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3 Jan 2018 Bayesian methods for Neural Networks, as discussed on the Piccadilly Line.
Travelling late one night on London’s Piccadilly line, I overheard two guys in deep conversation on the various ways to apply Bayesian...
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19 Dec 2017 Supercharging your employee referral scheme
Here at Octopus Ventures we back teams because we believe that the people who make up a company are the greatest factor behind its success. When...
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6 Dec 2017 The Chairperson—Part 1
Alex Macpherson, Chairperson of Octopus Ventures, with 30 years experience in Venture Capital; Alexander Asseily, Chairperson of Chiaro Technology...
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6 Dec 2017 The Chairperson- Part 2
A continuation of Part 1. 1. Calibration Clarity on the remit and responsibilities of the role is the first thing to get right. Why are you making...
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21 Nov 2017 How do I get the biggest bang for my new investment buck?
Having worked with more than fifty early stage technology businesses over the past decade, there are some clear lessons learnt which I hope to...
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20 Nov 2017 Overcoming US Expansion Challenges:
Oliver, an Englishman in New York. we’ve heard that one before. What are you doing in the Big Apple? Cliché, I know! I joined the Octopus...
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25 Oct 2017 Question the Questions:
The below is an excerpt of Octopus Ventures’ report on US expansion, “Question the Questions.” To read the full report, scroll down to...
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4 Oct 2017 Seed and Series A Deals: Nailing Due Diligence
What is due diligence and why do investors make so much noise about it? An entrepreneur pitching for investment is in a sales process. Due diligence,...
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12 Sep 2017 Employee Options: an exclusive Q&A with Stephen Morana
Prior to joining Octopus as a Venture Partner, Stephen was the CFO of Zoopla Property Group (ZPG) the UK digital media business. Whilst there...
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14 Aug 2017 Share Option Schemes:
Why have option schemes? At the beginning of the start-up journey there is probably limited cash in the bank. Yet founders want to attract...
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10 Aug 2017 Four year vest, cliff and strike prices:
Founders are often aware of the need for a ‘share option scheme’. They may be less familiar with how to actually make one happen (see previous...
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10 Aug 2017 Digital Agencies and International Expansion:
Octopus first invested in Secret Escapes in their seed round of 2011. Last year, the company facilitated the booking of over 2 million room nights....