Matrix related stories
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- Personal Trading of Shares by VCs on Secondary Exchanges Raises Concerns of Conflicts of Interest
The trading of private company shares in the personal accounts of venture capitalists is raising concerns over potential conflicts of interest for firms as the influence of secondary market exchanges continues to grow. Numerous venture firms permit employees' trading in secondary market shares with some limitations, including Lightspeed Venture Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, YCombinator, Matrix Partners, Founder Collective, Blackberry Partners Fund, Volition Capital and Rho Ventures, according to a peHUB investigation into the practice. Others -- which appear far fewer in number -- such as Flybridge Capital Partners, block the practice with policies demanding general partners hold no secondary securities. Many more VC firms refused to comment at all, when peHUB contacted senior partners. (How do you feel about this issue? Take our poll at the end of this story.) Sources at firms willing to acknowledge they prohibit GPs from making secondary market investments cited conflict of interest concerns when asked by peHUB.com.
Why 2011 is the Year of Canadian InvestmentsAfter a period of drought, more capital has returned to the Canadian market, with eager investors keen to find, back and profit early stage deals
- Music to Their Ears
Investing in a music-related startup might sound cool. But most VCs have avoided the music industry and its checkered past—until recently—even though the biggest knock against music startups has been that they simply can’t generate venture-scale returns
- Scoop: Matrix Partners’ Vincenzo Narciso Heads to UBS’ PE Team
Vincenzo Narciso has moved to UBS Private Equity in the UK as an executive director, leaving his Matrix Group Limited position after just a few months, peHUB has confirmed. The source that tipped peHUB off on Narciso’s departure did not indicate what spurred him to leave. Matrix Partners did not respond to requests for comment, but Narciso’s LinkedIn page http://uk.linkedin.com/pub/vincenzo-narciso/0/15b/23a says it all. In September 2010, Matrix hired Narciso as a partner within its private funds group. Prior to that, he worked as head of Union Bancaire Privee’s PE activities, and was with Swiss Re Private Equity Advisors as a senior investment professional.