4.5
4.0 
4.0 
4.0 
5.0 
Not Making Any New Investments Per Website
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by on 2011-07-18
Per website -
Our current fund, Horizon Ventures II, is an SBIC backed by the U.S. Small Business Administration. Funding for this program has not been authorized for 2009 and beyond, so we are not currently making any new investments.
Little Value Add
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2008-01-16
Seemed most interested to tag along with a larger fund, and couldn't understand our market to perform their own dd.
PRIVATE: Members Only (56 Characters)Straightshooters
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by anonymous on 2007-10-19
I pitched a Series B to them. They liked the story, and were quite willing to be a follower if I found a lead with market/region expertise that they lacked. John Hall and Bob Dahlberg were very upfront and gave me the introduction to 3-4 other firms they'd follow with little hesitation. On an unrelated matter, Bob Dahlberg went out of his way to make introductions for me, which was very much appreciated. Good people. Their basement office could use a little natural sunlight! I have no experience with any of the other members of the team.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyJack Carsten Slams Angel Investors
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-10-13
These guys at Horizon continue to surprise me with their arrogance and pompous attitude.
At an Early Stage Venture conference in San Francisco, Jack made the following comments concerning angel investors:
"a retiree looking for a hobby rather than a dedicated team member willing to put in the hard work to see a business from concept through to commercialization" and "social clubs for retired individuals who don't really care to help build the business"
I have presonally found that many of the Angel investors offer a valuable and fresh perspective to the venture voice. In many cases independent directors and Angels offer great value to the business and also enable emerging companies to get to the stage where they are viable enough to get venture.
What an attitude
PRIVATE: Members OnlyCourtship Was Good but Wedding Was Called Off
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by MedTech Expert on 2007-09-12
Jack Carsten took the lead and invited our team in to present. John Hall who has extensive experience in MedTech (our segment) was present. They were well prepared, attentive, and engaged. They asked good questions. We continued discussions and had a subsequent meeting. John initiated some early due diligence.
The deal size grew considerably after our initial meeting as a much larger fund got interested and wanted to accelerate business development. We ended up with the larger fund and Horizon had to back out. The deal was too large for their appetite.
My initial experience (I am a seasoned MedTech player) was positive. I would go back to them with a deal that fit their scope.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyWhat a Scam!!
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-08-17
This fund just jumped from a 1.7 rating to a 2.2 rating. If you look closely, someone just rated them straight 5's across the board. Most of the previous ratings were 1's. Obviously an insider job. Clearly this is a sign of how these guys do business and illustrates why the honest reviewers rated them as they did.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyAmazing
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2009-06-29
Poison, Stay Away!!
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-08-14
These guys are the worst. Stay away or you will regret it.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyToo Hands On
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by Anonymous on 2007-08-09
Horizon Ventures are operational guys that try to be too hands on in the daily activities of the business. Some of the partners are very arrogant and less than ethical.
PRIVATE: Members OnlyGood Due Diligence/Feedback
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by Nader on 2007-08-06
Horizon considered investing in us end of 2006. Their strength is that they are very hands-on; understand software business and quick study. They helped us better articulate our messages, go back and focus on up sell/cross sell and select our top vertical markets.
I worked closely with John Hall, Ash Dhar and Bob Dahlberg. John is very sharp and a good mentor. Ash is an entrepreneur and understands the challenges of running a company and raising funds. Bob is one of the smartest marketing/business development guys in the valley. They did their homework. They called our personal references, customers, board members and possible competitors. They met with our team numerous times and looked under the hood.
At the end they did not invest in us because they felt that our sales team and model was not mature enough. They need to see a predictable sales process. It was a painful learning experience but we are a better company because of Horizon's due diligence and feedback.
CEO
Fund: Horizon Ventures
Posted by astirrup on 2007-05-06
I had a very bad experience with John. My partner and the technical brains behind my company was travelling overseas when we met, but that didn't stop John from drilling me on the technical side of our business. He was actually more knowledgeable than I was about some of our business, but he wouldn't let it go when I made it clear that it wasn't my area. I felt he was very rude and left convinced that he would not be a good partner for my company.
PRIVATE: Members Only