A portfolio of new-decade venture funds is showing promise at Texas County and District Retirement System. At the top by a wide margin is an OrbiMed Advisors fund from 2010. A handful of other funds made nice gains last year. The portfolio favors large funds with a later- and multistage approach to investing. All but […]
When I wrote about women in VC in the late summer, I knew the story would stick with me. It’s continuing to develop. In recent weeks we’ve seen more women named to investment roles worldwide. The most high-profile new hire is Jess Lee, who was scheduled to start at Sequoia Capital on Nov. 7. Lee, 33, was co-founder […]
“The second fund was remarkably easier than the first,” Chris Olsen said, reflecting on Drive Capital’s recent $300 million close. “When we were doing our first fundraise, it was two guys with a PowerPoint presentation, with an idea and a bunch of research.” Those guys were Olsen and Mark Kvamme, former partners at Sequoia Capital, […]
Cleantech investing is looking up this year with venture deal making on pace to top last year’s level, despite a general slowing of money going to technology and biotech startups. Through the third quarter, $1.3 billion has gone to startups in the United States with big deals backing Sunnova Energy, Stem and Enovix, according to […]
ObEN Inc, a developer of 3D virtual reality avatars, raised $7.7 million in a Series A round led by CrestValue Capital, the investment arm of China’s DunAm Group. Other Chinese investors in the round were Cybernaut Westlake Partners, the U.S. fund of Cybernaut Investment, and Leaguer Venture Investment Co, the venture fund of the Research Institute of Tsinghua University in Shenzhen. Additional participants included Third […]
Veteran investor Alan Patricof bucked the National Venture Capital Association at an event the group co-sponsored, opposing taxation of carried interest at the capital-gains rate. A conversation between Patricof, 81, and NVCA President Bobby Franklin was the keynote interview of SHIFT NYC, an Oct. 28 conference focused on “bridging the gap” between corporate VC and venture partnerships. After a few introductory questions, Franklin […]
Relay Ventures raised $200 million (US$150 million) for its third venture fund, earmarked for investments in a new generation of mobile tech startups in Canada and the United States. The Toronto and Silicon Valley firm announced the close of Relay Ventures III today. Finishing at the same size as its 2012 predecessor, the fund brings Relay’s total capital under management to $670 million.
Relay Ventures raised $150 million for its third venture fund, earmarked for investments in a new generation of mobile tech startups in Canada and the United States. The firm, with offices in Toronto and Menlo Park, California, announced the close of Relay Ventures III today. Finishing at the same size as its 2012 predecessor, the fund […]
Peter Thiel throwing his support behind presidential candidate Donald Trump is nothing new. The Facebook investor and Founders Fund partner was a California delegate for Trump, and he spoke at the Republican National Convention in July. But with the Republican candidate falling in the polls, thanks in part to the release of an 11-year-old “Access Hollywood” […]
Phil Libin, Evernote’s co-founder and former chief executive, who became managing director of General Catalyst Partners in fall 2015, has invested in another chatbot company, Octane AI. The San Francisco company, founded earlier this year, provides a platform that enables business owners to set up chatbots to engage with customers, handle customer-support questions, show off content and handle other messaging tasks. […]