VC Funding of online video startups

Dan Beldy speaks at the NewTeeVee Live 2008 Panel: Online Video Investment Trends

Dan Beldy participated in the VC Panel entitled "Online Video Investment Trends" on November 13th at NewTeeVee Live 2008. Dan succinctly articulates his views about how online video entrepreneurs need to process the funding conundrum when they conceptualize and develop services in this vertical.

Mr. Beldy places the highest priority criteria for funding an online video startup on capital efficiency driving down costs for professional and premium publishers. Their framework is based upon targeting, the fit of strategic partnerships, and the value chain for profitable per hour viewing (net of CPM arbitrage).

Surrounded by a diverse audience, it quickly became apparent that VC jargon needs some shared decoding. So, I hope that you will comment on terms which are in need of standardization.

One term that I heard tossed around a great deal, though given different meaning in different contexts, is "capital efficiency," which we we'll surely revisit in its' other uses. Perhaps I'll go so far as to start a VC-speak wiki.

It's very difficult to get the point across in the context of a discussion panel in an event such as NewTeeVee Live, without digging into the formative experience of the panelists such that one can really appreciate where they're coming from, and appreciating how their expectations about the marketplace have taken form and substance. That's why I'm taking your time and mine to expose some of this background, (definitely not to endorse any of these experiences, even when I let my opinions play into the descriptions) as follows:

Dan Beldy is the managing partner of Steamboat Ventures (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company), which invests in early-to-mid-stage, technology-focused companies that are pursuing opportunities in emerging digital media and consumer technology markets.

Dan also serves on the board of directors of:

• Greystripe, which makes ingame advertising for mobile phones, where some of the most product/service relevant audience targeting takes place.
• Passenger, a leader in on-demand customer collaboration, helps business to LISTEN to customers, employees, and business partners in a private online community. Mr. Beldy says that Passenger empowers how "companies redefine their customer relationships by fundamentally changing the way consumers are able to communicate with their brands". This is the leading edge of the tactical approach for corporate social media in engagement, marketing to and influencing the groundswell.
• Vobile, which helps content owners to track how their how their products are used, and enables them to collaborate with and help monetize emerging digital distribution channels. To do all of this quickly and cost effectively is essential to the capital efficiency of the online video industry.
• Baynote, masters of tapping into the Wisdom of the Crowds. Their social search/recommendation software collects, processes, and leverages web activity to drive lead generation, site impressions, and online sales.
• Move Networks, leaders in high-quality, quick-start and interactive online video streaming. The high definition, frame rate, and fidelity of their service sets a new bar at an affordable price point, while returning the type of greatly detailed viewing statistics that an online broadcaster thrives upon.

He was formerly:

• co-founder and managing director in Plainview Capital
• an associate and partner in Hummer Winblad Venture Partners

If enough of you clap, not only will Tinker Bell live, but I'll continue to interpret my notes and footage about the other contributors to this particular panel question. So comment away below, or I'll just have to move on to other questions in the VC panel and other sections of the NewTeeVee Live 2008 conference.

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