Version One Ventures

APRIL 30, 2013

While my portfolio is primarily centered around consumer internet as well as enterprise SaaS startups, I typically talk to two to three hardware startups each week. The reality is that few venture capitalists are ready to write a check to a hardware startup today, and it’s not all due to the risk. Patents versus traction.

Venture Capital 128

Venture Capital Software Review Incubator Startup 128

VC Cafe

APRIL 8, 2011

What started originally as how can VCs differentiate themselves to stand out, quickly became an Entrepreneur’s wish list from its VCs. Suggest tools and evangelize new technology – each startup is different, but when it comes to Internet startups, there’s a lot of common tools and best practices.

Technical Review 101

Technical Review Due Diligence Hosting Harvest 101

VC Cafe

AUGUST 11, 2022

A couple of weeks ago I was did a fireside chat with Alon Grinshpoon, founder and CEO of Echo3D , a CDN and CMS for 3D content in the cloud and a Remagine Ventures portfolio company, as part of an entrepreneurial finance MBA class in Tel Aviv University. We were discussing both sides of the table and the relationship between founders and VCs.

Founder 187

Founder Term Sheet Cofounder Venture Capital 187

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 1, 2016

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. …But LPs Have Been Putting Out More Money Than They Are Getting Back.

Venture Capital 150

Venture Capital LP Silicon Valley Marketing 150

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 19, 2019

In this essay by one of Mercia’s Fund Principals, Ian Wilson, Ian talks about the sorts of things he and the team are looking for when plans come to them for review. Spend some time understanding their preferences, any portfolio gaps and the right terminology to use in your plan. Ian Wilson, Fund Principal, Mercia Technologies, PLC.

Business Plan 117

Business Plan Technical Review Initial Public Offering Due Diligence 117

The Equity Kicker

FEBRUARY 8, 2012

VCs without experience (which can come from either investing or operating) often struggle to differentiate between a good product and a bad one. This is most common when the product is deeply technical and there isn’t much to be learnt from direct observation. Finally, investors often ask ‘third party’ experts for an opinion.

Technical Review 123

Technical Review Product Venture Capital Valuation 123

The Startup Magazine

JUNE 20, 2023

Provide exceptional customer service Exceptional customer service is a key differentiator in the real estate industry. Leverage the power of testimonials and reviews Testimonials and reviews are powerful tools for growing your real estate business. Stay up to date with the latest market trends, regulations, and technologies.

Technical Review 158

Technical Review Social Media Networking Differentiation 158

YoungUpstarts

AUGUST 5, 2019

The danger comes when an investor receives lower or negative returns due to withdrawals made from their investment. A planner who’s a fiduciary has multiple ways to reduce sequence-of-returns risk by allowing the portfolio to stay ahead of inflation. You utilize other income-producing vehicles in the portfolio.

Indianapolis 113

Indianapolis LLC Portfolio Technical Review 113

VC Cafe

OCTOBER 31, 2024

Non-consensus investments , on the other hand, are those that defy popular opinion or seem risky due to unconventional business models, unproven markets, or early market entry. Cambridge Associates found that top-quartile VC funds consistently featured a higher proportion of these contrarian bets in their portfolios.

Technical Review 78

Technical Review Due Diligence ChatGPT Generative AI 78

The Startup Magazine

OCTOBER 4, 2024

Brands are leveraging social media, virtual try-on technologies, and e-commerce platforms to engage with customers and offer seamless shopping experiences. The Role of Innovation and Technology Innovation is a driving force in the luxury jewelry industry. Digital Engagement : The digital transformation has not spared the luxury sector.

Artificial Inteligence 122

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review .Net India 122

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 5, 2014

Like many established finance & media companies, GLG knows that the tech startup sector is a growing part of the economy. That could be a VC trying to diligence a space they don’t know well or a Fortune 500 company trying to expand into a new market. Again, our value can really be differentiated in its scale and depth.

New York 114

New York Technical Review Networking Advisory Board 114

David Teten

JUNE 1, 2011

Larger funds tend to have industry-specialized sourcing, but less so at the smaller funds due to lack of scale Riverside shares deal-based compensation, so that the sourcing team works together and it’s not zero sum in terms of hoarding contacts. Question : How do generalist PE funds differentiate and get in the advisers list?

Private Equity 122

Private Equity Deal Flow Equity Developer 122

Reid Hoffman

AUGUST 6, 2020

But for us, revenue is not a hard prerequisite because some of our bets are based on our conviction around technology or platforms that might take a little more time to build out and get going.”. ONCE A COMPANY HAS YOUR ATTENTION, WHAT ARE THE NEXT STEPS IN THE DILIGENCE PROCESS? Diligence is specific to the company.

Technical Review 69

Technical Review Seed Stage Software Review Early Stage 69

This is going to be BIG.

APRIL 29, 2011

You may decide that where you are now compared to where you'll be in three months isn't a good time, and that's fine, but let's not pretend that you're not a tech entrepreneur in the office of a venture capital firm. You're always raising--it's just a question of at what price. What do you think of the group buying space? Seems fair to me.

Technical Review 116

Technical Review Early Stage Due Diligence Venture Capital 116

Austin Startup

MAY 11, 2017

645 Ventures 645 Ventures makes deeply-researched investments in institutional Seed to Series A rounds for exceptional companies who demonstrate stellar early results in the areas of market validation, product differentiation, team strength, and brand narrative. These sectors generally leverage the Internet or software in a fundamental way.

Private Equity 48

Private Equity Venture Capital Technical Review Seed Stage 48

David Teten

JANUARY 9, 2018

He looked at his resume, and asked just one question: “ What’s your edge? ” My friend got the job because his answer was differentiated, credible, and backed up by a history of investing success. It is unexciting and hard to prove, but in fact “We execute better” is a critical differentiator. – Technology stack.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Private Equity Silicon Valley Differentiation 60

David Teten

JANUARY 9, 2018

He looked at his resume, and asked just one question: “ What’s your edge? ” My friend got the job because his answer was differentiated, credible, and backed up by a history of investing success. It is unexciting and hard to prove, but in fact “We execute better” is a critical differentiator. – Technology stack.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Private Equity Silicon Valley Differentiation 60

alexpoole.info

AUGUST 14, 2012

In 2003 as part of my master’s degree I reviewed over 50 empirical studies in typography and found a definitive answer. Part 2 reviews the evidence for and against the legibility of serif and sans serif typefaces. However, Tinker commented that perceived legibility was due to a great extent to familiarity with the typeface.

Technical Review 85

Technical Review Software Review Design Web 85

Entrepreneurs-Journey.com by Yaro Starak

MAY 23, 2011

I aimed to make my blog unique by giving my opinion on different investments and to explain moves that I was making with my own portfolio. Become An Authority One thing that I quickly learned is that you can differentiate yourself from large and small sites by showing your authority in your blogging area.

Reputation 84

Reputation Technical Review Software Review Finance 84

BeyondVC

OCTOBER 17, 2006

Anyway, I strongly believe that we can sometimes get too enamored with our own technology and not do enough market assessment in the real world. Is it truly unique and differentiated (come on-we need to be brutally honest with ourselves here)? What are the biggest threats that keep our company from delivering?

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Portfolio Technical Review Differentiation 60

BeyondVC

OCTOBER 17, 2006

Anyway, I strongly believe that we can sometimes get too enamored with our own technology and not do enough market assessment in the real world. Is it truly unique and differentiated (come on-we need to be brutally honest with ourselves here)? What are the biggest threats that keep our company from delivering?

Entrepreneur 60

Entrepreneur Portfolio Technical Review Differentiation 60

Hunter Walker

MARCH 25, 2015

Every aspect of our lives are being disrupted with technology (specifically the mobile phone) and not one category will go untouched. HW: What’s a favorite question you ask founders during your “get to know you/due diligence” process? HW: Forerunner focuses on commerce and brands.

Naming 48

Naming Technical Review Early Stage Green 48

thebarefootvc

MAY 8, 2012

However, the reality is that I am building a portfolio of investments and, like Brad, I believe in being an active and helpful investor. So as an investor, I find myself passing on opportunities at the early stage that I know could become strong businesses, simply due to bandwidth constraints. This takes a lot of time.

Venture Capital 78

Venture Capital Syndicate Syndication Bandwidth 78

A Crowded Space

DECEMBER 9, 2013

He takes pride in telling stories about 5B+ investments that he makes based on a single meeting, no audits, and hardly any diligence. At one point, he had just 5 individual companies representing 70% of his public stock portfolio. Invest in companies with real tech or real network effects. He doesn’t seek co-investors.

Technical Review 68

Technical Review Deal Flow Balance Sheet Down Round 68

abovethecrowd.com

OCTOBER 17, 2013

I immediately reached out to the founder and CEO, Katrina Lake , who had previously worked for another Benchmark portfolio company in the fashion space, Polyvore. And due to falling competent prices, Dell’s inventory turn advantage also contributed to a gross margin advantage. Company: Stitch Fix. Website: www.stitchfix.com.

eCommerce 62

eCommerce Technical Review North America San Francisco 62

Lightspeed Venture Partners

DECEMBER 3, 2010

We got everything from price comparison engines to aggregated user reviews to one-click checkout. Once this happens there will be a market clearing price for new customer acquisition across almost all categories, and smart marketing will no longer be as much of a differentiator. A Lightspeed Portfolio company. gross margin.

Internet 114

Internet eCommerce Advertising Flash 114

Pascal's View

MARCH 12, 2010

Susan Mangiero , CEO of Investment Governance’s Fiduciary X , asked me the following: Question: Please differentiate between the governance of a VC fund versus the governance of companies in a VC fund’s portfolio? Is one more important than the other?

Government 28

Government Portfolio Technical Review Due Diligence 28

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 28, 2017

As tempting as it might be to run out and start looking at designer portfolios to find a style you like, it’s much more efficient and effective to start with a written description of what you need. List a few bullet points that describe your key differentiators from the competition. Don’t focus so much on feature differentiation here.

Design 73

Design North Carolina Differentiation Email 73

David Teten

JANUARY 13, 2015

Fundraising is always difficult for all founders; the median PE/VC fund sources and reviews 87 companies before investing in 1. I also was fortunate to gain a lot of insight on this topic from Don Charlton, Founder/CEO, TheResumator *, a ffVC portfolio company. Technically yes. ff Venture Capital portfolio company.

Venture Capital 60

Venture Capital Greece Advisory Board Cofounder 60

Duct Tape Marketing

OCTOBER 28, 2021

Click on over and give us a review on iTunes, please! They share stories with world-class marketers who use technology to generate growth and achieve business and career success. And of course, a number of small businesses have found brilliant ways to differentiate against these big competitors and also to harness the internet.

Small Business 101

Small Business Entrepreneur Green Community 101

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 23, 2014

” The pioneering fund of funds realize that their source of differentiation is much more about the latter than the former. But the biggest changes in our industry have been driven by technical changes themselves to which we are just observers and fortunate beneficiaries. 2007 was the watershed year. 2007 was the watershed year.

Technical Review 398

Technical Review Venture Capital Valuation Pre-Money Valuation 398

Steve Blank

SEPTEMBER 26, 2018

But as impressive as its technology is, the Apple’s smartwatch has been a product looking for a solution. Large tech companies like Google, Amazon, Apple recognize that the multi- trillion dollar health care market is ripe for disruption and have poured billions of dollars into the space. Healthcare on Your Wrist. to the iPhone.)

China 67

China Technical Review Software Review Algorithm 67

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 3, 2009

portfolios. If you plan to charge more than them I need to know how your product will differentiate to command a premium. Usually in a tech / software startup 70-80% of your costs will be people. Each quarter you should review your model. Tags: Startup Advice startup technology vc venture capital.

Business Plan 334

Business Plan AJAX Venture Capital Technical Review 334

Steve Blank

JULY 16, 2009

Meanwhile our company was pouring an enormous amount of dollars into building tools and video compression technology, while also hiring a lot of high-priced Hollywood talent like art directors, and script and story editors. Bring in some outside professionals to review our progress? Was my response to stop development of the games?

Silicon Valley 223

Silicon Valley RSS Video San Diego 223

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 25, 2016

Many startup businesses – tech or otherwise – fail. Trying outrageous new things or even trying mundane things but in new ways but with extreme quality & innovation is what fuels the tech startup industry. The perfect competitors are the ones where they unable to respond due to The Innovator’s Dilemma.

Startup 150

Startup Seed Money DC Software Review 150

mashable.com

JUNE 11, 2013

For young entrepreneurs, especially non-technical founders like myself, it feels like our big idea is all we have, and we want to guard it like a defenseless baby. Every VC will tell you that they will take meetings with 100% of the companies that their existing portfolio founders recommend. Follow @mashable. see more > Search.

Cofounder 111

Cofounder Technical Review Startup Software Review 111

View from Seed

AUGUST 17, 2021

A few weeks ago, we hosted a small dinner for a number of portfolio company founders, LP’s, and friends of the firm. This is the implied rate of return of a fund based on the value (mostly unrealized) of a portfolio. at exit due to dilution. Part of the reason to do this was just to reconnect after a long time apart.

IRR 205

IRR Dilution Founder Portfolio 205