Valor VC

Is SaaS dead? What is the next market wave? Find out more at my 11th annual Venture Atlanta Entrepreneur & Investor only breakfast. Since 2013, one of my passions has been building bridges between Atlanta and other top tech ecosystems across the country, particularly with San Francisco and Silicon Valley. I’m excited to continue that mission with this year’s incredible line-up of speakers. Thanks to Lynne Laube from Valor VC, Mark Suster from Upfront Ventures, Victoria Treyger from Felicis, and Leura Craig from Outlander VC for coming together this October for a dynamic discussion and to engage with Atlanta’s premier entrepreneurs and investors at the Venture Atlanta Conference! Special thanks to Scott Lopano, F. Peter Franconi, Allyson Eman, Erik Sebusch, and the Venture Atlanta Conference Board for their partnership on this special event. CBRE, #Technology, #VentureCapital, #ChooseATL

According to Pitchbook: We are in a deep down cycle in early stage venture, Seed and Series A. The graph below shows that the number of funds raised per year between $10 million and $500 million peaked at 450 funds in 2019. In 2024, there will be <100. That is a decrease of about 80%! The amount of capital available in the <100 funds raised in 2024 is also down more than 80%. There is a history of funds raised in down cycles doing quite well, generating great returns. Why? In part because entry investment valuations at Seed and Series A are down to rational valuations, approaching what one might even call bargain valuations (excepting genAI like ChstGPT of course, where valuations are the highest multiples in software valuation history). Secondly, we are in a technology "Super Cycle" with ML/AI infusing all corners of technology, whether B2B SaaS or foundational layer large language models like ChatGPT available to use by anyone WW, at reasonable cost for even startups. Valor VC is pleased to be one of the few with a new institutional fund, seed lead investing in AI-augmented B2B SaaS. Got a great B2B SaaS company that is ready to scale the team and customer base? Let us know at Valor VC! Lisa Marie Calhoun Lynne Laube William L. Startup Runway Foundation, Inc. Atlanta Startup Podcast

New Episode Alert! Lisa Marie Calhoun, Founding General Partner of Valor VC, released a new podcast titled "AI Startups in the South: Highlights Q3 2024." In this episode, she breaks down key insights from Valor's latest report, exploring trends, opportunities, and actionable strategies for early-stage startups, alongside our AI host. Tune in now to catch all the insights! Don't forget to download the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gcUZ9yHD Tune in to the full episode here: https://lnkd.in/gsQvr5bh #Podcast #StartupSuccess #Entrepreneurship #VC #ValorVentures #AtlantaStartups

I recently helped a startup organizing an internal #hackacthon. Sharing a few insights that might help if you're considering doing one too. I'm a big fan of a well planned hackathon. Great team building, can boost innovation and can really help sharing tech knowledge across teams. And should be fun too of course! https://lnkd.in/ep4ngDTT

Today for ATL's Innovation Week and Venture Atlanta Conference, we're dropping what may be Atlanta's FIRST synthetic podcast, 100% narrated, scripted, and recorded by #AI. It's about . . . #VC fundraising and investing in our new AI-augmented reality. 😃 Take a listen and please share your thoughts below. Link in first comment.

Thank you Startup Atlanta for the honor of being chosen as your Investor of the Year 2024! Grateful to visionary sponsors IFUSION CONSULTING LIMITED and Jacqui C., Dell Technologies, J.P. Morgan, and more for making this celebration of our ecosystem possible. Two quick reflections: 1. Right after stepping off the stage, someone congratulated me with, “I remember meeting you and thinking, who IS this #woman starting a venture firm?” Yes, that’s me—the first woman to launch a VC in Atlanta. 😁 Being FIRST is something so many of us share in this city. I stand with a growing army of Atlanta pioneers in #innovation, and many of you heroes are Valor VC investors--thank YOU for making this recognition (and our successes) possible. 2. When Atlanta plays any game--soccer, football, or innovation--we don’t just raise the score; we challenge the rules. We have a unique culture that's diverse, inclusive, pragmatic, and friendly. We have a LOT to bring to #venture. The broader #VC world doesn’t quite know what to make of Atlanta’s everyday inclusion and boldness, but we're educating them. 😃 Atlanta owns the will and the talent to win big. One thing we need more of, is capital. So today, I'm asking you--please ask your financial advisor, RIA, college endowment, or employer pension fund just how they’re exposing YOU to this booming ecosystem and the wealth we're creating in it. It is large institutions that fuel venture capital globally. In Atlanta, very few of these organizations have chosen to fund local venture firms that fund local founders. YOU can change that. No one’s coming to do it "for us." We build the culture we get to thrive in every day. Now is the always the right time to choose to win here, where we live, together. Kauffman Fellows Donnie Beamer Jr., CFA +Thank you Aqila Zafar Jafri for the video!

The future of work is evolving at lightning speed. As AI continues to advance, it’s not about machines taking over—it’s about amplifying human potential. The most creative, meaningful, and impactful work will always remain in human hands. In a compelling interview featured in CEOWORLD magazine with Dr. Gleb Tsipursky, Nick Smith dives into how AI enhances, rather than replaces, human ingenuity. Discover why the future lies in the powerful synergy between humans and AI, unlocking our ability to focus on what truly matters. 🔗 Check out the full article: https://lnkd.in/g29aRtnE #AI #FutureOfWork #SalesTechnology #AIForSales #Innovation #sailesmissionelevate #Sailes