How We Support Portfolio Companies

We help entrepreneurs build great success stories by providing a broad range of support.

We Start with Experience

We are highly experienced in all phases of growing a company -- from concept, seed, and through all growth phases, private and public. We have worked with companies when the challenges appeared almost insurmountable. In some cases, we have faced failure and disappointment. In other situations, we have triumphed over adversity. Everything we have learned makes us more capable of adding value.

We have access to a wide network of contacts developed through a century of combined working relationships in many areas of expertise. Our Scientific Advisory Board is made up of world-class academic and business researchers, with experience in start-ups as well as major corporations. Our Limited Partners are also a rich source of referrals to resources that may be helpful to portfolio companies.

We are Dedicated

Our Principals are dedicated to the premise that they will be proactive, and focused on a small number (maximum of 5-7) portfolio companies where we have a board seat or are a lead investor. We will work closely with portfolio company management, not to look over their shoulders as much as to support them in as many ways as possible.

This focused dedication also means that we will be very selective in our investments. Only those opportunities that show the most promise, that target market opportunities with exception growth potential, and that are led by visionary, determined entrepreneurial teams can succeed. Those are the ones in which we will invest money and resources.

We have a Global View

Our broad and diverse experience leads us to have a comprehensive and global outlook on the prospects for growth of our portfolio companies. Our awareness of the timing of different opportunities around the world, and our ability to develop strategies to optimize entry into new markets are valuable assets which we share with the portfolio companies.

Today, the competition for everything is global in scale - for people, capital, market share, and technology. No country has a monopoly on any of these critical resources. Even small, leading-edge technology companies in Silicon Valley cannot afford to ignore the threats and opportunities of markets as large as China, or as small as some European countries. We have access to resources that can help our portfolio companies develop global strategies that can win.

We are Strategically Focused

One approach to globalization, particularly for small, fast-growing companies, is through strategic alliances with foreign companies. We believe this is a critical element in the growth plan of most companies that are poised for global leadership. How should these relationships be structured and negotiated? What kinds of partners will be most productive and harmonious? What mechanisms can be designed so that the resulting alliance is truly win-win-win? What processes will work best to build effective partnerships? Especially in this area of strategic planning, our extensive experience is a strong factor clearly differentiating us from other venture firms.

Other Intangibles

Paradoxically, some of the aspects of a relationship that are most valuable are often intangible. For example, when the young CEO of a portfolio company is faced with a critical decision and a short timing fuse in which the decision must be made, he or she will want to have immediate access and mind-share from his or her board members and trusted advisors. Who will be available when he or she calls for help? Young entrepreneurial teams start off being incomplete. How can a technical team develop the necessary business strategies when the team lacks critical skills and experience, e.g., in marketing? When a young CEO is faced with what appears to be a daunting mountain of challenges, who can he or she turn to for honest, objective assessments? When the ego of a young CEO or management team starts to feed itself with unreality, who is going to be there to question their assumptions and establish a foundation of realistic expectations? The key to success is always balance, which is an on-going challenge. Sometimes we all need some help from the outside to re-establish a productive, dynamic balance for ourselves. Our experience, judgment and tenacious integrity are all critical value elements that support our portfolio companies.