A Few Things with Jim Barrood

#2 Investor Chat: Sean O'Sullivan, SOSV, MapInfo, JumpStart International, NetCentric


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We discussed a few things including:

1. How SOSV's portfolio startups are responding to crisis and the new IndieBio Coronavirus Initiative which seeks up to 8 startups to receive a minimum of $250k each.  

2. State of investing globally and how the coronavirus is affecting funding activity.

3. Advice for entrepreneurs in these unprecedented and challenging times.

4. SOSV's new IndieBio accelerator which is launching in NYC this spring.

Sean is the founder and managing partner of SOSV which has invested in over 900 startups, investing about $65 million per year in the 150 startups that go through its global accelerators annually which help create over $2 billion in new market capitalization every year. Recognized in 2017 as the world’s #1 most active global early stage investor and the #2 most active global seed investor*, SOSV’s accelerator model takes a small initial stake in startups and provides a framework and community where startups get further and faster than they could on their own.

SOSV runs the world’s most active accelerators in hardware (HAX), life sciences (IndieBio/RebelBio), disruptive food (Food-X), and Asia cross-border startups (Chinaccelerator/MOX). As of 2019, SOSV is in the top 6% of venture capitalists globally based on return an investment (returns over 20 years average 38% Net IRR).

O’Sullivan’s first company, MapInfo, grew to a $200 million public company with over 1,000 employees, and popularized street mapping on computers. His first internet company, NetCentric, developed many concepts in internet computing, and he is credited as the co-creator of the term “cloud computing”. Sean founded JumpStart International, a leading humanitarian organization in conflict zones, in the 2000s, where he oversaw over 3,500 staff at the height of the organization during the Iraq conflict.

O’Sullivan received his Bachelors of Science in Electrical Engineering from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute and a Masters of Fine Arts in Film Production from the University of Southern California. He is also a primary supporter of such organizations such as Coderdojo (a global network of coding clubs that 50,000 kids attend every week) and Khan Academy (used by 15 million students to learn every month). He’s on the board of Khan Academy, I-ASC, and a number of private companies.

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A Few Things with Jim BarroodBy James Barrood

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