“There is no such thing a TRUE Capitalism as it is just an idea like the idea of utopia, but such as dream pursued correctly will result in profit” – JD Morris 20210530
Machinery which is not used is not capital.” – Karl Marx, Theories of Surplus Value
Nearly 250 years ago, the economist and philosopher Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations, in which he described the birth of a new form of human activity: industrial capitalism. It would lead to the accumulation of wealth beyond anything that he and his contemporaries could have imagined.
Capitalism has fuelled the industrial, technological and green revolutions, reshaped the natural world and transformed the role of the state in relation to society. It has lifted innumerable people out of poverty over the last two centuries, significantly increased standards of living, and resulted in innovations that have radically improved human well-being, as well as making it possible to go to the Moon and read this article on the internet.
However, the story is not universally positive. In recent years, capitalism’s shortcomings have become ever-more apparent. Prioritizing short-term profits for individuals has sometimes meant that the long-term well-being of society and the environment has lost out – especially as the world has faced the Covid-19 pandemic and climate change. And as political unrest and polarisation around the world have shown, there are growing signs of discontent with the status quo. In one 2020 survey by the marketing and public relations firm Edelman, 57% of people worldwide said that “capitalism, as it exists today, does more harm than good in the world”
One of the most daunting tasks you are likely to face after having successfully founded a growing startup can be securing enough capital to pay the bills until the expanded operations begin to pay for themselves. Startups seeking funding for their expansions have a number of options for securing capital, but you still need to convince investors that your business is worthwhile as an investment. An understanding of the funding landscape will help hone your sales pitch and increase the odds of a successful capital campaign.
Unfortunately, the American business ideal of steady growth over the long term has been replaced in the minds of many entrepreneurs by dreams of founding a unicorn company that explodes onto the scene and cashing out through an initial public offering. Startup founders need to keep in mind that the likelihood of founding a unicorn is incredibly small, but there are other successful strategies for rapid growth using outside capital. Those strategies should be centered on producing a high company valuation and creating significant wealth for yourself and your investors.
Mr. Morris (JDM) focuses on serving on the board of advisors and board of directors of several private companies. His family of Special-Purpose Vehicle (SPV) invests in a wide range of businesses. JDM has helped close more than $91 billion in deals—leading more than $7 billion in enterprise value of these deals.
He has been a speaker at various industry forums, has been quoted in numerous leading publications, and has made several appearances on Bloomberg, CNET, CNBC, ESPN, and many media outlets. Mr. Morris hosted an educational radio show about financing deals and other hot topics after Bloomberg morning news.
Mr. Morris received a B.A. in economics with mathematics from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, where he worked in the development office to pay his way through college. He is an Omega Rho Honor Society student in Washington, D.C., with The George Washington University (GWU). JDM is currently working on finishing a program under MIT Sloan Business School, as well as the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) in two years.
WHAT PEOPLE ARE SAYING ABOUT J. MORRIS
Mr. Morris was able to close a difficult international backbone financing for a start-up company for $20.0 million. Dealing with the uncertainties of Brazilian government regulations, tight emerging capital markets, and choosy investors, he raised this equity capital when no other advisors were able to even look at the deal. He is highly qualified and capable.” – President & CFO of NASDAQ that he lead the IPO (Update: Retired early and does what makes him happy).
“He is first-rate, good ideas all the time and honesty all the way. Work with the Man.” – Former acting Secretary of the US Air Force (Update: Chairman of a fund of funds).
“Mr. Morris has a gift of connecting the right people at the right time. His Investor Network has a wide range of executives and family offices that have been very helpful to me in my ventures and life” – Founder & former CEO of Tarana Wireless (Update: Active investor and close to exit with Tarana).
“I have worked with him on several acquisition transactions. I have always found him to be professional and timely. Mr. Morris delivers what he says he will in the right time frame. When he is an advisor, as opposed to the principal, he seems to have a knack for getting the two parties together. When the principal, he gets his deals done.” – Partner of Nelson Mullins and reconnized by rewards as top M&A lawyer for DC metro area.
“Mr. Morris has been a great resource in helping me learn the ins and outs of raising capital. Every opportunity that I raise capital for, I look to JD for his guidance. His relationships with investors are enormously valuable. Additionally, he has graciously allowed me to speak on his radio show which gave my venture at the time great exposure. Thanks.” – Former Media Consultant to Fortune 100 companies and serial entrepreneur (several exits).
“I have known Mr. Morris for several years and am consistently impressed with his energy and contact base. He is well connected to the VC Community and maintains relationships with the top management of many local and regional companies. He has an excellent track record of raising capital and of advising companies wishing to do so.” Consultant to Fortune 500 companies (Update: retired or does what makes him happy).
“I’ve had the pleasure of working briefly with Mr. Morris on two projects and being in a finance industry group with him. He has a combination of finance and LBO expertise, analytic skill, business connections and enthusiasm that would make him a valuable asset to most corporate or advisory boards.” – Bay Area CPA and former FENG leadership.
“Mr. Morris has a wide source of contacts for funding. He finds the best source of capital for a particular company’s financing needs and knows how to structure the deal. He is creative, enthusiastic, and easy to work with. I am happy to recommend him to my clients and others.” Former Partner at Akerman Senterfitt LLP.
ABOUT RED HOOK CAPITAL
ABOUT RHC’S EBITDA FUNDS & SPECIAL PURPOSE ENTITIES (SPV/SPE)
We provide creative capital, structured for each investment opportunity. Our wealth of experience, industry expertise, deep operating skill sets, and large global network of affiliated partners position us as a vital resource from which management can draw strategic, financial, and operational guidance. RHC invests in companies across a broad range of industries and geographies. Our goal is to help management teams build long-term value that benefits all stakeholders. We structure our private equity investments based on each company’s circumstances and generally seek to invest in established businesses requiring equity capital between $10 million and $1 billion. Red Hook Capital maintains a broad acquisition profile focused on acquiring businesses with its equity partners that exhibit a certain set of characteristics:
> fragmented market
> recurring revenues
> loyal customers
> strategic complements to our portfolio
This acquisition profile enables us to identify opportunities for creating value in virtually any industry.
ABOUT RHC’S HYBRID FUNDS AND SPECIAL PURPOSE ENTITIES (SPV/SPE)
We are launching a hybrid fund that will allow accredited investors to pledge an amount of capital. More to come! Below are SPV investments through co-investing with venture capital funds:
BrightInsight 1q2021 (Co-Invested in deal with other VC firms such as Eclipse Ventures, General Catalyst, Insight Partners, New Leaf Venture Partners, & Proof.VC as share holders)
“Wisdom is what the news calls madness” – J20.01.21.2100
Section 1. (a) The maximum amount of any ad valorem tax on real property shall not exceed one percent (1%) of the full cash value of such property. The one percent (1%) tax to be collected by the counties and apportioned according to law to the districts within the counties. — California Constitution Article XIII A
Photo and quote on California Constitution by Wikipedia
YOUR HOST NOTES: Thank you “Vox Media / New York / Intelligencer/Ed Kilgore” does an article on proposition 13, we know it is national politics. Thank you Vox Media! Mr. Morris’ motto is “Say Provocative statements that intelligent people argue about fast without dotting your I’s and crossing your T’s. As life is all about fun and results!” My provocative statement is “Wisdom is what the news calls madness” – J20.01.21.2100 (except in many cases “New Yorker” and others).
REBLOG NEW YORKER
While this will mostly be a classic left-right, business–versus–unions and government battle, California’s progressive tilt doesn’t guarantee victory for split-roll. As noted above, corporate types will offer a slippery-slope claim that once the taxman has feasted on commercial property taxes, homeowners will inevitably be next. And there are some affordable-housing advocates who fear split-roll will perversely incentivize commercial real-estate development by making it a larger revenue generator for local governments.
More great stuff by Vox Media / New York / Intelligencer
Senators are bending the rules on cellphones
Considering the screen habits of most Americans, the rule that senators cannot use electronic devices in the chamber is going to be a tough one to adhere to during the grueling hours expected for the trial. As a workaround, at least eight senators so far have worn Apple Watches to be able to contact aides and the outside world. According to Roll Call, so far only one presidential hopeful has been seen with a loophole smartwatch: Michael Bennet.
Senators are opting for low-tech, middle-school solutions to get around the no-communication rule during the trial, including passing notes (Mike Lee), sharing candy (Ben Sasse), whispering to neighbors (Mark Warren and Tim Kaine), and pretending to punch a colleague in the chest (Lisa Murkowski to Lindsey Graham).
Happy Networking,
JD
WHO IS JDM
J. David Morris (aka JD) focuses on serving on the board of advisors and board of directors of several private companies. His family of Special Purpose Entities (SPE) invests in a wide range of businesses. David Morris has helped close more than $91 billion in deals leading more than $7 billion in enterprise value of these deals.
He has been a speaker at various industry forums, has been quoted in numerous leading publications and has made several appearances on Bloomberg, CNET, CNBC, ESPN, and many media outlets. J. David Morris hosted after Bloomberg morning news an educational radio show about financing deals and other hot topics.
J. David Morris #1 goal is exploring establishing leadership chairs to pay it forward at top Universities such as Massachusetts Institute of Technology ( MIT ), The George Washington University ( GWU ), and other organizations. J. David Morris enjoyed his fellowship position with GWU and LSU joint program and believe such models will move the ball forward.
He received a B.A. in economics with mathematics from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia, where he worked in the development office to pay his way through college. David Morris is an Omega Rho Honor Society student at in Washington, D.C. with The George Washington University ( GWU ). He is currently working on finishing a two- year program under MIT Sloan Business School as well as the MIT Computer Science & Artificial Intelligence Laboratory ( CSAIL).
FUN/WORK:
Angel Investing
Board of Advisors
Board of Directors
Buyouts ($5 million-plus EBITDA)
Deal Source
Family Office
Growth Capital
HNWI
Impact investing
Leadership
LBO ( Leveraged Buy-Out )
M&A
MBO ( Management Buy-Out )
Moonshot deals
Problem Solving
Public Speaking
Spin-offs (past NYSE and NASDAQ)
Venture Capital (two active funds)
PLAY:
Impact Investing
Leadership
Public Speaking
Sailing
Wind Surfing
Yachting
NETWORKING:
LinkedIn Network: 11,000 plus Connections
Linkedin Group: Sell Your Company 9,849 members
Linkedin Group: Investor Network by JD 5,861 members
Facebook Page:
Social Media and Newsletters = More than 210,000 followers, members, subscribers, viewers, etc
Few ancient philosophies have been as influential as Taoism. Developed in the 4th century B.C., the philosophy is centered around the achievement of ‘the Way’ and finding harmony and balance within. At the heart of this philosophy is the symbol that has come to represent it as its most identifiable aspect: the Yin and Yang.
Thanks Forbes for featuring me in one of many articles.
Choosing The Right Bank Or Credit Card: 10 Tips From Finance Experts
10. Look For Apps That Can Help
Experian and a few others have apps that will provide recommendations based on your credit score. They have apps that will allow you to compare features including annual fees, intro rates, annual percentage rates, etc. Not all people and not all cards are created equal, so take advantage of Experian or others that have apps to help. – JD Morris, Red Hook Capital
TPG Sixth Street Partners, a finance and investment business with over $32 billion in assets under management, and its TSSP Capital Solutions platform closed its first Capital Solutions fund, at approximately $2.2 billion of total third-party commitments
Boston, MA-based health system Partners HealthCare has launched two new investment funds.
Bend, Ore.-based Cascade Seed Fund, which is rebranding from Cascade Angels Fund, has held an initial close on the sixth fund since 2014 at $5.4 million
Aybuben Ventures, a Pan-Armenian venture capital fund dedicated to Armenian tech entrepreneurs from all over the world, launched with an initial $50m fund
Milwaukee-based Northwestern Mutual Future Ventures will dedicate $20m of its funding to investing in startup companies founded by women
Microsoft’s venture fund M12 is partnering with Mayfield and Pivotal Ventures to launch a $6m competition for women-led enterprise startupS
Jackson Square Ventures, a San Francisco, CA-based venture capital firm specializing in SaaS and Marketplace companies, closed its third fund, at $193m
Sofinnova Partners, a Paris, France-based venture capital firm focused on life sciences, closed its latest early-stage healthcare fund, Sofinnova Capital IX, at €333m
Idinvest, a European mid-market private equity firm, closed Idinvest Digital Fund III, at €350M
FUND ANNOUNCEMENT HIGHLIGHT
SAN FRANCISCO and NEW YORK, Oct. 22, 2019 /PRNewswire/ — TPG Sixth Street Partners (“Sixth Street”), a global finance and investment business with over $32 billion in assets under management, and its TSSP Capital Solutions (“Capital Solutions”) platform today announced the final close of its first Capital Solutions fund. In addition to commitments from the Sixth Street team, the fund raised approximately $2.2 billion of total third-party commitments, reaching its hard cap. Capital Solutions is actively investing out of the fund and has already deployed over $500 million
SAN JOSE, Calif.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Sep 9, 2019– AppZen, the world’s leading AI platform for modern finance teams, announced today that it has secured $50 million in Series C funding led by Coatue Management. Existing investors Redpoint Ventures and Lightspeed Venture Partners also participated in the round. This brings the company’s total investment to more than $100 million. AppZen will use the new funding to accelerate its mission to become the leading artificial intelligence (AI) platform for CFOs and their teams to reduce spend, comply with policy and streamline process.
TPA Stream, a Cleveland, OH-based healthcare benefits automation company, closed a $1.4m seed funding round
Sight Machine Inc., a San Francisco, CA-based digital manufacturing platform, received a venture capital investment from Sony Innovation Fund (SIF), Sony Corporation’s venture capital arm
SeekOps Inc., an Austin, TX-based company which develops and fields advanced sensor technology to detect, localize, and quantify natural gas emissions through integrated drone-based systems, secured funding from two strategic investors as part of its Series A-1 fundraising
RippleMatch, a NYC-based data-driven university recruiting platform, secured $6m in Series A funding
SGI-DNA, a San Diego, CA-based developer of synthetic genomics technologies and DNA data storage solutions, closed a $25m Series A financing
Platelet BioGenesis, Inc. (PBG), a Cambridge, Mass.-based leader in stem cell-derived, on-demand human platelets (PLTs+™) and platelet-based therapeutics, raised more than $26m in Series A-1 financing
Axiom, the global leader in specialized on-demand legal talent, received a strategic investment from Permira
HackerOne, a San Francisco, CA-based hacker-powered pentest and bug bounty platform, raised $36.4M in Series D financing
IceKredit, Inc., a Los Angeles, CA and China-based credit risk and credit management company, raised $47m in pre-Series C funding
TransPerfect, a New York-based provider of language and technology solutions for global business, acquired MoGi Group, a Dublin, Ireland-based bespoke gaming solutions house that partners with studios, developers, and content owners in the gaming space
Commvault (NASDAQ: CVLT), a Tinton Falls, NJ-based provider of software for the management of data across cloud and on-premises environments, is to acquire Hedvig, a Santa Clara, CA-based software-defined storage (SDS) company, for $225m
Red River, a Claremont, N.H.-based technology transformation company, acquired CWPS, a Washington D.C.-based technology solutions provider
PeopleShare, a Collegeville, PA-based staffing firm in the East Coast, acquired Best Practices Staffing, a staffing firm focused on the Greater Chicago area
MyHeritage, a global discovery platform for exploring family history and gaining health insights, acquired River Road Bio, the company that owned and operated SNPedia and Promethease
AppZen, a San Jose, CA-based AI platform for modern finance teams, secured $50m in Series C funding
DISCLAIMER: All deal information for our Pipeline Reports are provided by 3rd party websites such as Associated Press, Bloomberg, Business Wire, Crunchbase, Forbes, Fortune, Reuters, Wall Street Journal (WSJ), and other sources. We advise that you check with the company website for a press release or other direct sources that are in our reports as we do not update our posting and use third-party resources to source our news.
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