OpenVC Blog

Berkeley Skydeck's Chon Tang on Founders, VCs and Deep Tech in the US

This is episode 4 of The OpenVC Podcast. In this episode, Chon Tang, founder and managing partner of the Berkeley SkyDeck Fund, shares how the largest accelerator at UC Berkeley has helped startups raise over $1.8 billion. He discusses the unique value proposition of SkyDeck, navigating failure, and the role of the Berkeley platform in supporting global founders.

Posted by Harrison Faull Chon Tang | June 18, 2024

Seed round explained

This article aims to help understand everything you need to know about the seed stage: are you ready for seed, how much can you raise and at what valuation, who invests at seed, and more.

Posted by Shaun Gold | June 17, 2024

How Berkeley Skydeck brings deeptech to the US

This is episode 2 of The OpenVC podcast. Discover how Skydeck brings top deeptech startups to the US.

Posted by Harrison Faull Chon Tang | June 11, 2024

Two of my angel investments hit $10M ARR - With Francis Santora

This is episode 1 of The OpenVC podcast. In this episode, Francis Santora, a full-time angel investor, shares his journey of backing high-growth startups, with four of his investments reaching $10M in ARR. He discusses his approach to B2B SaaS and consumer subscription investments, common mistakes angels make, and what founders can do to impress investor.

Posted by Harrison Faull Francis Santora | June 4, 2024

How Jeff Durso built and sold 2 startups in a row

American entrepreneur Jeff Durso got his first web startup acquired right before the burst of the dotcom bubble. Then, he went on to build and exit a second startup. Today we discuss his founder journey so that you can better navigate your own.

Posted by Shaun Gold | May 27, 2024

Patents as a strategic tool for early-stage investments

A crucial part of tech investing, sometimes not given enough attention, is the role of patents. Patents protecting a startup’s unique ideas and products, while showing investors how innovative and strong a startup could be in the market.

Posted by Nick Sgobba | May 20, 2024

The VC list of VC lists - 53 databases listed

We have listed 53 VC lists that you can use to raise funds. Search free and paid VC lists, explore the databases by country or theme, and raise funds more efficiently.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | May 20, 2024

VCs aren't your friends

As founder-friendly as VCs claim to be, they remain investment professionals. Many first-time founders are oblivious to this nuance, and are in for a rude awakening when they start their raise.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | May 15, 2024

How to build the perfect investor list

A solid investor list helps you map out your funding options and design the optimal access path for every investor. This post will show you how to build the perfect investor list, step by step.

Posted by Stéphane Nasser | April 30, 2024