Thursday, June 28, 2012

Google Ventures, Investing in Business.


Bill Maris and Kevin Rose are just two of the members of Google’s Investing arm, Google Ventures. 


Bill Maris, managing partner of Google Ventures, started out as a portfolio manager for Swedish biomedical firm, AB.  Maris also founded the web-hosting site Burlee.com recently purchased by Web.com. 

Kevin Rose, venture partner at Google Ventures, focuses on early stage business development and seed investing.  Rose was a founding member of Digg.com, a famous internet review site. 

When it comes to business plan development and investing, these men are major players.  In an interview with the San Francisco Chronicle, Maris explained what he looks for in business plans that makes him want to invest.  Maris explained that he looks for companies that are going to be challenging.  He likes companies that are trying to accomplish the impossible. 

This sheds light on an interesting concept.  Investors who are passionate about business, look for people who are just that… Passionate  about business.  I think that when it comes to meetings with investors, you should probably realize what that person is like, whether its from articles, bios, or past investments. 

Another thing Maris mentioned was the fact that it comes down to the personal preference of the investor when they make their decision.  This is a very helpful tip when writing and pitching business plans.  You can either generalize the business plan and pitch which would allow for the most possible investors to be intrigued by it, or focus it very heavily and go out on the investor hunt and find the right one to invest multiple millions!






Kevin Rose, interviewed by TechCrunch, explains that as an investor, he needs to see a business plan that sparks his interest.  He needs to find a business concept that mixes the pot with the competition.  For example, if a business plan outlined a search engine company, but had no unique quality to separate it from the competition, Rose would pass on the investment. 

The main point of both investors, is to find a business plan that makes them excited about business.  When developing a business, find a niche or that unique element that will make you different and stand out.  That is what will attract investors.

Read More @TechCrunch
Read More @SFGate
Read Bios & Learn More about Google Ventures Here & Here

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