WHAT WE'RE READING
The Investing Edge
of Enterprise IT
Jan
2013
Everything I Know About Pitching VCs I Learned From Monty Python (Part One)
Most VCs number the annual business plans they see in a year in the thousands, but the implication is the same: There has to be more to distinguish your fundraising pitch than ten or 15 slides in 30-point font. That’s where Monty Python comes in. John Cleese, Eric Idle and their associates were a VC’s dream, launching a comedy program
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Jan
2013
Technology Drives Change at a Top Global Bank
Ascent strives to anticipate long-term technology trends within the enterprise that can change business for the better. Taking the long view means the technologies we identify can take years before their impact is felt at the enterprise level, so it’s encouraging to get a glimpse of emerging areas of technology that are already driving massive change at large companies. Recently
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Jan
2013
StartApp Named One of 2012’s Fastest Growing Startups
Business Insider recently released a list of the “5 Fastest Growing Startups of 2012,” comprised of emerging companies with the potential to “transform industries and the business world at-large.” We’re thrilled to see one of Ascent’s portfolio companies on the list: StartApp, which Business Insider deems “poised to significantly impact the mobile industry.” StartApp’s mobile app monetization platform recently surpassed
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Jan
2013
4.4 Million Big Data Jobs? Not So Fast
Gartner made headlines recently when it predicted big data would create 4.4 million jobs by 2015. The analyst firm opined that there’s not enough hired talent to meet the challenges of big data and finding opportunities to turn information into revenue. Gartner reasons that big data will accelerate growth in the global economy and create job opportunities. On the surface,
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