Mobilizing $$ from Wealthy Families in Peru (& L. America). And Why Family $ is Not Angel $—Day #3 in Lima, Peru

Entrepreneurs’ most frequent complaint is how challenging it is to raise money, especially risk capital: founders in developing countries have even more difficulty since the amounts of venture money for investment in most emerging countries is less vs. the USA. Yet with the millions invested in food & beverage, fast moving consumer goods, retailing, wholesaling, and construction to name a few in the developing world, why does so little of this money flow to tech enterprises—from Peru to Paraguay to…

Read More

Financing the Venture Capital Ecosystem—Day #1 in Lima, Peru

Entrepreneurs and investors speak about the need and urgency to increase investment and Scale Up start-up communities in their countries.  Yet when it’s time to invest capital, the culture of risk impedes the flow of money from the wallets of local investors into the pockets of entrepreneurs. What are the fears which domestic capital has for technology up-starts and emerging growth companies—& what solutions exist to reverse such behaviors? It was these subjects which I spoke to at the global…

Read More

Scaling Start-up Communities: Catalyzing the Korean Venture Capital Ecosystem

The Park Geun-hye government is embarking on an national agenda to not only integrate Korea’s economy more deeply in the global innovation ecosystem, but to be one of its leaders too—to increase the prosperity and well-being of not only Korean citizens, but residents of the world.  Park challenged global leaders to use creativity, technology and innovation as the growth engines for the creation of new and unheard industries for the 21st century.  This is a theme espoused by Peter Diamandis…

Read More