SVASE Event: 'VC Breakfast: Altos Ventures, Focus On E-commerce, Networking, Comms' February 28, 2008

Event: 'VC Breakfast: Altos Ventures, Focus On E-commerce, Networking, Comms'

Date: Thursday, February 28, 2008 At 08:00 AM
Duration: 1 Hour 30 Minutes
Contact Info:
Location: Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP, 390 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301-1431 VCBC Chair: Jai Kumar, contact no. - 408-406-4693 Email: [email protected]
URL: svase.org/index.php?option=com_extcalendar&Itemid=149&extmode=view&extid=1341

Altos Ventures
We believe that venture capital has a special role in the investment world - to help entrepreneurs build companies.

To build great companies, there is nothing more important than people. It is by far the most important factor when we consider new opportunities.

We prefer working with founders. The founders and early employees set the values and culture of companies, whether they intend to or not. The DNA of great, enduring companies are formed in the earliest years.

We prefer capital efficient businesses. Most venture backed start-ups raise too much money. We like partnering with people with the fortitude to follow a different path. The very best companies are created with relatively little outside funding.

Too much money kills the creativity, the hunger, and the drive needed to build great businesses. Over the years, we've seen that people who are able to create significant value with limited resources are much more likely to build great companies.

We like companies that start with relatively small amounts of funding and generate cash quickly. For entrepreneurs, the ability to raise cash from customers, rather than investors, minimizes dilution and liquidation preferences.

Entrepreneurs cannot place bets across multiple companies. They have to make their one company a success. Our small fund sizes, focus on capital-efficiency, and a more patient, conservative approach align our interests with those of entrepreneurs. We don't play venture lotto.

Ho Nam

Investment Team

Hodong (Ho) Nam
Ho Nam is a General Partner and co-founder of Altos Ventures, focusing on investments in the areas of software, services and infrastructure technologies. He currently serves as a director of Accolo, Billeo, Telekenex, WhiteHat Security, and Yosemite Technologies. Ho led the firm’s prior investments in Axis Systems (acquired by Verisity), Evolve Software (EVLV, acquired by Primavera Systems), Listen.com (acquired by Real Networks), Nishan Systems (acquired by McDATA), Pixo (acquired by Sun Microsystems), Provato (acquired by I-Many) and Soundpipe (acquired by Comdial). All were deals in which Altos was the lead investor in the seed or first institutional round of funding.

Before joining Altos Ventures in 1996, Ho worked at Silicon Graphics (SGI) and Octel Communications (acquired by Lucent). Ho began his VC career at Trinity Ventures in 1990 and began his professional career at Bain & Company where he advised clients in the Semiconductor industry on product and corporate strategy.

Ho received an MBA from Stanford University and a BS in Engineering from Harvey Mudd College, where he was co-editor of the Materials Handbook for Hybrid Microelectronics, the result of a research project funded by Teledyne Technologies.

EVENT LOCATION: Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP, 390 Lytton Ave., Palo Alto, CA 94301-1431

COST: $25 SVASE Members; $39 Affiliates; $49 Non-members. This event is for ENTREPRENEURS ONLY, BY PREREGISTRATION ONLY.
This event is co-sponsored by Townsend and Townsend and Crew LLP, www.townsend.com.

CONTACT: VCBC Chair: Jai Kumar, contact no. - 408-406-4693

Official Website: http://svase.org/index.php?option=com_extcalendar&Itemid=149&extmode=view&extid=1341