Angel/Venture Fund Update
For the past two years, I have been associated with a company called Corporate Strategies, Inc. that has focussed on helping young R&D technology companies go public. Our focus on technology is based on our belief that the U.S. is closer to the beginning than the end of a cycle in which technological breakthroughs will create new industries and sources of wealth. Today's essential technologies have barely begun to be explored.
Corporate Strategies, Inc., acknowledging that its focus is less strategists and more as a company "launcher", has officially changed its name to Wings Fund, Inc. Here's the official statement from the company:
We have formerly changed our corporate name to better reflect our focus as an investment company. We were founded in 1990 as a planning firm and, over the years, developed business plans for more than 100 hi-tech companies. We also invested in a number of those companies and found some success. Today, our only business is investing in small, Southern California based companies with breakthrough technologies. You can learn more about our business at www.WingsFund.com.
Another reason for our name change -- many of us just couldn't seem to spell "Strategies" correctly. So far, we have had pretty good luck with Wings.
Take a look at the site and the companies we've jumpstarted over the past two years.
-Brian
World Solar Industry Growth Jumped 70 Pct In 2004
| NEW YORK - Solar electricity production growth jumped 67 percent last year as established industry players increased output and new players entered the industry, a survey said. Last year, world solar cell production reached 1,256 megawatts (MW) or about enough to power more than 1.2 million average American homes during daytime. That was a 67 percent increase over the 750 MW produced in 2003, according to PHOTON International, a German magazine. "In Japan they're making solar cells because of high electricity prices. Solar panels are selling like hot cakes there," said Colin Murchie, director of legislative affairs at Solar Energy Industries Association in Washington, D.C. "Germany is boosting output because they want to meet Kyoto Protocol goals," said Murchie. Under the international pact that went into force earlier this year most industrialized nations, excluding the United States and Australia which did not sign the pact, must reduce emissions of greenhouse gases. Utilities and cars mostly produce such gases. In 2002 the world solar market increased 40 percent. |
E-commerce at Warp9 Speed!!
Ever been to an online retail site, ready to buy that last-minute gift, and just when you have found THE PERFECT pair of boxer shorts, the site fails for one reason or another? Considering that online sales continue to blow away everyone's expectations and projections, you would think that this kind of failure would be an exception and not the rule. How about this statistic - online shoppers in the U.S. spent $23.2 Billion over the 2004 holiday season, excluding travel!! That's $23 BILLION, with a B!! And most shopping carts break down in the middle of the shopping experience. How ridiculous!
The top 300 online retail sites account for over 55% of all online sales and they average a conversion rate of only 3.8%. That means for every 100 shoppers that go to an online site, less than 4 buy anything. Worse than that, some sites record upwards of 80% cart abandonment, meaning that after a shopper has selected an item and put it in their shopping cart, something prevented them from going through with the sale. Could you imaging walking through a Target or Old Navy and see half-full shopping carts all over the aisles? That would suck!
Ah, but there is an answer to the woes for these online retailers - and it's called Warp9. One of my many activities is overseeing the sales effort for Warp9 and I have to say, it is by far one of the most robust e-commerce applications on the market. The clients that utilize Warp9's system include Magellan's Travel Supplies (www.magellans.com), Wind and Weather (www.windandweather.com) and the newest client, Carabella (www.carabella.com).
In the wake of implementing a new e-commerce platform and increasing its Web marketing, Carabella has seen its online sales grow to 50% of TOTAL sales from 20% in just four months! And now on Warp9's platform, the cross-selling promotions and other capabilities has created an online site that rivals the best in the biz.
And now the company is about to release this really cool feature that lets retailers load up their catalogs and the customer can flip through it as if it were sitting right in front of them - a virtual catalog where they can actually click on a picture and read the description and order as if they were flipping through at home. It is VERY COOL! Let me know if you know any companies that are trying to launch an online site or want to improve their current system and we'll get 'em on the Warp9 platform. They will be blown away.
Moving at Warp9 speed,
Brian
Downtown Los Angeles
It has been a few days since I blogged on. First of all, I'd like to say congratulations to Alexander Payne for his Oscar win for Adapted Screenplay for Sideways. It was well-deserved. I understand that the reservations for wine country tours since the beginning of the year and through the summer are at record highs. And the USA is becoming the world leader in wine consumption - go figure.
On an unrelated note, I have my California Real Estate license and have been learning a bit about commercial real estate (on top of everything else I'm doing - see first blog). One of the most exciting opportunities for real estate at this time is happening in Downtown Los Angeles. You read that right. Not only is there the Staples Center and some great hotels (the Standard just opened up and it is gorgeous!), but there are new condos and artist-style lofts, a new grocery store, great public transportation, a real nightlife and a cleaner environment than one expects of a world-class downtown area. Here is an excerpt from the DowntownLA website:
Downtown Los Angeles is in the midst of a remarkable housing boom! Since 1999, over 3,500 units have been added to the market. Another 2,800 are under construction with approximately 5,700 in the pipeline. There are now more than 7,800 market rate apartments and lofts in the central business district, representing an increase of 53% just since 1998!
Downtown LA is made up of many unique and interesting neighborhoods – Financial District, Bunker Hill, Historic Downtown, Fashion District, Artist District and South Park. Each has its own characteristics and amenities for residents.
Ralphs will be opening a 50,000 square foot grocery store in late 2005. The store will be located on 9th Street between Hope and Flower streets, along with several other retailers.
If you are thinking about living Downtown but are not sure where to begin looking, then click here to sign up for our FREE Saturday housing bus tour Downtown LA Living.
You’ll visit 4 to 5 different properties from loft-style apartments to luxury digs!
Take it from me, there is something really exciting happening in downtown Los Angeles. My real estate firm, Ramsey-Shilling, has the listing on the Los Angeles Center Studios, an incredible 400,000 square feet of office space with sound stages smack dab in the middle of downtown - it is an incredible location. If you look closely, you will see the LACS in many film and TV projects and commercials, including In Good Company and the new ABC show, Numb3rs. Check out the LACS website: http://www.lacenterstudios.com/
Let me know if you'd like to check out downtown LA for yourself, I can direct you to many sources of information and even lead you on a tour of the best restaurants, among other things.
-Brian
John Chester is one of the most talented filmmakers in this country! And John has embarked on a journey that will transform all our lives: "Random-1" is a series of true stories about the adventures of John, his partner Andre Miller and the random strangers they meet. The saga begins as they set out in a 1973 pick-up to test a simple idea: chance encounters can change the course of a person's life. To test this theory, their goal is to help random people in absolutely any way possible. After breaking down a person’s defensive walls and soliciting a compelling life story, a seemingly shy and simple offer is extended to the stranger.
“Is there anything in your life that could be made better, something you need, maybe even a goal or a dream we could help you with?”
Think the idea lacks power? Check out the site for yourself at www.random1.com. Here's what one investor had to say about the concept in an email to John recently:
John:
Likewise, a pleasure for me, as always! I do think you have created something that has a chance to tap into some pretty core American myths, with a good dose of modern interpretation blended in. The offering up of a chance to pursue a dream is fundamental to the American opportunity; along with the dream, however, goes the companion myth that you must earn your dreams by taking the risks associated with their pursuit and following through. The show has the intelligence to be about people actually confronting the choice of what it takes to pursue a dream.
You, Andre, and the RV aren't fairy godpeople who simply drop into someone's life and grant
a wish. In fact, it's very much the opposite. You engage with someone and give them an offer, no more and no less than that. What they do with the offer is up to them. And the show will play out that choice and its myriad responses. I think this aspect is why it's important for the show to include segments where people bail out on you, are ultimately unable to embrace the opportunity.
Achieving the American dream is not a give, after all, it takes grit, gumption, and courage, with a dash of idealistic optimism (this is why Millicent was so taken by Amber and so diappointed by the outcome; Amber seems to perfectly suited to this archtype!). This entire issue of someone's being given an opportunity and having to make some important decisions is
fundamental to the rather complex American myth of individual responsibility and the old Puritan free will, coupled with the critically important American sense of limitless possibility. In my view, this is what you are depicting, in a very modern, dramatic, and entertaining way. Of course, the other layers here are also valuable, specifically the road show aspect of it. The American myths of mobility and self-invention are inextricably intertwined with limitless possibility.
You and Andre, travelling around, encountering people, giving them choices, the chance to self-invent, this dramatic interplay fits perfectly into a framework that most Americans, perhaps without even consciously identifying what is being tapped into, will
find themselves relating to and engaged with. The fact that you are a diverse group of vagabonds, the ol'Huck Finn and Jim floating down the river as we discussed, only adds to the appeal. And there is also the relationship-building aspect of it: people eyeing you and Andre, trying to decipher your true purpose, deciding whether to trust you. And finally there is the internal relationship among the Random 1 team. You must all emerge as characters, and as characters people will want to watch!
Guerilla Philanthropy, baby!!! Doing good without being wimps! Gritty goodness!!! Camo T-shirts with hearts!!!!!!!
Best:
PLB
Couldn't have said it any better myself. John is still looking to complete a round of financing for some production elements and to jumpstart a web project related to the program.
-Tuna Boat
Spiritual Thoughts for the Day
We all go through periods in life where questions abound. Am I making the right choices? Am I doing the right thing? A close friend of mine sent me this poem via email and I was moved. Perhaps you will be, too.
I build my friendships with the conscious architecture of my integrity. My design contains space for change. My friendships are flexible and resilient. I do not demand that my relationships remain static and unvarying. Instead, I allow my bonds to be mutable and varied. At times I am close and at times I am more distant from even my closest friends. Such is the natural tide of relationships. I accept the changing tides of my friendships. I allow flow and mutability. My heart is a spiritual shoreline with intricate tides that I honor and respect.
Today I respect the changing garden of my life. I focus on those areas that are in blossom and I allow other areas of my life to lie fallow knowing they too, will blossom in their turn.
Thanks, Krystianne.
Productive Work Tools
I am a huge fan of GoToMyPC. It is one of the best work tools I've ever used! I can leave my computer on at home (on a DSL connection) and then access it from any computer with internet access - PC OR Mac!! What a huge advantage. I've even used it to do a WebEx-style presentation where I can bring a number of people to my computer remotely. It is really an incredible system. I did a demo of an e-commerce application with 3 people, one of which was on a Mac, and it worked like a charm. I guess they also have a NetMeeting and NetConference application but I've never used one of those. I signed up to be an affiliate because I have been recommending it to so many people (thought I'd get paid for doing what I'm already doing....) Take a look:
GoToMyPC Pro
XsunX Press Release this week
XsunX Continues to Strengthen Development Team
Adds Veteran Scientist to Advisory Board
ALISO VIEJO, Calif., Feb. 22, 2005 (PRIMEZONE) -- XsunX, Inc. (OTCBB:XSNX), developer of Power Glass(tm) -- an innovative solar technology that allows glass windows to produce electricity from the power of the sun, announced today that Dr. Arokia Nathan has joined the Company's Scientific Advisory Board. Nominated by the Company's Scientific Board Chairman, Dr. Arun Madan, Dr. Nathan brings a wealth of knowledge specific to the development of thin-film semi-transparent photovoltaics to XsunX.
"The addition of Dr. Nathan and the wealth of expertise he provides to the XsunX Power Glass(tm) development efforts will continue to provide momentum to the growing success of the company's development efforts," stated Dr. Arun Madan, Chairman of the XsunX Scientific Advisory Board. "I have had the opportunity to work with Arokia on other successful projects and his commitment to the advancement of sciences in the areas of thin-films is quite remarkable and I am looking forward to collaborating with him in the completion of our Power Glass(tm) project," concluded Dr. Madan.
"With the recent addition to our advisory board of Dr. Richard Rocheleau, and now Dr. Arokia Nathan, our collaborative abilities and depth of expertise in the development of thin-films has gained tremendous capabilities in a number of research areas," stated Tom Djokovich, CEO of XsunX. "The efforts of scientists such as Rick and Arokia have helped PV technologies to mature into a viable industry growing at unprecedented rates."
XsunX is working to commercialize and offer its Power Glass(tm) technology to a solar market where demand continues to out-pace supply. With a current solar market estimate of U.S. $7 billion, which many experts predict will grow to U.S. $30 billion by 2010, a recent article published by SustainableBusiness.com in their January/February Progressive Investor report labeled the solar industry as being, "in the midst of a transition to becoming one of the world's fast-growth, profitable industries."
The rapid advance of photovoltaics ("PV") as a viable energy source continues to gain momentum on an international scale and recently picked up added support from the Bush administration. A budget proposal sent to Congress by President Bush two weeks ago included what the solar industry is calling "a promising new initiative" to advance the development of crystalline silicon solar power. The Crystalline Silicon Initiative seeks to re-establish U.S. market leadership and technology ownership in the PV industry. The initiatives goal is to increase PV system performances by 50%, reduce power production costs to 6 cents per kWh, and cut costs to consumers by as much as 40% by the year 2015. Many industry leaders believe the initiative will start solar power on a path to deliver half of all new U.S. electricity generation by 2025.
Dr. Arokia Nathan
Arokia Nathan (SM) is a Professor in Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Waterloo, and holds the Canada Research Chair in Nanoscale Elastic Circuits. He is also the chief technology officer of Ignis Innovation Inc., Waterloo, Canada, a company he founded to commercialize technology on thin film silicon backplanes and driving algorithms for active matrix organic light emitting diode displays. Dr. Nathan has extensive experience in device physics and modeling, and materials processing and integration. He has published extensively in the field of sensor technology and CAD, and thin film transistor electronics, and has over 15 patents filed/awarded. He is a co-author of two books, Microtransducer CAD and CCD Image Sensors in Deep-Ultraviolet. He is a Senior Member of the IEEE and a member of the American Physical Society, Electrochemical Society, Materials Research Society, Society for Information Displays, International Society for Optical Engineering, and the Institute of Electrical Engineers (UK). He chairs the 2005 IEEE Lasers and Electro-Optics Society Technical Committee on Displays and the Displays Sub-Committee in both 2004 and 2005. He serves as co-chair of the Fall 2005 Materials Research Society Symposium M: Flexible and Printed Electronics, Photonics, and Biomaterials, and is currently a Guest Editor for a Special Issue on Flexible Electronics Technology in IEEE Proceedings. He received his PhD in Electrical Engineering from the University of Alberta, Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, in 1988.
About XsunX
Based in Aliso Viejo, California, XsunX is the developer of Power Glass -- an innovative solar technology that allows glass windows to produce electricity from the power of the sun. This proprietary process is intended to allow manufacturers to apply a transparent and photovoltaic glazing to glass and other transparent substrates. When XsunX glazing is exposed to light, the light energy is converted into electrical energy for use as a power source. XsunX believes that its solar electric glazing technology has a number of major market opportunities in the worldwide architectural glass, optical film and plastics markets. Please visit the Company's website for more information: http://www.XsunX.com
Safe Harbor Statement: Matters discussed in this press release contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. When used in this press release, the words "anticipate," "believe," "estimate," "may," "intend," "expect" and similar expressions identify such forward-looking statements. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements contained herein. These forward-looking statements are based largely on the expectations of the Company and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. These include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties associated with: the impact of economic, competitive and other factors affecting the Company and its operations, markets, product, and distributor performance, the impact on the national and local economies resulting from terrorist actions, and U.S. actions subsequently; and other factors detailed in reports filed by the Company.
CONTACT: XsunX, Inc.
Media Relations
(949) 330-8060
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