This it the title of the session at TiECon that I’m in right now.
In this Panel discussion we take a look at current technology investing trends from a panel of blue chip VCs. If you are thinking of starting your company then this is a must attend seminar for you.
Come and hear VCs from Silicon Valley’s premier firms provided their insight on hot areas of investment both locally and globally.
Key Discussion points:
- What are the Hot trends?
- Cleantech – Lasting trend or passing fad?
- Virtualization – What is next?
- Web2.0 and beyond: Will the next killer social application have to be built on Facebook or Google?
- Software – SAAS or Enterprise?
- Wireless – What is a bigger disruptor iPhone or WiMax??TiE Host(s):
Waheed Qureshi, ZenpriseModerator(s):
Packy Kelly, KPMG LLPPanelist(s):
Shawn Carolan, Menlo Ventures
Navin Chaddha, Mayfield Fund
Ken Elefant, Opus Capital
Deepak Kamra, Canaan Partners
Mark Sherman, Battery Ventures
Hot investments right now: Green tech, Software as a Service, Financial technologies, computer services, digital media & software, virtualization, gaming.
$17bn gaming market is now bigger than Hollywood! Navin Chaddha from the Mayfield Fund made the point that about 1,500 companies year are getting funded – how many of these will succeed?
Enterprise 2.0 best practice, according to Navin, is to look at the new generation needs of Internet 500 companies and start catering your produce to companies that have large amounts of scale. Companies need to start focusing on countries outside the USA. The mindset has to change to earn lower ARPU (Average Revenue per User) but with large scale.
Focus on SEO so that you don’t have to spend money with Google on CPC’s – especially as a startup – great advice! He used Fixya, as an example.
Nice piece from Navin.
Deepak is looking at social networks and video, enterprise software & sofware aka platform as a service.
Shawn sees opportunity in the premium sms market for mobile and the iPhone as a big area of innovation with the new iPhone SDK. Skeptical of consumer oriented mobile plays in the US – but sees huge opportunity in India and other emerging markets.
Navin outlines that India only has 2m broadband users – and 300m mobile users!! Mobile payments in India will be big – but not locally in the US. 10 million SME’s in India that will not purchase a payment terminal – and 300m Indians who will not get a credit card. The mobile phone will become the new transaction terminal (as a South Africa – I’ve heard this all before – so it’s nothing new. We have companies like Fundamo & MTN who have been doing this for years).
Question: When is the right time for an Entrepreneur to approach a Venture Capital firm?
Right approach: Experienced team, big markets, enough details to support, competitive analysis and research, all venture bets are contrarian bets (there’s that contrarian approach again).
Understand your strengths and weaknesses before approaching. If they’re a seed firm – it’s fine to be two guys with an idea – if they are a bigger firm, you need to be a bit more established. Founders of previous companies who are getting involved with new companies in a space where they have some expertise receive bonus points for domain expertise.
Question: Are Facebook apps hot or not?
Ken Elefant: Not hot. Facebook related companies that provide an infrastructure (pick axes to gold miners are good thought).
Deepak: Some are hot, other are not. Huge volumes – not supportable by advertising. Sponsorship will probably work. Subscription models are interesting – but the vast majority of Facebook apps will not be financially viable.
SaaS is the biggest theme among the venture capital community at the moment, according to Mark.
Question : Will server virtualization lead to desktop virtualization? What is the future?
Ken: Desktop virtualization is an interesting space. Ken recently had a company in that space acquired by Microsoft. Security around these environments is a concern – the question is how much value can be extracted.
That’s pretty much the end of the session.
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Comments On This Post
June 5, 2008 at 9:41 am
“Web2.0 and beyond: Will the next killer social application have to be built on Facebook or Google?”
Let me answer that one. I think that the next billion dollar opportunity will be a totally new concept like we know Facebook (Social Networking) and Digg (Social News).
June 5, 2008 at 4:41 pm
“Web2.0 and beyond: Will the next killer social application have to be built on Facebook or Google?”
Let me answer that one. I think that the next billion dollar opportunity will be a totally new concept like we know Facebook (Social Networking) and Digg (Social News).
October 13, 2008 at 2:44 pm
You know I don't want to start my own new company because I have got my one. But I'm interested a lot in everything that is connected with the new technology and thank you for the information of the secission.
October 17, 2008 at 7:55 pm
Green tech, Software as a Service, Financial technologies, computer services, digital media & software, virtualization, gaming – are important topics for discussion. Thanks for post.
November 3, 2008 at 9:48 am
I think that I would have been interested in virtualization because this is an area that I’m working with. I’d like to see the presentation of this question.
November 19, 2008 at 5:18 am
I is important that we have to find the next big opportunity to enhance our lives.
December 29, 2008 at 9:46 am
This post was very useful to me.
But I don't want to start my own company now because I'm quite inexpirienced yet and new to the activity. But I'm interested very much in everything that is connected with new technology and Web.I think that I would have been interested in SEO because this is an area that I'm working with.
March 4, 2009 at 12:25 am
Really good info, thanks for sharing.
March 16, 2009 at 1:43 pm
Thanks Vinny, for a great post, I am an employee turn entrepreneur and have been finding my way in the corporate world. Posts like yours are really useful for me to keep track of the industry and opportunities.
March 21, 2009 at 9:30 pm
Nowadays in the middle of the crisis, it is absolutely harder to get venture capital. But one area which is still doing relatively ok is online gaming. This is a segment with a lot of growth and still resistant to the recession.
March 24, 2009 at 8:14 am
Nice to read your post, I am working on a business plan to enter the Software as a Service industry, I think this is what the world needs as moving forward.. The other fields you mentioned also have very high potential like the gaming one..
March 26, 2009 at 10:58 am
Adam you have the right thinking to wait to start until you gain the expertise, so that has nothing to do with the crisis times as such. SEO yes is a must process for online presence and may be a good idea, but cut throat competition it has.
March 29, 2009 at 12:16 am
The next billion dollar opportunity will be a new concept. Always something unexpected happens, like Google, Microsoft, Twitter. If you think about it, the ideas are rather simple. But, and this is a big but, you need to know before everyone else that it will make a killing. Kind of like the ability somehow to predict the future.
May 12, 2009 at 2:16 pm
thanks for your post !! it was very interesting to read this post.. thanks for sharing the info on entrepreneurs!!!!!
May 13, 2009 at 2:38 pm
Nice blog..You have a discussed wonderful topic which is really useful for entrepreneurs…Facebook, web 2.0 these are very important social media which has to be discussed…The other fields you mentioned also have very high potential like the gaming one…Changes happen slowly and we have to upgrade everything…Thanks!!!Very informative!!!!
May 13, 2009 at 11:05 pm
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May 19, 2009 at 5:25 pm
When is the TieCon 2009, do you have plans of coming overseas?
May 26, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Thank you for your post….Enterprise 2.0 best practice, according to Navin, is to look at the new generation needs of Internet 500 companies and start catering your produce to companies that have large amounts of scale. Companies need to start focusing on countries outside the USA. The mindset has to change to earn lower ARPU (Average Revenue per User) but with large scale.
June 2, 2009 at 11:19 am
Google made a lovely app for Facebook that lets you search the web and share the results with your friends… Facebook Platform developers agree to the Developer Terms of Service, which strictly limit the collection, use, and redistribution of user information…
June 19, 2009 at 2:18 pm
No-one will surpass Facebook which, it self is catering to the needs of everyone.
June 19, 2009 at 2:21 pm
Yes but have you seen the devastating effects of Twitter following the Iranian elections?
June 24, 2009 at 4:44 am
seems like an interesting conference
June 24, 2009 at 10:36 am
I agree the next big drive is going to come from India, there are already lots of opportunities for exporting goods as shipping has been vastly improved over the past few years.
July 1, 2009 at 1:12 am
the social networks will collect more users than past two years, twitter is clear example of growing fast comunities in Internet
July 4, 2009 at 8:28 am
Mobile application is definitely an area where people can make money, which should be mentioned
August 3, 2009 at 4:13 am
I'm interested very much in everything that is connected with new technology and Web.I think that I would have been interested in SEO because this is an area that I'm working with.
August 7, 2009 at 7:04 am
Even I am aspiring to make good $$$ and getting a good credit score to secure my future
August 13, 2009 at 5:54 pm
how many billionaires since the event occurred i wonder. not many i guess!
August 15, 2009 at 1:48 pm
Thank youu very muchh….aa
August 16, 2009 at 10:25 pm
thank you for sharing
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