Investment for the Underdog

Tips for European Startups Raising Capital Abroad

Sean AmmiratiPartner, Birchmere Ventures

Menlo ParkOffice

PittsburghOffice

Past:

Research Fellow, CMU Software Industry Center

Director Business Development, Peak Strategy (sold to Morgan Stanley)

CEO & Co-Founder, mSpoke (sold to LinkedIn)

COO, ReadWriteWeb (sold to SAY Media)

Now:

Partner, Birchmere Ventures

Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship, Carnegie Mellon University

The Basics ...

A VC’s Job:

Step 1: Find the best companies

Step 2: Invest on rational terms

Step 3: Help them grow

1 Investment:100 - 150 Pitches

The Relevant Question ...

What makes a great investment?

The Relevant Question ...

1 Fantastic Team2 Large Market3 True Differentiation 4 Market Validation 5 Fit with the Fund

Hustler+

Hacker(full time)

The Team ...

VCvs

Angel(not necessarily a reflection on the biz)

Large Market ...

Patents

Engaged Community,

Strategic Relationships,

etc ...

True Differentiation ...

Market Validation ...

Fit with the Fund ...

Sector

Stage

Partner can add value

3 Tips Beyond Building a Great Company

200,000 air miles in 2008 & 2009

(all domestic)

#1 Travel ...

#2 Creatively Self Promote ...

#3 Relentlessly Network...

Adam NashVP, ProductLinkedIn

Questions ????

@SeanAmmirati

Sean Ammirati

Sean Ammirati joined Birchmere Ventures in 2012 to as the partner leading Birchmere Labs, a seed and studio fund focused on community driven commerce startups.

He has over 12 years founding, building and selling businesses in the media and software industries. Sean was previously Chief Operating Officer of ReadWriteWeb, one of the most influential sites about the future of technology and innovation. In December 2011, the company was acquired by SAY Media to strengthen its technology channel. Sean was previously co-founder and CEO of mSpoke, which was the first acquisition of LinkedIn.

Sean is currently an Adjunct Professor of Entrepreneurship at Carnegie Mellon University’s Tepper & Heinz Schools. He also was a founding advisor to Innovation Works’ AlphaLab accelerator. He holds a B.S. in computer information systems from Grove City College and was a research fellow at Carnegie Mellon’s Sloan Software Industry Center.

p: 412.401.0037e: seanammirati@gmail.com

t: @SeanAmmirati