Finding new opportunities from second order effects
Over the past decade, new platforms have driven down the cost of starting a tech business. For example, you don’t need to buy servers anymore – you can just host your site on AWS. And distribution has become immediate, efficient, and highly targeted thanks to Google and Facebook. The impact extends beyond technology companies too. […]
CryptoKitties and the KittyVerse: The exciting potential of programmable assets
You might have seen in the tech press today that our portfolio company Dapper Labs, the company behind the world’s first and most successful consumer blockchain product, CryptoKitties, has raised US$15M in a Series A2 round of funding led by Venrock, with participation by Google Ventures and Samsung NEXT. When we originally invested in Cryptokitties […]
“Smart SaaS” – the next generation of enterprise apps
When Angela and I were pitching our newest fund to investors, we started using the term “smart SaaS” to describe the kind of SaaS companies we like to invest in. Before the SaaS explosion, software and data were only “on premise.” Then, SaaS came along and moved everything to the cloud, boosting efficiency and collaboration […]
Announcing Version One Fund III
We are very happy to announce the launch of Version One Ventures III with $45M USD ($57M CAD) in commitments. With Fund III, we’re doubling down on all that has worked in our previous funds – our strategy, geography, investment thesis and philosophy. It’s an exciting time to be launching a new fund as our […]
Crypto-native applications
Every new technology platform has been built around a specific new capability. The Internet connected people and data at scale (“connecting everyone, everything”). Marketplaces, social platforms, and search all leveraged this capability. The next platform, mobile, was about “always on, everywhere.” Mobile helped spark new products that leveraged these capabilities, with messaging and ride sharing […]