Wasteful
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by Anonymous on 2014-05-06
Efficient Pitching, Deep Security Experience
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by Anonymous on 2011-09-18
We pitched ALP after meeting Stewart at an event.
Our first meeting was with 4/5 of the partnership at their office; second meeting at Stewart's house in SF shortly before their off-site.
The firm has no junior associates or any other gatekeepers; it's very efficient. They had deep domain expertise in our domain (security, government, enterprise) and provided great feedback during the pitch.
Since we didn't close them, I can't comment on terms or operating assistance, but they certainly seemed reasonable, from talking to other portfolio companies.
After a good second meeting, they ultimately decided not to invest, but we were very happy with the overall process.
If your company is in the security or enterprise space, ALP is a good choice for seed or Series A.
PRIVATE: Members Only (481 Characters)New Money, New Team Members
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by drake on 2010-10-05
I've heard they closed a new fund and have new partners on the team.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyI Don't Know about Louie, but Alsop is a Toad
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by Dematha on 2010-01-18
Alsop is the Antithesis of an Mba Type VC
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by benshagbark on 2009-02-17
They at least seem to take a different approach than most VCs. Interested in seed stage (ie they will still consider businesses that have not launched yet, which many VCs and even early stage funds, if they were doing it in mid-08, are not doing anymore). wants to hit home runs and bet on big ideas.
PRIVATE: Members Only (562 Characters)Not Afraid of Risk
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-09-05
As Ribbit, one of ALPs portfolio companies, we just had a successful exit. I just thought I'd add a comment that they were one of the few VCs who understood our strategy as a platform rather than just an application. A lot of other VCs believed that we needed a "Killer App" first, and the platform was just an add on. ALP actually encouraged the platform approach, even though there was no real other examples of companies building a platform first and an application second.
As our outcome demonstrated, the platform play was the key to success.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyNo Investment, but Great Experience
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by cello on 2008-06-18
I had three meetings with with Alsop-Louie. They passed, but continue to help us with VC and customer introductions.
Gilman (also see my comments under his name) brings a refreshing level of energy and curiosity into a meeting. He has real operational experience, and this leads him to treat entrepreneurs with respect. Even though he passed on our deal, he continues to make introductions for us, and serve as a reference.
I don't know Stewart as well, but he has great experience in the consumer market, and is very well connected in the valley.
They're a small fund with two partners, so it might take some time to get "in" to see them, but they're well worth the stop. Oh, and beware of their spam filter on email -- picking up the phone to double-check is a good idea.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyNot Worth Mailing Them Blind
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by sockettrousers on 2008-06-06
I send a blind eMail to them from their website. They warn you that they prefer introductions but will get back to all mail. So far they haven't. I'm not complaining just advising everyone else not to waste too much time if you can't get an intro.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyNice Guys, but No Deal for US Yet.
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by dotcomdropouts on 2008-05-27
We pitched remotely from the east coast. Mostly to get a real west coast VC's view of our venture.
We got an intro from the founder of one of their portfolio companies to get our foot in the door. The fact they took the time to reply even if it was to say we still have more work to do was great.
Just wish more funds were as easy to deal with.
PRIVATE: Members Only (224 Characters)Professional and Responsive
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by trueblue on 2008-05-15
Had good experience with them. They took a pass on investing in our company, but their communications were timely, they took the time to understand our business, and they provided clear feedback. We didn't meet everyone there, but I sense a firm with solid principles and respect for entreprenuers.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyHow Fast are They?
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-05-01
True Value Add
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by BitPirate on 2008-04-01
In my experience most VC's are lemings. They look around at what the other guys are doing and as soon as they see the heard jumping on a hot category, they follow suit. In truth few VC's have much operational experience and very few were ever entreprenuers. Therefore their ability to *really* add value is limited to their strategic thinking and ability to reprocess accumulated wisdom from the rest of the herd.
These guys are different. And I would argue, you have to be different to do early stage deals. Early stage requires a lot of experience, a visceral understanding of how tech is evolving and a strong intuition, a good 'gut'. These guys have it.
Gilman has a fast brain that is always firing. He is super creative and tirelessly works with his companies on getting the right formulation and positioning. Stuart is exceptionally grounded, pragmatic, not prone to hyperbole and one of the most connected people on this side of the Galaxy.
This fund is only a year or so old. They've made some outstanding investments, that haven't filtered into the public sphere yet. I'm certain that these guys will be seen as one of 3 top seed funds to secure. Their add a LOT of value on top of their money. And last, but certainly NOT least, they are VERY ethical guys that are very enterprenuer friendly. They don't take advantage of their power by ladening start-ups with onerous terms.
These guys are about as good as it gets.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyPositive Experience
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by mandhillon on 2008-03-26
They were very quick to give a meeting and met with us several times, partially because of the extreme interest of their Associate Corey Reese. Corey invested a great deal of time and effort to make sure I was prepared for meetings and provided good feedback. Even when it became clear that we were not a good fit for the fund, Corey continued to meet with me and provide guidance as somebody who loves the industry, not just somebody who wanted to make money off of me. Stewart and Gilman provided good guidance and thoughtful engagement.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyGreat Partner
Fund: Alsop Louie Partners
Posted by milton on 2008-02-21
Alsop-Louie was on one of the seed investors in our company, and Gilman Louie serves on the board.
Gilman is awesome. He's incredibly engaged with the company: he always picks up his phone when I call him, and proactively reaches out to see if we need anything. Gilman is a great mentor and is proactively involved in giving us the resources to succeed.
Gilman is not just an investor; he's a partner in the business.
PRIVATE: Members Only