Review on Comcast Ventures by Chu Divett
Comcast Ventures is well known for advancing technology in cable television and communications.
Comcast Ventures is emerging media and technology company headquartered in San Francisco, California having multiple offices in New York and Pennsylvania. Currently, Amy Banse is the managing director and head of funds. The company was founded by Mr. Comcast, who has a bachelor's degree in electrical engineering and holds a master's degree in mechanical engineering. Mr. Comcast also served as vice president of engineering for Honeywell Corporation. He has held other executive positions with several different companies.
They have a deep understanding of programming, advertising, and production and have over $30 billion in cash. They are responsible for launching the first high definition television in programming such as NBC Universal. In addition to building out their reputation in the cable industry, Comcast Ventures also focuses on Internet technologies such as broadband, optical fiber, and VoIP. Additionally, they have formed an industry consortium called Comcast Technology, which is responsible for researching broadband technologies for wireless connections.
Comcast Ventures has received funding from a number of sources. In addition to traditional venture capitalists, the company received financing from the United States government through the Department of Defense's Venture Capital Program. Comcast Ventures also received seed money from Kleiner Perkins, Sinecurity, Institutional Investor Protection Fund, Dalian Scallion, venture capitalists from Europe, and Yahoo! Employees have participated in the company's employee stock purchase plan.
Pros
- Capital provided by the friends and family of founders of an early stage startup. This is typically its first outside capital.
Cons
- Not enough information
- Too many conditions
