Companies we work for
Stage 1 Ventures works hard for companies that we partner with - our funding model demands it. We wouldn’t want it any other way - with Partner, Portfolio companies and Limited Partner objectives are aligned, great things happen.
Read on to learn about our current market targets and portfolio companies, or visit our track record detailing companies we’ve had the honor of working with throughout the years.
What we’re looking for
Stage 1 Ventures focuses on the following industry sectors:
Mobile Industry
With over two billion mobile subscribers globally (1/3 of the worlds population) and 850+ million new handsets being deployed annually, the mobile phone has quickly become the third screen in our lives. We are particularly interested in capital efficient projects that have the ability to achieve hyper-growth, sometimes in partnership with tier-1 wireless carriers, other times standalone. These efforts focus on dramatically increase revenue per user and reduce customer churn via cutting edge content, applications, or infrastructure to deliver new data services. Key mobile sub-sectors for Stage 1 Ventures include:
- Search and advertising
- Consumer entertainment, including games, music, and video
- Content management and distribution
- Communication, including video sharing, SMS, MMS, and social networking
- Enterprise and consumer applications
- Productivity enhancement
- Infrastructure to support all of the above
Current Portfolio members include: AgileCO, OnePIN, MCCI, Skyhook Wireless, Ringleader, go2
Executable Internet
Forget Web 2.0. SaaS is a start. While current Web communications are conducted via the exchange of pages, the new software model will use distributed executables. Think peer to peer with a purpose. Now, intelligence is at both ends - resulting in a personalized, high-IQ, interactive, valuable conversation.
Here are but a few portfolio companies that are poised to take advantage of this new marketplace: AgileCO, Carbonite, Nimbit, Myxer, Zapoint
IPTV and Internet Video
A recent survey of 350 broadcast, telco and media firm executives confirmed that 60% believe that IPTV (Internet Protocol TV) will be generating "significant revenues" within three years. Each has their own perspective on how such revenues can be achieved. Dramatically new business partnerships will be required. No single player has all the pieces to provide such services. Thus, the cast of players needed to make this a reality is large and diverse.
Current Portfolio members include: StreamJet, iTV, Magnify.net
Pay For Performance Marketing / Advertising
Back to the Future. Ten years ago, it was the internet that threw the telecom, media and marketing worlds into chaos. This time, it will be the mobile phone. Mobile media - be it sponsored ringtones, song downloads, promotional music videos - all require new marketing approaches to display, track and monetize the increasing demand.
Change is not limited to the mobile platform alone. Today, 20% of all media consumption is occurring on the web, yet only 4.5% of advertising dollars have migrated to the Internet thus far. With $65B in traditional Madison Avenue advertising dollars finding their way into new media delivery mechanisms, one could certainly project that there will be a land grab going on in pay-for-performance marketing industry.
Current Portfolio members include: OwnerIQ, Myxer, (800) 411-INFO, Ringleader
Security Portfolio
Ubiquitous Internet connectivity has a dark side. Hackers and thieves have broken into the computer defenses of countless companies, putting millions of Americans’ personal data at risk. Disclosure of such events have become mainstream, thanks in part to state legislation requiring public admission of privacy breaches.
End users are also targets - be it spyware, adware and phishing schemes, privacy is constantly under attack. Gartner predicts that the security market is currently an 8B industry, which will only get larger as vendors continue to expand protection from such attacks.
Current Portfolio members include: AgileCO, DropFire, TrustPlus
Track Record
View our track record detailing companies we’ve had the honor of working with throughout the years.