Thursdays at Abnormal Returns are all about startup and venture capital links. You can check out last week’s links including a look at why mid-stage startups are a great place for a first job.
Quote of the Day
"The best founders that I’ve worked with combine a mix of their aspirational goals with a real grounding in the current reality of where the business is."
(Brad Feld)
Chart of the Day
The surge in seed funding has made it more difficult to raise a Series A round.
Scooters
- Bird is in the midst of a fundraising frenzy. (nytimes.com)
- Scooters are another example of the 'everything-is-a-service' economy. (stratechery.com)
- Team scooter gains another fan. (nytimes.com)
Equity crowdfunding
- Comparing the equity crowdfunding platforms on various metrics. (venturebeat.com)
- How individuals can invest in startups. (wsj.com)
Valuations
- It's not your imagination: the valuation on Seed and Series A rounds are on the rise. (avc.com)
- Fred Wilson, "There is an obsession with the values that are being placed on companies when they finance. There has always been one but it is worse than ever." (avc.com)
Fundraising
- Fundraising tips from a first-time founder. (medium.com)
- What should you send a VC before a meeting? (bothsidesofthetable.com)
- Do this before sending a VC an introductory e-mail. (avc.com)
Finance
- Just because a company got acquired doesn't mean investors made any money. (pointsandfigures.com)
- Why again is carried interest taxed at the capital gains rate? (avc.com)
- What private companies, large cap mutual funds have invested in. (morningstar.com)
Strategy
- Brad Feld, "Capital should follow talent." (feld.com)
- The most valuable customers don't come through traditional advertising channels. (25iq.com)
- Managing a company requires respecting all the stakeholders involved. (avc.com)
Real estate
- Why the home buying process has been relatively immune to online disruption. (slate.com)
- Home buying startup OpenDoor is raising more capital to go nationwide. (recode.net)
Asia
- Toyota just invested $1 billion in ride-hailing firm Grab. (money.cnn.com)
- Mercari's IPO is a sign that Japan's startup scene is gaining momentum. (bloomberg.com)
Startups
- Nathan Myhrvold's IP funds have not had a great track record. (forbes.com)
- Will GitHub's users stay put after the Microsoft ($MSFT) acquisition? (slate.com)
- What is a 'predicate company'? (blog.bolt.io)
- The second-hand clothing industry has been transformed through technology. (chenmarkcapital.com)
- Female-founded startups receive less funding. (fortune.com)
- Why startups are obsessed with one-word names. (bloomberg.com)
