Each week we round up a few interesting articles, reports and presentations that we believe are of particular interest in the VC/Startup Industry.
THE RANDOM EVENTS THAT SPARKED 8 OF THE WORLD'S BIGGEST STARTUPS, Fast Company. "Light-bulb moments don’t happen on command, and brainstorming sessions rarely produce extraordinary results. More often it’s a random remark, event, or memory that sends an entrepreneur down the rabbit hole of innovation. From Airbnb to Yelp, here are the surprising origin stories to eight of today’s hottest companies."
Brooklyn Bridge Ventures Looks for Seedlings, Eyes Bigger Fund, Venture Capital Dispatch, WSJ. "Mr. O’Donnell’s goal is to make about 30 investments out of his current fund and to start making the first deals out of a potential second fund in 2016. He hopes to raise the second fund next year."
Global Taxi Apps Vie for Unicorn Status, Crunchbase. "Investors have allocated over $2 billion in venture dollars this year to consumer transportation companies, from giants like Uber and Lyft to more narrowly-focused startups like Shuddle, the so-called “Uber for Kids,” and FlightCar, the airport car rental marketplace."
Venture Capital Performance Slips in 2Q, But Longer View Looks Rosier, Venture Capital Dispatch, WSJ. "Venture capital performance slipped in the second quarter of this year but the 10-year return continued its climb, outperforming public market indexes."
Four ways cities can embrace the sharing economy, World Economic Forum. "The sharing economy is neither a panacea nor a silver bullet. However, it is an extremely useful, effective tool by which to improve life in cities. It is a new lens by which we can unlock value in assets all around us. So the better thing to do – for city leaders, resilient communities and wellbeing – is to lean in."
Venture capital data provider PitchBook says they’re not for sale, GeekWire. "PitchBook, the Seattle startup that collects data on venture capital and private equity financings, is denying a report by PeHubthat it is for sale. According to the report, which cites unnamed private equity sources, PitchBook is being 'shopped around.'"