We invest in entrepreneurs who combine vision and creativity in identifying large, unmet market opportunities. We also look for individuals with an infectious passion for their ideas and the determination and commitment required to transform these into successful businesses. While we recognize that there is no single determining factor for success, our investment assessment typically focuses on three core areas:
- Competitive advantage
- The size and growth of the market
- Superiority of the team
The establishment of a differentiated business proposition is truly essential to long-term success. The management team should have a firm understanding of the company's unique capabilities and the barriers to entry that will prevent others from encroaching on the market. The business model should reflect a thorough understanding of the changing economics of the technology industry and present an innovative way of leveraging its uniqueness.
Of course, all of these perspectives are meaningless without a clear understanding of the competitive market place and the strengths and weaknesses of each potential competitor.
We first need to understand the particular market for which the company's product or service meets a well-recognized need. Then we judge the reasonableness of the forecast by calculating the market penetration needed to achieve the plan. We are interested in large, addressable markets with a clear opportunity for rapid growth.
We work to gain a clear understanding of the appropriate route to the customer and the challenges with respect to the chosen distribution method.
A successful company is built by a strong and cohesive team with the leadership skills to inspire greatness, the vision to define the operating strategy and the ability to recognize not only the business's strengths, but also its weaknesses.
We are particularly interested in entrepreneurs who seek to acquire best practices from market leaders and to learn from other people's mistakes. We recognize that strong teams are not built overnight and are always excited to be working with individuals intent on surrounding themselves with excellence.