Newsletter ➢ ᴀFKAғ•2020#08

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3 April 2020 #08 Eric Idle singing... hear it again here! There has been a lot of doom and gloom recently but there is also light in the tunnel. The flashlight is on James Sampson and the team at FileInvite - they have been nominated as finalists in the Hi-Tech Start-Up Company of the Year category for the NZ Hi-Tech Awards. FileInvite is following in the footsteps of other companies in FKA's portfolio such as StretchSense, Kami and Moxion. Awesome, James & Garth! Make no mistake, even high flying Angels are not safe from the virus. Thankfully, the individual has made a full recovery and there has been no exposure to fellow Angels. Such cases, close to home, make the lockdown regime so much more pertinent. STAY SAFE! Kami provides a paperless, digital classroom and has demand for its product skyrocket. Another example in the #makeFKAproud series. This recent clip has propelled Kami exec Chair Bob Drummond to Kiwi TV fame. Go, Kami! Go, Bob! In the meantime, Garth is compiling a runway matrix of FKA's portfolio companies with the help of investor reps. COVID-19 brings good and bad across the portfolio. Also, Chnnl DD has picked up pace as the current environment is driving demand. Andy is leading this. Several Angels and founders attended the Corum webinar two weeks ago. Some great insights, worth checking this one out - 10 April! Who gagged Suse? Chintaka or Phil, who has the biggest smile? Can Richard actually smile? Find out more about how the NZ ecosystem is teaming up to help its startups. The year was 1979, the song was My Sharona by The Knack. Chris Mann has recorded this topical cover for everyone that loves 70ies music. Rob already in jandals! British-born and soon to be New Zealand-based venture capitalist Rob Vickery has gone ahead with setting up a new venture capital fund in this county despite the COVID-19 pandemic. Vickery, who was a co-founder of Los Angeles-based Stage Venture Partners, has had the first close of what he hopes will be a $35m-$40m venture capital fund, after securing two anchor limited partners in the US. He won’t reveal who they are publicly but one is an experienced Silicon Valley tech investor.  Hear or read the full NBR interview! Peter Wren-Hilton shines a bright light on Kiwi AgriTech. ‍ We always say niche is good! So why not have a niche startup challenge? Check out the details of this PG Challenge! Mr Son may extricate [Softbank] from a deal it struck to hand $3bn to WeWork’s early shareholders including Adam Neumann, its founder. [...] WeWork shareholders who could lose out call this “completely unethical”. More at The Economist Espresso  "The psychology of venture capital doesn’t work the way most people think. That’s because it is an industry based on failure: most startups — the vast majority — fail. That means most VC investment decisions are wrong."   Best read the article! OMG! We had so many enquiries where to source Rudi's Lager. Rudi can make truck deliveries if you order via RudisBeer.co.nz or consume it straight on-premise at Dr Rudi's when the lockdown lifts.