You're watching...
Kevin Spain explains why mobile apps and websites will be in demand for Venture Capital Firms.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
-- right on the West Coast and -- venture capital here and what's going on in the tech world Kevin Spain is joining us.
It with emergence capital and in Kevin thanks so much for joining us -- from San Francisco -- Your company as as backed it's them household names in the past Salesforce.com success factors among them.
Obviously the first question on the -- the FaceBook IPO it's have been a bit of a debacle is it.
Hell I causing -- -- to run through Silicon Valley right now.
Well you know Robert IA I I I don't think it necessarily is I think you know what happens in the public markets.
Always is something that we're thinking about here in Silicon Valley anytime we're backing a private company.
We're always thinking about how this company is will ultimately be valued.
If they do eventually go public.
I think there's there's no question that FaceBook is is a valuable company.
Just look at its market cap today it's it's side you know still valued at eighty year ninety billion dollars maybe a little bit -- at this point.
But it's a very very valuable asset I think you know clearly.
It seems that the process around the IPO itself was mishandled.
And and that's something that you know we we all hope will not happen whenever we take one of our company's public.
Right and I wouldn't necessarily read that process is indicating that there is.
Not a lot of value in FaceBook or not a lot of value being created out here in the valley right whether it is they're concerned over exit strategies right now if you have some late stage companies here that maybe BI PO window is.
Maybe not closed but closing or they'll be a lot more -- you reticence on Wall Street and among investors.
To jump in a new tech companies and they come to market now.
Well I think it just depends on the business I mean there are a lot of very strong companies still on the IPO pipeline.
You know we've got we've got a number of companies that are contemplating the idea of going public over the course of the next couple of years.
These are businesses with a very strong fundamentals -- very strong unity economics.
Many of them are profitable.
These are the kinds of businesses that the public markets like and I think provided that.
You having -- on deck -- to invest.
Not not the moment not the moment but you know we definitely you know do you believe that the public markets are receptive to technology companies.
That are fast growing that are going after big market opportunities that are doing very innovative things and -- what happens with one particular public offering we don't think.
Necessarily will change -- investors' appetite for this kind the company do you think you'll take AI as far as the social -- goes before we move on to do you think it would take and a household name like a Twitter or something -- to test the waters next.
Before -- investors are willing to take a gamble on a smaller company says -- -- or Groupon.
Well I I don't know that that's necessarily the case I think you know there are lots of great companies that you know as I -- I think have.
Gone public over the course of the last year that weren't necessarily household names but have performed incredibly well me one example that immediately comes to mind.
Is a company -- block right it's in the B two B space.
I sort of IT infrastructure in the cloud.
You know that's a business that not a lot of public market investors necessarily knew about before the company went out.
But if you look at the underlying economics of the business you look at the growth he look at the value they're delivering to customers.
It's clear that there's a lot of value being created their site I don't think it's gonna take a a Bellwether name like a Twitter to go public four for the environment you not to to pick up.
But I do think it's gonna take some more strong interest -- fast -- technology companies to get out there and you're looking more towards the enterprise sector here and then that's -- your your Bailiwick anyway so let's let's move on there.
And and talk about -- the growth you're seeing you're seeing it mostly mobile obviously -- with the apps space.
And the cloud there's -- the too hot areas and that's where you think we'll see.
The most growth and that's where the dollars are still have flowing into correct.
Definitely I you know it and emergence as you mentioned Robert we.
Focus exclusively.
On B to be on the enterprise and this is -- -- focused on for the last ten years because which is digital and business for any of our our viewers who are not -- I'm not familiar with the the term but go ahead sorry.
Exactly -- that this is the is this is an area that you know a year and in year out has produced I think a lot of very very interesting companies.
You know you mentioned two areas that we're spending a lot of time looking at these days mobile clearly.
Which started is essentially consumer trend.
Has now bled over into the enterprise and a very big way.
-- when you think about mobile mobile and our view is essentially a platform shift.
You know we started back in the sixties with mainframes.
We moved to client server technology in the eighty's and ninety's.
We then moved to the web.
Over the course of the last decade.
And we now believe that there's a transition is happening from the web to mobile you certainly seen in the consumer world.
We're starting to see it in a very big way in the enterprise world.
And every time there's been a major platform transition like the one we're now experiencing in mobile.
There had been some very very big new players created in the enterprise space to do is where -- -- -- global coming together here and does talk about a couple of the companies.
That you like -- -- in -- was one of them is sort of a Linkedin for doctors is how us some folks have described it.
That's exactly right so -- -- allows doctors to connect with one another very seamless way on their mobile devices.
It's all about improving the quality of care by allowing doctors to any regulatory compliant way.
Send messages back and forth to one another or.
Ask others out in the physician community to help with -- tough case that there that they're working on so seeing a lot of traction and mobile makes that possible.
Because doctors are always on their feet so if this were not a mobile centric offering.
It wouldn't work so they're fighting urgency the software -- and it keeps bid that it allows us there are there creative plot former -- the software to use someone else's platform or both.
It is they're they're creating the entire platform the entire network so so as you mentioned it's sort of like a Linkedin for doctors.
In the same way that that Lincoln provides the the end to end platform that allows.
You know individuals in the business community to collaborate and communicate.
Lincoln is error rather -- -- he's doing the same thing but for physicians does this -- company -- backing.
It is -- we are investors and in -- committee and I'm on the board of the company.
And what went what what sort of stage ID NN can we look for them coming to public markets anytime soon -- they still a ways away.
Yeah there there are what I would classify as a growth stage company at this point -- at this stage they've got.
About 10% of US doctors on their platform which is pretty incredible when you think about the fact.
That they just got going a bit over a year ago.
So they're they're scaling very rapidly but I I wouldn't expect them to tap the public markets any -- -- the OK quickly we've got time -- to just suggests and another.
Quick company and -- use an ever several companies you're following here what's the in the next hottest one you seeing.
Well another that I would I would mention that you know some of your viewers may be aware -- is a company called -- hammer.
-- hurt you can pick out as an enterprise social networks started a FaceBook.
But for inside the corporate firewall when you want employees to you have a platform similar to FaceBook.
-- -- can communicate in an open way with others inside of the company.
And improve the way in which they collaborate improved information flow throughout the organization.
Yeah -- a platform that that -- lots of organizations many of the fortune 500 of adopted for that purpose so.
This is a business actually is led by David Sachs.
He was the former chief operating officer PayPal.
Suit again an example of something from the consumer world sort of coming into the the enterprise world.
Our company is absolutely on fire growing by leaps and bounds also a growth stage company.
Very excited about the progress they're making and another one that you are investing and are backing absolutely okay as we are investors anything ever are in full disclosure there will Kevin's -- venture capitals for the murders capital think so much for joining us here and we'll check back in with you fervor of updates some time -- in the future there's a quick look.
At the emergence website and.
