4.4 • 637 Ratings
🗓️ 7 September 2015
⏱️ 26 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Jeff Clavier is the Founder and Managing Partner of SoftTech VC, one of the most established seed VC firms in Silicon Valley, having closed 150 investments since 2004. An early angel investor in Web 2.0, Jeff and his team have backed successful startups like Mint (Intuit), Milo (eBay), Bleacher Report (Turner), Fitbit, Eventbrite, Sendgrid, Postmates and Vungle. The portfolio has also seen acquisitions by Groupon, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo and AOL. The firm is currently investing out of its $85M Fund IV, making 16 commitments of $850K per year in mobile/cloud saas, consumer hardware, marketplaces and healthcare IT.
In Today's Episode You Will Learn:
1.) How Jeff made his entry into the world of VC?
2.) In a time when hardware was not heavily invested in, what attracted Jeff to Fitbit?
3.) How did Jeff convince Brad to invest in Fitbit?
4.) What can startups do to standout in the crowded market that exists today?
5.) What do startups need to have to get a meeting with you at SoftTech?
6.) What VCs does Jeff most like to invest alongside?
Items Mentioned In Today's Episode:
Jeff's Fave Book: June by Gerbrand Bakker
As always you can follow Harry, The Twenty Minute VC, Jeff and SoftTech VC on Twitter here!
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0:00.0 | You're listening to episode 69 of the 20-minute VC with your host, Harry Stebbings. |
0:05.1 | And following on from our amazing interview with Brad and Seth at Foundry Group, |
0:09.9 | I'm so delighted to welcome a true legend of the industry today in the form of Jeff Clavia. |
0:16.0 | Jeff is the founder and managing partner of SoftTech VC, |
0:19.9 | one of the most established seed VC firms in Silicon Valley, |
0:23.8 | having closed 150 investments since 2004. He's an early angel investor in Web 2.0. Jeff and his team |
0:32.8 | have backed successful startups like Mint, acquired by Intuit, Brightroll, Milo, acquired by eBay, Bleacher |
0:41.1 | Report, Fitbit, Eventbrite, Postmates, Vungle, and the list goes on. His portfolio is astonishing, |
0:48.3 | and it also includes acquisitions by giants like Groupon, Twitter, Facebook, Yahoo and AOL. |
0:55.2 | The firm is currently investing out of its 85 million fund for, making 16 commitments of £850,000 per year in mobile, cloud, SaaS, consumer hardware, marketplaces and healthcare IT. |
1:09.6 | But before we delve into today's interview with Jeff, do you think |
1:12.7 | your company's career page could be better? If so, take a look at hiring screen where you can |
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1:23.8 | at www.hiringscreen.com or follow them on Twitter at HiringscreenRH. |
1:30.7 | However, ladies and gentlemen, the time has come, so without further ado, it gives me great |
1:35.3 | pleasure to welcome Jeff Clavier to the 20-minute VC. |
1:38.9 | Three, two, one, zero. |
1:47.1 | You have now arrived at your destination. |
1:50.6 | Jeff, I'm absolutely ecstatic to have you on the show today. |
1:54.3 | Now, we see this titan of industry, this leading VC, |
1:59.6 | but can you tell us a bit about your start, your entrance into the VC industry? |
2:02.1 | More than happy to, and thanks again for having me. |
... |
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