How has the industry been evolving?
Up until the recent economic downturn, venture capital has been maturing, growing more competitive, and going global. A handful of business historians have drawn the parallel parallel between today’s venture industry and the investment banking industry of twenty years ago: once a cottage industry of small and secretive firms, investment banks forked into a cluster of global bulge-bracket brands and a constellation of niche players. Given the recent rise of global venture brands such as DFJ, Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark and others, coupled with a healthy flow of specialized venture funds, it’s a comparison worth monitoring. A second trend is the increasing sophistication of the entrepreneur, which has driven competition and differentiation in the industry, as start-ups demand more than capital from investors. A third trend: everyone, from corporations to universities to governments wants to be well-positioned in the technology commercialization game. These organizations see it as
Up until the recent economic downturn, venture capital has been maturing, growing more competitive, and going global. A handful of business historians have drawn the parallel between today’s venture industry and the investment banking industry of twenty years ago: once a cottage industry of small and secretive firms, investment banks forked into a cluster of global bulge-bracket brands and a constellation of niche players. Given the recent rise of global venture brands such as DFJ, Sequoia, Kleiner Perkins, Benchmark and others, coupled with a healthy flow of specialized venture funds, it’s a comparison worth monitoring. A second trend is the increasing sophistication of the entrepreneur, which has driven competition and differentiation in the industry, as start-ups demand more than capital from investors. A third trend: everyone, from corporations to universities to governments wants to be well-positioned in the technology commercialization game. These organizations see it as a matter
