SparkLabs Group Deep Tech Sector Overview 2017Bernard Moon
SparkLabs Group has been active in deep tech, or frontier tech, since our inception in 2013. We have invested in a broad definition of deep tech which includes blockchain, VR & AR, transportation, industrial IoT, artificial intelligence, health & wellness (sensor related, genomics, and advanced biotech technologies), and space. Under this definition, 25% of our overall portfolio (38 out of 155 companies across our investment entities) were deep tech investments.
Overview of SparkLabs Group (www.sparklabsgroup.com), a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds across the globe. SparkLabs Global Ventures, a leading seed stage fund; SparkLabs Ventures, a localized early-stage fund (Series A & B) in South Korea; SparkChain Capital, early-stage investments in blockchain related startups.
SparkLabs accelerator network consists of SparkLabs Korea (Seoul), SparkLabs Beijing, SparkLabs IoT & Smart Cities (Songdo, South Korea), SparkLabs Taipei, SparkLabs Cyber + Blockchain (D.C., SparkLabs Energy (Oman), and Ping An Cloud Accelerator Powered by SparkLabs.
Our goal is to build each startup investment vehicle to be independently successful while still leveraging the synergies across each team, network and portfolio of companies.
Global Technology Trends & Startup Hubs 2014Bernard Moon
Provides an overview of general technology and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Beijing and Seoul.
Global Technology Trends & Top Ten Startup Hubs 2017Bernard Moon
Update report that provides an overview of general technology trends, global venture capital trends, and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of the top 10 startup hubs in the world: Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Seoul, Boston, and Los Angeles.
Global Technology Trends & Top Ten Startup Hubs 2019Bernard Moon
Update report by SparkLabs Group (www.sparklabsgroup.com) that provides an overview of general technology trends, global venture capital trends, and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of the top 10 startup hubs in the world: Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Seoul, Boston, and Los Angeles.
SparkLabs Global Ventures: Our First 16 MonthsBernard Moon
SparkLabs Global Ventures is a new seed-stage fund founded by entrepreneurs. We are a global fund that
believes exceptional entrepreneurs can be found anywhere. All six partners have created new businesses
across the globe, and are currently based in London, Tel Aviv, Seoul, Singapore and Silicon Valley.
For our blog at scope.mergeflow.com, we use Mergeflow's software to research topics across tech sectors. We look at venture investments, R&D, patents, markets, news, and other things.
This map shows venture investors that we found across various "deep tech" topics. The topics range across battery, energy, greenhouse gas mitigation, materials, recycling, and vehicle technology.
SparkLabs Group Deep Tech Sector Overview 2017Bernard Moon
SparkLabs Group has been active in deep tech, or frontier tech, since our inception in 2013. We have invested in a broad definition of deep tech which includes blockchain, VR & AR, transportation, industrial IoT, artificial intelligence, health & wellness (sensor related, genomics, and advanced biotech technologies), and space. Under this definition, 25% of our overall portfolio (38 out of 155 companies across our investment entities) were deep tech investments.
Overview of SparkLabs Group (www.sparklabsgroup.com), a network of startup accelerators and venture capital funds across the globe. SparkLabs Global Ventures, a leading seed stage fund; SparkLabs Ventures, a localized early-stage fund (Series A & B) in South Korea; SparkChain Capital, early-stage investments in blockchain related startups.
SparkLabs accelerator network consists of SparkLabs Korea (Seoul), SparkLabs Beijing, SparkLabs IoT & Smart Cities (Songdo, South Korea), SparkLabs Taipei, SparkLabs Cyber + Blockchain (D.C., SparkLabs Energy (Oman), and Ping An Cloud Accelerator Powered by SparkLabs.
Our goal is to build each startup investment vehicle to be independently successful while still leveraging the synergies across each team, network and portfolio of companies.
Global Technology Trends & Startup Hubs 2014Bernard Moon
Provides an overview of general technology and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Beijing and Seoul.
Global Technology Trends & Top Ten Startup Hubs 2017Bernard Moon
Update report that provides an overview of general technology trends, global venture capital trends, and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of the top 10 startup hubs in the world: Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Seoul, Boston, and Los Angeles.
Global Technology Trends & Top Ten Startup Hubs 2019Bernard Moon
Update report by SparkLabs Group (www.sparklabsgroup.com) that provides an overview of general technology trends, global venture capital trends, and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of the top 10 startup hubs in the world: Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Shanghai, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Seoul, Boston, and Los Angeles.
SparkLabs Global Ventures: Our First 16 MonthsBernard Moon
SparkLabs Global Ventures is a new seed-stage fund founded by entrepreneurs. We are a global fund that
believes exceptional entrepreneurs can be found anywhere. All six partners have created new businesses
across the globe, and are currently based in London, Tel Aviv, Seoul, Singapore and Silicon Valley.
For our blog at scope.mergeflow.com, we use Mergeflow's software to research topics across tech sectors. We look at venture investments, R&D, patents, markets, news, and other things.
This map shows venture investors that we found across various "deep tech" topics. The topics range across battery, energy, greenhouse gas mitigation, materials, recycling, and vehicle technology.
SparkLabs Group Year End Highlights 2019Bernard Moon
Brief overview of some of SparkLabs Group's highlights from 2019. SparkLabs Group is made up of 9 startup accelerators and 3 venture capital funds. Since 2013, we have invested in over 260 companies across 6 continents.
Global Technology Trends & Top Ten Startup Hubs 2016Bernard Moon
Update report that provides an overview of general technology trends, global venture capital trends, and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of the top 10 startup hubs in the world: Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Seoul, Boston, and Los Angeles.
Internet trends 2015.05.27 | KPCB Internet trends 2015Dmytro Lysiuk
INTERNET TRENDS 2014 – CODE CONFERENCE
Mary Meeker
May 27, 2015
kpcb.com/InternetTrends
See last years vision and compare with reality here http://www.slideshare.net/dymil/internet-trends-2015-49213397
BootstrapLabs - Tracxn Report - artificial intelligence for the Applied Arti...BootstrapLabs
This report covers companies that provide the infrastructure for creating Artificial Intelligence. These Infrastructure companies include those working on Machine Learning, Deep Learning based platforms, libraries. Some of theses companies also provide platforms for Natural Language Processing and Visual Recognition. In the Applications section, the report covers companies leveraging AI techniques to build applications tailored for end use in Enterprise, Industry & Consumer sectors.
Over $1B has been invested in AI-Infrastructure startups since 2010 with ¬$340M being invested in 2015. Over $7.5B has been invested in AI-Applications startups since 2010 with $2.3B being invested in 2015.
We have spent the last three months speaking with over 40 leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) companies in Europe and Israel to gain detailed insight and understanding of the development of the market and the future direction
We are pleased to share our work and findings with you and the broader community.
You can read our report ‘International AI and ML Landscape’ here.
Trends and Activities of Fintech Companies in Asia - Q42016 - Indalytics Advi...Indalytics Advisors
The report ‘Trends and Activities of Fintech Companies in Asia – Q4–2016’ analyzes the performance of the Asia’s fintech industry in Q4–2016. The report discusses various trends in the Asian fintech space, such as investments, new product launches, expansion and collaboration in the sector — along with the companies involved.
It talks about the major fintech segments which are receiving the maximum investments, and are launching new products. Further, the report discusses activities of various fintech accelerators, incubators and funds in the Asia.
Over the last seven years, MENA and CEE have received total capital investment of more than $5 billion. We see the results with prominent exits in the regions; some of the big winners are UIPATH (CEE), Trendyol (Turkey), and Careem (MENA).
There is even more potential for significant returns to come. Check it out inside.
Technology Investment Opportunity in Turkey - 2019 Q3 Updated212
Turkey, a bridge between two great continents, with its young and connected population of 82 million, offers the right environment for startups to launch, test and go global. Here find our own Strategy Report for Turkey collaboration with Velox Partner and Startups.watch.
Machine Learning is the new buzz word and AI is the slang word these days. What does happen in this exiting field in Europe? Is AI common ground for all businesses or the exclusive territory for a few? Who has managed to validate a business model for autonomous vehicles or chatbots? What does data-driven or API-first business models look like?
Turkey, a bridge between two great continents, with its young and connected population of 82 million, offers the right environment for startups to launch, test and go global. Here find our own Strategy Report for Turkey collaboration with @Velox Partner and @Startups.watch.
The latest collection of things we (Atomico) found interesting and important in tech and VC land, but that didn’t necessarily get the attention they deserve. We think of them as our hidden little gems. We’ll add to the collection over time, so bookmark the page and keep coming back for updates or to dig into the archive.
Investment Trends: Where to invest your attention in 2015 OurCrowd
As 2015 gets underway, investors are already planning their portfolio moves for the year. With all the noise out there, how does an investor decide what to focus on and which sectors are investable?
Join Zack Miller, Head of the Investor Community at OurCrowd, and David Stark, Principal at OurCrowd, as they discuss investment trends and opportunities for 2015. Their compilation is based on what OurCrowd's deal flow team -- which vetted 3,000+ startups since we launched -- is seeing on the ground.
Latest collection of things we (Atomico) found interesting and important in tech and VC land, but that didn’t necessarily get the attention they deserve. We think of them as our hidden little gems. We’ll add to the collection over time, so bookmark the page and keep coming back for updates or to dig into the archive.
Innovate Finance’s booklet ‘Celebrating Diversity in FinTech’ shines a spotlight on leading FinTech firms and institutions closing the diversity gap in FinTech and promoting inclusion within the workplace.
The booklet features 10 member companies including some of the world’s most successful and exciting FinTech businesses such as Bankable, Neyber, remittance companies Azimo and World Remit, leading banks Lloyds Banking Group and RBS.
How should startups embrace the trend of IoT and Big DataRuvento Ventures
This presentation prepared by Ruvento Ventures gives comprehensive coverage of the state of IoT, Big Data and AI industries. It covers the latest trends and most successful investments in Consumer Hardware. Moreover, we tried to give pieces of advice to startups working in the intersection of IoT, Big Data and AI.
A look at the Venture Capital industry heading into 2020. Some have questioned whether the industry has a future. This deck does a detailed look at where the industry is and why the future of VC still looks bright.
Slides from a half-day workshop I co-led at the 2013 Museum Computer Network conference in Seattle. (www.mcn.edu/2012/design-thinking-museums-empathy-innovation)
Design Thinking is a human-centered, prototype-driven process for innovation. In this half-day workshop, participants experienced firsthand the complete Design Thinking cycle through a hands-on, highly interactive session.
User Experience (UX) theory and practice can be confusing for the uninitiated. This talk outlines a set of UX Axioms designers and developers alike can use to integrate UX into their practice. Erik shares hard-won lessons learned from practicing UX in the real world for over 10 years. Building real products and services involves an ongoing series of design compromises. There is no ideal process or magic bullet for integrating UX or creating amazing user experiences. However, understanding and applying UX Axioms will allow you to adapt to the situation at hand and build products that resonate with and delight your end-users.
More info at http://www.uxaxioms.com/
SparkLabs Group Year End Highlights 2019Bernard Moon
Brief overview of some of SparkLabs Group's highlights from 2019. SparkLabs Group is made up of 9 startup accelerators and 3 venture capital funds. Since 2013, we have invested in over 260 companies across 6 continents.
Global Technology Trends & Top Ten Startup Hubs 2016Bernard Moon
Update report that provides an overview of general technology trends, global venture capital trends, and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of the top 10 startup hubs in the world: Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Seoul, Boston, and Los Angeles.
Internet trends 2015.05.27 | KPCB Internet trends 2015Dmytro Lysiuk
INTERNET TRENDS 2014 – CODE CONFERENCE
Mary Meeker
May 27, 2015
kpcb.com/InternetTrends
See last years vision and compare with reality here http://www.slideshare.net/dymil/internet-trends-2015-49213397
BootstrapLabs - Tracxn Report - artificial intelligence for the Applied Arti...BootstrapLabs
This report covers companies that provide the infrastructure for creating Artificial Intelligence. These Infrastructure companies include those working on Machine Learning, Deep Learning based platforms, libraries. Some of theses companies also provide platforms for Natural Language Processing and Visual Recognition. In the Applications section, the report covers companies leveraging AI techniques to build applications tailored for end use in Enterprise, Industry & Consumer sectors.
Over $1B has been invested in AI-Infrastructure startups since 2010 with ¬$340M being invested in 2015. Over $7.5B has been invested in AI-Applications startups since 2010 with $2.3B being invested in 2015.
We have spent the last three months speaking with over 40 leading Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning (ML) companies in Europe and Israel to gain detailed insight and understanding of the development of the market and the future direction
We are pleased to share our work and findings with you and the broader community.
You can read our report ‘International AI and ML Landscape’ here.
Trends and Activities of Fintech Companies in Asia - Q42016 - Indalytics Advi...Indalytics Advisors
The report ‘Trends and Activities of Fintech Companies in Asia – Q4–2016’ analyzes the performance of the Asia’s fintech industry in Q4–2016. The report discusses various trends in the Asian fintech space, such as investments, new product launches, expansion and collaboration in the sector — along with the companies involved.
It talks about the major fintech segments which are receiving the maximum investments, and are launching new products. Further, the report discusses activities of various fintech accelerators, incubators and funds in the Asia.
Over the last seven years, MENA and CEE have received total capital investment of more than $5 billion. We see the results with prominent exits in the regions; some of the big winners are UIPATH (CEE), Trendyol (Turkey), and Careem (MENA).
There is even more potential for significant returns to come. Check it out inside.
Technology Investment Opportunity in Turkey - 2019 Q3 Updated212
Turkey, a bridge between two great continents, with its young and connected population of 82 million, offers the right environment for startups to launch, test and go global. Here find our own Strategy Report for Turkey collaboration with Velox Partner and Startups.watch.
Machine Learning is the new buzz word and AI is the slang word these days. What does happen in this exiting field in Europe? Is AI common ground for all businesses or the exclusive territory for a few? Who has managed to validate a business model for autonomous vehicles or chatbots? What does data-driven or API-first business models look like?
Turkey, a bridge between two great continents, with its young and connected population of 82 million, offers the right environment for startups to launch, test and go global. Here find our own Strategy Report for Turkey collaboration with @Velox Partner and @Startups.watch.
The latest collection of things we (Atomico) found interesting and important in tech and VC land, but that didn’t necessarily get the attention they deserve. We think of them as our hidden little gems. We’ll add to the collection over time, so bookmark the page and keep coming back for updates or to dig into the archive.
Investment Trends: Where to invest your attention in 2015 OurCrowd
As 2015 gets underway, investors are already planning their portfolio moves for the year. With all the noise out there, how does an investor decide what to focus on and which sectors are investable?
Join Zack Miller, Head of the Investor Community at OurCrowd, and David Stark, Principal at OurCrowd, as they discuss investment trends and opportunities for 2015. Their compilation is based on what OurCrowd's deal flow team -- which vetted 3,000+ startups since we launched -- is seeing on the ground.
Latest collection of things we (Atomico) found interesting and important in tech and VC land, but that didn’t necessarily get the attention they deserve. We think of them as our hidden little gems. We’ll add to the collection over time, so bookmark the page and keep coming back for updates or to dig into the archive.
Innovate Finance’s booklet ‘Celebrating Diversity in FinTech’ shines a spotlight on leading FinTech firms and institutions closing the diversity gap in FinTech and promoting inclusion within the workplace.
The booklet features 10 member companies including some of the world’s most successful and exciting FinTech businesses such as Bankable, Neyber, remittance companies Azimo and World Remit, leading banks Lloyds Banking Group and RBS.
How should startups embrace the trend of IoT and Big DataRuvento Ventures
This presentation prepared by Ruvento Ventures gives comprehensive coverage of the state of IoT, Big Data and AI industries. It covers the latest trends and most successful investments in Consumer Hardware. Moreover, we tried to give pieces of advice to startups working in the intersection of IoT, Big Data and AI.
A look at the Venture Capital industry heading into 2020. Some have questioned whether the industry has a future. This deck does a detailed look at where the industry is and why the future of VC still looks bright.
Slides from a half-day workshop I co-led at the 2013 Museum Computer Network conference in Seattle. (www.mcn.edu/2012/design-thinking-museums-empathy-innovation)
Design Thinking is a human-centered, prototype-driven process for innovation. In this half-day workshop, participants experienced firsthand the complete Design Thinking cycle through a hands-on, highly interactive session.
User Experience (UX) theory and practice can be confusing for the uninitiated. This talk outlines a set of UX Axioms designers and developers alike can use to integrate UX into their practice. Erik shares hard-won lessons learned from practicing UX in the real world for over 10 years. Building real products and services involves an ongoing series of design compromises. There is no ideal process or magic bullet for integrating UX or creating amazing user experiences. However, understanding and applying UX Axioms will allow you to adapt to the situation at hand and build products that resonate with and delight your end-users.
More info at http://www.uxaxioms.com/
The Experience Design Framework: A Design Thinking Guide for Product Success ...Lang Richardson
A presentation outlining how Experience Design Improves Product Businesses. Langston synthesized structures from his past experiences as well as common industry practices to present to a local Bay Area MeetUp his ideas on structuring teams to produce excellent products.
Design Thinking Guide for Successful Professionals- Chapter 1archholy
Design thinking is a powerful thinking tool which could drive a brand, business or an individual forward positively. It is also a part and parcel way of thinking that designers go through in their minds in every single design project. Thinking like a designer can transform the way organizations develop products and services on the front end, while improving processes and strategy to the backend. It is a way of simply thinking and ideating on a solution to address a problem or better meet a customer need. It is a process focused on solutions and not the problem.
This is a 182-page power packed book that will provide insights on how to solve problems creatively using proven design thinking tools
Download PDF Book here: https://payhip.com/b/hM4U
Download iTunes eBook here: https://itunes.apple.com/us/book/complete-design-thinking-guide/id1022432207?ls=1&mt=11
Preview Book here: http://www.emerge-creatives.com/#!design-thinking-guide-for-success/c5jg
Twitter: @designthinkbook
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/designthinkingbook/
Today, the IT companies and organizations are facing increasingly complex challenges. To successfully tackle these challenges, a culture of multidisciplinary collaboration, continuous business re-invention and human centricity is required. Design Thinking is a renowned holistic approach which brings these aspects together.
In this talk, a pragmatic guide to applying Design Thinking principles and methods will be presented. Matthias Langholz will share his valuable real life case studies of IT projects with enterprise customers. Attendees of the talk will be provided with practical advice on how to take the first steps towards a design centric way of working.
This talk has been given at the IT Arena 2015 conference in Lviv, Ukraine.
There are new and emerging opportunities for organisations in all sectors to create and deliver compelling services for their customers using the power of disruptive innovation. As organisations formulate their plans for the coming months, this paper aims to help business and public sector leaders understand the cultural and organisational challenges that are inevitably brought by the use of blockchain technologies, and provides them with the insights they need to overcome them.
Block chain 101 what it is, why it mattersPaul Brody
The Blockchain is an important new technology, but it is shrouded in mystery: what does it do? Why is it such a big deal? How is it related to bitcoin? In this short presentation (with attached video), I attempt to answer those questions.
Blockchain: The Information Technology of the FutureMelanie Swan
The blockchain concept may be one of the most transformative ideas to impact the world since the Internet. Cryptocurrencies like bitcoin are merely one application of the blockchain concept. The blockchain is a public transaction ledger built in a decentralized network structure based on cryptographic principles so that any kind of trading, buying and selling of assets does not need to go through a centralized intermediary. Any kind of asset may be encoded into the blockchain and transacted, validated, or preserved in a much more efficient manner than at present including ideas, health data, financial assets, automobiles, and government documents. Venture Capitalists are calling the blockchain the next big investment wave.
I gave a talk on the role of Design Thinking to leaders in the financial industry. The focus was on user centric thinking to innovate financial products and digital services. (all case material is removed)
Kereitsu of modern times, Softbank has pioneered with its Vision Fund an Innovation at scale strategy powered by an agressive venture investments. It has thus opened an alternative way to GAFAM’s model that relied primarily on an organic technology model amplified by some bolt-on M&A.
SoftBank’s transformation case is in our view particularly interesting at a time when the European startups and innovation ecosystems need to catch-up with their American and Asian and many Corporates are entering in « coopetition » with Investment funds, launching or reinventing their ventures set-up in order to address their innovation at scale challenge.
For sure, like all disruptors Softbank has been somewhat extreme in its approach (especially in terms of risk aversion, fundraising, inflationary valuation) and not always exemplary in its practices (CSR, governance, financial disclosure...). Nevertheless we are witnessing some interesting read-across for European players, especially as vision, risk taking and entrepreneurial approaches are in our view critical success factors in the new economy.
Thus one of our wishes for 2020 is that some European Softbank may emerge and create a new way for innovation at scale.
DOWNLOAD DECK —> https://bundl.buzz/25corpincubators
Corporations are increasingly leaning into incubators to drive innovation and find growth in new markets.
In our latest downloadable deck, we’ve examined 25 leading Corporate Incubators to give you an insightful view of how this innovation strategy is being used successfully around the world.
Dive right in and learn from the corporations taking control of their future.
Download your copy using the following link: https://bundl.buzz/25corpincubators
Which Is the Most Valuable Startup in the World.pdfAlex Morgen
https://www.worldwildes.com/ Have you ever wondered about the most valuable startup in the world?
You might think that it’s a unicorn, or a company that has achieved a valuation of over $1 billion. But there’s more to it than that. Companies like Uber, Airbnb and SpaceX are just some examples of startups that have revolutionized the way we do business, and their success is an inspiration to many.
But which ones are really worth the most? In this article, we’ll take a look at which startups are leading the pack in terms of value. We’ll explore the ways in which they have achieved success, as well as their current market standings. So let’s get started and find out which is the most valuable startup in the world!
Introduction to Angel Investors and Unicorns
When it comes to innovation and growth, startups are leading the way and garnering a lot of attention. But what is a startup, exactly? A startup is defined as a company founded with the intention of scaling up operations and achieving profitability by developing a product or service that addresses a specific gap in the market.
Many startups begin with angel investors who are wealthy individuals or groups that provide financial backing to businesses, typically at an early stage. These types of investments help companies get off the ground and develop their products or services and help them gain traction in the market.
As startups grow, they can become unicorns—startups valued at $1 billion or more—which can attract more investors due to their high-value status. This type of valuation is often based on market capitalization (the total value of all shares outstanding) or sale price multiples when comparing similar companies.
Exploring the Value of Startup Companies
Startup companies are now more valuable than ever before. By leveraging the latest technologies, they can create innovative products and services that improve our lives in unprecedented ways. As such, many startups have gained significant market capitalization and are now leading the way in the tech industry.
So which startup is at the top of the heap? According to recent reports, it's Chinese e-commerce giant Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. The company was founded in 1999 and offers online shopping, banking, entertainment and other services. As of 2020, it has a market capitalization of over $555 billion USD and is the world's most valuable startup.
However, it's not only Alibaba at the top of the pile: there are other high-valued startups that have reached impressive levels of market capitalization. These include Didi (valued at $56 billion USD), Airbnb ($31 billion USD) and Stripe ($35 billion USD). What’s more, these companies continue to grow and are expected to become even more successful in the coming years.
What Is a Stealth Startup?
A stealth startup is a privately funded company that operates in the shadows, attempting to keep its product and services under wraps until a certain moment when it can receive maximum exposure.
Private entrepreneurial space inflection point - space tech pasadena 2016Ellen Chang
Presentation on private and venture investing in aerospace and the need to growth a profitable aerospace start-up ecosystem. Funding the next generation of astropreneurs!
2016 was a standout year for entrepreneurs in the GGV Capital ecosystem. Our portfolio companies collectively completed more than $26 billion of M&A and IPO activity, raised more than $10 billion to fuel global expansion, and completed one new IPO (BC Pharma in China).
The year also marked expansion on a number of fronts for our firm. We announced the launch of GGV Capital Fund VI and our Discovery Fund with more than $1.2 billion in commitments. A big thank you to our Limited Partners for their continued support. Second, we added 16 new members to the GGV Capital team across the U.S. and China.
The Carlyle Group is one of the top Private Equity Firms in the country. Their 2013 Annual Report and Corporate Citizenship Report has just been released, which talks about their numbers, performance, and more.
Affärsinkubatorn STING stödjer unga innovationsbolag med global potential att snabbare expandera internationellt. I STINGs årsrapport kan du läsa mer om vår verksamhet samt ta del av statistik. T.ex. attraherade STING-bolagen 2010 260 miljoner i privat kapital, jämfört med 107 miljoner 2009. Bolagen fick in 107 miljoner i offentlig finansiering, där motsvarande siffra året innan var 49 miljoner.
OiiO International is the leading business conglomerate in BangladeshOiiO International
OiiO International is the leading business conglomerate in Bangladesh, specializing in internet and related technologies. Our mission is to accelerate the growth of our business at the age of digital economy. We focus on areas like science, engineering, technology, research and development, humanity, innovation and invention and alternative energy. We highlights on digital skills, smart capital investment, infrastructure, international development and leadership.
2018: What did I learn about Innovation and Entrepreneurship in IsraelLeandro de Castro
These slides were prepared based on a mission I did to Israel from 18th to 22nd of March, 2018, organized by Anjos do Brasil, APEX Brasil and ABVCAP. The information presented here were collected from my own writtings during the many visits we made and some material presented in the visits (cited as appropriate).
Similar to 2016 SparkLabs Global Year-End Review (20)
Basics on the startup process, raising capital, and thinking about valuation, especially for first-time entrepreneurs. Read my article at VentureBeat for details on this slide deck:
http://venturebeat.com/2016/09/05/startup-fundraising-101-revisited/
Overview of industry trends and insights of Fortune 500 companies and startups' activities in the FinTech space. We cover banking tech (security, crm, analytics), payments (pos, money transfer, commerce), cyber currency (blockchain, bitcoin, wallets, cryptocurrency exchanges), business finance (lending, crowdfunding), personal finance (lending, wealth management, mortgage, credit), and alternative cores (banking, insurance).
Internet of Things & Hardware Industry Report 2016Bernard Moon
Overview of industry trends and insights of Fortune 500 companies and startups' activities in the Internet of Things (IoT) and hardware space. We cover connected home, wearables, healthcare, robotics & drones, and industrial IoT.
Global Technology Trends & Startup Hubs 2015Bernard Moon
Provides an overview of general technology trends, global venture capital trends, and startup trends around the world. Snapshots of the top 10 startup hubs in the world: Silicon Valley, NYC, London, Stockholm, Berlin, Tel Aviv, Beijing, Seoul, Boston, and Los Angeles.
SparkLabs Global Asia E-Commerce Report 2015Bernard Moon
Report focused on e-commerce in Asia. Overviews of China, Japan, Korea, India and Southeast Asia markets (Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam). Describes the major startups and companies for each market and the investor landscape.
Overview of SparkLabs, Asia's leading accelerator. Based in Seoul, South Korea.
SparkLabs is a startup accelerator founded by entrepreneurs for entrepreneurs in South Korea. The focus will be on startup companies from the Internet, online gaming, mobile, ecommerce, digital media sectors and healthcare. The mentorship-driven program will be three months in length and provides funding, office space, a structure program and access to a top-tier network of entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, angel investors and executives.
SparkLabs Global Wireless Industry Overview 2014Bernard Moon
Slides provide a snapshot of the wireless industry and serves as a "cheat sheet" to the mobile space: industry rankings, trends, and detailed company overviews. Profiles select companies from Fortune 500 to startups attempting to disrupt the mobile landscape.
Next 2013: Innovation and The Future (Post Conference Overview) Korean VersionBernard Moon
Conference discussing the creative economy, innovation and the future. SparkLabs focuses on cultivating and empowering Korean and other startups to go global. In the same spirit, SparkLabs wants to bring the best minds and most innovative people to Korea. NEXT 2013 was energizing, empowering and insightful for its attendees. It was held in Seoul on June 14th, 2013.
Next 2013: Innovation and The Future (Post Conference Overview)Bernard Moon
Conference discussing the creative economy, innovation and the future. SparkLabs focuses on cultivating and empowering Korean and other startups to go global. In the same spirit, SparkLabs wants to bring the best minds and most innovative people to Korea. NEXT 2013 was energizing, empowering and insightful for its attendees. It was held in Seoul on June 14th, 2013.
Worldwide contest to promote innovation focusing on Home, Mobility & Health. Each of the three winning projects will receive €50,000 prize money and will benefit from a major advertising campaign across Europe. Go to PULSE.EDF.COM
Vidquik is a new web communications platform that provides easy-to-use solutions with which companies can enhance their sales and customer service experiences and efficiencies. Our core product is an embeddable web conferencing platform with a powerful intelligent routing technology to increase sales and customer service productivity. Also allows clients to tag their seats based on product, geography, and other factors. Closed beta.
넥스트 컨퍼런스 2013: Conference on Innovation and The FutureBernard Moon
SparkLabs은 해외로 진출하고자 하는 한국 신생기업의 육성과 강화를 목적으로 합니다. 이러한 취지에서 SparkLabs은 최상의 석학과 최고의 혁신적 인재를 국내로 초청하고자 합니다. 전 세계 각 분야의 비전가, 투자자, 기업 경영진, 기업가를 처음으로 한국에 모시고 여러 산업 분야에 걸쳐 우리의 미래와 혁신을 통찰함으로써 이미 창의적인 한국 문화를 함께 증진시킬 수 있기를 바랍니다.
Next 2013: Conference on Innovation and The FutureBernard Moon
Conference discussing the creative
economy, innovation and the future. SparkLabs focuses on cultivating and empowering Korean startups to go abroad. In the same spirit, SparkLabs wants to bring the best minds and most innovative people to Korea. We want to enhance Korea's already creative culture with visionaries, investors, corporate leaders and entrepreneurs from other parts of the globe for the first time in Korea to explore our future and innovation across various industries.
Forbes Korea April 2013: Rob DeMillo ArticleBernard Moon
During the SparkLabs' Demo Day, we had Teddy Zee, Rob DeMillo and Jonathan Teo speak on some panels and set up various interviews for them with the Korean media. All three were awesome at their Demo Day talks and the press loved them.
Forbes Korea April 2013: Teddy Zee ArticleBernard Moon
During the SparkLabs' Demo Day, we had Teddy Zee, Rob DeMillo and Jonathan Teo speak on some panels and set up various interviews for them with the Korean media. All three were awesome at their Demo Day talks and the press loved them.
Accelerate your Kubernetes clusters with Varnish CachingThijs Feryn
A presentation about the usage and availability of Varnish on Kubernetes. This talk explores the capabilities of Varnish caching and shows how to use the Varnish Helm chart to deploy it to Kubernetes.
This presentation was delivered at K8SUG Singapore. See https://feryn.eu/presentations/accelerate-your-kubernetes-clusters-with-varnish-caching-k8sug-singapore-28-2024 for more details.
Transcript: Selling digital books in 2024: Insights from industry leaders - T...BookNet Canada
The publishing industry has been selling digital audiobooks and ebooks for over a decade and has found its groove. What’s changed? What has stayed the same? Where do we go from here? Join a group of leading sales peers from across the industry for a conversation about the lessons learned since the popularization of digital books, best practices, digital book supply chain management, and more.
Link to video recording: https://bnctechforum.ca/sessions/selling-digital-books-in-2024-insights-from-industry-leaders/
Presented by BookNet Canada on May 28, 2024, with support from the Department of Canadian Heritage.
The Art of the Pitch: WordPress Relationships and SalesLaura Byrne
Clients don’t know what they don’t know. What web solutions are right for them? How does WordPress come into the picture? How do you make sure you understand scope and timeline? What do you do if sometime changes?
All these questions and more will be explored as we talk about matching clients’ needs with what your agency offers without pulling teeth or pulling your hair out. Practical tips, and strategies for successful relationship building that leads to closing the deal.
Dev Dives: Train smarter, not harder – active learning and UiPath LLMs for do...UiPathCommunity
💥 Speed, accuracy, and scaling – discover the superpowers of GenAI in action with UiPath Document Understanding and Communications Mining™:
See how to accelerate model training and optimize model performance with active learning
Learn about the latest enhancements to out-of-the-box document processing – with little to no training required
Get an exclusive demo of the new family of UiPath LLMs – GenAI models specialized for processing different types of documents and messages
This is a hands-on session specifically designed for automation developers and AI enthusiasts seeking to enhance their knowledge in leveraging the latest intelligent document processing capabilities offered by UiPath.
Speakers:
👨🏫 Andras Palfi, Senior Product Manager, UiPath
👩🏫 Lenka Dulovicova, Product Program Manager, UiPath
Elevating Tactical DDD Patterns Through Object CalisthenicsDorra BARTAGUIZ
After immersing yourself in the blue book and its red counterpart, attending DDD-focused conferences, and applying tactical patterns, you're left with a crucial question: How do I ensure my design is effective? Tactical patterns within Domain-Driven Design (DDD) serve as guiding principles for creating clear and manageable domain models. However, achieving success with these patterns requires additional guidance. Interestingly, we've observed that a set of constraints initially designed for training purposes remarkably aligns with effective pattern implementation, offering a more ‘mechanical’ approach. Let's explore together how Object Calisthenics can elevate the design of your tactical DDD patterns, offering concrete help for those venturing into DDD for the first time!
UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series, part 4DianaGray10
Welcome to UiPath Test Automation using UiPath Test Suite series part 4. In this session, we will cover Test Manager overview along with SAP heatmap.
The UiPath Test Manager overview with SAP heatmap webinar offers a concise yet comprehensive exploration of the role of a Test Manager within SAP environments, coupled with the utilization of heatmaps for effective testing strategies.
Participants will gain insights into the responsibilities, challenges, and best practices associated with test management in SAP projects. Additionally, the webinar delves into the significance of heatmaps as a visual aid for identifying testing priorities, areas of risk, and resource allocation within SAP landscapes. Through this session, attendees can expect to enhance their understanding of test management principles while learning practical approaches to optimize testing processes in SAP environments using heatmap visualization techniques
What will you get from this session?
1. Insights into SAP testing best practices
2. Heatmap utilization for testing
3. Optimization of testing processes
4. Demo
Topics covered:
Execution from the test manager
Orchestrator execution result
Defect reporting
SAP heatmap example with demo
Speaker:
Deepak Rai, Automation Practice Lead, Boundaryless Group and UiPath MVP
Essentials of Automations: Optimizing FME Workflows with ParametersSafe Software
Are you looking to streamline your workflows and boost your projects’ efficiency? Do you find yourself searching for ways to add flexibility and control over your FME workflows? If so, you’re in the right place.
Join us for an insightful dive into the world of FME parameters, a critical element in optimizing workflow efficiency. This webinar marks the beginning of our three-part “Essentials of Automation” series. This first webinar is designed to equip you with the knowledge and skills to utilize parameters effectively: enhancing the flexibility, maintainability, and user control of your FME projects.
Here’s what you’ll gain:
- Essentials of FME Parameters: Understand the pivotal role of parameters, including Reader/Writer, Transformer, User, and FME Flow categories. Discover how they are the key to unlocking automation and optimization within your workflows.
- Practical Applications in FME Form: Delve into key user parameter types including choice, connections, and file URLs. Allow users to control how a workflow runs, making your workflows more reusable. Learn to import values and deliver the best user experience for your workflows while enhancing accuracy.
- Optimization Strategies in FME Flow: Explore the creation and strategic deployment of parameters in FME Flow, including the use of deployment and geometry parameters, to maximize workflow efficiency.
- Pro Tips for Success: Gain insights on parameterizing connections and leveraging new features like Conditional Visibility for clarity and simplicity.
We’ll wrap up with a glimpse into future webinars, followed by a Q&A session to address your specific questions surrounding this topic.
Don’t miss this opportunity to elevate your FME expertise and drive your projects to new heights of efficiency.
Software Delivery At the Speed of AI: Inflectra Invests In AI-Powered QualityInflectra
In this insightful webinar, Inflectra explores how artificial intelligence (AI) is transforming software development and testing. Discover how AI-powered tools are revolutionizing every stage of the software development lifecycle (SDLC), from design and prototyping to testing, deployment, and monitoring.
Learn about:
• The Future of Testing: How AI is shifting testing towards verification, analysis, and higher-level skills, while reducing repetitive tasks.
• Test Automation: How AI-powered test case generation, optimization, and self-healing tests are making testing more efficient and effective.
• Visual Testing: Explore the emerging capabilities of AI in visual testing and how it's set to revolutionize UI verification.
• Inflectra's AI Solutions: See demonstrations of Inflectra's cutting-edge AI tools like the ChatGPT plugin and Azure Open AI platform, designed to streamline your testing process.
Whether you're a developer, tester, or QA professional, this webinar will give you valuable insights into how AI is shaping the future of software delivery.
GDG Cloud Southlake #33: Boule & Rebala: Effective AppSec in SDLC using Deplo...James Anderson
Effective Application Security in Software Delivery lifecycle using Deployment Firewall and DBOM
The modern software delivery process (or the CI/CD process) includes many tools, distributed teams, open-source code, and cloud platforms. Constant focus on speed to release software to market, along with the traditional slow and manual security checks has caused gaps in continuous security as an important piece in the software supply chain. Today organizations feel more susceptible to external and internal cyber threats due to the vast attack surface in their applications supply chain and the lack of end-to-end governance and risk management.
The software team must secure its software delivery process to avoid vulnerability and security breaches. This needs to be achieved with existing tool chains and without extensive rework of the delivery processes. This talk will present strategies and techniques for providing visibility into the true risk of the existing vulnerabilities, preventing the introduction of security issues in the software, resolving vulnerabilities in production environments quickly, and capturing the deployment bill of materials (DBOM).
Speakers:
Bob Boule
Robert Boule is a technology enthusiast with PASSION for technology and making things work along with a knack for helping others understand how things work. He comes with around 20 years of solution engineering experience in application security, software continuous delivery, and SaaS platforms. He is known for his dynamic presentations in CI/CD and application security integrated in software delivery lifecycle.
Gopinath Rebala
Gopinath Rebala is the CTO of OpsMx, where he has overall responsibility for the machine learning and data processing architectures for Secure Software Delivery. Gopi also has a strong connection with our customers, leading design and architecture for strategic implementations. Gopi is a frequent speaker and well-known leader in continuous delivery and integrating security into software delivery.
Key Trends Shaping the Future of Infrastructure.pdfCheryl Hung
Keynote at DIGIT West Expo, Glasgow on 29 May 2024.
Cheryl Hung, ochery.com
Sr Director, Infrastructure Ecosystem, Arm.
The key trends across hardware, cloud and open-source; exploring how these areas are likely to mature and develop over the short and long-term, and then considering how organisations can position themselves to adapt and thrive.
2. 02
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Year-End Update
We are a new type of seed-stage fund. We believe
business is now truly global. Exceptional entrepreneurs,
that are building strong, category defining companies
at highly advantageous valuations – can be found
anywhere. We are a team highly experienced in
finding such talent and helping our entrepreneurs to
develop, grow, network, and scale into other markets
throughout the world.
Entrepreneurs Growing Entrepreneurs
3. Entrepreneurs Growing Entrepreneurs
“SparkLabs Global has been not only instrumental to 88
RISING’s launch and success in 2016 as a seed investor, but
they have been critical to our ongoing growth because of
their hands on approach to helping 88 RISING in all aspects
of our business. Whether it has been strategic counsel, legal
advice, resourcing us with connections in media, investment
firms, or other helpful ways, SparkLabs Global is truly not
just a smart investment group but valuable operational
support to 88 RISING. We could not be more grateful and
honored for SparkLabs Global to be our shareholder and
partner in 88 RISING.”
88rising.com
www.youtube.com/88rising
www.facebook.com/88rising
Jaeson Ma
Co-founder of
88 Rising
03
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Year-End Update
4. Summary of Investment Activities:
GEOGRAPHY
US 28
EUROPE 14
ASIA 13
ISRAEL 3
LATIN
AMERICA
1
AFRICA 1
04
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
47%
24%
21%
5%
2% 2%
Year-End Update
Since December 2013, we have invested in 60 companies. Our global approach means that we can pick the
best deals in the right geographies where the sectors are hottest. For example, London has become the
leader in fintech, deep tech is growing fast in Scandinavia and South Korea, cybersecurity in Israel and
ecommerce in Asia.
5. Summary of Investment Activities:
INDUSTRIES
FINTECH 13
*One company was counted twice in IoT and Digital Health
MOBILE APPLICATION 7
ONLINE GAMING 7
INTERNET OF THINGS 7
COMMERCE 6
DIGITAL HEALTH 5
OTHERS 16
05
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Since December 2013, we have invested across most sectors besides capital intensive startups (i.e.
biotech, pharma, cleantech), but have concentrated on 6 general areas: FinTech, Mobile App, IoT, Online
Gaming, Ecommerce, and Digital Health sectors.
Year-End Update
7. Entrepreneurs Growing Entrepreneurs
“During 2016, the SparkLabs Global team
continued their close involvement with Petnet’s
fundraising, making introductions that directly
led to $12 million of the $17 million we have
raised to date.”
www.petnet.io
Carlos Herrera
Co-founder & CEO
of Petnet
07
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Year-End Update
9. William Chu is a Venture Partner at SparkLabs Global Ventures
and the Managing Partner for SparkLabs FinTech in Hong Kong,
which will be a new accelerator that we are launching under
SparkLabs.
William joins us from Zheng He Capital, a Hong Kong based
private equity firm with a focus on fintech and healthcare.
He spearheaded the firm’s lead investor role in the
US$500 million Series A Round financing of Ping An Good
Doctor, a Ping An Insurance subsidiary tasked with building an
online health ecosystem in China.
William was also involved in Zheng He’s lead investor role in the
US$500 million Series A Round and the subsequent US$1.2 billion
Series B Round of Lufax, another Ping An Insurance
subsidiary that has become the world’s largest online
financial asset exchange.
09
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
News
New Venture Partner
William Chu
Year-End Update
10. 10
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
News
Portfolio Exits in 2016
Year-End Update
ACQUIRED BY
ACQUIRED BY
Sector: HR Tech Product: Online career assessment
Location: San Francisco, CA Co-investors: Norwest, Playfair Capital,Techstars
Sector: Mobile App, Online Music Product: Music discovery app
Location: Dublin, Ireland Co-investors: Mark Cuban, ACTVentures
17. Portfolio Highlights:
17
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Blend Aire
Social Media FinTech
Blend raised Series A extension
from Thomas Tull (Oct 2016)
Aire raised $2M seed round
(Oct 2016)
Year-End Update
18. Portfolio Highlights:
18
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Health2Sync
Healthcare / IoT
Spinlist
Social Music
Spinlist Launches New Playlist
App (Nov 2016)
Health2Sync Raised $3M Series A
led by WI Harper (August 2016)
Year-End Update
20. The Power of SparkLabs
Our separate but affiliated startup accelerator, SparkLabs, continues to extend
its influence and brand across Asia. We believe our approach is unique in relation
to our global seed fund, SparkLabs Global Ventures.
20
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Leading
Accelerator in
Asia
01
Each accelerator
program stands on its
own, and doesn’t need
investment from our
Global seed fund. For
Seoul, this accelerator
fund has a NAV of 199%
and up 6x.
No Negative
Signaling
02
76% follow-on rate is
2nd only after Y
Combinator. Our first
entity in Seoul has
invested in 65
companies with only 12
investments from
SparkLabs Global
Stronger
Deal Flow
03
Even our accelerator in
Seoul attracts startups
from over 20 countries
and has an average
raise over $400,000
prior to joining. IoT’s
1st batch continues to
validate our growing
brand.
Increasing
Brand &
Influence
04
Strong demand for our
accelerator has come
from Japan, Taiwan,
Indonesia, Germany
and other major
markets. We will
expand with judicious
swiftness.
Year-End Update
21. The Power of SparkLabs
* Not a complete breakdown
21
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Demoday NO.7
Participants total
1834
Government &
Academia
224
358
746
40
Media
Investors
Startups &
Corporates
* Not a complete breakdown
DemoDay5 became the largest startup demo day in the world with over 1,400 attendees.
DemoDay6 had over 1,500 and DemoDay7 this past June 22, 2016 had over 1,800 with attendees
from the U.S., China, Japan, Indonesia, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and others.
In 2016, we expanded our accelerator with a new IoT & Smart City program based in Songdo,
Korea. In 2017, we are launching SparkLabs Beijing and a new FinTech program in Hong Kong.
Year-End Update
23. 23
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
• $35 billion smart city built from ground up.
• 2nd largest private real estate development in history.
• 80,000 apartment units
• Currently over 36,000 residents
• 50 million square feet of office space and 10 million
square feet of retail space
• SparkLabs is the exclusive IoT test bed partner
SONGDO:
Smart City
of the Future
Year-End Update
The Power of SparkLabs:
SparkLabs IOT & Smart City Accelerator
6-month long Internet of Things program for seed to early-stage entrepreneurs from anywhere across the
globe. This program will be located in Songdo, South Korea. Also selected startups will benefit from support
by the Cisco Global Center of Excellence (GCoE), Cisco Innovation Center at Songdo to further mature their
solutions with local technical support available under the GCoE’s Solution Incubation Program.
24. 24
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Internet
of things
Open
Data
Smart
Agriculture
Smart
Home
Smart
Grid/Energy
Smart
Government
Smart
Retail
Smart
Health
Smart
Mobility
SONGDO:
Smart City
of the Future
The Power of SparkLabs:
Exclusive Startup Partnership
Songdo will be an amazing test bed for consumer, industrial, hardware, and other IoT startups. Our 1st
batch launch in November 2016, and has 14 startups (5 from the U.S., 4 from South Korea, 1 from
Ireland, 1 from Switzerland, 1 from India, 1 from Australia, and 1 from Taiwan) with an average raise of
$2.8 million prior to joining our program.
Year-End Update
25. The Power of SparkLabs
SparkLabs Beijing will be launching at the end of 2016 in partnership with CITIC Guoan Academy. Guoan
Academy is a subsidiary of CITIC Guoan Group, which is the largest industrial subsidiary of CITIC Group. CITIC
Group is a leading state-run financial institutional in China with over US$514 billion in assets under
management. Guoan Academy is the largest and leading professional knowledge service provider in China's
startup ecosystem.
Beyond China, we have been approached to expand our accelerator to Taipei, Tokyo and considering Jakarta,
Tel Aviv, Stockholm and other locations in the coming years.
25
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Beijing
Year-End Update
26. Our Entrepreneurs What They Say
26
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
“SparkLabs team was extremely value-add - they provided strategic advice,
brokered relationships, and was 100% committed to supporting us in building
our company. They opened more doors for us than any other investor. SparkLabs
is an extension of your team. I would work with them in a heartbeat.”
“YJ and I, along with the entire team at KnowRe are ecstatic to be a part of the
SparkLabs family, beginning from our days in the accelerator. As an investor and
mentor, SparkLabs brings a partnership that truly embodies the characteristics
of a family - being involved, bringing to bear ALL of one's resources, a genuine
concern for someone that goes far beyond self-interest. This type of partnership
invariably leads to a deep trust. As entrepreneurs turned investors, SparkLabs
has a distinct understanding of both tectonic shifts in industry and the needs of,
say a junior marketing employee. This unique vertical acumen is extremely
valuable and a critical component to growth.”
“Love working with these guys. Gives ‘sweat capital’ an entirely new meaning,
going to all lengths around the world to get us what we need.”
Akash Nigam,
Co-founder & CEO
of Blend
Somrat Niyogi,
Co-founder & CEO
of Stitch
*acquired by SugarCRM
David Joo,
Co-founder & Co-CEO
of KnowRe
Year-End Update
27. 27
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
“SparkLabs has been an amazing partner for us - they set the bar high, but have
helped us every step of the way. Not only has the SparkLabs team provided
market-vetted advice and feedback, but they’ve been out front in making key
introductions and resources. Iodine is proud to be part of the SparkLabs clan.”
“The partners at SparkLabs are amazing people and have been a motivating force
since the early days of Petnet. They are forward thinking in the way they think
about the internet of things and how it will shape they way people shop for
consumables. They have an expansive global network of executives, advisors, and
investors who are ready to help in any form necessary. SparkLabs is an essential
team member for companies who are looking to expand their brand globally.”
“SparkLabs is an amazing team of investors. The partners are experienced
operators from around the globe who have helped us with not only key business
issues, but also bouncing new ideas. Everyone is intelligent and charismatic, so
it's easy to see why the fund has such an expansive network of founders, senior
executives, and advisors who are always there to help. If you're a founder who
cares about scale, international expansion, or just adding an awesome extension
to your team - SparkLabs is your fund.”
Cathy Han,
Co-founder & CEO
of 42 (YC W14)
Thomas Goetz,
Co-founder & CEO
of Iodine
Carlos Herrera,
Co-founder & Co-CEO
of Petnet
Year-End Update
Our Entrepreneurs What They Say
28. 28
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
“MangoPlate exists today due to the amazing advice and guidance we received
from SparkLabs Global Ventures. They are entrepreneurs themselves so they
provide extremely practical and realistic guidance. We fully trust that they will
always provide guidance from the entrepreneurial perspective, thus we continue
to seek their advice regarding all aspects of MangoPlate from vision, HR,
operations and to funding. Their team has been nothing short of amazing for
MangoPlate and we are so blessed to be a part of the SparkLabs family.”
“The partners at SparkLabs are connected. Globally. They have unmatched
entrepreneurial hustle and are raising the bar for value-add from an investor.”
“Suffice it to say that SparkLabs has played a significant role in the Squirrel
story! Heck, they were even involved before we became known as Squirrel!
SparkLabs has taken on the role of investor, mentor, facilitator, talent source,
sounding board and all-round supporter of everything Squirrel as of day 1. Their
commitment to our success has come through in every interaction with the
outspoken Frank Meehan and team at SparkLabs, and they've been a great
partner on our amazing journey so far. I look forward to continuing to see that
partnership flourish as they help us work towards making financial freedom a
reality in the UK and beyond!”
Mutaz Qubbaj,
Co-founder & CEO
of Squirrel
Joon Oh,
Co-founder & CEO
of MangoPlate
Scott Saunders,
Co-founder & Co-CEO
of Payoff
Year-End Update
Our Entrepreneurs What They Say
29. 29
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
“Code Kingdoms is delighted to part of the SparkLabs family. The partners
understand entrepreneurs because they are entrepreneurs themselves - the
guidance and support provide is always insightful, relevant and timely. Having
SparkLabs as an investor has been a significant contributor to the growth of our c
ompany and also provided immense learning opportunities from fellow portfolio
companies and wider network.”
“SparkLabs' passion for Memebox inspired us to go global and expand to Silicon
Valley. Their support was felt every step of the way as we launched the Silicon
Valley office and graduated from Y Combinator. Since their involvement we've
successfully closed both a Series A and B funding round, within a year. It has
been a rewarding experience having SparkLabs Global Ventures as our investor
and partner as we continue to share our products with the global audience.”
“The team at SparkLabs have struck a read chord with everyone here at
Soundwave due to the fact that, first and foremost, they are all entrepreneurs.
We've really enjoyed tapping into their experience as we navigate our way
through building and scaling Soundwave. It’s reassuring to know that they are
always on the other end of the phone, email, sms, IM or Skype!”
Brendan O’Driscoll,
Co-founder & CEO
of Soundwave
*acquired by Spotify
Ross Targett,
Co-founder & CEO
of Code Kingdoms
Dino Ha,
Co-founder & Co-CEO
of Memebox (YC W14)
Year-End Update
Our Entrepreneurs What They Say
31. EducationCommerce
FinTech
Select Portfolio Companies
By Sector
31
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Internet of
Things
Mobile
Gaming
Healthcare
Social
Market
Place
HR VR Project Management
Platform
Security
CyGov
Year-End Update
32. Ireland
Select Portfolio Companies
By Country
32
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
USA Korea
England
SingaporeNigeria IsraelPeru
Sweden
CyGov
Year-End Update
33. 33
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Andela
www.andela.com
Andela is a global talent accelerator that produces world-class developers and
connects them with top employers. Andela finds the brightest young people in
Africa and gives them the training and mentorship needed to thrive as full-time,
remote developers for companies around the world.
Andela has been recognized by Inc. magazine as “10 Tech Companies Shaking Up
Their Industries” and VentureBeat’s list of “14 startups that will change our
everyday life”.
Andela raised seed funding from Steve Case, Omidyar Network, Founder Collective,
Learn Capital, Melo7 Tech Partners and Chris Hughes.
Sector HR, Social Enterprise
Location New York City, NY & Lagos, Nigeria
Product Online Platform
Co-Investors Spark Capital, Steve Case,
Omidyar Network
Year-End Update
34. 34
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Lifesum
www.lifesum.com
Lifesum is a Stockholm-based digital health startup that offers its users a flexible platform to
support and encourage a healthy, balanced lifestyle. Lifesum wants to make people
healthier and happier by helping users to forge good habits on their journey towards a better
lifestyle, as well as an improved overall quality of life.
Recognized among the best apps in the App Store 3 years in a row (2013-2015), top ten in
free and paid among Health & Fitness apps in the U.S., and featured in Apple’s keynote talk
on their healthkit launch. Lifesum was also a launch partner for Google Fit and Google Now,
and was the most downloaded app in November 2015 on Samsung Gear S2 watch.
Lifesum raised $6.7 million of funding from Bauer Media and SparkLabs Global Ventures in
their Series A round, and recently closed a $10M Series B from Nokia Growth and DFJ Esprit.
Sector Healthcare, Mobile
Location Stockholm, Sweden
Product Health & Fitness App
Co-Investors Bauer Media, Nokia Growth, DFJ
Esprit
Year-End Update
35. 35
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Petnet
www.petnet.io
Petnet’s first product, the SmartFeeder programs its
elf around your life and the wellness of your pet.
SmartFeeder assesses the dietary requirements of
your pet, creates a custom feeding regimen to me
et those requirements, alerts you when your pet
has been fed and even reminds you to purchase
more food when you run low. From your
smartphone, tablet or computer, you and all your
pet’s caregivers can monitor and/or adjust feeding
schedules, compare your pet’s diet to other similar
pets, order food, and more.
In 2013, spending in the U.S. hit an estimated $55.53
billion for pet care, with most of that amount, or
$21.26 billion, going toward food.
Sector Internet of Things / Hardware
Location Los Angeles, CA
Product Smart Feeder
Co-Investors Grishin Robotics, Kima Ventures,
Bolt
Petnet raised a seed round from Grishin
Robotics, Kima Ventures, and SparkLabs
Global Ventures. Petnet received initial
funding while participating in Bolt, a seed-
stage fund and incubator in Boston for h
ardware startups. Recently closed a $10M
Series A with Petco as the lead.
Year-End Update
36. 36
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Genoplan
www.genoplan.com
Sector Healthcare, Genomics
Location Seoul, Korea, New York City, NY
and Fukuoka, Japan (HQ)
Product Weight management, skin care
Co-Investors Softbank Ventures Korea,
Samsung Ventures
Genoplan provides a genetic-code-based solution which helps
people manage their weight. Their solution analyzes a person’s
unique genetic characteristics and provides personalized weight
management solution. Since Genoplan uses saliva to analyze
genetic characteristics, its process is simpler, quicker and cheaper
than existing solutions in the market. Genoplan also guarantees
high accuracy by using equipment from Roche Diagnostics, one of
the world's top medical device makers in this space.
Genoplan graduated from Sparklabs accelerator program’s 5th
class and recently raised $5 million from Softbank Ventures Korea,
Samsung Ventures, and SparkLabs Global.
Year-End Update
37. 37
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Payoff
www.payoff.com
Founded in 2009, Payoff is a technology-enabled, consumer-focused financial services
company. Payoff builds transparent and empowering financial products with the custom
er’s best interest in mind. Payoff is backed by top tier venture capital firms and some
of the most prominent individuals in financial services.
Payoff wants to build a global consumer financial services brand, starting with a Peer-to
-Peer (P2P) loan product designed to pay off higher interest rate credit card debt.
Payoff enhances people’s intrinsic motivation to achieve financial goals through rewards
and by illustrating the connection between short-term financial behaviors and long-
term goals. They want to help more people sleep better with funded savings and lighter
debt loads
Payoff recently closed a $46M Series C from Anthemis Group, Tencent and others.
Sector FinTech
Location Costa Mesa, CA
Product Peer-to-Peer Lending, Financial Wellness
Co-Investors Mohamed El-Erian (Former PIMCO
CEO), FirstMark Capital,
Anthemis Group, Tencent
Year-End Update
38. 38
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
KnowRe
www.knowre.com
KnowRe is an education technology company with an innovative cloud-based adaptive learning
program for middle and high school math. KnowRe assesses a student’s strengths and weaknesses,
algorithmically creates a personalized curriculum targeting that individual’s gaps in learning, and
engages students through gamified learning and beautiful graphics. Through its Teacher Dashboard,
KnowRe provides teachers with data on each student’s progress and highlights where an individual,
or the entire class, may be struggling.
KnowRe was named winner of “Best Instructional App” in the NYC Schools 2013 Gap App
Challenge and was Grand Prize winner of Google’s Global K-Startup. It was also listed in Fast
Company's Most Innovative Companies 2014 series as one of "The World's Top 10 Most
Innovative Companies in Education.”
KnowRe’s Series A round was $6.8 million led by SoftBank Ventures Korea, with participation from
KTB Network Partners Fund, Partners Investment, and SparkLabs Global Ventures.
Sector Education Tech
Location New York City & Seoul
Product Adaptive Learning Platform
Co-Investors SoftBank Ventures
Year-End Update
39. Code Kingdoms is an online platform for kids to learn to code. They believe that kids should be give
n the opportunity to learn one of the essential creative skills for the 21st century - code literacy.
They believe children should have the chance to be creative with code and use it to build things
they love. Code Kingdoms built their code editor so that kids can ‘mod’ existing games, like
MinecraftⓇ, build their own and program the BBC micro:bit using the best technology available.
Their team of developers and teachers have seen success in schools with their first prototype
game: 75,000 students and 1500 teachers have used Code Kingdoms. In partnership with the
BBC, the company extended their reach in schools in 2016. One million 11-12 year olds in the UK
received a small programmable computer, the BBC micro:bit, which can be coded using their
code editor.
39
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Code Kingdoms
www.codekingdoms.com
Sector Education Tech
Location London, UK
Product Gamified Learning Platform
Co-Investors Initial Capital, Charles
Mindenhall, Manoj Badale
Hugh Collins
Co-founder
Co-founder
Ross Targett
Year-End Update
40. 40
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Castle
www.Castle.io
Castle is the easiest way to protect your users in web and mobile apps. By analyzing device,
location and usage patterns we make sure the behavior is consistent for each user.
Every user that comes to the site is scored according to Castle’s machine learning algorithms which
look at unique device characteristics, keystrokes, site browsing history, and hundreds of other
properties. The developer can then choose what to do with the information, whether they’d like to
send a notification to the user, or immediately lock the account and force a password reset. Or if
they want Castle to do all of that automatically for them.
Castle was considered by TechCrunch as a “top 7 startups from Y Combinator Winter '16 Demo Day
1”. SparkLabs Global invested in their initial seed round prior to being accepted into Y Combinator.
Sector CyberSecurity
Location Malmö, Sweden & San Francisco
Product Security Software
Co-Investors Fredrik Nylander, Hampus
Jakobsson, First Round Capital,
Y Combinator, F-Prime
Johan Brissmyr
Co-founder & CEO
Sebastian Wallin
Co-founder & CTO
Year-End Update
41. 41
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Memebox
www.memebox.com
Year-End Update
Launched in 2012, Memebox is an e-commerce beauty retailer launched in
Seoul, Korea, and now headquartered in San Francisco, California. They seek to
provide the best beauty experience by creating high-quality and effective
services and products catered to all types of women, in collaboration with the
hottest beauty icons who share their beauty tips and tricks using our products.
Originally founded as a beauty subscription box company, Memebox evolved to
be Korea’s first Fast Beauty Brand which utilizes technology and e-commerce
platform data analytics to disrupt the traditional beauty industry.
Memebox raised $800,000 from SparkLabs Global Ventures, Y Combinator and
others. After graduating SparkLabs’ accelerator’s 1st class in Korea, Memebox
became the first Korean company to be accepted into Y Combinator’s
accelerator. Closed their Series A and Series B rounds totaling $29 million with
Formation 8, Goodwater Capital, Pejman Mar Ventures, Cowboy Ventures and
others, and a recent $66M Series C.
Sector E-Commerce, Beauty
Location San Francisco & Seoul, Korea
Product Subscription Box & E-Commerce
Co-Investors Y Combinator, Formation 8, Good
Water
42. SparkLabs Global Team
Palo Alto Bernard Moon
London Frank Meehan
Tel Aviv Net Jacobsson
Mumbai HanJoo Lee
San Francisco Rob DeMillo
Seoul Jimmy Kim
HanJoo Lee
Eugene Kim
San Jose Peter Chang
SingaporeJay McCarthy
Hong KongWilliam Chu
42
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Year-End Update
Stockholm
43. 43
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Net Jacobsson is a former Facebook executive,
entrepreneur and investor with vast international experience from
many pioneering companies. Net started out in Sweden Ericsson
Mobile Communications (now SonyEricsson) in 1998 with user
interface design but then moved into different start-up product,
business development and marketing roles. In Israel Net led
international business for Icq/AOL and then joined Chinese
browser company, Maxthon in 2005 as partner & SVP. Net put
Maxthon on the world map and brought in CRV and Google as
investors. Today, Maxthon has over 1 billion downloads. In 2007
Net joined Facebook as the head of International business
development with focus on new user acquisitions, new markets
and early M&A opportunities. In addition Net was responsible for
Facebook's mobile business and led a number of deals with mobile
operators and handset manufacturers. Since 2009 Net has been
involved an advisor and investor in Crowdstar, OpenFeint (sold
to GREE for $104M), Playhopper (Founder), P1
(Board of Directors), and Deeplink. Net has also served as an
advisor to King.com.
Frank Meehan is a Co-Founder & Partner at SparkLabs
Global Ventures and a Partner at SparkLabs, Asia’s premier
accelerator based in Seoul. Frank is also the Co-Founder and CEO
at SmartUp.io, a fast-growing Micro-Learning platform used by
startups, business schools and corporates. SmartUp has been
featured in “Best New Apps” by Apple UK and US in July and October
2015.
Frank was selected as part of the 2012 Wired UK Top 100 in tech,
and Vanity Fair's The Next Establishment list 2010. Led early
investments in DeepMind and Siri. Previously Frank was with
Horizons Ventures (HK), representing them on the boards of
Spotify, Siri, Summly, Affectiva, Bitcasa, Fixmo, DoubleTwist,
Ginger, Desti and Magisto. He also is the founder of Kuato Studios,
a leading educational games studio, and INQ Mobile which was an
early pioneer in mobile internet, winning Best Handset at Mobile
World Congress 2009.
Net
Jacobsson
Co-founder & Partner
Frank
Meehan
Co-founder & Partner
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
44. 44
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Bernard Moon is a Co-founder & Partner at SparkLabs
Global Ventures. He is also a Co-founder & Partner at SparkLabs, a
startup accelerator in Korea. Previously, he was Co-founder & CEO
of Vidquik, a web conferencing & sales solutions platform. Bernard
was a Managing Director at the Lunsford Group, which is a private
investment firm with holdings in real estate, healthcare and other
industries. Bernard was Co-founder & VP of Business Development
of GoingOn Networks, a social media platform for companies,
and also led their product development where BusinessWeek
recognized them in their "Best of the Web" list. Previously,
Bernard was a Director at iRG, a leading boutique investment bank
in Asia, where he focused on TMT companies. He is a frequent
guest writer to various technology journals, such as
VentureBeat, Mashable, TechCrunch, and ReadWrite.
John Lee is Co-founder & Partner at SparkLabs Global
Ventures. He is also a Co-founder & Partner at SparkLabs, a startup
accelerator in Korea. John is a co- founder & EVP of Corporate
Development and Strategy of Hostway. Hostway was acquired by
Littlejohn & Co in 2014. He served additional responsibilities as
CEO of Hostway Korea and Hostway India, where he is actively in
volved today. John and his fellow co- founders bootstrapped
Hostway into a top 5 web hosting company in the world with
over 700 employees. Hostway is a multinational web hosting
company headquartered in Chicago, and serves more than 600,000
customers worldwide. He is currently responsible for overall
corporate strategy, strategic alliances, and mergers and
acquisitions. Previously, he has held positions in every department
of the company, including leading global marketing and sales and
overall P&L for North America. John was born and raised in Korea
and immigrated to the United States at age 13. He holds a BA in
Biology from the University of Chicago.
Bernard
Moon
Co-founder & Partner
John
Lee
Co-founder & Partner
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
45. 45
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Jimmy Kim is Co-founder and President of N3N, an IoT
platform company and Cisco’s first global IoT investment. They
service numerous Fortune 500 companies and governments, such as
Samsung Electronics, POSCO, Port of Singapore, The North Face,
and Hyundai Motors. He previously served as N3N’s CEO. Previously
, Jimmy was CEO of Nexonova, a game development studio of
Nexon Corp that specializes in Social Network Games. He was also
Nexon’s first CFO for many years (Nexon, Market Cap: $6
billion). Jimmy also served as Executive Vice President of Nexon
Corp, and Head of Nexon’s Portal and Web Services. Nexon is one
of the most successful online gaming providers, with games such as
Maple Story, Dungeon and Fighter, Combat Arms, and Kart Rider.
Nexon services over 20 games across 60 countries to an
audience of 300 million. Jimmy was the founding investor and
active deal adviser of Studio Ex, an online gaming studio that was
acquired by Disney in 2012. Jimmy received his B.S. in Biomedical
Engineering from Northwestern University, and also a M.S. in
Biomedical Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science
and Technology (KAIST).
Jay McCarthy has more than 22 years’ experience in Asia.
Currently, as a Managing Partner of Pacific Advisers, he has advised,
financed and invested in a range of deals in Asia across industries,
principally mining & energy, technology, luxury consumer and
property. In recent years, Jay has focused on originating
investment mandates for PA to invest its own capital in both
publicly listed and private companies. Such origination leads to
co-investment opportunities selectively with the hedge fund and
institutional investor communities. Jay has significant experience
with structuring deals and working with the relevant investor,
industry and service (legal and advisory) counterparts. Previously,
Jay served as an Executive Director in the Equity Division at
Morgan Stanley and worked in the Tokyo, HK, Beijing and
Singapore offices over a 16- year period. Within this time, Jay
served 2 years as Morgan Stanley’s “secondee” to China
International Capital Corporation, their JV Chinese Investment
Bank, as the Dealing Director in charge of the Equity Division in
Hong Kong and Beijing.
Jimmy
Kim
Co-founder & Partner
Jay
McCarthy
Co-founder & Partner
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
46. 46
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Eugene Kim is currently a Partner of SparkLabs accelerator
and manages the day–to-day operations of the SparkLabs
accelerator program. Eugene previously served as a Director of
Global Business Development at Tencent Korea. He was
responsible for the sourcing of Korean game titles to China and
Tencent’s global publishing network, headed the global sales of
Tencent game titles, and he managed relationships with Tencent’s
global publishing partners. Prior to Tencent, Eugene was Director
of Business Development and Marketing at Podotree, an online
educational app developer in Korea. He was responsible for their
marketing and launch effort into the U.S. Previously, he was with
Vertigo Games as the Group Manager of the Overseas Business
Group. Eugene led all overseas sales and service support, and all
business development and game engine licensing activities. Eugene
was a Manager and Group Head of the Quality Assurance and
Localization Group for NHN USA.
Rob DeMillo is a Venture Partner at SparkLabs Global, and
CTO of StudioNow, a video production marketplace. Prior to
StudioNow, Rob was the CTO of Discovery Digital Networks which
he came through via Discovery's acquisition of Revision3.
DeMillo is also the Co-Founder of VidQuik, a customer relationship
management company. In 2013, DeMillo was named to Econtent’s
“Fabulous 15: The Top Digital Media Influencers” along with
Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg. DeMillo was the Chief
Technology Officer & Co-founder of Transpera, where he was
responsible for the technology and operational aspects of the
company and serves as the technical liaison to mobile operators,
video content providers and ad agencies globally. Prior to
Transpera, DeMillo was the CTO for Third Screen Media, a mobile
advertising company that was acquired by AOL in 2007. DeMillo also
served as SVP of Mobile Technology at VeriSign, following the
acquisition by Verisign of m-Qube where DeMillo was SVP of
Engineering and managed over 1,000 engineers.
Eugene
Kim
Principal
Rob
DeMillo
Venture Partner
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
47. 47
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Christine Aum is a Senior Associate at SparkLabs Global
Ventures. Christine was previously an equity analyst at Mirae
Asset Securities and has experience of analyzing Korea's two
biggest industries, Automobile and IT sectors. She was responsible
for forecasting the market and share prices of the companies that
are listed in Korea’s stock market, and published analyst reports,
which involves analyzing data and fundamentals of the relevant
industries and companies. She also managed relationships with IR
teams of various companies in Korea and investors in Seoul, Hong
Kong, New York and London. Christine graduated from the
University of Michigan with BA degree in Economics and Chinese
language. Christine loves traveling and collecting new electronic
gadgets. She also enjoys playing games, online shopping, exploring
new entertainment (movies/music/games) and reading blogs on
new electronic products in her free time to keep up with new
trends in culture and technology.
In 2016, Forbes named Christine as “30 Under 30 Asia in Finance
and Venture Capital Sector."
Peter Chang is a Venture Partner and technical adviser at
SparkLabs Global Ventures. Peter Chang is co-founder and CTO of
N3N, an IoT platform company and Cisco’s first global IoT
investment. He is currently leading the product development of
INNOWATCH which is a C4 level command and control center
solution. Existing customers include G20 Summit Seoul, Nuclear
Summit Seoul, Samsung, Hyundai, Posco, and LG. Peter has broad
experiences in business planning and technology development in
telecommunication, IT, CATV, physical security and automobile
industries. Previously, he was Co-founder and CTO of HeyAnita
Korea, an interactive voice portal service backed by Softbank.
Peter was also co-founder and CTO of ViewPlus, an video-on-
demand system for cable and satellite services. Peter received his
masters and bachelor degrees in computer and electrical
engineering from POSTECH and Brown University respectively.
Christine
Aum
Senior Associate
Peter
Chang
Venture Partner
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
48. 48
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
William Chu is a Venture Partner at SparkLabs Global
Ventures and the Managing Partner for SparkLabs FinTech in Hong
Kong. He was Director of Lawman Group International, an apparel
company with business in Greater China and the US. In 2014,
William joined Zheng He Capital, a Hong Kong based private equity
firm with a focus on fintech and healthcare, where he served as
Executive Director. During this time, he spearheaded the firm’s
lead investor role in the US$500MM A Round financing of Ping
An Good Doctor, a Ping An Insurance subsidiary tasked with
building an online health ecosystem in China. He was also actively
involved in Zheng He’s role as lead investor in the US$500MM A
Round and the subsequent US$1.2BN B Round of Lufax, another
Ping An Insurance subsidiary that has become the world’s
largest online financial asset exchange. Prior to Zheng He,
William was President of Lawman Group where he ran the US
and China Operations. In addition to the eponymous Lawman
brand, William launched the apparel lines Petrol and Heart of Stone
in the North American market, and built distribution across the US
and Canada. William graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in
East Asian Studies from Harvard University.
William
Chu
Venture Partner
›❯
Year-End Update
49. 49
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
John Pleasants is EVP, Media Solutions of America at
Samsung Electronics. John Pleasants is a dynamic, high-tech
internet executive that has led public and private companies to
implicit market capitalization and investor gains of more than $5
billion over the past 15 years. As a CEO and President, Pleasants
has built and run start-ups as well as divisions of worldwide media
and Internet conglomerates. Pleasants served as Co-President of
Disney Interactive. Previously, Pleasants served as CEO of
Playdom and as President of Publishing and COO of Electronic
Arts.
Seong Ohm is SVP, Merchandise Business Services at
Sam`s Club. Prior to this assignment, Seong was responsible for
leading the Entertainment SBU for Walmart US, which includes CE,
Media and Wireless and Photo businesses. She led the team to gain
market share in all categories and was awarded the Retailer of the
Year for excelling in TVs, Content and Digital. Seong spent 20
months in Japan as the SVP/GMM of General Merchandise and
Consumables business at Walmart Japan/ Seiyu for its 386
stores. Seong was named 15 Top Innovative Women in Business
by Pink Magazine and also top 100 MBAs by the Diversity
Magazine.
John
Pleasants
Advisor
Seong
Ohm
Advisor
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
50. 50
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Greg Badros earned bachelors degrees in Mathematics and
Computer Science from Duke University. He started graduate
school and earned his masters and doctoral degrees in Computer
Science and Engineering from the University of Washington in
Seattle. Since then, he worked at Google for over six years where
he was a Sr. Director of Engineering. From mid 2009 to October
2013, Greg worked at Facebook where he was VP Engineering &
Products and led numerous teams including Ads, Search, Photos,
Messages, and Data Science. After his nearly 4.5 years at Facebook,
he founded Prepared Mind Innovations and now acts as an advisor
to several startup companies.
Jonathan Teo is a Founder and Managing Director at Binary
. Previously, Jonathan was a General Partner at General Catalyst
Partners and invested in both new and existing technology
businesses. His areas of special interest include: enterprise
software/infrastructure and social media. He currently advises or
sits on the boards of Chloe + Isabel, Couchsurfing, Nodejitsu, and
Snapchat (angel investor) Jonathan was a Principal at Benchmark
Capital where his investments include Twitter and Instagram.
Prior to Benchmark, he served as an Engineering PM in the Search
Properties and Enterprise Products groups at Google.
Greg
Badros
Advisor
Jonathan
Teo
Advisor
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
51. 51
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Yoky Matsuoka is the former VP of Technology at Nest.
Previously, she joined Google [x] as one of the three founding
members. She was a professor at Carnegie Mellon University and
later at the University of Washington developing robotic devices for
rehabilitating and assisting the human body and brain. This work
led her to the MacArthur Award and being named one of “The
Brilliant Ten” by Popular Science Magazine and one of the “Top
10 Women to Watch in 2010” by Barbie. Recent (2015) honors
include "The Next List" by Wired Magazine and The Excellence in
Achievement Award from UC Berkeley.
Brian Behlendorf is Executive Director of Hyperledger at
the Linux Foundation. Previously, he was a Managing Director at
Mithril Capital Management. He has had stints in startups,
government, and international organizations, focusing the positive
impact that open technologies can have on society. He was a
primary developer of the Apache Web server, the most popular
web server software on the Internet, and started the Apache
Software Foundation. Previously, Brian was the CTO at the World
Economic Forum, where he rebooted a 30 year old legacy
environment with open software and open thinking. Brian is on
the Boards of Director at the Electronic Frontier Foundation,
Mozilla Foundation, Benetech, and CollabNet.
Yoky
Matsuoka
Advisor
Brian
Behlendorf
Advisor
›❯ ›❯
Year-End Update
52. 52
SparkLabs Global Ventures Fund I
Team
Maurice Werdegars joined WTI in 2001 and is currently
President and CEO at the oldest & largest venture debt firm in
the U.S. He led investments in companies including Facebook,
Palantir, Youku, Quantcast, Invensense, 3PAR, IronPort, CV
Ingenuity, PEAK Surgical, Merced Systems, Oscar Health, StitchFix,
PlayStudios, and Volcano Technologies. His background includes
positions as a Venture Partner at Outlook Ventures, an early stage
venture firm, and Chief Investment Officer at MetaMarkets, an
online mutual fund company. Mr. Werdegar also founded and served
as CEO of Left at Albuquerque, a venture-backed chain of
restaurants.
Maurice
Werdegars
Advisor
›❯
Year-End Update