New York Venture Capital Events
New York City is home to a large number of venture capital firms and startups. It also has a growing community of angel investors and accelerator programs. The New York City government has initiatives to support entrepreneurs and encourage venture capital investment.
Network with industry leaders and build new relationships with LPs from across North America. Join us to learn more about the current market trends, opportunities and challenges facing VCs and GPs.
The New York City venture capital scene
The New York City venture capital scene is a vibrant one. While it may not be as large as the Bay Area, recent blockbuster IPOs underscore the growth of the sector. This growth is driven by several factors: new VCs formed by former entrepreneurs, Silicon Valley funds expanding their offices in NYC in search of quality deal flow and international funds opening offices to access the US market.
Several leading New York City venture capital firms specialize in funding innovative technology companies. These include Founders Fund, which invests in bold ideas with contrarian perspectives, and Canaan Partners, which has a global presence. Other prominent NYVCs include Flybridge Capital, which invests in seed and early-stage companies and prefers to be the first institutional investor in a company, serving as lead or co-lead.
Other VCs focus on a specific niche, such as enterprise SaaS, fintech and digital media. They typically invest in early-stage startups and provide support to help them grow. They also work with their portfolio companies to plan exit strategies, such as initial public offerings or acquisitions.
Union Square Ventures
VC Summit is an industry gathering connecting venture capitalists, corporate VCs, angel investors, technology transfer professionals and senior executives of venture backed startups. Panels and workshops impart valuable insights into the do’s and don’ts of scaling a business, and networking opportunities connect delegates to key decision-makers and visionary entrepreneurs.
USV partners Fred Wilson and Brad Burnham are exceptional systems thinkers, and their ability to form theses around investment opportunities has helped them become masters of consistency. They have logged some of the best performing vintages in venture history, despite consistently raising funds at smaller sizes than their peers.
The firm has invested in companies such as Twitter, Etsy and Zynga, but it has also looked well beyond the New York City area for deals. Recent examples include Dwolla in Iowa, Covestor in Boston, and Figure1 in Canada. USV has also increased its investments in European markets.
Corporate venture capital
Corporate venture capital (CVC) is a new tool for large companies to participate in the innovation ecosystem. These funds seek to leverage emerging technologies and business models that could transform their industry. They also seek to identify potential synergies and best-use cases for novel technologies. However, CVCs can be challenging to manage and are relatively new to many corporations.
Unlike traditional venture capital, which is focused on financial returns, CVC is often more strategic. Investing in a startup may provide competitive advantages for the parent corporation. For example, it can help a company gain access to a new market or a different customer base.
CVC also allows corporations to better understand and track trends in their industries. This information can help them make smarter decisions and develop more innovative products. This is important because the success of a startup depends on its ability to innovate and compete in the marketplace. To do this, it needs the right resources and a strong network of partners.
Venture debt
Venture debt is a form of financing that allows startups to access capital that is secured by intellectual property or future revenues. This type of financing is typically offered by VC-backed companies that do not have sufficient cash flow or valuable assets to qualify for a traditional bank loan. Venture debt lenders are more forward-looking than banks and will consider a company’s potential for growth.
Venture debt also offers a lower risk profile than other forms of debt financing, as it does not require assets or working capital as collateral. Its low credit requirements also make it more accessible to early-stage companies, which might not have a strong financial history. However, it is important to understand the risks involved in venture debt, as it may come with certain covenants and restrictions that could limit a company’s ability to raise additional funds. This can result in dilution and equity loss for the borrower. VCs may have a preference for liquidation in the event of default, but they can’t always guarantee repayment.
