SILICON DRAGON NEWS
SiliconDragonventures.com                                       July 17, 2017         
Silicon Dragon 
LA 2017


  July 26
 
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Silicon Dragon
Shanghai 2017

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September 14 
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July 26, 6-9pm

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In Synch
Silicon Dragon panel at Synch 2017 with VC types Jim Mao, Shuo Chen,
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Coolest VR Startup Angles Its Way
Into China 
From LA! 

One of the more fascinating startups in the ever-so-heated virtual reality field has to be Spaces. A DreamWorks Animation spin-out in Los Angeles funded to the tune of $39.5 million by U.S., Chinese and Japanese investors, the 16-month-old is doing something that seems fairly far out -- designing virtual reality theme parks in China.
These VR attractions are in prototype stage now at large-sized back lots in LA, Orlando and China, and are set to open by early next year in at least two key Chinese locations. This comes through a $30 million joint venture with Chinese theme park operator Songcheng Performance in May 2016, celebrated at a formal ceremony where the Blue Man Group performed.  Now, Spaces' virtual reality attractions will reach 23 million thrill seekers in China who want to experience the latest enhanced rides, stage shows and live-streaming video content -- all without getting nauseous.
" We want to make VR part of the attraction and provide a good first-time experience -- engaging, exciting and fun," said Spaces CEO and co-founder Shiraz Akmal, who is directing a team of 40 imagineers, filmmakers, and video game creators to get going.
Akmal will be speaking about how his startup has gotten into China and collected major VC funding at
How did Spaces get into China so fast and seemingly so easily? Akmal said it helped to have 10 years of previous experience in building the China business for video game developer and publisher THQ. "All those years in China finally paid off," he said. "It's not an overnight thing."
But that's clearly not all. 
  Read  Forbes  post: Far-Out Spaces   
   
Spaces
Spaces team in virtual space
 

DEALS & FUNDS

Warburg Pincus has led a $60 million, Series B investment in logisicts robot maker Geek.

Uoolu, an app that helps Chinese millennials buy overseas properties, has raised a $50 million RMB A round. Cherubic Ventures is an investor.    

Two USC seniors walked into Sequoia Capital with a fishbowl-style VR headset and landed $1.5 million for their startup Mira. Go figure! 
Business Insider  

Troubled LeEco sells off car-hailing service to private equity firm To-Win Capital
Caixin


NOTEWORTHY

Hollywood is having a tough time in China. Ticket sales from U.S. movies were basically flat for the first half of 2017, although overall imports were up 35%. That's one reason why Hollywood has been pushing hard for film concessions from the Chinese government.  
NYT

When a Chinese umbrella-sharing startup loses all of its 300,000 umbrellas, it's rain, rain go away! 
WP 

Israel has laid out the welcoming mat to Chinese investors and their companies. We know that Israeli tech companies are already relying on China for Capital. That was the theme of two Silicon Dragon conferences in Tel Aviv - 2016 and 2017.

CNBC


 

For years, Chinese companies have had a reputation for copying their peers. Now that may be changing. Really?? 

Oh well, music to our ears anyhow! 

II 


 

Apple is building a huge data center in China to comply with cybersecurity law. The move could signal others to cave in. 
NYT

 


 

VIEWPOINT 
Enough Is Enough, Silicon Valley! 
by Melissa Guzy, 
Co-founder & Managing Partner, Arbor Ventures
Melissa Guzy

Sexism in the Valley might be in the news lately but for any women entrepreneurs or VCs, this behavior has been the "norm". 
Over the last 17 years as a Venture Capitalist, I have never sat on a Board of Directors with another woman. 
While 7% of partners at venture funds are women, the number for those who sit on the investment committees are much lower. To resolve this imbalance in the future, we need more women entrepreneurs with startup experience that can provide mentorship.
The Valley must change and tech entrepreneurs as well as Venture Capitalists must realize that diversity is positively powerful. 
Read full clip: Arbor Views