OUR APPROACH
Lightspeed partners with exceptional entrepreneurs to build high-growth, market-leading companies. We commit to providing the highest level of support to our portfolio companies on a global basis.
Key aspects to our approach:
We prefer to be high value-added lead investors. Lightspeed's hallmark is lead early-stage investing. We tend to be the first institutional investors in our companies and help them from the earliest stages of developing their business through successful exit and beyond. Because we are active investors with an emphasis on quality, not quantity, portfolio companies receive a high level of attention and support. In select cases, we invest in expansion-stage companies, and we carry with us the same principles of a high value-added early-stage investor.
We build collaborative, long-term relationships with our entrepreneurs. We take a team approach to investing, with two managing directors dedicated to each portfolio company. The relationship we nurture with each of our entrepreneurs centers on mutual trust, respect, and integrity. We realize that building great companies can take a long time, and each of us commit to a set of core beliefs and ethics that stay constant over the long term. As a result, we are proud of the fact that many executives from past portfolio companies have chosen Lightspeed as a lead investor for their subsequent ventures.
We are a global firm. With dedicated teams on the ground in
China,
India, and
Israel, we identify and invest in high-potential companies from around the world. With strong networks and investment professionals across multiple geographies, we offer the same level of commitment and world-class expertise to our portfolio companies independent of location.
We can offer company-building expertise across a broad range of sectors. Our portfolio companies can leverage our operating experience, thought leadership, and deep global network of relationships across a range of high-value sectors:
LIGHTSPEED SERVICES
We offer a wide range of venture capital and private equity investment services and strategic business consultation services:
- Structuring and participating in equity and debt financing for start-up and growth companies across a wide range of sectors
- Participating on company boards and advising portfolio companies on key operational issues: recruiting management, developing technology roadmaps and patent strategy, developing go-to-market strategies, identifying acquisition or expansion opportunities
- Advising on fundraising strategies: developing marketing materials and identifying financial and strategic investors
- Advising on potential liquidity events: identifying potential M&A opportunities, IPO planning and execution
- Business incubation services
- Providing fund management services: raising funds from institutional and individual investors and sourcing investments