Tag: Venture Capital

How to Win IoT Field: Japanese companies are struggling

In 2016, the news was spread all over Japan that Sharp was taken over by Taiwan EMS company, Hon Hai. Sharp had been leading Japanese economy, but those days their performance was below expectation because Chinese or Korean companies were expanding market shares in global market. [1] Toshiba, also famous for electronics, has considerable financial… Read more How to Win IoT Field: Japanese companies are struggling

Silicon Valley: the NIMBYland

It is a well-known fact that, much like the treacherous waters surrounding Alcatraz Island, the housing market in the Bay area is a cold and unforgiving place to be if one doesn’t have the means to stay afloat. The price of housing has been increasing steadily over the last few decades, following the boom of… Read more Silicon Valley: the NIMBYland

Military Drone latencies

The near future in the aviation industry looks to be one hundred percent autonomous. There are already current military systems that are able to control and navigate autonomous systems from nearby bases and unmanned aerial vehicles that possess the power to access remote areas to conduct search operations, deliver potential packages, supply raw materials, scan earth… Read more Military Drone latencies

Venture capital: Is it right for me?

In today’s tech startup world, it’s all about fundraising, not rightly so. Good for the founders, it’s indeed raining money particularly in US and Asia. PricewaterhouseCoopers and CB Insights’ Q2 2018 MoneyTree report highlights that VC Dollars hit a record peak as they were up 2% in Q2’18 and $23B was invested across 1,416 deals.… Read more Venture capital: Is it right for me?

A CONTRARIAN’S GUIDE TO VENTURE INVESTING FOR THE 2020S - Part I.

BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front) Be clear: We do not know what the next big thing will be. First-principles thinking still holds (i.e. we want to find those ideas that are both “non-consensus” and “right”).   Disclaimer: if you are looking for investment ideas about specific companies and verticals/industries here, you will be disappointed. This… Read more A CONTRARIAN’S GUIDE TO VENTURE INVESTING FOR THE 2020S - Part I.

Would Artificial Intelligence threaten human progress?

Many people argue that the evolution of AI would inevitably lead to the downfall of man – it’s inventors.  In contrast to the natural inherent intelligence as portrayed by humans and other animals artificial intelligence is that which is demonstrated by machines through software’s that are designed by humans to process tasks and services that… Read more Would Artificial Intelligence threaten human progress?

Ethics in Venture-Backed Startups

Ethics in venture-backed startups got me thinking from the presentation on Friday.  Admittedly, I have no experience with startups, but I do invest in the stock market and love reading the latest news on certain companies.  I have seen public companies let go of CEO’s for missing profit expectations, or for stretching the truth when… Read more Ethics in Venture-Backed Startups

Unicorn Poop is a Tobacco Flavor

I run by this ad at a bus stop near my home several times a week. I’d never given it a second thought until Sequoia Capital partner Carl Eschenbach’s presentation to our class during Week 1. One distinctive of venture firm Sequoia is that eighty percent of their limited partners are non-profits and charitable foundations.… Read more Unicorn Poop is a Tobacco Flavor

SoftBank Vision Fund and the raise of Venture Mega-Funds

Venture capital is a form of financing that supports small, emerging firms. They exchange funds for equity in firms with the potential for large growth. Venture capital firms will make investments in various stages (rounds) with hopes of growth and thereby fruitful returns. The returns come in the form of exits. Exits provide the funds… Read more SoftBank Vision Fund and the raise of Venture Mega-Funds

Will tech replace nurses?

This spring I took part in a multidisciplinary course at Aalto University focusing on innovating in elderly care. For one week, each of us shadowed a nurse making house calls. This was an eye-opening experience for me, revealing how alone many elderly people are in Finland, as fewer younger people today take care of their… Read more Will tech replace nurses?