The Silicon Valley venture capitalist Chris Schaepe has left Lightspeed Venture Partners after disclosing a link to the college-admissions cheating scandal. Schaepe is said to have made donations to a foundation run by disgraced college-admissions coach Rick Singer – totalling more than $630,000 – to help get his son into the University of Texas. Schaepe was not arrested in connection with the scandal, and he told Axios in a statement that he didn’t knowingly participate in any bribery schemes. Lightspeed Venture Partners’ Chris Schaepe has left the venture-capital firm after admitting a link to the college-admissions cheating scandal that has rocked elite circles. Schaepe, a regular on the Forbes Midas List for his success as an investor in the software industry, worked with disgraced college-admissions coach Rick Singer to help his son get into the University of Texas, as first reported on Wednesday by Axios. A person familiar … [Read more...] about A prominent Silicon Valley VC was ‘terminated’ from Lightspeed Venture Partners after admitting a link to the college-admissions scandal
Silicon valley venture capitalists
Heartland Ventures is bringing Silicon Valley VCs to Indiana
As Silicon Valley venture capitalists express increasing interest in investing in companies outside of their backyard, more groups are trying to get these VCs to the Midwest, even if just for a few days to meet with the region’s companies who can pitch them on why they should invest there. One of those groups is Heartland Ventures, a new venture capital firm based in South Bend, Indiana. This week, Heartland Ventures is leading about half a dozen venture capitalists on a tour of Northwest Indiana, a very manufacturing-heavy part of the state to meet with some family-run businesses as well as young tech startups. These types of tours have been dubbed “Rust Belt safaris” by their critics, for taking VCs on what they see as a superficial tour of the Midwest, without leading to a meaningful shift in investments. Heartland Ventures’ founder and managing director Max Brickman was one of the investors who met with Silicon Valley VCs when they stopped in South Bend, as … [Read more...] about Heartland Ventures is bringing Silicon Valley VCs to Indiana
Chinese tech investors flee Silicon Valley as Trump tightens scrutiny
SAN FRANCISCO (Reuters) - New Trump administration policies aimed at curbing China’s access to American innovation have all but halted Chinese investment in U.S. technology startups, as both investors and startup founders abandon deals amid scrutiny from Washington. FILE PHOTO: U.S. President Donald Trump and China's President Xi Jinping shake hands after making joint statements at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, November 9, 2017. REUTERS/Damir Sagolj/File Photo Chinese venture funding in U.S. startups crested to a record $3 billion last year, according to New York economic research firm Rhodium Group, spurred by a rush of investors and tech companies scrambling to complete deals before a new regulatory regime was approved in August. Since then, Chinese venture funding in U.S. startups has slowed to a trickle, Reuters interviews with more than 35 industry players show. U.S. President Donald Trump signed new legislation expanding the … [Read more...] about Chinese tech investors flee Silicon Valley as Trump tightens scrutiny
Collect Silicon Valley venture capitalists — as trading cards
If baseball cards seem like old hat, here's a new twist: venture capitalist trading cards.Whether you're a fan of Apple angel investor Mike Markkula or Kleiner Perkins partner Mary Meeker, you'll likely find a favorite tech visionary in these collectible cards from Touchbase. Each pack comes with an assortment of five cards that include late-stage investors, angel investors, seed investors and advisers who span multiple years of Silicon Valley's venture capital history.Various iconic investors such as Meeker, Markkula, Paul Graham, Marc Andreessen and Bill Gurley are randomly placed in each pack, so you never know which one you'll get."We carry vintage and rare cards from the 1994 Sand Hill Road Series, the 2010 Gig Economy Series, the 1992 Private Equity Series, the 2015 Unicorn Series, and more," the Touchbase website says.Each card includes a photo of the VC, stats and biographical information.I reached out to Touchbase to make sure the cards … [Read more...] about Collect Silicon Valley venture capitalists — as trading cards
Sexual harassment scandal: Silicon Valley VC resigns over claims of inappropriate conduct
By Marisa Kendall | [email protected]p.com | Bay Area News Group PUBLISHED: June 26, 2017 at 5:34 pm | UPDATED: June 27, 2017 at 7:07 am SAN FRANCISCO — In the latest sexual harassment scandal to shake Silicon Valley, the co-founder of a venture capital firm resigned this week after six women accused him of making unwelcome advances ranging from late-night texts to groping. Justin Caldbeck stepped down Sunday from San Francisco-based Binary Capital, the VC firm he helped launch and had managed since 2014, after posting a public apology. Caldbeck’s resignation comes against a backdrop of increasing complaints about inappropriate workplace behavior in Silicon Valley’s testosterone-fueled tech culture. Uber CEO Travis Kalanick resigned last week, brought down in part by allegations of sexual harassment and sexism in the company that were largely ignored by management. Venture capitalist Ellen Pao took her former employers at Kleiner Perkins … [Read more...] about Sexual harassment scandal: Silicon Valley VC resigns over claims of inappropriate conduct