Adam B. Struck

Great episode for early stage VC's and capital allocators to check out. https://lnkd.in/ekz7JHJd #vc #fundraising #venturecapital

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Earlier this year, we surveyed our fellow Los Angeles-based GPs to get a pulse check on the LA venture ecosystem. Here’s what we found: 💗 Deal flow is healthy, and most LA venture investors (68%) are seeing the same or more deal flow YoY. ✈ LA investors are spending time in a variety of markets, with NYC, Austin, and SF following closely on LA’s heels. 🔍 Innovation is concentrated in AI and machine learning, space, and commerce. 💸 Funding is happening, but it’s barbell-shaped, with deals concentrated at the early and late stages. Funding post-Series A has been challenging. 🚩 LA is differentiated, but not without its challenges. Key difficulties include not attracting enough AI talent (despite having the largest number of engineers graduating from our region over any other in the United States); talent relocated to more tax-friendly or less expensive locations; and the great SoCal / NoCal divide 🙏 Thank you to all our many respondents! I’m so glad to be part of a venture ecosystem that includes great minds like Anna Barber, Brent Murri, W. Christine Choi, Sarah Tomolonius, Rob Smith, Win Chevapravatdumrong, John Tabis, Jill Royster, Jesse Draper, Ashley Balla, Britt Danneman, Tram Lai, Carmen Palafox, Elaine Russell, Deborah Benton Amanda Schutzbank, Brian Lee, Petra Griffith, Minnie Ingersoll, Shamin Walsh, Gabe Greenbaum...wow, this list could go on forever...plus too many other exceptional humans to name. You know who you are! Explore our findings more deeply with our survey dashboard: https://bit.ly/3JsaLaB

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At Costanoa Ventures, we pride ourselves on identifying and supporting exceptional founders poised to create impactful, lasting change. Hona is a shining example, driven by a trio of extremely talented founders: Manny Griffiths, Joshua Christensen, and Matt McClellan. They each bring unique, differentiated expertise to the table, and Amy Cheetham and I are extremely excited to partner with them. There are approximately 450,000 law firms in the United States, with half of those firms being B2C - think personal injury, mass tort, or immigration law as opposed to BigLaw. One of the reasons we love how Hona is tackling this market is their focus on B2C law firms and product excellence - B2B firms are historically difficult to sell brand new software products into, but B2C firms are completely different buyers. Oftentimes there's just a handful of lawyers and paralegals in a partnership, and any piece of technology they can use to give them an edge would be valuable. 44% of negative Google reviews on law firms directly reference poor communication as the reason for a negative experience, and the number 1 reason for Attorney Bar complaints in the U.S. is "lack of communication". On the lawyer's side, attorneys, paralegals and legal assistants spend an average of 7.4 hours per week on unnecessary updates, redundant communication, and activities that aren't directly contributing towards getting a client's case solved. Manny and the team at Hona are working to change all of that. Hona delivers a tightly-integrated communications platform to help facilitate better communication between law firms and their clients. During legal proceedings, client communications tend to be a large resource-stressor for law firms. Clients will frequently call firms for case updates, legal explanations, or general administrative questions that tend to eat away at firm resources without providing any additional progress toward case resolution. Hona exists to ease that burden - it’s a platform that allows law firms to efficiently communicate with their clients over text, easily build customizable web pages and embed videos, and share information on case status and basic legal process education. This crucial communication processes allow attorneys to focus on their job – moving cases forward, while keeping their clients informed and educated. If you're a lawyer dealing with these problems - don't hesitate to reach out to us or the Hona team! It's a privilege to work with Hona on this journey. The company has been growing at a rapid pace, and they're delivering meaningful technology to help people get through legal proceedings in a much more fluid, transparent, and easy process. Manny, Joshua, and Matt are exceptional founders whose combined skills and dedication to continuous learning position them perfectly to lead Hona to success. They're just getting started, and we can't wait to see what they'll achieve.

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Among the many inefficiencies weighing on the heavy construction sector, equipment maintenance management is one of the more costly, particularly for heavy equipment dealers who bear the primary responsibility for managing the maintenance of the equipment they sell. We are pleased to have Digital Iron join C2V's portfolio. Ditial Iron seamlessly integrates machinery manuals, CRM data, and customer ERP systems to create a centralized source of equipment specifications, maintenance parameters, and field usage data and provides a natural language interface for researching these issues (the gen AI piece). Once dealers have established the cause of each issue, Digital Iron will automatically check dealer inventory and third-party suppliers for availability, lead time, and price of the necessary parts. This information can then be instantly shared with customers for approval and immediate order of needed parts. In addition to saving hours (often days) identifying and sourcing replacement parts, Digital Iron’s AI models also compare equipment usage information to manufacturer useful life/replacement recommendations for each component and prompt dealers to proactively suggest parts replacements to customers, allowing them to monetize all of the additional (and substantial) post-sale revenue for each piece of equipment they sell. https://lnkd.in/e2QJeQut #ai #construction #investing

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I recently had an enlightening conversation with Alex Pattis, general partner of Riverside Ventures and author of the #1 VC syndicate newsletter, "Last Money In." Alex's journey from sales director to launching a syndicate that has completed over 300 deals is truly remarkable. He's deployed over $70 million in capital and built a network of thousands of LPs along the way. During our chat, Alex clarified the intricacies of syndicates, explaining how they differ from traditional venture funds and the unique value they bring to both founders and investors. Syndicates offer a flexible, deal-by-deal approach for LPs, allowing them to cherry-pick investments. Alex highlighted that having a tier-one VC co-investor can significantly boost LP interest in a syndicate deal. Transparency and managing expectations are crucial when working with founders, according to Alex. He also shared insights on how Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs) can be a strategic tool for founders to consolidate smaller investors. These structures offer a way to simplify cap tables while still accessing a broader investor base. Alex offered his perspective on the current syndicate market, noting the increasing interest in growth-stage and pre-IPO deals due to shorter paths to liquidity. This trend reflects a shift in investor priorities and the evolving landscape of venture capital. Whether you're a founder looking to understand syndicates or an aspiring investor curious about this unique approach to venture capital, Alex's insights are invaluable. Check out Episode 48 of Fundraising Demystified to learn from Alex's experience and gain a deeper understanding of the syndicate ecosystem!

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We believe in extreme vetting of our founders. You can't build a unicorn if you spend time on silly stuff, like seeing family and friends. Grow up, and focus on investor returns. #vc #startups #investment

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A new era of deep tech has emerged. First time funds will raise “unheard of” amounts of capital to fuel next gen deep tech startups - producing outsized, superior returns for LP’s compared to the rest. Prudent investors will act on this data and shift investment strategy as LP’s or risk being left behind savvy wealth managers and CIO’s / FO’s who saw this trend begin 4 years ago.

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The state of venture capital is wild right now. We are witnessing a surge of innovation across the spectrum: - Funds merging - VC doing PE - PE doing VC - Secondary funds - Buyout funds - Spin-out funds - Debt funds - Continuation funds - Infrastructure funds - GP turnover - Hard Tech surging - Family Office uptick

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#fundingalert 💼Company: Lamini 💰Funding: $25Million ⚡Round: Seed and Series A 👥Investors: AMD VENTURES, LLC, Andrew Ng, Andrej Karpathy, Bernard Arnault, Pierre Lamond, Sarah Guo, Dylan Field, Lip-Bu Tan, Drew Houston, and Amplify Partners, Lamini, the Enterprise AI platform, makes it possible for software teams within enterprises to develop new LLM capabilities that reduce hallucinations on proprietary data, run their LLMs securely from cloud VPCs to on premise, and scale their infrastructure with model evaluatioins that prioritize ROI and business outcomes over hype. With the additional investment, the team will grow faster and pursue deeper technological optimisations, providing corporations with the large-scale strategic assistance they require. Sharon Zhou, PhD, Gregory Diamos, Saksham Consul, Tamir Kedmi, Sharon Zhou, PhD, Collin Weitzman, James W., Nina W. Read more - https://lnkd.in/gVsR3dRi To share your startup story write us on - contact@startuprise.io #Lamini #AI #hallucinations #infrastructure #corporations #optimisations #technological #funding #fundingnews #news #startupnews #startuprise

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Seed VCs are turning to new ‘pro rata’ funds that help them compete with the big firms Alpha Partners, SignalRank and now SaaS Ventures help seed VCs pay for shares when big VCs try to price — or push — them out Lee Edwards, partner at Root VC, has a saying at his firm that “pro rata rights are earned, not given.” That may be a bit of a stretch since pro rata refers to a term that VCs put in their term sheets that gives them the right to buy more shares in a portfolio company during consequent funding rounds to maintain an ownership percentage and avoid dilution. Still, while these rights are not exactly “earned,” they can be expensive. One of the latest trends in VC investing these days are funds dedicated to helping seed VCs exercise their pro rata rights. https://lnkd.in/dRM3RvdA By Christine Hall

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A new era of deep tech has emerged. First time funds will raise “unheard of” amounts of capital to fuel next gen deep tech startups - producing outsized, superior returns for LP’s compared to the rest. Prudent investors will act on this data and shift investment strategy as LP’s or risk being left behind savvy wealth managers and CIO’s / FO’s who saw this trend begin 4 years ago.

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Navigating the VC landscape in San Diego? Discover firms that not only invest but also mentor and guide startups to success. Here's a snapshot: - Salesforce Ventures - Specializing in enterprise software. Founded by Halsey Minor, Marc Benioff, & Parker Harris. 🌐 - Versant Ventures - A beacon for biotech, founded by Barbara Lubash & co. 🧬 Healthcare & Biotech focus. 📈 - QED Investors - Fintech frontrunners, by Caribou Honig, Frank Rotman, & Nigel Morris. 💳 - HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH Capital - Supports startups to growth-stage companies across sectors. Founded by Manuel A. Henriquez & team. 📈 - Correlation Ventures - Co-investing champions in the US, initiated by Trevor Kienzle & David Coats. 🔍 - JMI Equity - Growth-stage software investment specialists. Established by Charles Noell & Harry Gruner. 💻 - Anzu Partners - Life science, manufacturing, and materials innovators, started by Michael David & co. 🔬 - Saltagen Ventures - Early-stage biotech focus, founded by Joseph F.. 🌏 NA and Asia. 📈 🌟 Whether you're seeking capital, mentorship, or operational expertise, these VC firms offer diverse opportunities for startups in various stages and industries. Full article here: https://lnkd.in/gpgkRHU3 👉 Looking to raise funding? Explore more about these firms and find your perfect match. #VCs #Startups #SanDiego #Innovation #Tech #SoCal

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Navigating the VC landscape in San Diego? Discover firms that not only invest but also mentor and guide startups to success. Here's a snapshot: - Salesforce Ventures - Specializing in enterprise software. Founded by Halsey Minor, Marc Benioff, & Parker Harris. 🌐 - Versant Ventures - A beacon for biotech, founded by Barbara Lubash & co. 🧬 Healthcare & Biotech focus. 📈 - QED Investors - Fintech frontrunners, by Caribou Honig, Frank Rotman, & Nigel Morris. 💳 - HERCULES TECHNOLOGY GROWTH Capital - Supports startups to growth-stage companies across sectors. Founded by Manuel A. Henriquez & team. 📈 - Correlation Ventures - Co-investing champions in the US, initiated by Trevor Kienzle & David Coats. 🔍 - JMI Equity - Growth-stage software investment specialists. Established by Charles Noell & Harry Gruner. 💻 - Anzu Partners - Life science, manufacturing, and materials innovators, started by Michael David & co. 🔬 - Saltagen Ventures - Early-stage biotech focus, founded by Joseph F.. 🌏 NA and Asia. 📈 🌟 Whether you're seeking capital, mentorship, or operational expertise, these VC firms offer diverse opportunities for startups in various stages and industries. Full article here: https://lnkd.in/gpgkRHU3 👉 Looking to raise funding? Explore more about these firms and find your perfect match. #VCs #Startups #SanDiego #Innovation #Tech #SoCal

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In our latest episode on the Practical Nerds podcast, Patric and I talk about our earned learnings on how founders (and other VCs) should choose the right (Co)Investors for their startup (Construction-tech or otherwise). Which of these do you agree with ? What did we miss ?

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🔥 Thrilled to see Hydrolix crushing it with a $35M Series B! 🔥 Data is the new oil, but too much gets discarded due to prohibitive storage costs. Hydrolix cracks this with its streaming #datalake platform that leverages object storage, decoupled compute, indexing, & compression. As Marty Kagan puts it: 'We’re cheaper than cold storage and faster than hot storage' Hydrolix’s streaming data lake platform is a game-changer for #AI, #observability, & #security workloads. 💥 Real-time query performance at terabyte scale 💰75%+ savings on log mgmt & 4x more data retained  ☁️ Stateless & containerized for seamless scaling with Amazon Web Services (AWS) S3, Google Cloud GCS, Microsoft Azure Blob 💡 Had the early conviction (first investor) that data is key to unlocking AI & enterprise workloads. It's proving right. Huge thanks to Marty Kagan Hasan Alayli for letting me early on their journey to build an impessive company 🙏 Super pumped to have awesome Aaron Perman at S3 Ventures leading this round along with other strong existing investors - Nava Ventures (Manish Patel) Wing Venture Capital (Peter Wagner) Oregon Venture Fund (Matt Compton Scott Grout) and others 💪 Onwards! 🚀🚀🚀 #cloud #data #ai #ml #llm #largelanguagemodels #analytics #security #loganalytics #datalake #datawarehouse https://lnkd.in/g5i6afP5

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This week Mikal Ventures brings you a 4-week breakdown of the non-US capital market with an emphasis on the Mikal verticals. Over the 4-week period ending May 29, a total of 1,545 new companies were added, with 101,688 companies included in the non-US Health Tech, Med Tech, Fin Tech, AI Tech, and Ed Tech verticals. The non-US AI Tech saw the greatest percentage growth in new companies for the period, weighing in at a notable 27%, nearly two times the overall vertical average of 15%. The non-US Heath Tech vertical led the group in transactions. Non-US Med Tech vertical lead in both SEC Filings and news articles. Mikal Ventures publishes these stats on a rolling 4-week basis to provide a perspective on how the verticals and new startups move through time. We hope you find them informative and thought-provoking. VC Investors are always adjusting their "Play Book" with a variety of options for investing. Mikal Ventures is one of those alternatives, offering curated solutions to real world problems. Reach out if you have questions on how we can be of assistance and bookmark https://mikalventures.com/ for additional insights and information.

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Last month, Uncork Capital celebrated its 20th anniversary with a jubilant gathering attended by 420 guests, marking two decades of success in the venture capital realm. Over the years, the firm, alongside industry peers like First Round Capital and Felicis, has witnessed remarkable growth, now managing billions of dollars in assets. This expansion reflects the flourishing landscape of venture capital, with the industry experiencing exponential growth in investment. Moreover, positive shifts in VC norms, such as the evolving attitudes towards board seats, underscore a commitment to providing tailored support to startups, enhancing their growth prospects. Amidst discussions surrounding sectors like AI, optimism prevails, emphasizing a steadfast dedication to investing in innovative ventures with lasting impact. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/efN6-Spd Branded Hospitality Ventures Jeff Clavier Susan Liu Ashley Cravens Tripp Jones Sarah Du Andy McLoughlin Amy Saper #innovation #technology #management #venturecapital #startup

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A few spots left for this awesome workshop with Justin Gray of In Revenue Capital. Every successful founder I know learns to develop and maintain high performing relationships. This is a skill like anything else and can be developed. Founders, if you want to build a high-growth company, learn to build high-performing relationships. This workshop will help you do that. Hope you can join us.

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