Infrastructure for the New Economy Archives | Page 2 of 3 | Union Square Ventures

Shippo's USPS ePostage Program Announcement

Our portfolio company Shippo today announced that it is now providing all customers with access to the United States Postal Service ePostage program. Shippo is the first company to have received such a license from the USPS since 1999. But Read more

Global Parcel Shipping Industry Insight

Take a look around you, chances are, pretty much everything you see has been shipped, often multiple times, in order to get there. Transport of goods is a massive industry. Global parcel shipping alone is worth $300 Billion. With the shift Read more

Veniam's Funding Announcement

Our portfolio company Veniam announced today that they had closed a significant new round of funding led by Verizon Ventures. The funding will allow Veniam to deliver on the promise of "smart cities" by connecting thousands of vehicles in public and Read more

Union Square Ventures' Investment Thesis

Union Square Ventures has always been a “thesis” driven firm. We maintain specific principles about the internet that guide our investment decisions. While other things like stage and to a lesser extent geography, also matter, our thesis or point of Read more

Early Fascination with Programming

Over 30 years ago when I first started to program I was quickly fascinated by the potential for computers to become smart. I remember writing my own version of Eliza and buying the Winston's book on Artificial Intelligence. It seemed Read more

Internet of Things Predictions

There has been a lot of talk recently about the Internet of Things. Some analysts estimate there will be 9 billion connected devices, from parking meters to thermostats by 2018. By then, that will be roughly the number of smartphones, Read more

Belief in the Internet

Joi Ito likes to say the Internet is a belief system. At Union Square Ventures, we believe in the Internet. We spend a lot of time thinking about how the Internet enables young companies to radically transform markets. We try Read more

Technology as Magic

Arthur C. Clarke famously wrote that "any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic." I have always had mixed feelings about this quote because as an engineer my reaction to something really advanced like self-driving cars is to want Read more

Investing in Networks

Many think that USV is a consumer web investor. We don't think of ourselves that way. We invest in networks and for most of our short history, that has meant investing in networks of individuals connecting with each other. Thus Read more