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.
In the Delivery Wars, Emerging Tech Provides a Much-Needed Edge
In the suddenly expansive delivery market and ensuing land grab, the question is: How can retailers remain competitive? The answer lies in technology. Given the cutthroat competition and razor-thin margins, every company will need to differentiate in a similar way, and precision last-mile delivery has quickly become a key differentiator for delivery. Technology is starting to provide the solutions necessary to satisfy the needs of the most exacting of customers.
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.
3 Signs a Founder Has What it Takes to Scale a Startup During a Crisis
Originally published on StartupNation
As the COVID-19 pandemic horizon stretches onward and a return to normalcy appears ever more distant, adaptation is the only option. What makes founders essential when fortifying a startup against unpredictable risks? Some essential traits distinguish the very best startup leaders - here’s how to cultivate them.
Energetics: How Successful Startups Generate 'Lift'
Just as aviation is ruled by gravity, so is the trajectory of your business venture. The harder gravity pulls, the more difficult it is to grow your startup and reach exit velocity. Perhaps now more than ever, successful startups are the ones that learn to generate lift on their own and maximize any boost they gain from outside investors. For most successful startups, there are a few essential strategies that can help generate lift where they need it the most — to counteract gravity before it pulls them back down to earth.
The Future of Tech: The Implications of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning
Disruption Is Inevitable: What You Should Know About Operations Strategy
TikTok’s Privacy Concerns Are Well-founded
Originally published on ValueWalk
Surveillance during Black Lives Matter protests, privacy violations by apps meant to trace COVID-19 cases, and covert monitoring of newly remote workers. Many privacy concerns are rearing their heads all at the same time. Why you should care about your TikTok data.
How Data-Centric Investing Can Transform Your ROI
What Is Deep Tech and Why Does It Deserve Your Attention?
We are in the middle of a widespread evolution in which our economy stands to be enlivened by a parade of high-growth companies in new, data-centric sectors. These breakthrough inventions in science and engineering are characterized by extensive research and development times — and they are classified as “deep tech.”
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…
Interview: Ascend Venture Capital Partner Dan Conner on Fuller Speed Ahead
Ascend Venture Capital partner Dan Conner has made a career of funding and helping build startups. As a venture capitalist himself, Conner shared what he believes every founder should know when seeking to raise capital with FreightWaves CEO Craig Fuller as part of the FreightWavesTV show, "Fuller Speed Ahead."
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.