In Search of Thunder Lizards
Godzilla isn’t the inspiration most angel investors point to when explaining their investment philosophy. But Mike Maples – whose portfolio of early stage investments includes such well-known names as Twitter and Digg – may be on to something. The Silicon Valley-based angel investor this week rolled out a newly named investment fund called Floodgate, which will make investments of $150,000 to $1 million, principally in Internet and technology companies. In building up the portfolio, Maples, says, Floodgate will focus on finding and funding a class of ultra-promising startup teams that he calls thunder lizards. “I thought it was a good metaphor for the disruptive startup,” says Maples, who defines a thunder lizard as one of the tiny minority of venture-funded companies each year that grows up to be worth north of $700 million.
