"InsiderVC.com tracks
performance." - Special Report: This Year's Initial Public
Offerings, Barron's
"Great data." -
Erik Straser, General Partner, Mohr Davidow Ventures
"Quite
refreshing." - Rick Frisbee, Managing Partner, Battery Ventures
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Technology Crossover Ventures (TCV)
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& Managing Director, Invesco
Private Capital
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Bharat Vijay, Senior Vice President/Partner, Strategic Ventures,
Wachovia Corporation
"The best data on fund
disbursements and performance . . . very helpful for us to benchmark
ourselves against." - Kenneth Miller, JatoTech Ventures
"I
look forward to future provocative articles!" - Nancy Dorman,
Administrative General Partner, New Enterprise Associates
"The front-end deposit
is there to serve as a screen for the appropriate type of subscribers.
Keeping your information semi-private allows your sources to be more
open with what they share with you. You don't have any advertisements on
your publicly-viewable pages, so you use some form of subscriber fee to
remain in operation. I'm comfortable paying in advance." - Jeff
Becker, BA Venture Partners
"Love to use it as a
resource." - Guy Paisner, Editor, Private Equity News
"I understand the
purpose of the fee." - Adam N. Green, TL Ventures
"I understand
entirely, and was heartened by the fee issue, as info available from
public sites (venturewire, for example) is limited in its utility
because of its generic nature. to stay ahead, i have to stay
up...really, really up, on things." - Jon P. Goodman, EC2@USC
(affiliated with Media Technology Ventures), advisor to AVI, and a
limited partner in Trident V
"I appreciate the
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Managing Director, Yazam Inc.
"One of my sources
(Ron Lissak from Catapult Advisors) keeps raving about your site."
- Lizette Wilson, Technology & VC Reporter, San Francisco
Business Times
"How do I sign
up?" - C. Scott Marx, the blueshirt group - boutique IR firm
providing financial communications, investor relations, financial media
relations and strategic counsel to DCM (Doll Capital Management) and
Charter Growth Capital (now Focus Ventures)
"While I can get a lot
of information from the Daily Deal, etc., everyone references
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cliché expression!) and interestingly-angled content." - Johanna
Licciardello, Media Mergers & Acquisitions, Credit Suisse Group
"Fantastic
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"A lot of good
information given the focus of my business (early stage venture backed
companies)." - Benjermin Colombo, Vice President, Manager, Emerging
Growth Division, Imperial Bank
"The best stuff out
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Fund Managment
"Some of our banking
clients have been asked by regulators to develop a scorecard to
risk-rank VC firms they lend to; we've been retained by these clients to
design and develop the scorecard and we are finding (despite
considerable research) that performance data on VC investments is near
impossible to come by . . . until I came across your site." - Raj
Mehra, Financial Risk Management, PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
"I'd like to
subscribe." - Rich Wagner, Managing Director, Emerging Technologies
Venture Capital, Lehman Brothers
"I really like your site! It's one of the best I've seen,
especially the way it's organized." - Jeanne Miner, Harvard
University
"Makes for some
interesting reading." - Phil Summe, Flatiron Partners
"Very helpful." -
Kara Scannell, Staff Reporter, Wall Street Journal
"Given our size, we
are moving into the league of leading investors, thus are interested in
tracking performance of other VCs to use as benchmarks to our
performance. We are heavy users of the various venture tracking sources
(VentureOne, VentureXpert) and appreciate insight into the biases
associated with these to ensure we are using them appropriately. I
particularly appreciated your insight, re: . . . This is the kind
of info that is very useful to us, that we can't find elsewhere! We
found it extremely useful." - Sharon Reddehase, Dell Ventures
"Highly worthwhile and
well recommended." - Mitch Kapor, Partner, Accel Partners
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Fair. You want your firm's name mentioned, of course, but the point
is to get your thesis quoted." - Magdalena Yesil, General Partner,
U.S. Venture Partners
"Excellent
information." - Nirav N. Tolia, Co-founder and Chief Executive
Officer, Epinions
"Interesting." -
June Parina, media department, the blueshirt group (investor relations
and financial communications firm; Charter Venture Capital, DCM (Doll
Capital Management, and Focus Ventures)
"Interesting!" -
Dale Kunkel, Director of Investments, University of Pennsylvania
"Tremendous."
- Jon P. Krempel, Vice President Fund Administration, Peninsula Capital
Partners
"New and interesting
perspectives on our industry and tech investing in general." -
James Thompson, Principal, Alexander Hutton Venture Partners
"Your site was
recommended by another local venture fund (Ventures West), a slightly
later-stage, Vancouver-based VC firm with whom we have a close
relationship." - Hans Knapp, Esq., Yaletown Venture Partners Inc.
"Great site! You have
very good information on a fund's specific cost basis and listed value.
Looking at the list of companies and assessing which ones are still
viable, it is helpful to see how most of a fund's success is driven by a
few home runs and at the expense of a lot of strike outs. As you know,
Venture Economics has the companies that a fund is invested in,its
pre-money valuation, and which round. However, it doesn't have the
fund's
current valuation of these companies or even the fund's overall value
and
IRR. Hence your website is a unique and valuable resource. I especially
appreciate having the benefit of your insights regarding selected VC
firms." - John Bernhard, strategic advisor at the Parthenon Group
(Parthenon Capital is the loosely related VC fund)
"We are one of the
largest non-institutional investors in private equity in the country,
investing in well over 100 funds . . . I agree 100% that your screening
is a plus, not a turn-off." - Darren Ross, Wolfson Group
"I don't think that
you are being difficult or elitest at all." - Chad Waite, Partner,
OVP (formerly Olympic) Venture Partners
"We have fund-of-fund
activities and are LPs in several Silicon Valley VCs, such as Sequoia
and NEA. Your site is very useful in helping us to know more about how
our investee funds in the Valley are doing, and in helping us to
evaluate potential new funds to consider investing in." - Dennis
Siew Teng-Kean, Managing Director, Temasek Capital (private equity fund
based in Singapore)
"You have made
membership so secretive for a purpose." - Ryan Kluft, Symphony
Technology Group
"Should I start
mailing you large, unmarked bills?" - Adam Knapp, Accenture
(Andersen Consulting)
"What I like about
your perspective is you are shining light on a truth no one wants to
tell." - Claude Pumilia, CFO, Emerging
"I love it (perhaps
the political commentary more than the venture capital insights). Your
moral, social, political, and financial commentary is wonderful. As the
VCs are fond of saying, you "add value." - Vishesh Kumar, The
Industry Standard
"Steve Wiesner from
PEInsights recommended your site." - Martín E. Díaz Plata, CSFB
Private Equity / DLJ Merchant Banking Partners
"Heard about you guys
from our lawyers [WSGR]. They had a client who had something published
about them on your site. The client wanted a cease / desist order or
something to that effect and counsel pretty much said, 'tough
luck'." - Ashley Read, Blueprint Ventures
"Excellent site. I am
an active VC investor, a minority owner of three GP sponsors of VC
funds, and have been an active advisor and private placement agent to
private equity funds for 15 years. I founded the DLJ (now CSFB) Private
Funds Group in 1989, having cut my fund raising teeth as early as 1978
in assisting Welsh Carson in its first fund. During my fund raising
career, I have continually been witness to countless confirmations that
'sophisticated institutional investor' is one of the great oxymorons of
the private equity culture. On the more negative side, I have watched
GPs go out into the market with fraudulent numbers, portfolio companies
carried 'conservatively' at cost (when several portfolio companies were
on the verge of bankruptcy). Truth and logic are often at best wispy in
the venture capital arena. Your site does much to demythologize the
self-serving rhetoric that appears to be unlimited in both the GP and LP
circles." - David R. Pohndorf, Managing Director, Source Capital
Group, Inc.
"An excellent method
for doing due diligence on the venture capitalists I am interviewing
with." - Adam Nash, MBA Class of 2001, Harvard Business School
"Keeps us up to date
of the happenings in the VC industry, and also enables us to track down
current performance of some of the funds that we are invested in, as
well as those funds that we are evaluating." - Kathryn Abbott,
Senior Vice President, Andell Limited (investment management
organization that manages principally the assets of Ellen Bronfman
and Andrew Hauptman and is affiliated with the Claridge Group, a
Montreal-based organization that manages the interests of the Charles R.
Bronfman family)
"I like it and my VC
friends like it as well." - Patrick Boyce, Salomon Smith Barney
"All of the people
that we would be interested in getting to know are already reading your
stuff!" - Vic Kovacevic, Agilent Technologies, Inc. (HP spin-out of
the test and measurement business)
"I guess I should
finally join." - Rob Reagan, Managing Director, Chaos Venture
Partners
"How do I join?"
- Carl Tippit, Managing Director, Peppertree Partners, LLC
"Those VCs will pay
anything to read about themselves -- even if it's bad news." -
Allison Hemming, Pink Slip parties
"Your site is awesome. It
provides a great perspective and important performance
information." - Scott Michael Marinchek, Zurich Capital Markets
"A great
resource." - Dean Karousos, Edelman Financial Worldwide
"I have heard lots
about your service from other VCs who have seen the site. You have a
good niche." - Jennifer Jones, The Mayfield Fund
"I'm a vicarious fan
of InsiderVC." - Robert Rosenberg, Executive Director, Koldoon
"Your site was
recommended to me." - Ricki Fulman, reporter at Pensions &
Investments magazine, covering private equity, venture capital, and
other alternative investments
"Many of our clients
are VC's. We just love having dirt on them. Who knows, we might even
have some dirt on them that you don't have." - Greg Schneider, Info
Partners, Inc.
"I am an officer with
the Wharton Private Equity Alumni Network that involves people from a
variety of funds. Your Newsletter became known among its members. I've
heard good references about your site, especially as it relates to the
health of some of the VC firms in the valley. I absolutely respect the
value of your products and their price tag. You are providing very
valuable services." - Dimitri Panasevich, West Coast Chapter
"I've heard great
things about your site." - Sarah Lacy, reporter, Silicon Valley/
San Jose Business Journal
"We do tend to have an unique
exposure to VC activity, but I have yet to find someone willing to stick
their neck out to make these type of statements. I have also yet to find
anyone out there who has accurately looked at these investing activities
analytically verses the traditional hyped / skewed / media-slanted
stories." - Anthony Paulson, Emerging Technologies, Silicon Valley
Bank
"I would like to do things right in
setting up my venture fund and it sounds like you are taking this
approach." - Laura Lukaczyk, Avansis Ventures
"Why is there a deposit in order to
subscribe? So you can pay the bills and get more wealthy, I
assume." - Rick LaBash, VP, Partner Development, Primordial
"We’re pleased." - John W.
Jarve, General Partner and Managing Director, Menlo Ventures
"I've heard great things about your
service." - Elizabeth Corcoran, Silicon Valley Bureau Chief, Forbes
"It's worth asking for." -
Troy Fukumoto, Director, SunAmerica Ventures
"My background in epidemiology
makes me skeptical of data -- how it is obtained, analyzed, and
presented. I believe that there is reporting and selection bias in much
of the industry data available (e.g., Venture Economics, VentureOne,
MoneyTree, etc.) and other return data (such as is available to us from
fund-of-funds and industry consultants)." - Ross Jaffe, M.D.,
Managing Director, Versant Ventures
"I’ve spent the last few years
working in technology investment banking in New York, Boston and London.
After seeing the writing on the wall that things weren’t going to be
getting better with the big Wall Street outfits anytime soon, I decided
to jump ship and join a close-knit firm that helps small, private
companies raise venture capital. I came across your website as I was
looking to verify an investment in a potential client by a top-tier VC,
which was claiming that it hadn’t invested in the company. One of the
pages in your parasite area helped assure me that the company was being
truthful, and the VC not so truthful. I’m interested in access to your
information for that reason: to provide our clients with an objective
perspective on how the various VCs invest their funds, treat their
portfolio companies, communicate with their LPs, etc." - Chris M.
Zook, Director of Business Development, Western Region, Fritsche Capital
Group
"You're The Man." - Dana Andre
Letendre, Goldman Sachs & Co.
"You're The Man!" - Susan
Pulliam, Staff Reporter, Wall Street Journal
"The eMiNem of VC." - Bobby
Lim, DBS Private Equity
"Extremely helpful in evaluating
not only our past performance but also in helping to shape our strategy
in fund raising and beyond." - Brian T. Schmidt, Highgate
Ventures
"This is the site." - Scott
Schneiderman, CIT Venture Capital
"Great information." - Sean
Cumiskey, Director, myCFO
"A great site for VCs and LPs
alike!" - Mark D. Chen, Managing Director, Easton Hunt Capital
Partners
"You are the source of all
knowledge." - Larry Prior, CFO, LightPointe Communications, Inc.
"The only provider of independent
data on venture capital funds & due to the industry's lack of
transparency, providing invaluable information, commentary and
data." - Maureen F. Lewis, Associate, Davis Polk & Wardwell
"Thanks for all your good
work." - Edward T. (Ed) Anderson, North Bridge Venture Partners
"I'd like to get access." -
Jon Flint, Polaris Ventures
"How can I sign us up?" -
Satya Patel, Partner, Impact Venture Partners
"I am always comfortable
subscribing for value added information. I am happy
to pay in advance." - Tracy K. Chadwell, Partner, Baker Capital
Corp.
"Where should I forward payment
to?" - Jonathan Chambers, Limited Partner, Sevin Rosen Funds
"I work for a middle market buyout house in Geneva, Switzerland, that has a continental European family business buyout focus. Reading some of the articles in your parasite section I feel like an innocent (or rather ignorant) daisy on a
Swiss alp. My doctor parents have taught me that integrity and honesty and a general attitude of hard work will always pay off on the long term; hence, well suited for private equity being a long term
endeavor itself. But seeing some of the incredible sums (in particular in the US) some rather mediocre people make on the back of spin and hype (or just plain arrogance) makes me think I got things upside down. Anyhow, going into a second fund raising effort and being fed all kinds of stories by placement agents, other GPs and LPs your site is valuable help in referencing ourselves in the
market." - Roderick
Egli, Leman Capital Sarl Private Equity Investors
"Very interesting information
here...and I want it!" - Barbara Krause, KTA (Krause Taylor
Associates, Garage Technology, Ventures, Tallwood Venture Capital,
Vanguard Ventures, Apple, Palm, Vesalius Ventures)
"What is the drill?" - Chris
Mason, West Coast private equity group, Lehman Brothers
"Congrats on a great site." -
Jason W. Redlus, CapitalKey Advisors, Inc. / Director, Private Capital
Practice, Capital IQ
"Let me in." - Annemarie
Albate, Bear Stearns & Co. Inc.
"Thanks." - Chris Hanrahan, Pomona Capital
"Thanks." - M.
Ram Lee, Director of Investments, UPenn Office of Investments
"Would you please provide me with
access?" - Meg O'Leary, Charles River Ventures
"I much prefer to be an
insider." - Jeff Cain, Director, M&A, Cadence Design Systems
"Somewhat of an air of secrecy
about who you let into the site (sort of like the guy behind the little
door at the speakeasy)." - Eric Doppstadt, The Ford Foundation
"Enormously helpful to me to have a
better sense of what's happening within a given partnership. In telecom
I've seen so many promised rounds that proved to be tranched, or are in
fact based on performance goals, that it's really become necessary to
better understand what's happening with the VCs to understand what the
chances of viability are for the smaller private companies." -
Richard Gill, Neveric Capital (merchant bank in San Francisco)
"You are filling a true need for
information about the VC/private equity industry." - Mark Nydam,
L.E.K. Consulting (British strategy consulting firm)
"How have I managed without
this?" - Kristin N. Nelson, Associate Fluke Venture Partners
"How have I managed without you so
long?" - Robin Hacke, Portview Communications Partners / Triport
Advisors
"Definitely don't want to be a
parasite. I'm at the edge of my seat. How do I sign up? I'm peeing pants
[sic] in anticipation." - Eric Fernandez, SG Cowen
"Don't make me beg!" - Brian
D. Allen, Investment Associate, Liberty Mutual Group, Private Equity
Markets