A VC in Vacationland

Seeking the next gen supply chain technology breakthroughs

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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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  • Supply Chain Innovators: Chinese e-commerce logistics heats up

    Image representing Alibaba as depicted in Crun...Image via CrunchBase

    According to TI Weekly, competition continues to heat up as China's two largest e-commerce companies, Alibaba and Jingdong (formerly known as 360Buy) go head-to-head in the logistics and last-mile delivery space.

    Last week, Alibaba officially announced its plan to create a logistics network to connect all of China with a goal to provide same day delivery anywhere in the country. Alibaba plans to accomplish this via partnerships – depending on express providers such as Shentong Express, ZTO Express and YTO Express for last mile delivery. As for regional distribution centres, it is likely Alibaba will take ownership of most of these facilities, allowing its customers to utilise space and value-added services.

    Meanwhile, Jingdong has opted to take ownership of its logistics network. The company is building its network across the country and currently has six large logistics centres, over 900 distribution stations and covers over 1,000 districts and counties. In mid-May, Jingdong announced the building of its newest logistics centre in Shenyang. Expected to be completed towards the end of 2013, the facility will be about 174,000 sq m and will be highly automated; similar to Amazon facilities.

    Jingdong's logistics subsidiary accounts for more than 85% of all orders placed on Jingdong's websites. Interesting to note, not only does its logistics subsidiary handle deliveries on behalf of Jingdong, but it also has an express license from the Chinese government to provide similar services for other companies.

    The fierce competition between China's two largest e-commerce companies has prompted Jingdong to expand its last-mile delivery options. Dubbed as the "speed-up" project, Jingdong now offers 3-hour delivery within Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, Chengdu, Wuhan and Shenyang. Its courier network utilises vans and bicycles to deliver from city warehouses directly to customers. Payment options include credit card or cash on delivery.

    Simultaneously, the company is also offering evening delivery services and later cut-off times to the same cities. According to its press release, Jingdong now offers same-day, next-day and timed delivery to 150 cities across China.

    Real-time tracking of deliveries is also provided for Jingdong's customers.  The company outfits its employees with satellite-based tracking devices so customers can track everything, from what time their purchases were packed to where the delivery person is via a map and also how to reach the delivery person by mobile phone.

    Competition within the largest e-commerce logistics market will continue and perhaps improve a domestic network that has been lacking in technology, warehousing and distribution facilities and last-mile service options. No matter what option Alibaba or Jingdong may take in managing their logistics networks, the ultimate winner in this environment will be the Chinese consumers and SMEs.

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