The Hamilton Effect is real—immigrant startup founders know how to get the job done. A majority of unicorns were founded by immigrants or their children.
Business Journal: Ascend Venture Capital has a 'micro' investment strategy, but big ambitions for expansion
Originally published on St. Louis Business Journal
With new money in tow, Conner feels bullish about the firm’s ability to expand its portfolio. As more companies integrate data and analytics in their operations, Conner is confident additional attractive investment opportunities are ahead for Ascend.
Why Venture Capital Needs a Code of Ethics
Market manipulation in any form undermines capital market integrity and could lead to foundation-eroding doubts about the actual value of any business. We saw this very phenomenon come to life at the beginning of 2021 — when GameStop stocks soared to bewildering levels in a matter of days, despite steep quarterly sales declines, as a result of retail investors driving up the price artificially. For many, the GameStop frenzy, along with a host of other longstanding issues in venture capital, threw the issue of ethical investing into sharp relief. Dan Conner shares why those in the VC sector should commit to abiding by a venture capital code of ethics.
Generalist vs. Thematic Investment Strategies: Does One Approach Yield Higher Returns?
Is it better to be a jack of all trades or a master of one? This question plagues the venture capital industry — with some managers pursuing a generalist investment strategy while others swear by a thematic approach. Can you truly diversify your investment portfolio when taking a generalist approach? Do thematically diversified asset portfolios lead to better returns?
What a Tech Migration Might Mean for VC Activity in the Midwest
Midwest startups have seen an upswing in investment activity over the last few years — and for good reason. Not only do Midwest startups often require much less capital to scale their operations, but the Midwest is home to many industrial hubs. Is the tech migration to the Midwest a passing fad or here to stay?
The Pros and Cons of Direct Investments for Family Offices
Over the past decade, family offices have become increasingly interested in the realm of direct investments and coinvesting. This trend has led family offices to gather specified asset pools and the talent required to allocate capital directly into private markets. Today, nearly every family office has decision-makers with firsthand experience in successfully operating businesses. While the direct investment route affords greater control and transparency, it’s not without its downsides. Here are the pros and cons of direct investing and how to identify when investing in venture capital funds and working closely with venture capital managers makes more sense.
The Future of Tech: The Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Three Tools to Improve the Fund Manager–Client Relationship
Originally published on Enterprising Investor
Technology, properly applied, can help initiate and improve your relationships with clients. But with so many tech options out there, where do you start? After all, even well-established firms find it difficult to stay on the cutting edge. Yet there are three essential tech tools that can improve your business right off the bat…
Data-Informed, Data-Driven, and Data-Centric: What’s the Difference?
How Data-Centric Investing Can Transform Your ROI
Questions to Ask Before Investing in Emerging Technology
The Increasing Wait for Promising Companies To Get Public
Originally published on Equities.com
It used to be the case that an initial public offering was the preeminent financing opportunity for startups, leading most companies to go public earlier in their life cycle. But the proliferation of private equity dollars over the past 30 years means that one of the best investment strategies is to influence founders to keep their companies privately held for considerably longer…
Podcast: Investor Connect – Dan Conner of Ascend Venture Capital
Originally published on InvestorConnect.org
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall is joined by Dan Conner of St. Louis-based Ascend Venture Capital. Before coming into investing, Dan worked as an engineer, primarily in the oil, biofuel, and wind energy industries. After getting his MBA, Dan ended up in the VC world, in the enterprise sector. According to Dan, he owes his success to ‘putting in the legwork’, researching thousands of companies to find the select few he likes.