Category Archives: Markets

The Interface Between Bits and Atoms

I wrote recently about the rise of what I call agile hardware and this is a trend and industry that continue to fascinate me.  I am always on the lookout for startups and investments in this nascent industry.
One of the most fascinating aspects of agile hardware are the set of hardware accessories that work with [...]

Ask The VC – Do Early-Stage VCs Prefer Safe Sale or Big IPO?

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Jon Cavell asked:
@aveeck, where do previously invested VCs usually stand on a sell now or raise more & go for IPO/Big Exit? (eg Groupon & $GOOG) #AskTheVC
I had a very similar discussion on the phone yesterday with one of the founders of yubiT, a group buying/couponing startup out in Seattle.  As with so many [...]

There’s Magic in the Combination

I have been watching some of the activity out at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) and I finally saw a tablet computer that I must have, one that will get me a base camp in the tablet revolution.  It’s called the XOOM and it is made by Motorola.
I have written about tablets before, but have been [...]

VC Buzzword Bingo

As a VC in Pittsburgh I have gotten to be good at spotting buzzwords that make for bad investments.  Here is a short sampling of my current list (believe me, the real list is much longer):

Artificial Intelligence
Machine Learning
Neural Networks
Cluster Analysis
Fuzzy Logic
Non-parametric Modeling
Tree Regression
Bayesian Networks
I have an aneurysm anytime I see these words independently, or yikes! – in [...]

The Seven Non-Negotiables of a Startup Pitch

In the past week, I attended two events where I had to evaluate startup pitches delivered to investors:  a boot camp for the upcoming 3RVF conference in Pittsburgh, and the interim demo day at AlphaLab.  Both events were dry-run practice sessions so that presenting companies could be more polished when they were actually on the [...]

Morbidly Obese Markets

Last week, I wrote about my experiences with two demo days at business accelerators:  LaunchBox Digital in Washington, DC and TechStars in Boulder, CO.  I tried to get an invitation to YCombinator in Boston as well, but somehow it slipped through the cracks.
One of the most impressive things I saw at both sites was “The [...]