Mike Edelhart of Social Starts walks us through some observations on how COVID-19 has impacted trends from a VC’s perspective.
Why we are Strong in the “Mighty Middle”
Many venture funds believe they can predict what is going to happen next and where. They invest based on that certainty, focusing in specific regions, or on specific types of tech, or, commonly, both. At our funds, we know it’s impossible to predict exactly what is going to happen next or where. Instead, we study […]
Where We Are Investing Now: XR in Health
We have been interested in XR for Health for some time. This year, however, we think the time has come for these technologies to take a great step forward. In the past, we viewed it purely through the lens of other areas of science. Now, in 2020, XR for Health is officially an independent focus area for us.
Where We Are Investing Now: Life Sciences, Part 2: A Framework for Deep Science Startups
Our last post explained how we are looking at Life Sciences investment this year. But the challenges of life science demand more than merely an appropriate organization. We have to change the way we think about investing to be effective here at the earliest stages. We have to approach deep science companies differently than we […]
Where We Are Investing Now: Life Sciences, Part 1
Life Sciences are the heart of health. New approaches in bio, microbiome, treatments, disease prevention, neuroscience, and pharma propel transformation in care. As such, life sciences stand at the heart of our fund’s focus on individual health and happiness. We have been investing in life sciences since 2016 when we started Joyance, our initial health-focused […]
Where We Are Investing Now: Individual Robotics
We see personal robotics as one dramatic method for bringing the power of new science closer to humans. Our perspective on robotics is broad. Successful robots don’t need to be humanoid. They don’t need to have full bodies; we see haptics is part of robotics, for instance. Robotics, for us, means devices that replicate or […]
Where We Are Investing Now: Emergent Community
What is an emergent community? If you’re building a community-based business this a must-read from one of the leading VCs in the space.
Where We Are Investing Now: Esports/Gaming SaaS
Venture capitalist Mike Edelhart lays out what he sees as a single seam in Esports and gaming content that has true venture scale – Esports SaaS. Esports SaaS companies have these characteristics.
Where We Are Investing Now: Affordable Luxury and High Emotion Consumer Products
VC Mike Edelhart shares why he is looking at opportunities in the affordable luxury (aspirational) product space and consumer goods derived from deep science with high emotional content.
Where We Are Investing Now: Next-Gen Food, Ingredients, and Beverages
Health and happiness science is one of the most profound investment opportunities in decades. We feel it is natural and appropriate to make the most of the transformation of these core human experiences in all our current and upcoming funds.
Our New Fund: Social Starts Health and Happiness (SH2)
As we approach the year’s end, I’m delighted to report that our funds are growing and changing. In particular, I wanted to let everyone know about plans for the next Social Starts fund, Social Starts Health and Happiness, which we call “SH2,” for short. SH2 is the only venture fund focused on the emerging science […]