Mark Suster

Investor Mark Suster says a “handful” of bad actors in VC destroyed Silicon Valley Bank

Yesterday at around noon in Los Angeles, investor Mark Suster of the venture firm Upfront Ventures began urging “calm” on Twitter. Silicon Valley Bank had bungled its messaging on Wednesda

VC Mark Suster: ‘The bet we’re making now is on founder skills,’ instead of customers or products

We recently caught up with longtime VC Mark Suster of L.A.-based Upfront Ventures, which last raised both an early-stage fund and a growth stage fund several years ago and, according to regulatory fil

5 factors founders must consider before choosing their VC

At a time when we are witnessing record VC activity, founders would be well served to go back to the basics and focus on the principles of fundraising when determining who sits on their cap table.

Thanks to COVID-19, everybody wants Density’s technology tracking building occupancy and use

Before the COVID-19 epidemic, Density was being used by companies like TechCrunch’s parent company, Verizon, to see how it could better use office space after the Yahoo!/Aol merger. Now, thanks

Top LA investors discuss the city’s post-COVID-19 prospects

When it comes to venture capital, Los Angeles is a city on the rise. In the past year, it’s seen one of the most profitable venture-backed exits of any tech ecosystem (with the $4 billion sale o

The startup cash countdown begins

As global startup markets enter a slowdown -- more on that shortly -- we're starting to get notes on when growth-oriented firms are going to run short of cash.

Silicon Valley Bank only started processing stimulus loan applications today

In a sign of just how broken the process is for startups looking to receive stimulus dollars, Silicon Valley Bank, the bank that claims “more innovative startups bank with us than any other bank

New guidance on SBA loans means most startups are still excluded from $349 billion stimulus

Under new guidance issued by the Small Business Administration it seems non-profits and faith-based groups can apply for the Paycheck Protection Program loans designed to keep small business afloat du

This startup got a meeting with Mark Suster by getting clever with Google ads

Startups have done some wild things to get the attention of VCs. In fact, Instacart founder Apoorva Mehta sent YC partner (at the time) Garry Tan a six-pack of beer through the service after missing t

LA tech industry mourns Kobe Bryant

The Los Angeles startup community is joining the rest of the world in mourning the death of NBA superstar, entrepreneur and investor Kobe Bryant who was killed in a helicopter crash in Calabasas, Cali

Solve, the startup creating an interactive ‘Law & Order’ for social media, raises $20 million

When “Law & Order” ended its 20-year run in 2010, it had already cemented its place as one of the longest-running television dramas in history. Its success was a testament to the endur

What founders need to know about pro rata rights

In the context of a term sheet, pro rata rights (or pro rata) govern whether investors may continue to invest in subsequent rounds of funding in proportion with their ownership...

Bird investor Upfront Ventures eyes $250M growth fund

The LA-based VC closed on $400 million for its latest early-stage fund in 2017.

How to negotiate term sheets with strategic investors

Three years ago, I met with a founder who had raised a massive seed round at a valuation that was at least five times the market rate. I asked what firm made the investment...

Meet Projector, collaborative design software for the Instagram age

Projector, the brainchild of two Twitter alums, is emerging from stealth with $13 million to reimagine visual communication.

Startups Weekly: Spotify gets acquisitive and Instacart screws up

This week in startups: Turvo takes center stage, a mental health unicorn emerges and Reddit rakes in cash.

Bird CEO on scooter startup copycats, unit economics, safety and seasonality

The electric scooter CEO shed light on the issues plaguing the micromobility industry and what's next for the high-flying startup.

What every startup founder should know about exits

The dream of a startup founder can often be summarized by the following well-intentioned, and mostly delusional, quote: “We’ll raise a few rounds and in a few years we’ll IPO on Nasdaq.”

With new tech coming online, cities need a department of urban testing

The design and operation of cities is the province of urban planning. But an explosion of startups in cities means a lot of new products and services for urban areas. The problem is, we don’t really

In the next few weeks, you can spend time with any one of these VCs and it will all go to charity

Five years ago, we told you about a venture capital auction wherein dozens of VCs donated their time toward a greater good — helping fund research at the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society, one of
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