By Evan Vitale
There’s always something (or someone) making headlines every day in the world of venture capital. Here are some of the top stories creating VC buzz last week.
It’s probably no surprise that celebrities are become venture capitalists (think million-dollar contracts here), but what are so many celebrities taking the VC route?
According to CNBC, Skeptics argue that it can be risky for start-ups to exchange part of their company for a fizzling grasp at fame. But many say that venture capital, like basketball or selling records, is more art than science.
As tech touches more lives, it’s not all that unusual on so-called “Silicon Beach” to see the Yahoo CEO rub shoulders with celebrities at the Met Gala, or hear that Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan are the new Brad and Angelina. But less well-known is that off the court, Carmelo Anthony has Melo7 Tech partners, off the runway, Tyra Banks has Fierce Capital, and backstage, Ellen Degeneres has Ellen Digital Ventures.
Read the full article here: http://cnb.cx/2bgCIWu
Forbes is reporting that with the exception of a a few prominent supporters, Silicon Valley hasn’t been very receptive to Donald Trump’s message. Venture capital firm Charles River Ventures took that to a new level on Wednesday with a blog post that stated in no uncertain terms how they feel about the Republican nominee.
The blog post is here (and be prepared for the headline) http://bit.ly/2bQZqzP
Meanwhile, Auth0, the Identity-as-a-Service startup, has raised $15 million in a round of venture capital.
According to a report, the venture capital raise was a Series B round and was led by Trinity Ventures, with participation from Bessemer Venture Partners, K9 Ventures and Silicon Valley Bank, all of which have invested in the startup before. With the $15 million, Auth0 has now raised a total of $24 million.
The article by pymnts.com is here: http://bit.ly/2biszIF
