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2011/11/14

Bernard Lietaer. How to save the financial system

Conventional Approach to Fund a Social or Environmental Project
- designed by Bernard Lietaer

Conventional means includes among others paying all labor required at market rates for all the relevant work.
The purpose of the system is to encourage green and healthy activities, beautify the neighborhood, and generally improve the quality of life in the neighborhood. The starting point was a survey with the question: What would be most desirable to the local resident population. The answer, particularly for the inhabitants of the apartment buildings, was to have access to a few square meters of land for gardening, for growing vegetables and flowers. The city provides access to the land: An old factory site that had been demolished and the land was left untended, plots of land that are waiting for building permits, a back part of a park, even the center of a large traffic roundabout. The land is made available for rent on a month to month basis.

Local NGO's whose mission is in alignment with that intention would also be invited to get involved.

There are two types of national currency flows that would be necessary. The first one is direct: subsidies or city projects paid out from tax income (or through debt, but that would involve over time the same amount of tax income, plus interest, only in a delayed way). The second channel is through non-profits activities.

More detail about new idea of Bernard Lietaer (euros architect) see on
http://vsocial.livejournal.com/139198.html

2011/11/11

Peter Thiel initiated technology fund

The Thiel Foundation will award 20 young people cash grants of $100,000 to further their innovative scientific and technical ideas.

http://futurerating.blogspot.com/2011/11/new-peter-thiel-initiative.html

Rating of disruptive technology ideas will be done by Future Europe Association.

TOP 10 of disruptive technology

1. Mobile in general (Geolocation in particular)
By 2012, smartphone shipments are expected to exceed the sum of desktop and notebook PCs, according to Morgan Stanley research. Mobile payment platform – the most important technology for future
2. Real-time data connectedness. This is secret weapon of Google and other company which take control over many sites, marketing platforms and social networks
3. Clean energy including water purification. Future scarcity of water makes a demand of water purification technology with simultaneous production of energy
4. Discount E-commerce
Members-only retail site offering collective discounts, like Groupon, which reached $1 billion in revenue in three years, versus six years for Google
5. SaaS and the ‘cloud’
6. Internet and mobile social network
7. 3d home video
8. Trading software
9. Online interactive games
10. 5G and LTE

2011/11/02

Vision about early venture investment

Here's some highlights of the different strategies among these seed- to early-stage investors.

Dave McClure of 500 Startups: Strategy - "diversified." The fund looks to make up to 100 investments in a year, with the understanding that "most" companies will fail (as they typically do across the board). Not surprisingly, Dave has little time to spend with each company. Dave will look to invest about $50,000 to $100,000 to prove out a startup's thesis and reach milestones. He'll do follow-on rounds with companies that are hitting those miletsones. Dave focuses more on M&A exits, as opposed to big billion-dollar exits. To this end, he's not as worried about being diluted by later-stage funds getting in on the deals. He believes many founders will be inclined to sell their company for $25 million more often than not.

Jed Katz of Javelin Venture Partners: Strategy - "traditional." Javelin invests in about six deals a year, committing anywhere between $200,000 and $2 million. Javelin will only do seed investments if he and his partners are certain they will follow on with a Series A round. Unlike 500 Startups, Javelin's team spends "a lot" of time with their founders.

Manu Kumar of K-9 Ventures: Strategy - "selective." Manu makes four to five investments a year, and commits anywhere between $100,000 and $200,000. He's looking for home-runs. Because Manu is looking for big wins, he also doesn't invest in any company that's valued at $5 million.

Thomas Korte of AngelPad: Strategy - "incubator." The group invests in 40 companies a year and is always the first money in. Entrepreneurs spend three months with AngelPad. Those entering the program receive $20,000 from AngelPad and $100,000 from two un-named VCs who've backed AngelPad.
http://vator.tv/news/2011-11-02-which-early-stage-startup-strategy-is-the-best