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HOT TOPICS
- The Accelerator Conundrum
- The Startup Velocity Question
- Platform as a Service
- Man and Superman
- Web 3.0 = (4C + P + VS)
- The Future: End of Capitalism
- Capitalism 2.0
Cracking the Online Video Monetization Nut: Adap.tv CEO Amir Ashkenazi (Part 6)
Next Amir describes the environment and concepts behind the founding of Adapt.tv. Having the seed money himself from his previous exit, he was able to move forward aggressively to seize a piece of an emerging market. This is a key element for entrepreneurs who are able to repeatedly experience success and is right in line
Venture Capital for MicroFinance: Chris Brookfield (Part 7)
Chris earlier brought up Compartamos, an MFI currently operating in Mexico. It seems they have a solid customer base and a very profitable business strategy – further proof of the validity of cash-positive microfinance business models. SM: How many loans does Compartamos have ath the moment? CB: I think they have about 600,000 customers. I
Cracking the Online Video Monetization Nut: Adap.tv CEO Amir Ashkenazi (Part 5)
Amir benefited from a very nice exit from Shopping.com when it was acquired by EBay for $630 million. Here he discusses that, which sets us up for his next (and current) venture at Adapt.tv. SM: Which companies survived the bubble? AA: Shopzilla, PriceGrabber, MySimon was acquired by CNet, NextTag is still active and private. SM:
Venture Capital for MicroFinance: Chris Brookfield (Part 6)
Microfinance opportunities are growing throughout the world. The availability of data to support the microfinance trend is available from various sources. Depending on the location of the MFI, the cost of delivering the loan can be very low. SM: Can you cite that type of data? That is exactly the type of data you need,
Cracking the Online Video Monetization Nut: Adap.tv CEO Amir Ashkenazi (Part 4)
I am always interested in companies which survived the crash, and especially interested when they are in such a competitive market. Here Amir outlines what steps were taken at Shopping.com led to the success of the company. SM: What did you do differently to make a 1997 founded company survive the worst downturn in the
Venture Capital for MicroFinance: Chris Brookfield (Part 5)
Here the conversation directly addresses a common assumption that microfinance is not a profitable business model. SM: I would like to get back on topic and drill down on the assumption on returns. Microfinance may charge 18-25% interest and even so does not get even close to the types of returns the venture capital funds
Venture Capital for MicroFinance: Chris Brookfield (Part 4)
The strategy of running an investment firm may vary, but the end goal is always healthy and compelling returns. SM: So you manage Unitus as a professional investment opportunity with similar goals as venture capital firms? CB: We look at investing very much as a derivative of venture capital. I would argue it is just
Venture Capital for MicroFinance: Chris Brookfield (Part 3)
The makeup of a private equity fund can be telling. Chris highlights the composition of the Unitus fund. SM: What is the source of the Unitus equity fund? SB: We have four equally significant investors. A quarter of our capital is provided by Omidyar Networks and Pierre Omidyar. A quarter is provided by an excellent