Chris Crump

Los Angeles is buzzing with venture capital activity, ready to back the boldest entrepreneurs across industries like tech, fintech, and biotech. If you're aiming to elevate your startup in LA, here's where you might find your perfect investor match. Leading LA Venture Capital Firms: ✅ Mucker Capital - Big on software startups, investing in companies like AuditBoard and Honey. 🚀 ✅ Upfront Ventures - Specializes in ecommerce and healthcare, with investments in GOAT Group and Parachute Home. 🏪 ✅ Baroda Ventures - Eyes on consumer internet and SaaS markets, backing firms like Amplify. 💡 ✅ ScOp Venture Capital - Focus on SaaS, helping companies scale with investments in Cloverleaf. 🌐 ✅ Crosscut Ventures - Largest seed-stage VC in LA, invested in Boosted and Inspire. 🌱 ✅ Anthem Venture Partners - Biotech and fintech enthusiasts, with investments in TrueCar. 🔬💳 ✅ Arena Ventures - Backing consumer and fintech disruptors like CityMall and Aaptiv. 🚀 ✅ Canyon Creek Capital - Supports technology firms showing market traction like HoneyBook. 💻 ✅ Frontier Venture Capital - Investing in media and tech that enhance global well-being, like Syndio. 🌍 ✅ Karlin Ventures - Funds innovative solutions in software and ecommerce like StrikeAd and Wallaby. 🛒 🔗 Discover the full list here: https://lnkd.in/dtxqpiRy Explore opportunities, connect with industry leaders, and start your journey in LA’s thriving startup ecosystem today! 🚀 #VentureCapital #Startups #LosAngeles #Innovation #Entrepreneurship

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As promised in our last update, here’s the scoop on our second acquisition. Last month, we closed another fantastic deal, and this one truly hits the right notes. We acquired a 14-year-old music site that racks up over 60k monthly page views. This deal came with three domains (including one over 14 years old and another over 5 years old) and a solid Domain Authority score of 49. Best part? We secured the entire business for less than 1x annual revenue, Revenue streams are steadily flowing in from ad and affiliate networks. It was a smooth close, taking us just 15 days from due diligence to a full transfer of accounts. And don’t worry—we’ve got something even bigger in the pipeline. Deal #3 is in the works, and it’s shaping up to be our most exciting one yet. Stay tuned for more! Got a site of your own? Or know someone looking to sell? Let’s chat and make it happen. 🚀 #Acquisitions #DigitalAssets #OnlineBusiness #DigitalMarketing #Startup #Entrepreneurship

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We just posted this week’s venture capital investment summary (10 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! Check it out and make sure to give these tenacious up and coming startups some love! 🚀

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Did you know that YC founders get a secret weapon… and it’s not what you think. “Bookface” is YC’s internal social network. It was needed because YC had funded larger batches and the hardest part of a community is knowing who is in it and who you can trust and ask for help. On the platform, founders share real methods and advice that would break if it were shared widely It’s secret knowledge shared with a trust-first community - answering 80% of the questions a founder can have about building and selling a product, be it to clients, candidates or investors. Before the platform, if you had a B2B startup, you had to reach out cold to potential customers. Now there are over 1000 YC companies you can sell your service to and all of their contact information is in Bookface. As a result, YC alumni companies are often over 50% of your new sales during YC. It’s superpowers like this that make YC deals so attractive compared to the norm. You are investing in a founder with a 10x network already!

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We just posted this week’s venture capital investment summary (18 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! Check it out and make sure to give these tenacious up and coming startups some love! 🚀

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“Getting an LP is like pulling a weight with a string of thread. If you pull too hard, the string snaps. If you don’t pull hard enough, you don’t pull the weight at all. It’s this very careful balancing act of moving people along in a process.” Dan Stolar at Colibri Equity Ventures is a legend! And you'll see exactly why on the latest episode of Superclusters! Not even sure how to simmer down our entire conversation together into a post, but if I had to choose, here are my favorite: 1/ Questions you would ask an existing LP in a GP during diligence. LPs are obviously biased to say good things because they’re an existing LP, but knowing how they got to conviction and what kind of research they did before arriving at this manager matters. Dan loves asking questions like “What kind of research did you do in the space before committing?” and “How do they fit into your portfolio?” to get an understanding of the reasons behind one's conviction. Not just what do you think of this GP. 2/ Reasons investors leave their prior fund. There’s a huge difference in a GP leaving their prior fund versus a principal or associate leaving their last fund. Getting laid off is different from flipping the table, which is different from more subtle nuances where there was a lack of upward mobility in one's career. Or other cultural reasons for leaving. Understanding why there is turnover at any point in a GP's career is important for understanding what motivates that GP, and if it aligns with the archetype of investor you would like to be backing. Are they motivated by economics? Impact? Responsibility? Title? None are necessarily bad in isolation, but important to know to paint a more holistic picture. 3/ Most GPs don't know their competitor landscape. If the answer to "who are you competitors" is no one, then they need to do some soul searching. There are far more competitors as a VC GP than there are as a founder. And it's important to know what kinds of founders would gravitate towards you. You can find the episode on YouTube here: https://lnkd.in/gEuKSbme And show notes here along with all the other podcast links: https://lnkd.in/g5ncHhDJ Also, huge shoutout to my man Jason Demant for putting us in touch in the first place! You have a special place in our hearts!

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Summary: Keith Rabois, managing director of Khosla Ventures, is on a mission to turn Miami into the next Silicon Valley and has been actively promoting the city as a tech hub. Despite some challenges and opposition, Rabois remains optimistic about Miami's potential and the growth of its tech ecosystem. Key takeaways: Keith Rabois is determined to make Miami the next Silicon Valley and has seen progress with a growing number of seed investments in the city. Khosla Ventures, where Rabois works, has made multiple investments in Miami, including one into a startup aiming to "reinvent education." Rabois continues to split his time between Miami and San Francisco, but believes that Miami offers a better quality of life and potential for building a thriving tech community. Counter arguments: Some big name investors, such as Andreessen Horowitz, have pulled out of Miami, suggesting that the city does not offer the same opportunities as other established tech hubs. Miami still has a relatively small share of total U.S. seed investments (2.6%-3.5%) which may indicate a lack of resources and opportunities compared to other cities. #venturecapital

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We just posted this week’s venture capital investment summary (11 featured companies!) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups! Check it out and make sure to give these tenacious up and coming startups some love! 🚀

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A few months ago, we shared a blog post on how to structure equity when making your founding hire(s). I recently joined Amir Bormand to discuss the topic in greater detail. Link to our discussion below:

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Disagree or arguing with VCs is a lot like arguing with an ump in an intramural softball league: It just doesn't work. If you get defensive or have any accusatory tone, they will simply pass. You will not persuade them with stats, you will not persuade them with your side of things, and you will not persuade them by trying to explain what they're missing. VCs in virtually 15 seconds of hearing your pitch will likely fall into one of three categories: 1) Extremely interested and will do due diligence 2) Semi-interested but likely need to see more traction 3) Not interested and likely never will be If they fall into the 3rd category, read the room and move on. If they fall into the 1st, congrats, good luck with the due diligence. If they fall into the 2nd, you need to just listen to their concerns, go build, get more traction, and try to win them over at another time. They see so many pitches and startups every year to the point that until they care about you, don't spend your limited time and energy trying to convince them that you were safe at first.

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My client just bought $250K of Bitcoin without spending a dime (kinda). Here's how: Bought a $5M business with just $500K (borrowed some, used credit cards, and seller financing) down (90% SBA loan) - Generate $50-100K monthly profit - Business covers loan payments - Stack Bitcoin on autopilot - Zero risk to your position The business pays for itself while building a Bitcoin fortune. While others DCA $500/month, you're stacking serious Bitcoin using other people's money. Want the exact blueprint? DM me "Bitcoin Machine"

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Have you been following the Destiny Tech100 (NYSE:DXYZ)? A closed-end fund that began trading March 26 on the NYSE at a market cap of ~$100 million and then soared to a market cap of $1.1 billion within two weeks. It's a wild story. I hosted Sohail Prasad, Founder of Destiny (D/XYZ), in early February 2024 before their crazy meme ride of April. Over the last few weeks, the stock has come down to more normalized levels, but it's still a story worth checking out. Some of the fund’s most prominent holdings include OpenAI, Elon Musk’s SpaceX, and fintechs like  Stripe, Chime, Brex, and Revolut. Links to full Fintech Leaders episode ⤵⤵⤵ Substack: https://bit.ly/3SWrI2n   Spotify: https://bit.ly/49zOrqo Apple: https://bit.ly/48eXQTl NOT INVESTMENT ADVICE!

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Today's Boring Business (Our First on BizBuySell): - 50+ Year Auto Repair & Service Shop - $300K Cashflow - North Florida - Day 26 of "50 States In 50 Days" Disclaimer: SMB PE LLC will receive fees in a successful sale as we represent the underlying deal. This is our first deal on BizBuySell. What Do They Do? 1. Family owned business with 60+ years of operating history 2. General service, electrical diagnostics, inspections, transmissions 3. Revenue 30-40% routine services and 60-70% high-margin jobs 4. Excellent staff in place and loyal, repeat customer base 5. Strategically positioned in high-visibility area Northeast Florida Highlights: 1. Long time history of profitability, Owner retiring 2. High-end auto with Average Repair Order (ARO) 30%+ vs market 3. Little to no professional marketing completed to-date, word of mouth Risks/ Concerns: 1. Owner-Dependency: How will Owner leaving impact business 2. Team has great people in place to help with transition, any at risk? 3. Owner owns underlying Real Estate, have to negotiate terms #SMB #ETA #finance #Cashflow #investing #search #searchfund #privateequity #microprivateequity #smallbusiness #venturecapital #vc #entrepreneur #business #businessowner Disclaimer: Hypothetical and illustrative only. Please do your own research (DYOR) or work with tax and legal professionals before making a decision. This video are intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice, nor should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by SMB PE LLC or any third party.

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We just posted this week’s venture capital investment summary (6 featured companies) spanning early & growth-stage US based Environmental Technology & Enterprise Software startups. Check it out and make sure to give these tenacious up and coming startups some love! 🚀

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Over 10.5M $ZEX staked within the first 24 hours. 🤯 The Zeta fam is absolutely incredible. 💜 Quick recap: 🪂 Stake $ZEX before July 25 to receive the Staking Airdrop (20M $ZEX). 🚀 $ZEX stakers enjoy boosted trading incentives from Epoch 1 and enhanced governance power (coming soon). Stake more and longer to maximize your benefits. 💎🙌 Want to stake your airdrop allocation? The Diamond Hand Claim is your best move. $ZEX Staking: https://lnkd.in/dgWdweyc

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A reminder to those looking to break into VC: 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗰𝗿𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝗩𝗖 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗺𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗡𝗢𝗧 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗲𝘀. They span all things portfolio company support and internal firm building. VC isn't closed off to those just in finance. Are you interested in platform? Let me know!👇 If I see there's high demand, I'll try to cater more content to demystify that area of VC.

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This quote from Joe Lonsdale (#venturecapitalist and Addepar founder) during an interview on the My First Million podcast is a great encapsulation of hiring for an early stage startup vs a later stage or more established company... "When we talk about lessons from Peter Thiel, I think one of the most important ones I've seen from him, that I've definitely taken to heart and what I've done, is I'd much rather hire for talent and ambition and hard work than hire for expertise. There are exceptions. If you have a company that's already really working and already really scaling and there's a machine that has to be run, you want to hire the guy who knows how to run the machine. That's the operator who knows what they're doing already. But before you've actually built the machine... you want to hire for raw IQ and hard work and just iterating and figuring it out. That's a different skill set than the people who run the machines." #hiring #startup #startups

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What is the nature of Austin startup innovation at the early stages? Peter Walker is out with new Carta data on Seed and Series A fundraising by metro & sector. Austin ranks 6th overall with 3.3% of total capital invested, between Seattle and DC. Seattle & ATX again seem to be a tier of their own. Not the first data set where I've seen this pairing & I don't expect it to be the last. Not sure what to make of this trend, yet. When you break it down by sector, the story of what is Austin innovation is beginning to change: 🔹 Healthtech: 4th (5.5%) 🔹 Consumer: 6th (4.6%) 🔹 Fintech: 7th (4.0%) 🔹 SaaS: 7th (3.0%) 🔹 Biotech: 8th (2.3%) 🔹 Hardware: Not ranked (surprising w/ our defense tech boom) ATX’s sector diversity & early stage volume paints a strong future. What's Next?

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