categories
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
venture capital
Re-engineering the Book Business: Blurb CEO, Eileen Gittins (Part 5)
SM: How did you penetrate the market and get early traction? EG: Word of mouth driven by a great and viral product and turbo charged with amazing PR. SM: What stage are you at now? Revenue? Profitability? Traffic? Titles? Any other metrics you track? EG: Blurb expects turnover between $5-10MM in 2007, its first full
Web 3.0 and Real Estate: Synthesis
Real estate sites are redefining the property business with property listing, realtor directory, mortgage calculator, financial advice and neighborhood info all at the click of a button. According to National Association of Realtors, the percentage of potential U.S. home buyers using the internet as part of their housing search process rose from 2% in 1995
In The Shadows Of Iraq: Qubad Talabani (Part 5)
Continuing on the same theme, I now delve more into the entrepreneurial / venture capital opportunities. This region is actively looking for external investments, and simply because of the vast natural resources there, they are very likely to receive investments in the energy industry. I have also noticed over time that entrepreneurial spirit exists is
Israel – Deal(s) of the Month (June 2007)
By Danny Cohen, Guest Author Starting this July, I will be reviewing every month one or two key venture investments that were done in Israel. The idea is try to present the local Israeli hi-tech scene through representative venture investments. Overall, June was a very active month on the Israeli scene (Examples include Optier and
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,
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
