Softbank’s Masayoshi Son has been credited with the largest win (Alibaba) and loss (WeWork) in Venture Capital’s history. As he’s commonly referred to, “Masa” is reported to be a very…
Why do so many Founders make the same mistakes, costing Investors substantial capital? My previous explanations—overconfidence and fear of failure—capture part of the problem. There’s a third factor that VCs…
Securing a Series A round has always been a major hurdle for startups, but recent data highlights just how difficult this milestone has become. Historically, roughly one in four startups…
Deciding to reinvest in a company amid uncertainties is one of the most challenging choices Venture Capitalists face. One question always arises whether they are considering extending bridge financing to…
Venture Capitalists are vocal about what they look for in startups they invest in: stellar team, large market, scalability, exit routes, etc. What about the evaluation criteria they don’t discuss…
Early-stage Investors seem to rely on little else than their gut to make multi-million dollar bets on fledgling startups—and their Founders. How do the best VCs mix their intuition and…
Venture Capitalists always stress that their most important investment criterion is the quality of the startup’s Founding team. What are the characteristics and personality traits Investors are looking for? More…
Venture Capitalists receive hundreds of investment opportunities annually, making performing quick and effective exploratory due diligence crucial. They need to identify promising startups while swiftly avoiding potential pitfalls. However, data…
QED Investors’ co-Founder Nigel Morris had the rare privilege of entering Venture Capital after managing a $20 billion public company, Capital One. Comparing these two experiences, Morris confided that running…
Marc Andreessen, often considered one of the smartest VCs in Silicon Valley, is unequivocal on this question. In his “pmarca guide to startups” (Andreessen’s handle on Twitter is @pmarca), he…
When it is all over, and the whole truth is known, Theranos will undoubtedly join the great frauds of business history, competing with the likes of Enron and Worldcom. More…
