Mark Boslet
Health care investing, and specifically opportunities that meld information technology with care delivery and automation, could be big in 2011. In fact, already the “b” word is being used (“b” for potential bubble). There are good reasons for this brightening prospect. VCs have had a chance to digest some of the uncertainties and changes expected […]
Next year is the year when social media becomes a real business. That’s not to say companies such as Facebook and Groupon aren’t making real money now. Estimates suggest Facebook’s revenue is north of $1 billion this year and Groupon could be reeling in $500 million in sales each quarter. But there is more to […]
A majority of venture capitalists and entrepreneurs see an upswing in venture investing next year along with a better environment for technology IPOs and acquisitions. But VCs are cautious about their ability to raise new funds and about cleantech in general, according to a survey released Tuesday by the National Venture Capital Association and Dow […]
Venture capitalists are generally an optimistic bunch, so it’s no surprise that for 2011 they foresee a better IPO landscape and lucrative acquisition deals. But what I found interesting in a handful of forecasts submitted by GPs was this: They see excited LPs willing to invest more aggressively in venture funds. What a turnabout that […]
Remember the last time you heard a venture capitalist say: “That didn’t work”? Chances are they were talking about swapping out one management team for another. It unsettles a startup, soaks up board time and can cost money. Or so said several VCs at the recent AlwaysOn Venture Summit Silicon Valley 2010. One common misperception […]
Secondary markets such as SecondMarket Inc. and SharesPost Inc. revolutionized the trading of private company shares by giving employees, VCs and others a channel to sell the stock they hold. Now these sites hope to do the same for startups, giving institutional investors the chance to take stakes directly in emerging companies the way venture […]
Bruce Cleveland is better able than most to see around the corners of the enterprise software industry. A decade-long member of the Siebel Systems executive team and now a partner at InterWest Partners, Cleveland has first hand experience with products, customers, investors and competitors. These days, his experience tells him the next big thing is […]
Want a job? There are 998 of them listed on the Accel Partners site, some in Silicon Valley, others in states elsewhere. So at a time of high national unemployment, you might think these jobs would be snapped up, right? Why they haven’t leads right into Joe Schoendorf’s big gripe–that the U.S. education system is […]
Startups making next generation LED lighting may be hot investments again in 2011, but venture capitalists could be too late to the market with their cash, according to one industry executive. I ran into Bridgelux Inc. Chief Executive William Watkins last night at an event in San Jose, Calif., and he offered this warning. LEDs, […]
Bessemer Venture Partners has had a good 2010. A string of 12 exits brought welcome liquidity to the firm, which has offices in India, the United States and Israel. The firm saw a more than 3X return overall from the dozen deals, according to Rob Chandra, a partner in its Menlo Park, Calif.-based office. “This […]