Alastair Goldfisher

Anyone who knows Steve Jurvetson, a managing director of Draper Fisher Jurvetson, knows that he has a passion for rocketry. He also has a passion for disruptive technology, and he can deliver a polished, albeit speedy, lecture. (The video is available after the jump.) Last week, Jurvetson gave his perspective on the market opportunities in […]

As I read about whether investments by VCs in seed stage companies require more streamlined documentation, I’m reminded of the movie “Office Space” and how the boss wants the paperwork done right. Don’t forget “we’re putting new coversheets on all the TPS reports before they go out now.” But this is no joking matter, according […]

Knowledge Networks Inc., a VC-backed provider of research to media and advertising companies, yesterday announced its acquisition of Dimestore Media, which helps measure the effectiveness of digital advertising through surveys. Dimestore Media was founded in 2008 by Scott Cohen and David Moore, who previously co-founded online ad network 24/7 Media, which later merged with Real Media. Knowledge Networks has raised an undisclosed amount of funding from Alloy Ventures, Maveron, Meritech Capital Partners, Oak Hill Venture Partners and Oak Investment Partners. I caught up with Knowledge Networks' CEO Simon Kooyman to get his take on the Internet advertising market and understand how market research is driving today's corporate decision-making. Get Q&A after the jump...

If you woke up this morning itching to see Tim Draper do some rapping, I've got the video for you. Of course, if you woke up itching to see Tim Draper do some rapping, you might need something more than just a video... The Silicon Valley venture capitalist has teamed up with area artist Drue Kataoka and the First Lady of Facebook, Randi Zuckerberg, to perform some hardcore rapping and dancing to launch the inaugural episode of a new Web show called CultureLick. The music video, a parody of Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" is meant to be a petition for net neutrality. Called "Bits Don't Lie," the video includes endorsements from Tim's dad Bill Draper (from Draper Richards), Ashu Garg (Foundation Capital) and Rob Solomon (Technology Crossover Ventures). Watch it after the jump...

Fresh off of last month's announcement that he has launched a Chinese IT incubator called Innovation Works, Kai-Fu Lee has been named chairman of WI Harper Group's advisory board. Kai-Fu will advise the firm on trends, strategy and innovative investment opportunities in China, according to a prepared release that went out early Thursday morning. WI Harper Chairman Peter Liu noted in the release that Kai-Fu has a keen sense of what the future holds in China. I haven't had the chance yet to speak with Kai-Fu, but it's safe to say that his appointment shows that WI Harper wants to do all it can to

Similar to yesterday's report from Greentech Media, the Cleantech Group today issued a third quarter analysis of VC funding nationwide in cleantech. And the results of both were pretty much the same: cleantech investments picked up in the last three months following some dismal activity earlier in the year. The Cleantech Group went so far as to point out that the cleantech category for the first time has overcome biotech and software as the top U.S. venture capital area of investment. Here are links to Cleantech Group's Q3 report and its previous Q2 analysis. Before you get all giddy with cleantech euphoria, keep in mind that it's been a tough year for all VC investments, and you should never get too carried away

Internet advertising is an investment sector that needs no marketing help whatsoever. Excuse the double negative, but it seems that not a week goes by that I don’t see one or more Internet advertising startups raise capital. This month, Peacock Equity Fund has backed two: Greystripe and The Rubicon Project. Just last week, Zoove, a […]

This morning, Peacock Equity Fund is expected to announce that it has led a $9 million Series C funding round of the Rubicon Project, a Los Angeles-based provider of Internet advertising optimizing services and infrastructure. Peacock invested $6 million in the round, which also included commitments from existing investors Clearstone Venture Partners and the Mayfield […]

Forget learning how to increase your Twitter followers ten-fold. What I want to know is how has Twitter supposedly is raising $50 million in venture capital at a $1 billion valuation? TechCrunch reports that Twitter CEO Ev Williams spilled the beans about the funding during an all-hands meeting at the San Francisco HQ of Twitter. What surprises me most, apart from the large valuation, is that I thought the company already had raised plenty of cash and had gobs more stashed away in its nest.

He may not be as maligned as Ponzi scheme king Bernie Madoff, but there’s no doubt that there is no love lost between William “Boots” Del Biaggio, who was convicted in February of committing securities fraud, and the investors he bilked. Del Biaggio was sentenced yesterday to eight years in prison and ordered to repay […]