Private Equity
Lots of blog buzz today about a NY Times story on Al Gore's cleantech investments, and if such activity is ethically compatible with his lobbying for environmental legislation that could benefit his portfolio. Not surprisingly, critics see irreconcilable conflict. The Drudge Report, for example, has a breathless header about "Gore's big profits from global warming." Other outlets have used the term "profiteer," and even the NYT regurgitates the meme that Gore wants to become the world's first "carbon billionaire" (without noting it was first coined by virulent climate change skeptic Sen. James Inhofe). The NYT also rehashed Rep. Marsha Blackburn asking Gore about conflict of interest during a House hearing earlier this year, but without her daft question of whether or not Gore was "aware of... capital firm Kleiner Perkins." For the record, Gore has been a partner at venture capital firm Kleiner Perkins for more than two years, and listed as such on the Kleiner Perkins website.
2 min read · 03 November 2009
SV Life Sciences has hired two new venture partners: Patrick Ryan, former managing director of Clark Street Ventures, and Jim Wachtman, former president and COO of Laser Vision Centers.
3 min read · 03 November 2009
2 min read · 02 November 2009
Vdopia, a San Jose, Calif.-based developer of a pre-app and in-app video advertising platform for the iPhone, has raised $4 million in Series A funding from Nexus Venture Partners. The company also named Rohit Sharma, former principal with Mohr Davidow Ventures, as its new president and CEO.
4 min read · 28 October 2009
1 min read · 27 October 2009
Granite Ventures has promoted Chris McKay to managing director. He serves as a director with Arcot Systems, Lucid Imagination, Sendmail and Symplified.
1 min read · 26 October 2009
Peter Shannon is the latest investor to leave Atlas Venture, announcing today that he will join Firelake Capital as a partner. He also will switch coasts, relocating to the Bay Area early next year. This move is of particular interest to me, because it seems that Firelake co-founder Marty Lagod originally met Shannon at the exact same moment I did: When Shannon was part of the University of Chicago team at the Venture Capital Investment Competition finals in Chapel HIll. Each year, there are a handful of participants that are a cut above the rest, and Shannon was in that crew (even though U Chicago came in 3rd). He soon signed on with Atlas as a principal focused on cleantech, and began returning to Chapel Hill each year as
1 min read · 23 October 2009
Michael Wolfe has rejoined Benchmark Capital as an entrepreneur-in-residence. His last Benchmark-backed company was Vontu, which was acquired by Symantec in 2007.
2 min read · 22 October 2009
Nathanial David has joined Arch Venture Partners as a venture partner. David is a serial entrepreneur, having co-founded Sapphire Energy, Achaogen, Kythera Biopharmaceuticals and Syrrx.
2 min read · 18 October 2009
New Enterprise Associates has promoted Ravi Viswanathan to general partner, and promoted Frank Torti to principal. Viswanathan joined the firm in 2004, and focused on energy and IT investments, while Torti joined in 2007 to work on healthcare deals.
3 min read · 15 October 2009
