Where in the Silicon Valley SVODat investors and startups?

Hi, this is Alexander Protsyuk from SiliconNews.ru . With this article we continue a series of publications from eminent entrepreneurs from Silicon Valley, in which they talk about their start-ups, the markets in which they work, and other things that fall within their area of ​​expertise. Earlier we already acquainted the inhabitants of Habr with interesting people and places of Silicon Valley - video interviews and reports from Silicon Valley . Interview with Stepan Pachikov . Articles by Alexey Fedoseyev .

We are talking today with Anna Dvornikova, the founder and managing partner of the TEC Ventures Foundation, the founder of the SVOD conference and the president and a member of the board of directors of AmBAR, about the program, goals, participants of the SVOD Winter`13 conference opening in the Valley.


- Anna, hello, tell us in a few words how SVOD appeared?
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- Hello. The idea came to mind when I looked at what is happening in Russia. This was the very beginning of the development of the market for innovations and start-ups, which we so successfully and - now obviously - successfully moved. Seeing how our guys are lagging behind, how much they still need to learn in order to reach the Valley level, there was a desire to bring these startups from different countries - Russia, the CIS countries, as well as other countries - to the Valley and show them to venture capitalists so that they share with our experience, they prompted us, perhaps, to become mentors, and, of course, we really wanted to invest. It absolutely changed the perception of the world, new ideas appeared, and therefore opportunities. We wanted to “discover” this amazing world for them! The first such conference was held in 2005 and, fortunately, was so successful that it marked the beginning of a 9-year journey. And then, for the first time, investors had no idea what Russian companies are, I had to bring it out of my hand. Now we collect 70-80 investors from the best angel and venture capital funds. They all know what SVOD is. And for startups, SVOD has become a conference that cannot be missed - if you want to be noticed, come to REDD! Here you can see who successfully “lit up” on SVOD. But this is not the final list.

- And who is in the team?

- SVOD has an absolutely wonderful team. First of all, the founders of SVOD are me and Stas Hirman, as well as Tatyana Fedorova, Seva Fridman, Tatyana Lysenko, Ivan Tsybaev. Jonathan Walker, Oksana Walton, Lesya Pischevskaya joined the winter SVOD. And, of course, a large group of volunteers, without which SVOD would not be so emotional and warm.

- And how do you manage to gather such a significant audience?

- SVOD has a very good reputation in the Valley. This is the first reason why top-level speakers are happy to come to SVOD to talk about their experiences and their projects, and why top investors are happy to come in to listen to startups and get to know talented entrepreneurs. The second reason is the high quality content of the SVOD conference. We have a motto - “no bullshit, only business”, which means that there are no beautiful “nothing” speeches, sample speeches, panels of 10 people at the conference, when no one has a minute to say something, but all you need to plant for visibility. All this is not. We are entrepreneurs ourselves and understand very well what is interesting, useful and important for entrepreneurs.

SVOD is a business conference that annually gathers more than 500 participants: top venture capital investors of Silicon Valley and entrepreneurs of different levels - both those whose company’s capitalization has already exceeded $ 2 billion, and start-up startups looking for advice and inspiration from already recognized gurus.

The name of the conference - Open Doors to Silicon Valley - reflects the essence of the event. This is really the door to the Valley, access to the global market for startups from all over the world, as well as the opportunity for venture investors to find excellent connections in the Valley, and investment opportunities. Although the conference is not aimed at the Russian-speaking public, historically, about 30-40% of participants came from the countries of the former Soviet Union, as well as guests who specifically come to SVOD from Russia and the CIS countries.

The main mission of SVOD is visible in the title of the conference - to open doors to the Valley for startups and investors from around the world.



- I wonder how you select the content?

- We choose interesting and relevant topics of discussion on the topics of new technologies, about where this or that industry is heading. For example, 23andMe, a startup in the field of genetics and personal medicine, will perform at the winter SVOD. I think the discussion should be particularly interesting in the light of the latest news about 23andMe.

The participants also love the discussions between the investor and the entrepreneur in which this investor has invested. So we spoke Max Levchin, the founder of PayPal with his investor. It was a terrific discussion.

Another format - discussions with successful entrepreneurs. Especially those who recently received recognition (IPO, sale of the company, etc.). We have the same discussions with investors. It is always interesting to hear what attracted them to this or that company, how they choose deals, which many other issues are important to them.

Some conferences take the example of SVOD, and do the same. We were one of the first to start a startup pitch at the conference. Now everyone is doing it. Many conferences took it from SVODA. But for us, pitches are not just 5-10 minute performances. Before the company enters the scene, we carefully select and then work with the company on the presentation, discussing the strategy, prospects, financial model, discussing ideas, potential customers and how to get them, and many other issues. We and our experts tell and share experiences, which is priceless for many. Therefore, for startups, not only the fact of speaking at REDD is important, but also what happens before the conference, because it often forms a completely different approach and teaches investors to present to the audience that not everyone, even in the Valley, is able to do.

We are very happy to be copied. For us, this is a great recognition. We are not afraid to become like others, and to catch up with the crowd of similar conferences - we have a huge number of ideas, and we will continue to contribute something new and delight participants.

- Do you plan to conduct SVOD in Russia?

- It is not planned yet, although these ideas are in the air. SVOD is a conference that opens the door to the Valley. Of course, you can open this door in Moscow. But it is rather difficult to bring such a list of speakers and investors to Moscow as it happens on SVOD in the Valley. The REDOD team has already done this in 2010, bringing in a partnership with RUSNANO, the first delegation in the history of Russia and the United States from 20 partners of the largest venture capital funds of the Valley (managed by $ 60 billion) to meet with the President of Russia, the business community and start-ups in Russia. It is possible that we will also bring the SVOD conference sometime, if there is a need for it.

- What investors will be on the near SVOD?

- More than 70 partners of top venture capital funds and business angels will be on SVOD Winter'13. Among them are Google Ventures, Microsoft Ventures, TEC Ventures, Hummer Winblad Venture Partners, Menlo Ventures, DCM, Felicis Ventures and others. More details can be found here . There will be investors from the leading Russian and Ukrainian funds - Almaz Capital, Chernovetskyi Investment Group, Pulsar Ventures.

Dossier .

It is always interesting to know about a person a little more than his answers to questions contain; therefore, now all our interlocutors fill out a mini-file.

Name. Anna Dvornikova
Education. Moscow Institute of International Relations (MGIMO), Faculty of Law; University of California, Berkeley, LLM (Boalt Hall, University of California, Berkeley)
Date of Birth. October 30, 1977
Family status. Married
Dates of creation and closure of businesses N / A (not opened / not closed - ed.)

What do startups on SVOD?

- What are the conditions for a startup that makes a pitch on SVOD?

- It should be a private company with an interesting idea, a prototype or a product that seeks funding either at the initial level (most often) or at the round A level, less often B. It is preferable that the idea be global, and not for the local market. An optional, but desirable condition is that the company wants to move to the Valley or open its office here, because only these companies are invested by local investors. For those who plan to return, REDD is often very useful for getting advice, expanding horizons, getting clients and partners.

- What is the best way to present yourself on SVOD in order to get investments?

- This question is difficult to answer in a few words, because the presentation is a whole science, and everyone can do it in different ways and at the same time successfully. Submit your applications for REDD, and we will be happy to tell you all this with your own example (smiles).

- Is it possible, on SVODe, to find if not an investor, then an advisor? What do I need to do?

“You can find an investor, an advisor, partners, and customers. SVOD is a business conference, and participants come not only to listen to interesting speakers, but also to make relationships with people. Often, it is not easy to go to a fund partner. Just like that with a startup, not everyone will talk. What is very important is that since the conference is small, it turns out a very good ratio (ratio, ratio, ratio - editor's note) of the investor to the entrepreneur, about 1 to 2, which is almost impossible at other conferences because there is going to several thousand people, and investors simply dissolve in the crowd, or else they simply cannot approach. On REDD very democratic environment. You can come and talk to any speaker, investor or participant, and if you really want to be active, you can get to know everyone in 2 days - that is, cover a large reservoir, practically cream of the crop (cream - ed.). Silicon Valley. Where else can you find this? And this is exactly what people come to REDD for. SVOD has a great success story. You can read about it in the blog.

- I heard you have a program for visiting projects, tell us in more detail.

- Yes, we really do programs for startups. The programs are designed for teams wishing to enter the global market. As well as programs for investors, start-up internships are customized individually for the needs of each team. It is an individual approach that allows you to dive into the ecosystem of Silicon Valley most effectively. Programs include all the wishes of participants and help to understand the US market.

Typically, such programs include visiting the offices of successful startups, various incubators (such as 500 Startups, Y-combinator, Plug & Play), legal workshops that cover all localization issues for startups and their owners in the United States. Also, visits to the universities of Stanford and Berkeley, the opportunity to talk with professors and students, to attend lectures. As well as acquaintance with leading industry players and investors, participation in leading industry events. And a lot of interesting things. Individual work with mentors from Silicon Valley on a startup will help prepare the project for a quick entry into the American market.

Such trips are required for those who plan to enter the global market. These are brain-explosive programs, after which start-ups will no longer be the same. Such an immersion in Silicon Valley helps startups to quickly understand what they need and quickly adapt to the new business environment.

Blitz survey

We asked Anna to answer a few questions not related to you. Henceforth, all of our interlocutors will go through this blitz survey.

Yes, interesting questions make you wonder. :)
Favorite app on the phone - Skype, Facebook, Evernote
What browser do you use - Google Chrome
A trifle that invariably makes you happy is the most difficult question, because I am a very cheerful person and I am very pleased with many things. Even in the worst weather and in the worst situation, I can find something to rejoice at and find positive moments. I think that's why I always find a way out of any situation.
If you could choose a talent at birth, which one would you choose is a memory
What is your best / worst business thing - working with people / trusting other people?

Activity year round. The valley is waiting for innovators.

- Are there regular meetings of Russian speakers besides SVOD? And what other remarkable events of the Russian-speaking community take place in Silicon Valley?

- Of course, held! The main driving force in the Valley is made by the partner of REDD, AmBAR is the largest association of Russian-speaking professionals. AmBAR 1-2 times a month conducts its business events in the Valley. In addition, there are a lot of different other activities organized by AmBAR. For example, expeditions to the Antarctic or the North Pole, various sporting events, closed concerts for AmBAR members

- Earlier, from Stas Khirman, I learned that AmBAR will gather a club of mentors. Did it work out? Can I find out more about this? How to get under this mentoring influence?

- As I understand it, do you mean Startup Membership? In 2 words I will talk about the types of membership in the association AmBAR. Firstly, this is an individual membership. Cost $ 50 per year. It includes discounts for all AmBAR events and partner events, as well as access to closed AmBAR events .

Also, there is a Startup Membership, which gives access to the entire database of mentors. A startup can itself choose who is needed at this stage of company growth, and consult with those mentors who are most suitable for this.
We collect mentors from all industries. Usually these are successful entrepreneurs, investors, lawyers, consultants, developers. As well as experts in various fields - marketing, PR, finance, etc. We will announce this program in December.

And thirdly, this is corporate membership. Read more about it here.

- What is a "workshop" for investors, which AmBAR often arranges?

- AmBAR regularly runs various internship programs for both startups and investors. Investors Workshop is an internship program for investors at various levels. Programs are developed individually for each group of investors, depending on the composition of the group, their goals and objectives.

For example, the program may include visits to large international venture capital funds in order to participate as LP in these funds. Or a workshop on technology investments, participation in demo pitches, a workshop analysis of startups. Visit top incubators, exchange of experience. In a narrow circle of investment and technology gurus, it is always useful to discuss leading technological trends. Typically, the result of such programs are various partnerships, joint programs, increasing and diversifying investor portfolios, as well as stunning connections.

- When preparing SVOD, many things are used that are actually innovative in terms of events. Where do ideas come from?

- We have a great team. Creative, fun, active. We are startupers at heart, so we cannot live without innovation, and each time we bring something new. So more interesting and more fun. And this is another reason why investors and start-ups are reaching out to us. :)

- What are your future plans for SVOD?

- There are many plans, so stay with us:
http://svod.org/
www.facebook.com/svod.org
https://twitter.com/SVOD_club

- Thank you, Anna, and a great conference!

- Thank!

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