A VC in Vacationland

Seeking the next gen supply chain technology breakthroughs

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  • Supply Chain Strategy: Big Data or Big Bust?

    Buzzword Bingo: Big Data = Collection of large...Buzzword Bingo: Big Data = Collection of large and complex data sets (Photo credit: planeta)

    Big Data frenzy is sweeping the supply chain world. Numerous article tout the 'importance' of big data in making optimal planning, execution and investment decisions. Well, maybe…

    First, a few thoughts on how Big Data could be helpful. Using downstream data on consumer insights, for example, could provide valuable insights into emerging consumer demand and enhance forecasting. Consumer feedback on carriers and deliveries can be used to improve outbound execution. Finally, monitoring Twitter or Facebook feeds can catch consumer dissatisfaction with deliveries and provide a forum for addressing the issues.

    But Big Data accumulation and usage may be problematic. First, Big Data has many owners beyond your company–shipper's own the purchase orders, but carriers and many other third parties own much of the in transit/delivery data. Big Data owners are increasingly charging for data access, or limiting access due to consumer privacy concerns. Finally, linking together various data sources to get a coherent view of deliveries processes is a complex and expensive process.

    So when your boss, after having read a glowing article on using Big Data to solve logistics problems, shows up in your office and asks what you are doing to integrate Big Data into your execution processes, be sure you have at least done your homework on what data may be useful and where you can get it. 
    Your supply chain software provider, who is probably already evaluating how to add Big Data to their applications is a good place to start. There are numerous articles I have read recently on the subject of using Big Data to improve supply chain decision making, but none worth noting here. Stay tuned…I continue to look.

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  • Managing Start-Ups: Yesware helps sales people keep track of email responses

    Image representing Yesware as depicted in Crun...Image by None via CrunchBase

    According to Xconomy, Boston-based Yesware, which makes e-mail software for
    salespeople    , has raised $13.5 million in a bid to accelerate its
    growth.

    Battery Ventures led the
    investment, which also featured Yesware’s existing backers: Google Ventures,
    Foundry Group, Golden Venture Partners, and IDG Ventures. With the new cash,
    Yesware has raised a total of $18.5 million in venture investments.

    In a blog post today, CEO
    Matthew Bellows says he was looking for investors who could help the startup
    eventually become a public company. As for immediate plans, Bellows says the
    details of Yesware’s growth will be revealed “in the coming months and years.”

    Yesware’s product is an e-mail plugin that helps salespeople
    keep on top of who is reading and responding to their messages. Users also can
    collaborate with their co-workers and share e-mail templates.

    The company now has more than 30 employees and some 300,000
    users.

    In a press release, Battery’s Neeraj Agrawal says the firm
    thinks sales software could follow the example of “marketing automation”
    software, which has spawned a new class of high-growth startups over the past
    few years    .

    “At Battery, we saw similar innovation in the field of marketing
    automation and invested in successful companies like Marketo and ExactTarget as
    a result—we believe sales-effectiveness will experience the same disruptive
    adoption curve,” he says.

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  • Managing Start-Ups: Anaqua–Managing Intellectual Property

    Image representing Anaqua as depicted in Crunc...Image by None via CrunchBase

    Entrepreneurs ought to start organizing their IP and patents early in their life. But according to Venture Beat, managing intellectual property can be a time-consuming process, especially for major enterprises with thousands of inventions, patents, and trademarks. That’s why companies like Microsoft, Ford, and Coca-Cola turn to Anaqua for help.

    Anaqua, which just announced a $25 million investment from Bessemer Venture Partners, makes software that helps global enterprises file, manage, and protect their intellectual property. It sells the software-as-a-service (in the cloud) to more than 20,000 users, who use Anaqua to manage more than $500 billion in intellectual assets, according to the company.

    “It’s always been challenging for businesses to manage IP and trademarks. But these days, it’s a strategic advantage to manage them well,” said Bob Goodman, a partner at BVP who will join Anaqua’s board of directors.

    Anaqua’s software facilitates the patent management, filing, renewal, and monetization process.

    In July, Anaqua received a “significant investment” from Insight Venture Partners, which AllThingsD pegs at $100 million. The company is based in Boston, Massachusetts with offices in London, UK and Pau, France.

    Bessemer Venture Partners manages $4 billion and has invested in companies like LinkedIn, Yelp, Skype, Pinterest, and Box.

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  • Supply Chain Innovators: GrabIt–Stop Losing Boxes Off the Conveyor

       Santa Clara, California  –  Material handling technology company Grabit has garnered an undisclosed amount of Series A institutional venture capital financing.

    Grabit has created electroadhesion-based gripping products to improve the holding or grasping of objects in an industrial or manufacturing setting.

    Formation 8 led the round, which also included ABB Technology Ventures and Nike.

    The company said it would use the financing to continue the commercialization process of its technology.

  • Managing Start-Ups: Steve’s Four Rules of Life ( and Start up Success)

    I met a good friend recently who passed on his four rules of life. Entrepreneurs take note…

    1. Show up for life

    2. Be honest. Life too short to lie

    3. Be passionate and compassionate

    4. Detach yourself from the results. 

     

  • Supply Chain Innovators: Drivewyze-Improving Truck Driver Productivity

    US truck - California 2007US truck – California 2007 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Transportation
    technology company Drivewyze
    has secured $7.5 million in Series A financing led by Emergence
    Capital Partners     and iNovia Capital.
    The company delivers time-saving and cost-effective driving solutions to
    commercial vehicle operators in the trucking industry. The funding will be used
    for sales and marketing expansion, as well as new product development.

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  • Supply Chain Innovators: Good Eggs-farm-to-fridge delivery platform

    Image representing Max Ventilla as depicted in...Image by Max Ventilla / Aardvark via CrunchBase

    According to Venture Beat, San Francisco-based
    local food technology startup Good
    Eggs     has raised $8.5 million in series A funding led by Sequoia
    with participation from Collaborative
    Fund    , Harrison
    Metal    , Max
    Ventilla    , and others. Good Eggs will use the capital to expand its
    farm-to-fridge delivery platform. Founded in 2011 by Rob
    Spiro     and Alon
    Salant    , Good Eggs' mission is to grow and sustain local food systems
    worldwide.

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  • Managing Start-Ups: Reid Hoffman’s Series B Financing Pitch for LinkedIn

    LinkedinAnswersLinkedinAnswers (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    Some excellent advice here from Reid Hoffman for entrepreneurs going after VC money…

    http://reidhoffman.org/linkedin-pitch-to-greylock/

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  • Supply Chain Innovators: Shyp–making shipping suck less?

    Timothy FerrissTimothy Ferriss (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

    According to Venture Beat, Shyp has raised $1 million of a $2.1  million round to
    make shipping easier. You take a photo of whatever it is you want to “Shyp
    Hero” will come pick up your unpackaged items; package it off-site; and mail it
    for you. You only pay the cost of shipping plus a pickup fee. The company is
    still in beta. Homebrew and Sherpa Ventures contributed to this round with
    participation from Tim Ferriss and angel investors.

    Now you never have to leave your home for any reason…seriously, FedEx, USPS and UPS will pick it it for free if you can find a box and a pen. They will even bring you a box, if asked…and probably even write the address on the box…

     

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  • Managing Start-Ups:Board Prospects–Finding Qualified Board Members for Start ups

    Image representing BoardProspects as depicted ...Image by None via CrunchBase

    According to the Boston Business Journal, Boston-based BoardProspects, which offers a site connecting companies and nonprofits with potential board members, said Wednesday it's raised a $2.4 million Series A round from about 20 angel investors.

    The investors were not named. The funding follows the release of a new version of the company's online platform in August.

    Founded in 2010, the company had previously raised $750,000 in seed funding in 2011.

    BoardProspects is a social network-like online recruitment platform that allows nonprofits and companies of all sizes to search for candidates for their various governing and advisory boards, CEO and founder Mark Rogers said in a previous interview.

    Conversely, through its two-way search and matching technology, it gives prospects the ability to look for board openings or express interest in serving on a particular board, while presenting their background and qualifications. The site also offers educational tools and resources from experts, such as white papers, blogs and webinars.

    “It’s bringing boardroom recruitment into the modern age,” Rogers said in the interview.

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