Mark Sherman

🌟Innovative VC Firm Overcomes Exits Drought with Secondary Sales🌟 ⛵Navigating a challenging landscape where exits are scarce, Santa Barbara Venture Partners (SBVP) has pioneered a novel approach to sustain its growth and attract investors for its second fund: secondary sales. Instead of waiting for traditional exits like IPOs or acquisitions, SBVP opted to sell shares of its portfolio companies, demonstrating its ability to generate returns for investors and stand out in a competitive market. 🎤According to Dan Engel, founder and managing partner of SBVP, these secondary transactions have been a game-changer, sparking investor interest and bolstering the firm's credibility. By leveraging its recent successes, including a lucrative stake in sports-betting company DraftKings Inc.' acquisition of digital lottery app Jackpocket, SBVP seized the opportunity to return profits to its limited partners (LPs) and pave the way for its second fund. 💡Engel highlighted the challenges faced by young VC firms in raising subsequent funds, particularly amid a downturn in exit activity and heightened investor scrutiny. With traditional exit routes becoming increasingly elusive, the pressure is on for firms to demonstrate tangible returns and establish a track record of success. ✨"For us, secondary sales have been a game-changer. They've helped us return profits to our LPs and attract investors for our second fund," said Dan Engel. 💰For SBVP, the decision to pursue secondary sales was driven by the need to provide liquidity to LPs and validate its investment thesis in the eyes of prospective investors. By strategically offloading portions of its holdings in high-performing portfolio companies like Bark Technologies and Rad AI, SBVP not only generated substantial returns but also bolstered investor confidence in its ability to deliver results. ⚠Despite the complexities and potential stigma associated with early share sales, Engel emphasized the importance of prioritizing investor returns and seizing opportunities to unlock value for stakeholders. With a focus on profitability and transparency, SBVP remains committed to its mission of delivering sustainable growth and maximizing returns for its LPs. 🔍 "Returning profits to our investors is our top priority. By strategically selling shares, we're proving our commitment to delivering results and driving value for our stakeholders," added Engel. As SBVP continues to explore secondary transactions and expand its investor base, the firm stands as a testament to innovation and resilience in the face of market challenges. 🚀 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VCInnovation #SecondarySalesSuccess #InvestorReturns #ValueCreation 

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💡 Are vertical AI startups the future of industry-specific SaaS? SignalFire's latest blog outlines a compelling case for how AI-enabled vertical SaaS solutions could transform industries, tapping into a $6 trillion market opportunity. By applying seven innovative frameworks, startups can address unique, industry-specific challenges like handling unstructured data, achieving data defensibility, and automating workflows. One standout approach is the “networked SaaS” model, where diverse stakeholders—from end-users to insurers—can connect on a single platform, driving efficiency and deep integration. Curious about these frameworks and examples of companies pioneering this space? Dive into the full article! 📈👇

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Mike Galgon Takes the Helm at Global Partnerships – A Paradigm Shift in Venture Capital Mike Galgon, known for transforming the tech industry with aQuantive and Pioneer Square Labs, is now leading Global Partnerships as CEO. This isn’t just another career move; it’s a significant shift in how venture capital can drive societal change. Galgon’s approach focuses on backing purpose-driven entrepreneurs whose missions extend beyond profit to create meaningful social impact. Is this the future of venture capital? Dive into the article to explore how Galgon's vision could redefine entrepreneurship and investment for a fairer, more sustainable world. Don't miss the full story, exclusively on Sovereign Magazine.

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Anyscale’s co-founder, Robert Nishihara, joined Front Lines’ Unicorn Builders podcast, discussing Anyscale’s origins, the impact of scaling AI for businesses, and how Anyscale uses community-driven marketing to improve its results. Robert emphasizes that flexibility when working with AI is key, noting that companies seek out platforms like Anyscale’s Ray that support diverse AI workloads, including deep learning to generative AI, to future-proof their infrastructure. Check out the full conversation with Brett Stapper here: https://bit.ly/3zTlt93 #Podcast #Unicorn #AI #GenerativeAI

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ThinkLabs AI Secures $5M for Grid Planning Tech - Funding Round: ThinkLabs AI raises $5 million in seed funding. - Investment Leaders: Co-led by Powerhouse Ventures and Active Impact Investments. - Tech Development: Funds to expand operations and development efforts. Subscribe to our daily newsletter here for more AI news https://lnkd.in/dWcq_ib6 #Innovation #Technology #Future #Entrepreneurship #Startups #VentureCapital #ArtificialIntelligence #Sustainability #Energy #Engineering #AI

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Outlier Ventures Announces DePIN Base Camp Cohort with peaq and Borderless Capital. The DePIN Base Camp selected six startups building applications, products, and protocols that utilize digital networks, decentralized infrastructures, and data services, unlocking the full potential of DePINs. "This cohort comprises some of the best applications of this nascent technology to create solutions to real world problems by leveraging token incentives," states Álvaro Gracia, Partner — DePIN, Borderless Capital. Outlier Ventures Borderless Capital peaq Riccardo Pagano Max Thake AYDO Kaisar Network Roam Networks TOUCHBRICK YOM #DePIN #Decentralized https://lnkd.in/g_gyZ52Q

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This article from TechPoint and BioCrossroads' Samantha Ginther has great advice on how first-time founders can get the venture capital needed to scale their companies. Worth a read!

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🎧 Tune in to the latest Wharton Fintech episode to hear all about Plaid's journey and how we're building faster, safer, and more seamless financial experiences.

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🚀 Check out this week's venture capital investment summary (18 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! 🎯 Every Monday, the team here at Bearhug Recruiting aggregates, researches, and publishes a recap of the prior week's fundraising activity within the early and growth-stage Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startup ecosystem. 🌎 This research not only allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of the type of startups we serve, but also benefits others who, like us, enjoy analyzing the latest trends that signal investor confidence AND startup growth within what we believe are the most exciting and impactful market segments. ❤️ We also hope the people and companies we feature enjoy both a virtual fist bump from the team at Bearhug, plus benefit from some additional free market exposure to amplify their mission. Click the link below to get caught up, and make sure you reach out to any that are interesting/relevant that you might be able to help! 💥 Link: https://lnkd.in/exaY5AXD 👈 #Viaduct #Anterior #Jump #ShipAngel #FirmPilot #OnStation #Whoosh #Aidentified #CanarySpeech #ElectronX #CargoSense #SwiftSolar #LearnToWin #AepnusTechnology #GPTZero #FUZE #UngridBattery #Findigs #BearhugRecruiting #EnvironmentalTechnology #Sustainability #ClimateTech #CleanTech #DeepTech #FrontierTech #IndustrialAutomation #EnergyTech #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseSoftware #StartupFunding #Startup #Entrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Funding #StartupNews #VentureCapital #Technology

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Cortex, co-founded by Anish Dhar and Ganesh Datta, is transforming the way developers work by streamlining workflows with their Internal Developer Portal (IDP). Backed by Sequoia Capital, Y Combinator, and Stripe's co-founders, John Collison and Patrick Collison, Cross Creek, IVP, WiL (World Innovation Lab), Cortex is helping engineers at companies like Adobe, Grammarly, and Opendoor work faster and smarter. With the latest funding round led by Scale Venture Partners and Eric Anderson, Cortex is quickly becoming a must-have platform for tech teams. As Bogomil Balkansky of Sequoia says, “Few companies get to define a category, and Cortex is one of them.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/gbve_8TC

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STARTUP STAGE ✨ Founded in 2023, RoomRite is a marketplace for the buying and selling of blocks of 10 rooms or more. The selling party pays RoomRite 15% of the cost of rooms sold. RoomRite CEO Michael Weiss describes the #startup as "the StubHub" of room blocks - enabling meeting and event professionals to sell rooms they no longer need or buy rooms when there is limited time or inventory. Learn more about RoomRite on #PhocusWire: https://bit.ly/4deZLeu #travelnews #travelindustrynews #travelindustry #travelstartup

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👟 Venture-backed founders: you're in a marathon, not a sprint 👟 Sharing data on the journey from incorporation to key funding milestones. The charts below show the time to primary rounds for software startups. 🌱 𝗦𝗲𝗲𝗱 (includes priced seed rounds & SAFEs over $2M) ⏩️ Median: 1.8 years from incorporation; up 15% from 2019 🔄 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗔 ⏩️ Median: 3.1 years from incorporation; up 10% from 2019 ⏳ 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗕 ⏩️ Median: 4.7 years from incorporation; up 16% from 2019 📊 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗖 ⏩️ Median: 6 years from incorporation; slightly down from 2023 📈 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗗 ⏩️ Median: 8.1 years from incorporation Key takeaways ⤵️ 1️⃣ Startups are staying private longer. 2️⃣ Skipping stages is common. Progress can leapfrog us from seed to Series B. 3️⃣ Choose your co-founder(s) wisely. You may be building together for a long time. #VentureCapital #StartupGrowth #FundingMilestones #Entrepreneurship #StartupJourney

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🚀 Check out this week's venture capital investment summary (11 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! 🎯 Every Monday, the team here at Bearhug Recruiting aggregates, researches, and publishes a recap of the prior week's fundraising activity within the early and growth-stage Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startup ecosystem. 🌎 This research not only allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of the type of startups we serve, but also benefits others who, like us, enjoy analyzing the latest trends that signal investor confidence AND startup growth within what we believe are the most exciting and impactful market segments. ❤️ We also hope the people and companies we feature enjoy both a virtual fist bump from the team at Bearhug, plus benefit from some additional free market exposure to amplify their mission. Click the link below to get caught up, and make sure you reach out to any that are interesting/relevant that you might be able to help! 💥 Link: https://lnkd.in/da6hY3Rm 👈 #CajuAI #WindBorne #Xcimer #SiTration #RisingTeam #Whizz #OneScreen #HyperSpectral #Understory #Sixfold #Tobiko #BearhugRecruiting #EnvironmentalTechnology #Sustainability #ClimateTech #CleanTech #DeepTech #FrontierTech #IndustrialAutomation #EnergyTech #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseSoftware #StartupFunding #Startup #Entrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Funding #StartupNews #VentureCapital #Technology

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📢"Klarity raises $70 Million in Series B" 🔔 ➡️ Klarity , an AI automation platform, has raised $70 million in its Series B funding round led by NFDG, with participation from existing investors and new investor Scale Venture Partners. ➡️ Daniel Gross from NFDG and Rory O’Driscoll from Scale Venture Partners will join Klarity's Board of Directors. ➡️ Klarity automates document-centric tasks for enterprises, reducing operational costs and increasing efficiency for customers like DoorDash and CrowdStrike. ➡️ The funding will be used to expand the team, particularly in engineering, product, and go-to-market areas, to grow its customer base and enhance its AI-powered platform. ➡️ Co-founders Nischal Nadhamuni and Andrew Antos highlighted the platform's success in automating tasks previously done by humans, aiming to scale Klarity into a leading enterprise AI company. Source of information 👇📝 https://lnkd.in/gv6rwCKg Share Your Startup Story 🚀✨ https://lnkd.in/ggir3Qap Visit our website 🌐✅ www.scoopearth.com #Scoopearth #Startup #Startups #Funding #Documents #Utility #Innovation #Task

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Check out the venture capital investment summary for the week of July 29th (14 featured companies – we're still getting caught up after vacation!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! 🚀 Every Monday, the team here at Bearhug Recruiting aggregates, researches, and publishes a recap of the prior week's fundraising activity within the early and growth-stage Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startup ecosystem. 🎯 This research not only allows us to keep our finger on the pulse of the type of startups we serve, but also benefits others who, like us, enjoy analyzing the latest trends that signal investor confidence AND startup growth within what we believe are the most exciting and impactful market segments. 🌎 We also hope the people and companies we feature enjoy both a virtual fist bump from the team at Bearhug, plus benefit from some additional free market exposure to amplify their mission. Click the link below to get caught up, and make sure you reach out to any that are interesting/relevant that you might be able to help! ❤️ 💥 Link: https://lnkd.in/eWwZj-m3 👈 #CowboyCleanFuels #StarCatcher #Mytra #Micropep #SojoIndustries #CodeMetal #TigerBeetle #DocketAI #Lakera #Splight #SirenOpt #Uplimit #Momentum #rift #BearhugRecruiting #EnvironmentalTechnology #Sustainability #ClimateTech #CleanTech #DeepTech #FrontierTech #IndustrialAutomation #EnergyTech #ArtificialIntelligence #EnterpriseSoftware #StartupFunding #Startup #Entrepreneur #Entrepreneurship #Startups #Funding #StartupNews #VentureCapital #Technology

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Explore our extensive #FinTech VC contact list, which includes more than 700 VC firms, 4,300 VC professionals (partners and principals), and 3,800 email addresses. Check it out https://payhip.com/b/qDJH1 #startup #startups #vc #venturecapital #investmentbanking #privateequity #managementconsulting #b2b #founders #entrepreneurs

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