Family offices, which manage the financial and personal affairs of the wealthy, are increasingly taking stakes in companies and committing staff to such efforts rather than investing in private-equity funds ~> Rich Families Go Solo on Deals, Moving Away From Private Equity

“VR creates programmable worlds. AI creates programmable minds. Blockchains create programmable money. Logistics and IoT create programmable goods. Companies built to connect these amazing new platforms together will be more capital efficient and offer higher returns than other technology start ups. Hexayurt.Capital provides financial, social, and intellectual capital to help these companies achieve their ambitions to change the world.” They have been around for a little while now but worth revisiting due to Ether’s further rise ~> Proposing a new concept in venture capital

Roger Ehrenberg believes something is broken in venture, and thinks it reflects a fundamental misunderstanding of what is happening between the birth of a company and a Series A round — experimentation ~> Embracing experimentation in VC

“It feels worth simply acknowledging that there is some great thinking going on right now on how we can move away from old models, and think about creating meaningful, sustainable companies that will make life better for businesses, employees, families and society as a whole” ~> Do we need more alternatives to VC?

“France is good, but it’s small and it depends on the rest of the world. It’s not the limit of our ambition, and it’s not the end goal of our growth.” The Family outline their plans for the future, as they look to redo and expand their unique model across Europe ~> Once upon a time… 

Alphabet’s venture arm GV is searching for life sciences companies that are working on new ways to help people live longer. The California-based GV, formerly Google Ventures, which was launched in 2009 and has around $2.4 billion under management, started off with a Silicon Valley approach, but is now increasingly looking to add bio to tech. ~> B is for biotech: Alphabet, and its search for life science glory

We may have gotten 140 characters first thanks to Twitter, but flying cars are certainly still in Silicon Valley’s plans, as are these five other ambitious areas ~> Silicon Valley fixated on sci fi

Elon Musk just detailed his ambitious plans for a new brain-computer interface platform. Tom Brady revealed his “brain resiliency programme” to increase his athletic edge. Elite US military units are testing brain stimulation headsets to stimulate neuroplasticity and boost mental and physical performance. And they are not the only ones innovating at the frontier of brain and human enhancement ~> Five reasons the future of brain enhancement is digital, pervasive and (hopefully) bright

Is Bobby Kotick right about eSports? SuperData’s Joost van Dreunen on the problems facing the burgeoning industry ~> eSports: Show me the money

Data are to this century what oil was to the last one: a driver of growth and change ~> Data is giving rise to a new economy

This is from earlier in the year, but still worth reading for those that are interested in what’s happening down under, as John Henderson of Airtree Ventures shares his impressions of the Australian startup scene ~> Impressions of #startupaus after 100 days 🇦🇺

Willy Braun of Daphni argues that for European enterprises who have the patience, contacts and perseverance, India is an opportunity that cannot be ignored ~> A case for looking at India

But as India’s startup sector matures and becomes busier, entrepreneurs are finding the money is flowing a little less freely ~> In India’s crowded startup scene, it’s getting harder to raise money for new ventures

Singapore to launch data science consortium and AI initiative to enhance digital economy The two programmes were unveiled by the Minister For Communications and Information

Southeast Asia has a new billionaire, and he wants to invest in unconventional startups who can help him reimagine city living ~> Billionaire Taizo Son wants to fund your crazy startup. No biz plan needed.

if you’re trying to decide what kind of approach to use when you’re hiring or fundraising or building a go-to-market strategy, stop to consider a high-failure strategy ~> Lose More, Win Big: The Power of High-Failure Strategies

YC was a little group of people everyone ignored, working together to do new things with no distractions ~> Y Combinator When No One Cared

The hedge fund Paulson & Company manages just under $10 billion today, down from $36 billion in 2011. Despite his losses, Mr. Paulson is still making new and speculative investments. In November, Paulson made an investment in Didi Chuxing, a fast-growing Chinese ride-hailing firm that signed a deal to acquire Uber Technologies’ operations in China. ~> John Paulson’s Fall From Hedge Fund Stardom

Bill Gross shares the top 8 things he learned that really impacted him at TED this year ~> Top 8 Things I Learned at TED 2017

Why systems of intelligence are the next defensible business model ~> The New Moats

Christoph Janz of Point Nine Capital provides a quick update on how their SaaS stack has evolved, as well as sharing a couple of little tools and hacks that help him keep sane ~> Revisiting Point Nine’s tech stack. Plus: 7 little hacks that help me keep (some of my) sanity

Fred Wilson discusses the differences between Investor VCs and Operator VCs

In VC, it is the synthesis of objective and subjective inputs that makes creating robust system so challenging, but ultimately so rewarding ~> About the “how” in venture capital

The S&P 500 had a great run as hedge funds lagged. Odds are that history won’t repeat ~> Why I Lost My Bet With Warren Buffett

If Apple Inc. were a bond fund, it would dwarf the competition ~> Apple Buys More Company Debt Than World’s Biggest Bond Funds

You might not recognise these names—they’re too busy working to court the spotlight—but you’ll soon hear about them a lot. They represent the best of what’s next ~> Wired’s Next List 2017: 20 Tech Visionaries Who Are Creating The Future 

itnig talked with two of the most successful VC firms in Spain — this is what they think of the future ~> First rule of talking to VC's — Show metrics that support the story you’re telling

Technology shares have taken the lead over stumbling financials in the one-year-return column, based on a set of proxy ETFs as of this week ~> Tech Sector’s One-Year Momentum Takes Lead From Financials

For a solid decade, Nick Adams averaged 28% annual returns on the money he managed for a secretive trillion-dollar investment firm. Then he fell in love with Silicon Valley venture deals. That’s when things took a very different turn. ~> How a Hedge-Fund Ace Chased Silicon Valley Riches—And Embarrassed Himself

He has a winning record so far ~> 7 Outlandish Predictions From Bill Gates Himself

Again, thanks to all who shared the newsletter this week, I appreciate each and every share or piece of feedback you provide me, the more constructive the better.

👉🏻 neil@thenordicweb.com or @neilswmurray