The benefits of startups and SMEs as investees of Kalon Venture Partners

Ventureburn’s second webinar held in partnership with Kalon Venture Partners, a registered Section 12J Venture Capital Company will take place on 6 October at 11am. 

 As our series topic focus is Section 12J, the webinar will focus on the benefits and outcomes for SMEs and startups who are investee’s of Kalon Venture Partners. 

In preparation for the second webinar, venture capitalist Clive Butkow of Kalon Venture Partners provides insight into the benefits for investee companies in relation to Section 12J 

Register for the free webinar

Date: 6 October 2020

Time: 11am 

Register in advance for this webinar held on Zoom:

https://us02web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_oWOdmhAgSCOTt0IeRyPCHg

Special guest speaker for this webinar: Greg Chen, CEO, and co-founder of Mobiz, an investee tech startup with Kalon Venture Partners. 

Kalon Venture Partners is a high-touch technology Venture Capital Team with the most dynamic and experienced executives in the South African tech space.

Kalon promises all investee companies a “High Touch” strategic investment partnership. This promise is one of our main differentiators. 

Kalon Venture Partners explains that it has a multitude of competitive advantages. 

“Our core beliefs are that we offer a full transformative package to our investees. Besides a board seat, the Kalon Venture Partners team will be business-building activities to engineer growth.”

Mentorship capital 

In doing so, Kalon Venture Partner offers the investee’s mentorship capital. Within this, SMEs and startups are provided with the skills and knowledge that are vital to business development, survival, and ultimate success. 

“In an insanely fast-paced world of technology, mentors are one of the most critical success factors and key relationships of such ventures,” explains Kalon Venture Partners 

With a team of highly experienced serial entrepreneurs, Kalon Venture Partners assist SMEs and startups to fine-tune their business strategy, define key performance indicators, interpret market results, network with business partners and investors along with offering a form of mentorship. 

Relationship capital 

Kalon Venture Partner’s board and team’s relationship capital network runs deep through a diverse combination of multitudes which assists the investee in breaking into new industry barriers and pivots. 

This includes all kinds of relationships with customers, partners, suppliers, community, government, media, institutions, groups, and people who have an interest in the success of the entrepreneurs and their teams. All these interactions involve the sharing of knowledge, the solving of problems, and the creation of connections along with the creation of brand and reputation.

This is done in various ways: 

Distribution Channels. Kalon Venture Partner’s team has access to diverse industries and networks and sits on the boards of some on South Africa’s largest government and corporate companies and provides introductions to customer/distribution channels at the right level.

Access to human capital. The established extensive networks allow for Kalon Venture Partners to access only the best candidates to assist investees in sourcing the highest of quality employees.

International business experience (subheading) 

Kalon Venture Partner’s executive and the non-executive team have gained years of experience in building and scaling international businesses. 

“Our members have helped build tech companies in countries such as the USA, India, the United Kingdom and have created valuable networks within these technology development hubs,” said Kalon Venture Partners 

Founder of Kalon Venture Partners, Clive Butkow has worked in most of the major entrepreneurial ecosystems across the globe including Silicon Valley; India; Boston, and London. In addition, Butkow has been involved in building and exciting many technology businesses across the globe. 

“Gil Sperling took his co-founded Marketing-Tech business, Popimedia, global with 7 international offices and to be the only Facebook Marketing Partner in Africa, one of 40 companies around the world.”

Strategy and business development 

Through Clive Butkow’s experience heading up Accenture, one of the world’s leading professional services companies, which provided strategy and business development as its core offering, Kalon’s team assists investees to search for a repeatable and scalable business model. In addition, Kalon aims to ensure the strategy has a positive impact on the exit strategy. 

“We assist the companies in identifying strategic partners, distribution channels, and networks to help scale the business.”

High-touch involvement 

This is Kalon’s commitment to investees beyond requesting a board seat in all our investments. The Kalon team is consistently involved in a number of business building activities to enhance the performance and value of the investee. 

Corporate governance and legal compliance experience 

Kalon Venture Partners’ board members have a wealth of experience within corporate governance and sit on a number of boards, in various positions.

Financial expertise 

With a wealth of knowledge in the field of finance, Kalon Venture Partner’s board is made up of experts in the industry. 

“Our board members are Actuarial Scientists, Charted Financial Analysts, and Mathematicians.”

This allows Kalon Venture Partners to provide a much deeper financial understanding of potential investments, value for shareholders, partners, entrepreneurs, and general business financial operations.

Sales and marketing expertise 

Kalon Venture Partners has vast experience in marketing and sales. 

Gil Oved co-founded one of the largest advertising companies in Africa, The Creative Counsel. Gil Sperling co-founded Popimedia, a marketing-tech company that became the only Facebook marketing partner in Africa, one of 40 companies worldwide. 

Butkow, while working work Accenture, developed multiple sales teams.

Technology expertise 

The Kalon team is deeply rooted in a history of tech building.

 Butkow spent a number of his year’s building and developing tech companies within Silicon Valley, while also implementing tech solutions into South African companies.

 Gil Sperling, an electrical engineer, has formed several technology-based companies and sits as an advisor to many South African tech ventures. In addition, Leron Varsha, is an educated technology expert with 20 years of experience, who launched and founded tech companies.

The core of the team at Kalon Venture Partners are experts in the field of tech and can assist SMEs and startups in utilising this tool to advance and improve their business. 

Exit strategies 

Kalon Venture Partners looks at the ‘partner ecosystem’ including; competitors, customers, suppliers, distributors, corporate venturing partners, other investors/other sources of funding, etc. and compile a list of these potential strategic buyers. 

Even though the exit comes last, the exit strategy is built into the structure of the company from when Kalon Venture Partners make the initial investment. 

“We ensure that the company founders and board are aligned on the exit strategy. A number of our team members have exited numerous companies and have the skills and experience in this complex task,” concludes Kalon Venture Partners 

This content has been created in partnership with Kalon Venture Partners, a registered Section 12J Venture Capital Company.

Read more: Part one: All you need to know about Section 12J
Read more: Part two: All you need to know about Section 12
Read more: WATCH: Ventureburn and Kalon Venture Partners webinar series part one

Featured image: Kalon Venture Partners CEO Clive Butkow (Supplied)