March 2010

Notes from Boston: the state of US venture capital

This was originally posted in the nowEurope, where I was a brief contributor. nowEurope reported on technology innovation in Central Europe Centrope ICT Technology Transfer. CENTROPE is the integration and cooperation of the quadrangle borders between the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary and Austria. Here is the article, as originally posted: In Boston, I recently attended the [...]

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Human capital portfolio management and simple math

A venture’s viability really comes down to a bet on a team to deliver.  It is the interpersonal process where venture performance is most impacted. Modern portfolio theory allows investors to maximize return and minimize risk.  The goal is to estimate both the expected risks and returns, as measured statistically, as an accumulation of investments.  Why use [...]

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Innovation Boston and Budapest, or Dirty Water and the Blue Danube

13 years offers a great opportunity to revisit most relationships.  At first blush, Boston and Budapest seem to have little to share or offer each in a study on innovation.  However, both share unique innovation environments that reveal themselves upon further review. I am a Boston native and, after my undergraduate degree from Berklee College of Music, Boston [...]

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Risk is an unnecessary (p)art of the deal

To identify where risk is a real part of the investment deal you will commonly hear an equity firm or VC partner claim, we invest in the people.  When it comes to costs, human capital usually represents nearly 70% of all operating costs, but most investment firms focus investment decisions and deal valuation not on [...]

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