Archive for the ‘Risk Capital’ Category.

Microfinance Success Brings New Challenges

Microfinance Grows Up: Success Brings New Challenges for Investors, Practitioners, in Emerging Economies
Microfinance — the business of providing financial services in small transaction amounts to poor, underserved markets — has taken off in recent years. With financial sectors in many developing countries maturing and microfinance institutions (MFIs) themselves growing rapidly, capital markets have been quick to enter the fray, providing ample funding for expansion. But microfinance’s evolution in countries throughout Asia and Eastern Europe has cast a spotlight on changes now buffeting the industry as private investors arrive in force and traditional microfinance values are questioned.
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Book Review: First Professional Venture Capitalist In America

In the wake of World War II, Georges Doriot helped found the world’s first public venture capital firm, American Research and Development. Doriot (1899–1987) was also a professor at Harvard Business School for 40 years. This article is an excerpt from Creative Capital: Georges Doriot and the Birth of Venture Capital (HBS Press) describes how ARD first came to “marry” investors and innovators.

>>Read Article At Harvard Business School 
>>Learn More: Evolution about risk capital industry in the United States 
>>Buy Book at Amazon.com

Be Careful Using a “Matchmaker” to Help You Raise Money

Entering Into a Relationship With a ”Matchmaker” May Pose Risks 

There are an increasing number of online “matchmaker” services that “find” venture capital and angel investors for entrepreneurs. The characteristic that these “finders” all share is their preferred method of being compensated. It is a fee that usually consists of a percentage of the money raised. Continue reading ‘Be Careful Using a “Matchmaker” to Help You Raise Money’ »

$100 Million iFund for iPhone Application Developers

Leading Venture Capital Firm Starts Large Fund

Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers has launched a $100 million venture capital fund called iFund, which will invest in companies developing applications and services for Apple’s iPhone and iPod touch. KPCB partner Matt Murphy will lead the iFund effort, and be joined by partners John Doerr, Bill Joy, Randy Komisar, Ted Schlein and Chi-Hua Chien

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Tesla Motors Completes $40 Million Financing

Tesla Motors Inc., a San Carlos, Calif.-based maker of electric cars, has raised $40 million in “bridge financing.” Valor Equity Partners and Tesla chairman Elon Musk co-led the round. The company previously raised a $45 million Series D round last May from Musk, Technology Partners, Capricorn Investment Group, Vantage Point Venture Partners, Draper Fisher Jurvetson, JP Morgan Bay Area Equity Fund, Valor Equity Partners and Compass Venture Partners. Tesla recently said that it was hoping to raise another $250 million, via a combination of a private placement and an IPO in either the U.S. or Europe.

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Venture Impact Report

The Venture Impact Report

Published by the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA), Venture Impact takes a look at the economic impact of venture backed companies. This study looks at the contribution venture backed companies have had on overall job creation, revenue creation and innovation over the last 30 years.

NOTE: This is an Adobe PDF file. Download the Report in PDF

Special Event: 2008 Life Sciences Venture Forum

Access the Best Seed & Early Stage Life Science Pipeline in the World!!

The 2008 Life Sciences Venture Forum is the largest - and longest running - showcase of early stage innovation and entrepreneurship on the planet. It is the must-attend event for those seeking access to untapped quality deal flow from around the world. Continue reading ‘Special Event: 2008 Life Sciences Venture Forum’ »

Contributions of Milton Friedman to Economics

Milton Friedman began his teaching career at the University of Chicago isolated intellectually. He defended the ideas that competitive markets work efficiently to allocate resources and that central banks are responsible for inflation. By the 1980s, these ideas had become commonplace. Continue reading ‘Contributions of Milton Friedman to Economics’ »

Barriers to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)

Barriers to Foreign Direct Investment Under Political Instability

This article describes some stylized facts about expropriation of Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) and develop a theory that relates direct and indirect forms of expropriation to the degree of political instability (the frequency at which groups alternate in power) and concentration of power (the number of powerful groups affecting policy). Continue reading ‘Barriers to Foreign Direct Investment (FDI)’ »

Report: Angel Investor Groups

Angel Investors in Groups Achieve Investment Returns In Line with Other Types of Equity Deals

This report was conducted over the past year and analyzed results from 86 organized angel investor groups throughout the United States, involving 538 individual angel group investors who have experienced more than 1,130 exits in which companies that had received the investments were acquired, went public, or were closed. Continue reading ‘Report: Angel Investor Groups’ »

Affordable Capital for Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)

Transatlantic Innovations in Affordable Capital for Small- and Medium-Sized Enterprises: Prospects for Market-Based Development Finance

A joint report by the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Milken Institute. Traditional state and donor-driven approaches to economic development in the SME sector have largely failed. Macroeconomic, institutional, and financial weaknesses prevail in many developing countries, hindering SME financial access and development. Continue reading ‘Affordable Capital for Small & Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs)’ »

Venture Capital Investment Decision Making

Uncovering Knowledge Structures of Venture Capital Investment Decision Making 

Pankaj Patel and Rodney D’Souza, doctoral students at the University of Louisville, have received the fifth annual “Best Doctoral Paper” award from the Office of Advocacy of the U.S. Small Business Administration. They presented their winning paper, Uncovering Knowledge Structures of Venture Capital Investment Decision Making, at the annual meeting of United States Association for Small Business and Entrepreneurship (USASBE). Continue reading ‘Venture Capital Investment Decision Making’ »

Automattic Raises $29M Series B Round

Company Behind WordPress Raises More Money

Automattic’s Series B round of financing with co-investors Polaris Ventures and Radar Partners, as well as new strategic investor The New York Times Company. Continue reading ‘Automattic Raises $29M Series B Round’ »

Entrepreneurs, Low Taxes, Create Economic Growth

Wall Street Journal: Jack Kemp Previews McCain-onomics

I had the pleasure of meeting Mr. Kemp a few years ago. Here are my thoughts. For nearly every entrepreneur, access to private equity capital, or risk capital, is a key ingredient to successful business growth. Continue reading ‘Entrepreneurs, Low Taxes, Create Economic Growth’ »

Venture Capital: Frequently Asked Questions

Quickview At Understanding the Venture Capital Industry

We present answers to some of the most popular questions entrepreneurs have about venture capitalist.
>>See Also Special Guide: Venture Capital, Special Guide: Creating Your Business Plan

National Venture Capital Association (NVCA)

Continue reading ‘Venture Capital: Frequently Asked Questions’ »

Special Guide: Raising Venture Capital

Special Guide for Raising Money From Venture Capitalists and Angel Investors 

Is your company “really” investor ready? Do you know how to market and sell to outside investors? Do you have a sound financing strategy? Here is what Anita Roddick, founder of The Body Shop, once said: “There are only two ways of raising money: the hard way and the very hard way.”

Raising Money For Your Business Venture

Continue reading ‘Special Guide: Raising Venture Capital’ »

Venture Capital and Angel Investors

Web Resources: Venture Capital and Angel Investors 

We share with you some of the key Web Resources we have referenced, and used in our research, presentations, conferences and books. Continue reading ‘Venture Capital and Angel Investors’ »

Business Plan Outline

Our detailed outline simply follows the content and approach of our online resources. We recommend that the total length of your business plan be no more than 15 to 20 pages. Each Value Driver should be one page (10 total pages) with 3 to 5 paragraphs for each page. Your financial section should be limited to 3 to 5 pages (the notes and assumptions can be embedded on the spreadsheets) and your Executive Summary should also be 3 to 5 pages.

Continue reading ‘Business Plan Outline’ »

Kyte Announces $15 Million in Strategic Investments

Kyte Inc. has raised $15 million in a second round of funding. The round was led by Nokia Growth Partners (the venture capital management arm of Nokia), NTT DoCoMo Inc.’s DoCoMo Capital Inc. unit, and Telefónica. Other investors in this round include Draper Fisher Jurveston, Holtzbrinck Ventures and Swisscom. Continue reading ‘Kyte Announces $15 Million in Strategic Investments’ »

What are some alternative sources of financing?

Discussions About Alternative Sources of Financing

We realize that not all companies are venture-fundable. As we first discussed in a previous Articles, venture capital is a unique form of financing and needs these three elements in a deal: It must have rapid growth, get really big sooner rather than later, and remain profitable for a long time. Our Web site is not intended to explore and discuss other sources in great detail. But we do intend to give a broad view of this topic and refer you to additional resources. Continue reading ‘What are some alternative sources of financing?’ »