1823 Ventures

29/04/2020

Reminder of some practical tips.

https://news.crunchbase.com/news/what-early-stage-investors-really-care-about/?utm_source=Newsletter+Recipients&utm_campaign=39054f46b8-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_April+07_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_e7d477ad2e-39054f46b8-190927523

It is crucial that entrepreneurs get into the investor mindset if they are to increase their chances of success.

03/01/2020

Update on who's applied for Singapore's virtual banking licence. (updated 5 Jan 2020)

IN - Full Licence
1. Grab, Singtel
2. Razer, Sheng Siong Supermarket, FWD Insurance, LinkSure Global, Insignia Venture Partners
3. V3 Group, Heliconia Capital, EZ-Link, Far East Organization, Singapore Business Federation, MSIG

IN - Wholesale Licence
1. Ant Financial Services Group
2. Ifast Financial, Yillion Group, Hande Group
3. Funding Societies

To be confirmed:
1. ByteDance
2. Standard Chartered
3. OneConnect Financial Technology / Ping An
4. NTUC Enterprise
5. FOMO Pay

OUT
1. InstaReM
2. Validus Capital, OCBC Bank, Keppel, Vertex Ventures
3. Revolut

Source: News reports
https://fintechnews.sg/35820/virtual-banking/digital-bank-singapore-list-applicant/

List of Singapore Digital Bank applicants so far and their value proposition.

13/08/2019

Take a sort of starter $20 million seed fund with two general partners using the industry’s oft-quoted (but not really all that common) “2 & 20” compensation model. This hypothetical fund rakes in $400,000 a year in management fees (2% of $20 million) to cover all costs of the fund: office rent, staff costs, legal fees, tax preparation and accounting services in addition to the travel and entertainment costs of trying to woo founders. Whatever remains is split between those two GPs as their salaries. It’s not uncommon for new partners to make $50,000 — or even nothing.

https://techcrunch.com/2019/08/12/how-young-vcs-bootstrap-new-venture-firms/

We spend a lot of time talking about new funds, and new startup venture raises, but we spend little time talking about the cash flow challenges of running a venture fund. Let’s change that today. Starting a new venture fund is extremely challenging. In addition to just the monstrous task of fundra...

05/04/2019

Neither drew a salary for years, and new general partners at the firm took lower salaries than is typical. Instead, much of its fees, the traditional 2% of funds managed that covers all of a firm’s expenses, went into a fast-growing services team, including experts in marketing, business development, finance and recruiting.

Need to raise another funding round? Andreessen Horowitz specialists would give you “superpowers,” helping write your presentation, then coaching you through dozens of dry runs before scheduling the meets. Need a vice president of engineering? The firm’s talent team would identify and tap the best search firm, monitor its effectiveness and help choose the best candidate for the job. Human re­sources problem? Accounting crisis? “If something is going off the rails, you have the ‘Batphone,’ ”

https://www.forbes.com/sites/alexkonrad/2019/04/02/andreessen-horowitz-is-blowing-up-the-venture-capital-model-again/amp/

In just a decade, Andreessen Horowitz has backed a bevy of startup blockbusters— Facebook, Instagram, Lyft, Slack—and made just as many Silicon Valley enemies. To stay ahead, it’s taking the unusual step of renouncing its venture capital status—and making even bigger, riskier bets.

27/03/2019

The Credit Suisse (Lux) Global Robotics Equity Fund, invests in companies with at least 50 percent of sales that can be attributed to robotics, automation, artificial intelligence or security.

The fund focuses on three high-growth sub-themes: companies working to improve productivity, improve quality of life and perform dangerous tasks.

https://www.cnbc.com/amp/2019/03/26/credit-suisse-lots-of-greenfield-investment-opportunities-in-robotics.html

There are untapped opportunities for investing in the robotics industry as barriers of entry are eased, says Angus Muirhead, senior portfolio manager for robotics at Credit Suisse.

07/03/2019

https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2019/02/19/the-greatest-investor-youve-never-heard-of-an-optometrist-who-beat-the-odds-to-become-a-billionaire/

Part Peter Lynch and part Warren Buffett, Herbie Wertheim buys stocks he understands, doubles down if his high-conviction picks go against him, and holds through market booms and busts.

14/11/2018

WeWork

WeWork has gobbled up leases for so much space in so many cities, there’s a compelling case to be made that its landlords wouldn’t be able to afford for it to go under.

The company has said it is the largest real estate tenant in New York, London and Washington. It ranks in the top five in many other major cities. In New York alone, WeWork controls three million square feet of commercial real estate; it controls 15.5 million square feet globally with 335 locations in 24 countries.

WeWork projects to have about 400,000 individuals using its office space by the end of the year, which would put it ahead of the entire employee base of Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway — one of the largest employers in the nation.

Another sign of just how large WeWork’s ecosystem has become: It employs 1,300 people in architecture, interior design, engineering and related activities — an employee roster that would make it one of the biggest architecture firms in the world.

Author: Andrew Ross Sorkin

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/11/13/business/dealbook/wework-office-space-real-estate.html?utm_source=CB+Insights+Newsletter&utm_campaign=8ddcd0bf1b-TuesNL_11_13_2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9dc0513989-8ddcd0bf1b-89304481

Critics have derided WeWork as overvalued and vulnerable to the next downturn. But the company holds so many leases in so many cities, it might hold more power than its landlords.

27/10/2018

Excellent article published in Hacker Noon explaining tokenization by Albert Ho at Rate3.

https://hackernoon.com/how-does-tokenization-work-anyway-e07533650379?source=linkShare-eeadf4b537b1-1540600496&gi=448aa5e440a4

Not everything will be tokenized, but those that can be will be.

23/09/2018

Quick read on the competition between Uber, Grab and Go-JEK.

https://knowledge.insead.edu/entrepreneurship/the-real-story-behind-ubers-exit-from-southeast-asia-10096

Uber, Grab and Go-Jek embody emerging strategies in international platform competition.

22/08/2018

-> Mobile wallet use is on the rise with 64% of bank customers surveyed confirming use of at least one mobile wallet or payment app, higher than in Hong Kong (52% in 2018) and Australia (19% in 2017)

-> The most frequently used mobile wallets are DBS ! (28%); (13%); GrabPay (12%); and NETSPay (12%)

https://www.enterpriseinnovation.net/article/new-survey-reveals-mobile-banking-beats-branch-banking-singapore-2034653622

19/08/2018

"One of the biggest surprises of the last decade or so has been the torrent of publications showing that our happiness, health and susceptibility to disease — even our speed of recovery from surgery and how long we live — are all influenced by the number of friends we have."

https://www.ft.com/content/c5ce0834-9a64-11e8-9702-5946bae86e6d

Alcohol has been more valuable to our species’ survival than we might imagine

10/08/2018

Experian makes strategic investment into C88 + commercial partnership with C88 and its brands, under which Experian software and solutions will be embedded into CekAja.com and eCompareMo.com.

For consumers - better matched to products they are eligible for, especially consumers with little financial history.

For financial institutions - deploy best-in-class demand generation, analytics and digital on-boarding technologies directly via C88.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/startups/singapore-fintech-c88-scores-us28m-series-c-funding-led-by-experian?utm_source=Insurance+Tech+Newsletter&utm_campaign=406a665e75-InsuranceNL_4_08_2018_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_0c441eb5f9-406a665e75-90708461

C88 Financial Technologies, a Singapore-headquartered startup that builds financial technology infrastructure such as financial marketplaces and credit risk models, has raised US$28 million in Series C funding. Read more at The Business Times.

07/08/2018

Thanks to Capital and Ventures for the interesting comparison between Chinese unicorns and SEA peers.

Kings - companies that have already won their respective battles.

Warlords - fighting for dominance in the largest categories.

Magic Ponies - support large businesses and valuations, in the running to be unicorns.

Gladiators - in industries or verticals that can only support one winner.

Anomalies/Outliers - considered the ‘true innovators’ with no real equivalent in China.

03/08/2018

Apple hits record $1 trillion market cap.
It listed in 1980 at $22 a share, and anyone who invested then has made a 40,000% return.

02/08/2018

“Blockchain doesn't solve everything. It doesn't solve entirely problems that couldn't be solved in other ways. But we believe blockchain solves the problems that we're solving in a better way than traditional database technology can provide.”

https://ftalphaville.ft.com/2018/05/02/1525253799000/Blockchain-insiders-tell-us-why-we-don-t-need-blockchain/

“It's the same as any system.”

31/07/2018

CROWDFUNDING platform FundedHere has launched FundedX, a private stock exchange in Singapore to facilitate the trading of shares of high-growth startups and privately held companies in South-east Asia.

FundedX is meant to create a secondary market that provides “much needed liquidity” for shareholders of privately held companies in the region.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/startups/private-stock-exchange-fundedx-launches-in-singapore

CROWDFUNDING platform FundedHere has launched FundedX, a private stock exchange in Singapore to facilitate the trading of shares of high-growth startups and privately held companies in South-east Asia. Read more at The Business Times.

30/07/2018

Local Singapore banks continue to compete in building ecosystems.

https://www.businesstimes.com.sg/banking-finance/uob-teams-up-with-7-car-dealerships-carousell-to-launch-car-financing-platform

UNITED Overseas Bank (UOB) has teamed up with a consortium of seven car distributors and online retail platform Carousell to offer a digital car-financing platform for more than 11 car brands. Read more at The Business Times.

23/07/2018

Hong Kong is getting ready for the arrival of virtual banks, for which all transactions will be online.

The city's financial authority could issue the first licenses as early as this year.

Tough regulations mean new entrants will not find it easy to compete.

https://www.cnbc.com/2018/07/18/virtual-banking-is-set-to-shake-up-hong-kong.html

Hong Kong is getting ready for the arrival of virtual banks, for which all transactions will be online.

18/07/2018

Huge step forward for the Asian banking industry!

http://www.hkma.gov.hk/eng/key-information/press-releases/2018/20180718-5.shtml
Sara Koslinska

Hong Kong Monetary Authority - Open API Framework for the Banking Sector and the Launch of Open API on HKMA’s Website

08/07/2018

"The best features that are getting launched today are being replicated in some cases by the incumbents," Ryan said. "And in some cases the incumbents are launching them on their own."

http://uk.businessinsider.com/jpmorgan-built-an-online-bank-for-millennials-and-it-should-have-apps-like-acorns-and-stash-worried-2018-7?r=US&IR=T

I tried it out and some of its features should worry personal finance startups.

07/07/2018

“The opportunities are in industry segments such as automobiles, property, logistics, health care, education, Tan said. He is steering clear of areas like live-streaming, news-reader apps and other asset-light businesses where Chinese players as well as the likes of Facebook and Google are competing.”

https://m-scmp-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/m.scmp.com/tech/enterprises/article/2153876/southeast-asia-becomes-target-china-technology-companies-tough-nut?amp=1

The region, home to some 655 million people in 11 countries, has become an investment hotbed for major hi-tech players like Alibaba, Tencent and JD.com

10/05/2018

Disruption in management consulting...

“management consulting... an industry especially vulnerable to disruption... highly dependent on manual (computational) human labor — something that computers are doing more and more of. It traditionally has very high margins. The value is largely time-bound in the sense that the advice often gets outdated quickly. And information can’t be locked up in a black box forever.”


https://www.cbinsights.com/research/disrupting-management-consulting/?utm_source=CB+Insights+Newsletter&utm_campaign=4703d1fbc2-ThursNL_05_10_2018&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_9dc0513989-4703d1fbc2-90626637

07/05/2018

Beware this pitfall!!!

"a brand in search of a problem that doesn't exist."

Wharton professors, venture capitalists, and entrepreneurs are fueling an entire generation of Warby Parkers. Now there are more than 400 startups tackling products from toothbrushes to bras. What could go wrong?

24/04/2018

Elon Musk Just Sent an Extraordinary Email to Tesla Employees

"Walk out of a meeting or drop off a call as soon as it is obvious you aren't adding value. It is not rude to leave, it is rude to make someone stay and waste their time."

https://flipboard.com//-elon-musk-just-sent-an-extraordinary-em/f-e9e49f4912%2Finc.com

19/03/2018

Insurance X Loans X Groceries

Grab continues building its

https://vulcanpost.com/635839/grab-partners-ntuc-fairprice-membership-score/

Grab's had a busy 2018 so far.

05/03/2018

https://www-bloomberg-com.cdn.ampproject.org/c/s/www.bloomberg.com/amp/news/articles/2018-03-05/go-jek-explores-first-ipo-of-a-billion-dollar-indonesian-startup

PT Go-Jek Indonesia PT could become the country’s first-billion dollar startup to hold an initial public offering after the transport and technology company met with the nation’s equity market.

25/02/2018

Address issues head on and come across real and apologetic if need be.
KFC
https://www.inc.com/robbie-abed/kfc-just-handled-a-public-relations-crisis-perfectly-with-a-single-picture.html

25/02/2018

Singapore Airlines launches -based loyalty program

LoyaltyLobby AwardWallet The Points Guy CNTraveler TripSavvy AirMiles Point Hacks Mileslife The MileLion

https://www.theonlinecitizen.com/2018/02/13/singapore-airlines-blockchain-based-loyalty-program-is-it-a-good-move-for-consumers-and-the-company/