3 ms·

They won't :( They'll retweet to get more follows. They'll +1 and forget about this. They'll brag about some lab-grown meat investment that is really 0.01% o

They won't :( They'll retweet to get more follows. They'll +1 and forget about this. They'll brag about some lab-grown meat investment that is really 0.01% of their portfolio that's chock full of productivity apps and luxury home goods. They'll broadcast "we invest in the boldest founders changing the world with science and tech innovation", then back yet another consumer goods startup that literally perpetuates the economic challenges this article suggests to fight.

Eridrus 6y ago
One interesting funding mechanisms in this space is Emergent Ventures / Fast Grants. It functions more as a non-profit than a VC entity, including recently organizing $10m in funding for Covid-19 research, including from a bunch of names we would recognize (though not Marc Andreessen): > I very much wish to thank John Collison, Patrick Collison, Paul Graham, Reid Hoffman, Fiona McKean and Tobias Lütke, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Chris and Crystal Sacca for their generous support of this initiative https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fast-grants-against-covid-19-an-extension-of-emergent-ventures.html https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fa... In the intervening week, $7m in funding was distributed: https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fast-grants-a-project-of-emergent-ventures-against-covid-19-status-update.html https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fa... It will be interesting to see what returns society gets on this $7m. But in general, I don't think we should be expecting VCs to fund innovation, it is hard to capture most of the value of most innovations, so you end up with VCs writing about how you need to seek monopolies. Funding innovation is something we should be asking more of our government.

3 ms·

They won't :( They'll retweet to get more follows. They'll +1 and forget about this. They'll brag about some lab-grown meat investment that is really 0.01% o

by boltzmannbrain 6y ago

Eridrus 6y ago
One interesting funding mechanisms in this space is Emergent Ventures / Fast Grants. It functions more as a non-profit than a VC entity, including recently organizing $10m in funding for Covid-19 research, including from a bunch of names we would recognize (though not Marc Andreessen): > I very much wish to thank John Collison, Patrick Collison, Paul Graham, Reid Hoffman, Fiona McKean and Tobias Lütke, Yuri and Julia Milner, and Chris and Crystal Sacca for their generous support of this initiative https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fast-grants-against-covid-19-an-extension-of-emergent-ventures.html https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fa... In the intervening week, $7m in funding was distributed: https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fast-grants-a-project-of-emergent-ventures-against-covid-19-status-update.html https://marginalrevolution.com/marginalrevolution/2020/04/fa... It will be interesting to see what returns society gets on this $7m. But in general, I don't think we should be expecting VCs to fund innovation, it is hard to capture most of the value of most innovations, so you end up with VCs writing about how you need to seek monopolies. Funding innovation is something we should be asking more of our government.