Search Results

Founded in 2016, DeepMap developed high definition (HD) mapping software and localization services for Level 4+ autonomous vehicles. Traditional navigational maps were accurate to a few meters, which was sufficient for drivers, but not for machine-driven vehicles which required centimeter level accu... More

An examination of the strategic challenges facing the SF Ballet in 2019 due to changes in demographics, lifestyles, and the city of San Francisco itself.... More

On the verge of failure, BlackBerry brought in John Chen as CEO in 2013 to orchestrate a bold turnaround of the company. Once an iconic leader in the smartphone market, BlackBerry was best known for its tactile QWERTY keyboard, strong security, and a focus on business users. By 2009 it had come to d... More

This short case updates the earlier Intuit case on transitioning from a product company into a platform company. In addition to provided information on the recent successes and challenges of the business, it also explores a new challenge of building a platform with a branded third party solution or ... More

Founded by a team of hedge fund and NGO alumni, OpenInvest launched its platform in 2015 to enable retail investors to tailor their portfolios to their personal values in an automated way, for instance by screening out weapons manufacturers stocks or overweighting LGBTQ friendly companies, while sti... More

Founded by a team of hedge fund and NGO alumni, OpenInvest launched its platform in 2015 to enable retail investors to tailor their portfolios to their personal values in an automated way, for instance by screening out weapons manufacturers stocks or overweighting LGBTQ friendly companies, while sti... More

"George Arison, co-founder and CEO of San Francisco-based Shift Technologies, Inc. (Shift), met with his management team in April 2017. They felt whipsawed by recent industry events. Within the past five weeks, one direct competitor had filed for bankruptcy while another had completed an IPO. Shift,... More

This short case updates the earlier Intuit case on transitioning from a product company into a platform company. In addition to provided information on the recent successes and challenges of the business, it also explores a new challenge of building a platform with a branded third party solution or ... More

This case follows Lebanese entrepreneur, Hind Hobeika, an engineer and competitive swimmer who spends seven years trying to launch a wearable heartrate monitor and motion sensor to help swimmers track their performance while swimming. While the Beirut-based entrepreneur gained initial traction soon ... More

Wade Watts has won control of the OASIS - a futuristic, immersive virtual reality game world. He must decide on rules, rights, and marketplace design, balancing the founding principles of the OASIS with the platform's potentially negative externalities.... More

An examination of the strategic, operational, and personal challenges facing the founder of a startup in the "wearable" technology space.... More

Chris Down, Global Brand General Manager for Hot Wheels, and his team from the Advanced Play Group within Mattel, Inc., had developed an entirely new "mixed play" product experience that blended familiar Hot Wheels play in the physical world with breakthrough play in the digital world. The technolog... More

In 2017, Chris Down, Global Brand General Manager for Hot Wheels, and his team from the Advanced Play Group within Mattel, Inc., were considering which innovation path to pursue in order to "future proof" the Hot Wheels franchise going forward. Hot Wheels was the number one selling toy in the world ... More

In July 2019, James Currier, a general partner at San Francisco-based NFX Ventures, was considering a seed stage investment of $1.5 million in Moov Technologies, a B2B marketplace for used industrial equipment. NFX was a venture capital firm focused on seed-stage investments in technology businesses... More

In 2021, Nick Woodman, founder and CEO of GoPro, was reviewing the company's subscription offering, considering whether to extend it beyond benefits that were directly related to the company's iconic camera. Founded in 2002, GoPro had gained renown for its innovative action camera. The brand became ... More

Shashua's challenge was that consumer AVs were still years away due to concerns over safety, regulation, cost, and consumer acceptance. A nearer term use case for AVs was the robotaxi market - fully autonomous, driverless taxis. Shashua and his team were excited about the potential of robotaxis to c... More

Facing a surge in investor interest in EdTech during the COVID-19 pandemic, GSV Ventures must decide whether to raise a larger Fund #2... More

This note provides an update on the space financing state of play in 2021.... More

Founded in 2015, Guild Education is an education marketplace that connects employers and universities to provide employees with 'education as a benefit.' The Denver-based company is transforming traditional tuition assistance programs by facilitating direct payment by the employer to the academic in... More