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TTP Ventures has been attending GEIF meetings for more than a year, finding them to be very useful events in which to network and meet companies of interest. However, it has taken us up to now to make our first investment - an expensive way to get onto the cover of the monthly newsletter, so I’d better make the most of it!

I shall use this opportunity to explain our criteria for investing, although I must emphasise that these criteria are relevant only to TTP Ventures, and in particular relevant to myself. In addition, I would like to publicise TTP Ventures’ first GEIF investment.

Like all VCs we find our dealflow from a variety of sources: presentation days, such as GEIF; through other VCs; our website; and being listed by the British Venture Capital Association, the single act of which doubled our monthly dealflow.

TTP Ventures’ dealflow runs at around 1,000 per year and we invest in an average of 10 of those. Much work goes into finding these good deals. Some people analyse each and every one but the model I like to use is that of a river flowing from which good deals can be plucked. Naturally, most people want to know how to get themselves into those fortunate 10, rather than be swept along by the current with the other 990.

We cut our dealflow in a number of ways. Firstly, we aim to invest in companies that we can understand! In practice this means investing in a technology that maps onto the expertise within the wider TTP Group and its associated companies — conveniently broad because there are about 650 people in the various companies, but also a good reason to avoid the Internet bubble.

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