Capital

Choosing an investor: 5 tips from 5 entrepreneurs

Investors rarely make or break a startup, but they can make life a hell of a lot easier or harder for an entrepreneur. That's why entrepreneurs need to put some thought into who they want to add to their team, instead of taking the first money that's offered to them.

But how do you choose the right investors for your startup?

There are hundreds of factors to consider, but some stand out more than others. While anybody can give you money, only a few can give you the sage-like advice you need to succeed. And while adding a … Read more

Venture capital funding for Q1 slowest since 2003

If the first quarter is any gauge for U.S. venture capital funding, there's not a lot to look forward to for the rest of the year.

The number of funds that raised money for venture capital in the first quarter of 2013 was fewer than any other quarter in the last 10 years, according to a new report by Thomson Reuters and the National Venture Capital Association (NVCA).

Thirty-five funds contributed to venture capital fundraising last quarter, which is a 14 percent decrease in the number of funds from the final quarter of 2012. The slowest quarter in … Read more

Paul Allen's VC firm to open new office in Silicon Valley

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's venture-capital firm is opening an office in Silicon Valley.

Vulcan Capital, which has invested in a wide array of companies, including DreamWorks Animation and Redfin, has decided to open an office in Palo Alto, Calif., the company has confirmed to Reuters. The office, which will open at some point in the next few weeks, will focus on technology, Internet, and software companies. It will chiefly invest in middle- and late-stage startups, as well as pre-IPO deals.

"We are going to expand our footprint in broad tech investments, we'd like to get more resources, … Read more

Intel Capital invests in firm that brings mobile apps to PCs

Intel Capital, the chip company's venture-capital arm, has invested in software maker BlueStacks.

The companies announced the deal yesterday but didn't say how much Intel Capital invested.

BlueStacks offers software, called App Player, that lets users run their mobile applications on a Mac or Windows PC. According to BlueStacks, the company's platform has been downloaded more than 5 million times and supports the most-popular titles, including Angry Birds Space and Instagram.

BlueStacks' technology has excited more than a few mobile-software lovers. Since applications are designed for mobile platforms running on ARM architecture, getting them to run on … Read more

For BTI, a little Silicon Valley office means a lot

BOSTON--What's more impressive: The view from Bain Capital's 40th floor offices here in the landmark John Hancock Tower or a little sales office in Palo Alto, Calif.?

If you're in the tech industry, the answer is probably that little office in Silicon Valley. For the rest of us, well, you really have to visit the company Mitt Romney founded on a clear day.

I was in Bain's offices to hear about a $10 million funding round for BTI Systems, a cloud-computing software company with major offices in nearby Littleton, Mass., and Ottawa, Canada. BTI has been … Read more

David Einhorn to take proxy fight to Apple shareholders

David Einhorn, the hedge fund manager waging a legal battle with Apple over its mountain of cash reserves, is taking his case directly to the iPhone maker's investors.

Einhorn's Greenlight Capital, which sued Apple earlier this month over the issue, will host a public conference call and Webcast Thursday to discuss the merits of his proposal for issuing preferred stock to investors.

The conference call and Webcast will begin at 11 a.m. PT. U.S. callers can dial in at 1-800-901-5241 and entering the passcode 62063868#. The Webcast can be accessed by visiting www.media-server.com/m/p/aj2p6kq7. … Read more

Judge: Apple shareholder suit shows 'likelihood of success'

A federal judge said today he sees merit in an activist hedge-fund manager's lawsuit against Apple but did not issue a ruling on whether to block next week's shareholder vote on a proxy proposal.

U.S. District Judge Richard Sullivan declined to immediately rule on a request by Greenlight Capital to stop a February 27 vote because he wasn't sure the plaintiff would suffer "irreparable harm" if the vote was allowed to be held as scheduled.

"Candidly, I do think the likelihood of success is in favor for Greenlight," Sullivan said today in … Read more

VC Bill Gurley defends investment in money-losing Snapchat

Bill Gurley, a longtime Silicon Valley investor with Benchmark Capital, today defended his firm's investment in Snapchat, the social-media app designed to let users send pictures and videos that self-destruct after a set time.

Gurley, who spoke on a panel of venture capitalists at Goldman Sachs' annual Technology and Internet Conference in San Francisco, was asked why he'd invest in a startup with no revenue model. Benchmark led a $13.5 million investment in the app, valuing Snapchat at $60 million to $70 million, which was first reported by The New York Times.

"If you look at … Read more

Apple claims Einhorn lawsuit tries to hold investors 'hostage'

Apple accused an activist hedge fund manager of attempting to hold investors "hostage" in his effort to get the electronics giant to share more of its massive cash reserves with investors.

The charge came today in Apple's response to a lawsuit filed last week by Greenlight Capital, which asserts that the company needed to distribute preferred stock to current shareholders and that Apple had balked at the idea when it was first discussed. The filing comes a day after Apple CEO Tim Cook called the lawsuit a "silly sideshow."

"Shareholders should not be held … Read more