In our continuous effort to strengthen and expand the Philly innovation community, we are launching a new program called "Fireside Chats". Fireside Chats will be an ongoing series of enlightening discussions and presentations about entrepreneurship, startups, tech, and venture capital from the foremost thinkers in the industry. Our goal is to educate and inspire, while you continue to imagine and invent. We welcome our new partner in this endeavor, the Wharton Small Business Development Center.
Produced by Philly Tech Meetup and Wharton SBDC.
Hosted at The Wharton School, University of Pennsylvania.
Is the Venture Capital Model Flawed?
Building a tech company today is cheaper than ever before. Entrepreneurs are able to leverage open-source software, cloud computing, offshore engineering, and even social media marketing to build cheaper, faster and better. Conversely, founders can now fail faster and cheaper than ever before. This new paradigm is far more capital efficient for investors and has fundamentally transformed the venture funding landscape, paving the way for many new investors and investment programs.
Naturally, you must be wondering if it?s a good time to be a VC. The Kauffman Foundation, which has invested in nearly 100 venture funds in the past 20 years, recently crunched the data and stated that ?VC returns haven?t significantly outperformed the public market since the late 1990s, and, since 1997, less cash has been returned to investors than has been invested in VC.? Furthermore, the Kauffman report suggests that VCs get paid ?to build funds, not build companies.?
What?s going on? Is the venture capital model flawed? Will we see a pull back from LPs? Will VCs need to fundamentally shift from being bankers to operators so that they can bring more value to their portfolio companies? How does this affect entrepreneurs and valuations? How should entrepreneurs evaluate the smorgasbord of new and existing funding options to maximize their overall success?
We invite you to participate in a discussion between prominent early-stage investors about:
? the state of venture capital today,
? the big shift from bankers to operators,
? how Y Combinator and AngelList have helped transform early stage investing,
? and where the most exciting disruption is happening.
[5:30] Doors open (Ambani Auditorium)
[6:00] Intro
[6:15] Panel
[8:15] Reception
Speakers will be announced soon, but trust us when we say this is a DO NOT MISS event. Seating is limited, so make sure to get your ticket(s).
Please email ?info [a] phillytechmeetup.com? if you would like to sponsor this series, suggest a future topic, or recommend a future speaker.
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