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How we got Nivio to Davos (WEF)…and won

Alot of emails later, with the same question being asked again and again, I have decided to write a blog post, making my life easier and hopefully yours. In short you need to partner with a PR company who have done it before (we used Chameleon in the UK). Once this is done you have […]

Free To Innovate

I have been talking to lots of entrepreneurs about various business models to support innovation, especially in industries from which VCs are pulling out (Security, Networking, Chips, Enterprise Software, etc.). This article looks at a business model that offers an alternative framework to support innovation. Read my latest Forbes column, Free to Innovate, and the […]

State of Innovation – Perspectives

Bernard has a great article on state of innovation in India. Some thoughts on the same. The article speaks about the risk-reward equation being balanced – I beg to differ. Big still means safe. Its not a matter of reality but perception. Like capital, talent flights to safety in downturns – especially as the support […]

Business Plan showcase @ IIM Ahmedabad

IIM Ahmedabad is holding a B plan showcase event as part of the annual VC/PE conference Leverage 2009. Please read the detailed official announcement regarding the event. The rules pdf is with me, if anyone wants it let me know your email address and I will send it across to you. “Leverage 2009 – the […]

Startup Saturdays across Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore, Hyderabad : Agenda ...

There are four special Startup Saturdays across the country, ie, Delhi, Mumbai, Bangalore and Hyderabad, this coming weekend 13th December. Startup Saturdays are monthly meetups organised by the HeadStart Foundation that promote interaction among entrepreneurs, advisors, investors, corporate adopters and professionals. So far, in 2008, more than 30 meet ups have taken place in India. […]

Canaan Entrepreneur Pitch Workbook

Here is a short presentation that outlines the information that we, at Canaan, like to see in business plans. It is also a useful tool to think about what questions one should try and answer, besides just ensuring that a certain format is used. Personally, I don’t fancy paper copies much, especially when all of […]

Do we need Teams who have delivered before?

In continuation from my last post “do great startups solve a problem”, I’ve got another pressing question, which seems to perplex me, but seems to be required by just about every VC/startup I have ever interacted with. Having looked at some really good startups (my criteria for a good startup is quite simple…its big, people […]

Citizens in Governance

One of the areas where some of us have been thinking of late is how to increase awareness of citizens regarding policy and administration – things like which new bills are being introduced in parliament or state legislature, and what options are being considered? What are the relative merits/demerits of the options? Which way are […]