Blackdivine Venture is the venture capital arm of Blackdivine, focused on early stage investment in technology-centric consumer Internet companies. Our investment policy is very different from that of many capital providers. We do not adopt an economy of scales logic when it comes to our investment portfolio. We do not hope to compensate losses incurred by 9 unsuccessful startups with a check we might cash on the occasion of the $200 million IPO of a star performer we invested in. We want to invest more than money into startups: we are willing to invest time and resources into a few projects that we deeply believe in.
We are entrepreneurs at heart! We have started several companies in the past in the tech world, and we have enjoyed every moment. Along the way, we have learned so many critical pieces of knowledge and met so many awesome and highly capable people. We understand that starting a company is as much about product/market fit and fast reaching of break-even point than about meeting and working with great individuals. We are interested in the entrepreneurial adventure, in giving smart, trend-setting and hyper-active entrepreneurs the leverage they need to launch their revolutionary ideas.
Of course, we also wish to help entrepreneurs create an awesome service. A service that will change the way people work, play and live. A service that will grow rapidly from within today’s bustling tech community and tower high among other successful web companies. We wish to help companies that will create real value based on useful service rendering, seamless user experience and outstanding technical solutions.
Most of all, we are looking for a strong fit. We want to personally follow the progress of the companies we invest in. We want to be there for fellow entrepreneurs when they really need it, be it in times of great victories or right in the eye of the storm. We want to get to know you and your team in order to appreciate the potential of a strong collaboration.
Our rule of thumb when it comes to investment is the following: we always keep to our areas of expertise! One can recognize great ideas that will make the lines shift if one is knowledgeable enough to observe the specificities of a project: the devil’s in the details. Therefore, we are looking for entrepreneurs that are innovating within the reach of our own in-house specialties: Internet Businesses.
Since we want to create an effective synergy with our portfolio companies, we believe there needs to be face to face contact between you and us whenever one party feels it necessary. We would prefer you to be in one of the areas where we have offices. It does not mean that we are completely overlooking other locations, but we will look with more interest at files that are in the following metro areas: Los Angeles, New York City, Paris (France) and London (UK).
We are looking to invest at a very specific stage of the startup’s life: around the time of launch. This is a very exciting time, since the solution already works (at least in a beta version), and because entrepreneurs finally get to gauge the fit between the solution developed and their target market. It is also a time of great danger for the company, since it is always essential to tweak the website functionalities, make radical technological choices and adapt sometimes greatly the business model. We believe that this is the time when we can bring the most to entrepreneurs, having gone through many launches ourselves and being able to help out at this critical time.
We are looking to invest anywhere between $15,000 and $200,000 of seed capital. We are ready to discuss the term sheet conditions with a company that we are really interested in, since we know every situation is unique.
Blackdivine is a leading internet company with multiple fast-growing, highly-related brands serving loyal consumer audiences with operations in the US and Europe. Blackdivine is privately held and profitable.
Blackdivine’s office is located in Los Angeles, New York, Paris and London. Our facility is designed to foster an open collaborative process of communication and information sharing among employees of Blackdivine and our operating companies.
Most other funding sources have been moving upstream, looking for companies that have at least a beta/prototype, a business plan, and some structured idea where they are going. We are looking to become involved earlier then that. We are looking for great ideas and great people and will help develop great companies around them.
Blackdivine looks to invest in capital efficient businesses that are providing unique solutions to serious problems. While we favor experienced entrepreneurs, we’re not opposed to funding first time founders who have a clear vision and are focused on executing. We like to play around with a working prototype, and get excited about areas where we have significant domain expertise and can add value. Overall, great management teams operating in large and growing markets that are solving unique problems that we can add value to are the best situations for us.
Yes. We fund technology oriented companies, typically these are web-based.
No, you simply need to send your exec summary or ppt. We are searching for companies who have identified a true market opportunity and a way to fill it.
Yes, although we are more likely to accept proposals from small teams as there is a lot to get done when starting a company. If we really like your idea and you apply by yourself, we may recommend other people to you who can join your team.
Business talent, legal and accounting services and counsel, mentoring, office space, guidance from leading visionaries, seasoned entrepreneurs and investors, introduction to great business people and contacts to help you get to the next level.
You choose where to live and work.
We want you to stay focused and work hard to build your prototype or market-ready product. We also hope that you will be open to our ideas and suggestions. Other then that, we want you to enjoy starting your company!
Because entrepreneurs help entrepreneurs! We are a group of entrepreneurs who truly enjoy helping startups And if you create the next Google or Facebook, our small, passive, non-voting stake in your company will be worth a lot of money and you will be worth much, much, much more. That would feel good all around.
No (except that if you are under 18 you will need parental permission to participate). We care about your idea and your ability, but not your age. While we expect that most of our applicants will be between 18-35, great ideas happen at every age.
We do not care where you are from.
No. We simply see too many ideas and too many companies to sign an NDA. While the more explicit you are about your idea the better we will be able to evaluate it, send us only as much information as you are comfortable disclosing.
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Send your questions to our team!
