VC Cafe

OCTOBER 31, 2022

The numbers for the first nine months of 2022 show the extent of the slowdown in almost all parts of the Israeli tech economy, except in early-stage. The later the stage, the bigger the impact. TVPI = total value to paid in capital (paper gains) DPI = distributed to paid-in capital (real cash gains, paid out).

Founder 173

Founder Technical Review Down Round Liquidation Preference 173

View from Seed

JANUARY 2, 2024

I think a big question facing early stage investors is: are you a hammer? In the prior era of early stage investing, pre-seeds and seeds “fit” into neat buckets slotted in ahead of the neat buckets of series A’s and B’s. Some folks will continue to define stages in narrow terms.

Early Stage 177

Early Stage Valuation Distribution Founder 177

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 4, 2018

It occurred to me that although we mentioned our new thematic approach when we raised our last fund in 2017, we haven’t really shared a broader manifesto about how we are approaching the early stage market. It’s been an interesting several years in the early stage venture eco-system, and the sands have shifted considerably.

North America 120

North America Seed Stage Early Stage Lead Investor 120

Steve Blank

JUNE 27, 2017

If they select a business model that targets industry incumbents, they don’t have to worry about upsetting existing customers, partners or distribution channels. Existing companies also use network effects of monopolies/duopolies, distribution channel kickbacks, etc., to stifle competition.). What can a company do?

Startup 275

Startup New York City Valuation Distribution 275

Hunter Walker

NOVEMBER 20, 2020

While we all agree that ‘apart’ is best right now for reasons of safety, the discussion around what a post-COVID world seems to be largely bifurcated into Office vs WFH/Distributed.

Early Stage 146

Early Stage Seed Stage Startup Software 146

View from Seed

APRIL 2, 2024

Similarly, I’d argue that the early-stage venture “product” has elevated across the board. These brands have been able to run a goldilocks playbook – scaling attractively but not irresponsibly, expanding SKUs and distribution without sacrificing quality, and really cementing their brand love among consumers.

Merger 343

Merger Non-Compete Early Stage Venture Capital 343

Steve Blank

NOVEMBER 11, 2013

This post is an update of what we learned about life science distribution channels. Life Science/Health Care distribution channels differ by Category. This weeks topic was distribution channels ; how your product gets from your company to your potential customer segments. Diagnostics. Week 3 Todd Morrill Instructor .

Distribution 224

Distribution Channel Lean Intellectual Property 224

Version One Ventures

FEBRUARY 15, 2017

As such, Top Hat can provide key lessons for early-stage companies: 1. They took an innovative approach to distribution. Top Hat adopted a bottoms-up approach to distribution, as covered in the Globe and Mail article: Sales took off after Top Hat ignored advice and flipped its sales strategy.

Vertical 132

Vertical Technical Review Cofounder Sales Cycle 132

VC Cafe

APRIL 26, 2023

At Remagine Ventures we started investing in the generative AI space very early back in 2019. Several of our limited partners are media and entertainment strategics: broadcasters, publishers, telcos etc, so content creation, distribution and monetisation has always been close to our core focus.

Generative AI 78

Generative AI Artificial Inteligence ChatGPT 78

Steve Blank

APRIL 23, 2014

These include the product itself, the customer, the distribution channel, revenue model, how to get, keep and grow customers, resources and activities needed to build the business and costs.). Ventures that are further along and now executing their business model are no longer startups, they are now early-stage companies.

Acquisition 332

Acquisition Intellectual Property Silicon Valley Startup 332

VC Cafe

JUNE 10, 2022

Until now, early stage startups were relatively unaffected. The first version of its smart glasses (code name Orion) will be distributed to Developers (according to TheVerge ). The market correction has come for series A and seed startups. Bloomberg reports that Meta also stopped the launch of a new smart watch with two cameras.

Valuation 151

Valuation Marketing Venture Capital 151

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 20, 2019

Among these opportunities, the chance to pitch an investor and secure funding is perhaps the greatest of all — at least in the early stages of your startup career — as it can ultimately determine the long-term fate of your company. Have a reasonable attitude about your early-stage valuation, and don’t get too hung up on it.

Technical Review 118

Technical Review Due Diligence Early Stage Differentiation 118

The Startup Magazine

SEPTEMBER 15, 2020

Each firm can also focus on a particular stage of investment, from seed and early-stage funding all the way through to Series C and beyond. The corporate governance section defines the power distribution between the founders and the investors. Venture capital firms are generally focused on one particular type of company.

Venture Capital 144

Venture Capital Technical Review Software Review Security 144

VC Cafe

JULY 21, 2022

billion in Q2 2022 with over half of total amount raised by early-stage companies. In order for gaming companies to create, distribute and monetise their content, they require solid tools and infrastructure. Game creation, distribution and monetisation supply chain ( Newzoo ). million UAWs in Q2.

Forecast 190

Forecast IP Mobile Acquisition 190

ConversionXL

MARCH 31, 2021

Interviewing them will provide you with their wants and needs from a messaging perspective and uncover topic ideas and distribution channels. Much like your audience analysis report, it will ensure everyone involved in the planning, production, and distribution process is aligned. Select your content distribution channels.

Audience 127

Audience Non-Compete Channel Distribution 127

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2012

Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold. Providing the major funding source for an early-stage startup is a totally different dimension, but it usually trumps all the items above in demanding some equity. Expertise can be marketing, technical, financial, or sales. Pre-existing intellectual property.

Intellectual Property 252

Intellectual Property Equity Cofounder CTO Hire 252

The Startup Magazine

DECEMBER 5, 2023

His responsibilities encompass orchestrating transportation logistics and overseeing distribution processes, ensuring the seamless and punctual delivery of all products. To compensate for this, I implemented a real-time inventory monitoring system to help us identify any potential shortages in the early stages.

Management 117

Management Early Stage Stock Distribution 117

View from Seed

MARCH 4, 2020

In a few months, we are likely to see the annual Forbes Midas list of top performing early stage VC investors. Innovation is Becoming More Broadly Distributed. For me, this is a reminder that it will take years of persistent effort to bend the curve in the right direction on this dimension within our industry.

Venture Capital 313

Venture Capital China Technical Review Africa 313

This is going to be BIG.

JANUARY 18, 2024

On the other hand, they could be the opposite—much more focused on near-term cash distributions than long-term equity appreciation. Governance Moreso than a lot of actual VCs, a lot of high-net-worth folks tend to ask for board representation—even in the super early stages of a company where boards tend to be a little less formal.

.Net 88

.Net Cap Table Startup Technical Review 88

SoCal CTO

NOVEMBER 11, 2009

She is a go to person for me when I have questions around technology or early stage marketing and branding. We do a lot of B2B and also have an "Early Stage Branding" practice for technology startups. I've known Farida for quite a while. Maybe ten years. It has been fun to get to know her again. Foreign Service.

Early Stage 150

Early Stage Southern California Los Angeles Marketing 150

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 14, 2017

As an early-stage VC I love this phase. We realized that operating a business in distributed markets presented multi-city coordination efforts that we weren’t prepared for. were more distributed. As a startup in this phase you often raise capital, get press, hire staff and everything feels possible.

Operations 286

Operations New York City Technical Review Startup 286

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

That’s a bit of a cautionary tale to VC investors today who might think it’s inevitable that the private value they are enjoying in their portfolios will certainly translate to distributions in the near future. For context, seed-stage pre-money valuations are up 24% from H1 2020 to H1 2021. So, what does the future hold?

Valuation 319

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Distribution Early Stage 319

The Startup Magazine

FEBRUARY 8, 2022

Most notably, the ground-breaking development and rapid global distribution of mRNA vaccines highlighted the speed and scale of technological advances to outsmart humanity’s most dire threats. — Sajan Pillai is the CEO and Managing Partner of Season Two Ventures, an early-stage venture fund based in Southern California.

Artificial Inteligence 141

Artificial Inteligence Technical Review Global Technology 141

VC Cafe

JUNE 30, 2022

It’s going to take time for the technology to reach a stage that is 1) widely distributed 2) ready for prime time. We’re excited to partner with early stage founders who see the future in the same way, and are working on the technologies that will help bring this vision forward.

Cloud 200

Cloud Venture Capital Cofounder Non-Compete 200

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 13, 2011

I think you have to listen to the queue’s.” “…if you look at a lot of the early stage investors, whether it be Union Square Ventures or First Round or Jeff Clavier at Softtech or Dave McClure – we want to try the product, we want to experience the product, we want to get a sense of how the entrepreneur is thinking about it.

Technical Review 288

Technical Review Venture Capital Silicon Valley Software Review 288

View from Seed

SEPTEMBER 14, 2021

That’s a bit of a cautionary tale to VC investors today who might think it’s inevitable that the private value they are enjoying in their portfolios will certainly translate to distributions in the near future. For context, seed-stage pre-money valuations are up 24% from H1 2020 to H1 2021. So, what does the future hold?

Valuation 295

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Distribution Early Stage 295

Reid Hoffman

AUGUST 6, 2020

The term “early-stage” covers a lot of territory in venture investing, from incubating a brand-new idea, to investing in a Series A. WHAT’S DIFFERENT ABOUT EARLY-STAGE INVESTING IN THIS MOMENT? Every company is going to get more distributed, more flexible, more global, and more digital-first.

Technical Review 69

Technical Review Seed Stage Software Review Early Stage 69

Small Business Force

SEPTEMBER 9, 2011

Partners can help you build your product through a technology licensing deal; sell your product through a sales distribution relationship or even support your product through a help desk relationship. In the early going, it helps avoid the staffing, training, growing phase and moves right into the actual executing.

Early Stage 32

Early Stage Advisory Board Technical Review Employee 32

The Next Web

DECEMBER 4, 2013

Building your brand presence on specialized outlets holds immense value for your business – especially in early stages. Back in 2009, Cloudera placed news of its Distribution for Hadoop launch in tech blogs and reputable news sources , and reached 1.5 million people in 24 hours as a result.

Social Media 158

Social Media Media Viral Startup 158

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2013

It doesn’t prove your business model of pricing, distribution, and support. Funding for pre-revenue startups used to be the domain of angel investors, but they have moved up-stage. If you give away your product or service to the first 10 customers, that’s a good learning experience, but it’s not real traction.

Intellectual Property 281

Intellectual Property Sweat Equity Entrepreneur CTO Hire 281

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 11, 2022

Getting investors to trust you with their money is always a challenge, and it’s even more difficult in the early stages, where you don’t have a significant revenue stream, a few customers, or maybe even a product yet. At these stages, it’s all about you, and your ability to communicate and execute effectively.

Due Diligence 271

Due Diligence Intellectual Property Entrepreneur Preferred Stock 271

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 8, 2010

Building a product doesn’t get it distributed and sold. Providing the major funding source for an early-stage startup is a totally different dimension, but it usually trumps all the items above in demanding some equity. Expertise can be marketing, technical, financial, or sales. Pre-existing intellectual property.

Equity 228

Equity Intellectual Property Cofounder CTO Hire 228

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 3, 2012

Stretch” goals in early-stage are not advised. Too many startups simply follow the standard distribution channels, use standard pricing, and count on their one extra feature to give them the market. Too slow or too fast to change. Yes, it’s your vision, and it’s good to be relentless, but don’t be blind and stubborn.

Advisory Board 240

Advisory Board Forecast Early Stage Product Development 240

Version One Ventures

DECEMBER 3, 2019

This was not our early-stage sweet spot and the $100M valuation felt rich. We loved the product, but weren’t convinced it would get much distribution quickly. And, we passed on the opportunity to invest every single time as we were too hung up on their dependency on AirBnB for distribution. Eight years and $49.9B

Portfolio 202

Portfolio Cap Table Early Stage Valuation 202

Business Plan Blog

OCTOBER 4, 2013

This is true for early stage funding as well as venture capital funding. While some investors will be willing to help you build your team, they will not be willing to invest in your startup if you are not willing to distribute responsibility and bring on diversified expertise. Early Stage. Seed to Series A.

Part-Time VPE 79

Part-Time VPE Fractional VPE Cofounder CTO Hire 79

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 11, 2021

As an early-stage startup, you may have some hand-picked mentors as an Advisory Board, but now you need a formal Board with approval rights on all your strategic decisions and pivots. Funding can be pulled, and future distributions withheld, if objectives are not met. Progress milestones become management objectives.

Term Sheet 433

Term Sheet Advisory Board Liquidation Preference Startup 433

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 7, 2012

You need to find vendors who can deliver in less cost and time than competitors, and build distribution and support channels. Even at early stages, you can get invention support services from sites like Invention Home in Pittsburg. Basis for working with vendors to finalize costs, manufacturing, and marketing.

Startup 242

Startup Early Stage Database Distribution 242