Key investment themes
Every venture capital firm narrows its investment focus one way or another…perhaps by geography, sector, and/or stage. In some cases, it’s the result of conscious planning; in other cases it’s a natural evolution as a fund starts making investments. For example, at version one ventures, we’re focused on early-stage (seed and Series A) opportunities in […]
Is it time for a Chief Talent Officer? How to create local hubs for high tech entrepreneurship
In an effort to spur on their local economies, many provincial and city officials have been wondering what it takes to create the next Silicon Valley. From cities in Canada, the U.S. and worldwide, we’ve seen the emergence of numerous policies all designed to encourage start-up activity. There have been taxpayer-sponsored VCs, mentoring programs, generous tax […]
What’s more important: product or sales?
It’s the age-old debate among start-up circles: which is more important to the success of a start-up: the strength of the sales/distribution strategy or the quality of the product? On one end of the spectrum, many start-ups think that great products sell themselves, while the other camp argues that it’s the channel and monetization that […]
We’re hiring an analyst!
It has been almost a year since the initial launch of Version One Ventures and the first 12 months have been very busy with about a dozen Seed and Series A investments. So it is time to get some help to manage the fund and I am excited to announce that Version One is hiring an analyst. […]
The easiest path to growth and profit is up: why startups should focus on the long-tail
The easiest path to growth and profit is up, and the most deadly attacks come from below This quote from Clayton M. Christensen’s The Innovator’s Dilemma perfectly encapsulates how startups can find success over incumbents in their markets. Incumbents often look left, right, and above – yet sometimes they’re most vulnerable from below. The tiny market niches […]