t has long been a repeated truism that one can’t raise venture capital over the summer. Last year a VC actually looked at the data and finds both that an equal proportion of deals close in the summer months, and that his own firm’s busiest closing month…
Read MoreAmong the odd juxtapositions in the venture world, I would add Ben Horowitz, half of VC firm du jour AndressenHorwitz quoting rap artist Dr. Dre, in this post trashing many of his fellow VCs for their bad behavior towards entrepreneurs…
Read MoreLast month we looked at the external factors partly responsible for the consolidation of the venture industry. What also bears consideration is the internal economics of the industry itself. As the industry grew and…
Read MoreThere has been considerable press on the impact of venture industry consolidation for early-stage companies. Less attention has been paid to the shifting dynamics between venture firms and their limited partners, and within venture syndicates…
Read MoreWith the traditional venture model under assault, there is an increased focus on seed-stage funding. Back in September we noted the attempt to create a standardized Series A term sheet. Now there is similar stakeholder interest…
Read MoreText
Read MoreNew research from my alma mater suggests that preparation for a career in venture capital might include a lot of time watching the WB network. In the brief paper, the author’s note that given the low industry barriers to entry, established venture firms form cliques…
Read MoreIt is basketball season, and an intriguing white paper looks at the Venture industry and suggests a strategy to rebound to premium returns. The authors note recent conflicting trends of larger fund sizes…
Read MoreThe predictable pendulum swing of harsher terms during a buyer’s market lead to a lively online discussion on the future of the term sheet. A dialogue between influential bloggers — entrepreneurs and venture capitalists alike…
Read MoreInvesting locally is a mantra of many venture firms. The desire to conveniently monitor, interact, and network with their portfolio companies has lead to some long return trips for out-of-town entrepreneurs. Now a recent working paper suggests…
Read MoreMost media coverage of Venture Capital investments in the second quarter split the baby: the $3.7 billion invested in 612 companies was either way down (from the $7.6B raised by 1,048 companies in 2Q 2008) or heading up…
Read MoreFlybridge’s Jeff Bussgang has a nice blog piece where he coins a new word in the venture lexicon: the “promote” (not the Prestige). Entrepreneurs too often fixate on their pre-money valuation (the “pre”), instead of focusing on what…
Read More