly add up--but they're more than close enough for venture capital.
Both Sides of the Table
FEBRUARY 22, 2015
Five-and-a-half years ago I first met Chamillionaire at a tech conference in LA. I saw him on stage at the event talking about how he used social media to engage audiences. This was 2009 and his understanding of audience engagement was far beyond anything I was hearing from most people at that time.
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. Most likely your venture will fail (most do!)
This is going to be BIG.
OCTOBER 17, 2011
Not every company raises venture capital—most don’t. Venture Capital & TechnologyTweet. 1) You need it. Not raising gives you flexibility about the market size you want to go after, speed of growth, and de-risks your plan—because once you start spending someone else’s money, the clock starts ticking on your “out of cash” date. Slow and steady isn’t a bad thing. 2) Only 22 year old hacker dudes get funding.
Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 12, 2017
Recently Upfront Ventures published its outlook for the technology startup world and venture capital overall titled it “ WTF Happened to Winter ?” venture-capital startup
This is going to be BIG.
JUNE 10, 2015
Hopefully, the fund gets some nice wins early and you start to get your money back, but when you're in a venture fund, you're in for a really long haul. I recently met up with an investor who I'm not totally sure is a fit for my second fund , so it was important to me that I was upfront about all the reasons why he shouldn't come in. The last thing you want as either a founder or even a VC is to have an investor get stuck with you when you're not on the same page about expectations.
Haystack
SEPTEMBER 5, 2018
On a slightly smaller impact scale, there isn’t a lot of content out there about “How to build a venture fund.” Most of them won’t see a Fund II, and very few, if any, will become a permanent part of the venture fabric. In this podcast, Eggers details his view of the phases the venture capital industry has gone through and recounts some stories about how Lightspeed was able to break through, and how hard it was to get that chance.
David Teten - VC
JUNE 18, 2019
As a prequel, here are some of the resources I’ve found helpful in launching a new fund: What it takes to start your own venture capital fund. How to Launch a Private Equity / Venture Capital Fund. The post Checklist for Launching a New Venture Capital Fund appeared first on David Teten. Fund Management Venture CapitalI posted a while ago my syllabus on how to manage and invest a VC fund.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 28, 2010
Investors: August Capital (David Hornik) (lead) with existing investors Charles River Ventures. ShoeDazzle was already profitable and growing and had already taken capital from Polaris Ventures and Crosscut Ventures. Investors: Google Ventures.
Both Sides of the Table
APRIL 21, 2010
Investors: Foundation Capital (lead), with existing investors: Morgenthaler Ventures, Norwest Venture Partners, Canaan Partners. Investors: FirstMark Capital (Amish Jani)(lead), with existing investors: Accel Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, First Round Capital, Reid Hoffman.
Gust
NOVEMBER 17, 2013
Image via IntellectualVentures.com. If you expect to succeed in the thrill-a-minute, roller coaster ride of a startup, let me assure you it takes more than a good idea, a rich uncle, and luck. In fact, the idea is often the least important part of the equation.
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.
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. He’s one of the truly nice guys in venture: buttoned-up and prepared.
TechStars
AUGUST 14, 2019
Techstars co-founder Brad Feld and Techstars mentor Jason Mendelson—both renowned venture capitalists, partners at the Foundry Group, and authors of Venture Deals: Be Smarter Than Your Lawyer and Venture Capitalist —are opening enrollment for the Fall 2019 online course, Venture Deals.
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. This is a big news day at Upfront Ventures. Hamet started his career in Venture Capital working for the first post-apartheid VC fund in South Africa. He will be a venture partner.
Both Sides of the Table
JUNE 27, 2013
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.
Both Sides of the Table
MARCH 6, 2017
Every year Upfront Ventures surveys Limited Partners (LPs) who are the main source of capital that invests in VC funds and thus the main source of capital that goes to startups to get an early-warning sense of the year ahead, leaving aside any Black Swans. startup venture-capital
This is going to be BIG.
OCTOBER 3, 2017
I'm a lead investor. That means I'm usually the first person to put down a price on what your company is worth--a dollar value on months, if not years, worth of your work, blood, sweat, tears, stress, etc. Here's a piece of paper that says how much I think your dreams are worth." The reality is, any price that I put down at the stage that I invest isn't going to feel like enough--and if it doesn't feel like enough, I'm probably grossly overpaying. But, you don't feel like that as the founder.
This is going to be BIG.
JANUARY 17, 2012
I am ecstatic to announce the creation of Brooklyn Bridge Ventures --my new seed investment fund. It is the first venture capital fund based in Brooklyn--the city’s most exciting and creative borough. Tweet.
Gust
MAY 3, 2014
The facile answer to this assumptive question is “because some women are not seeking funding from venture capital firms” But there is actually quite a bit of truth in both statements. Women-led ventures definitely account for a smaller percentage of venture investments than do ventures led by men, but women-led ventures also account for a MUCH smaller percentage of ventures seeking funding in the first place!
Gust
NOVEMBER 9, 2013
Interestingly, the large majority of venture capitalists are very friendly. Similarly, while venture capitalists typically invest in only one out of every 400 companies they see, for them to have the *opportunity* to invest in that one, they need to convince all 400 that they would make great, long-term partners. Industry Experts entrepreneurs friendly investment venture capitalist
Both Sides of the Table
NOVEMBER 11, 2013
Nearly four months ago we rebranded at Upfront Ventures. We felt nothing embodied these attributes more than the name Upfront Ventures. It’s next to impossible to call yourself Upfront Ventures and not be, well, upfront.
This is going to be BIG.
APRIL 1, 2014
After much thought and consideration, I''ve decided that the best move for my career right now is a second stint as an analyst at Union Square Ventures. Why go back to a job I first took nine years ago when things are going so well for me and I''m running my own fund, Brooklyn Bridge Ventures. I applied for the job before there was even an opening--even before Union Square Ventures was really on the map. Venture Capital & Technology They say you can''t go home again.
This is going to be BIG.
MAY 16, 2016
There aren't many people who get the chance to analyze venture capital fund return data. Analyzing venture returns without even looking at the 90's? Looking at interim IRRs of young funds, especially during boom periods in venture isn't predictive of outcomes. If you don't think that it's harder to put more money to work in venture than less, in a world where companies do more with less, and great deals are scarce, than I don't know what color the sky is in your world.
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