If we think back over the past decade, software has done a great job of making inefficient markets more accessible and efficient. eBay made it easier for buyers and sellers to find and exchange products. One of our portfolio companies, TaskRabbit, is creating a marketplace for labor that efficiently connects those who need tasks completed with those that can perform the work. Kickstarter is enabling, and making it easier for, the world's most creative people to turn their dreams into reality.
But, software and the web have yet to make connecting private companies with seed-stage capital more efficient. There are some burgeoning platforms, like AngelList and Gust, that are moving in this direction; but the transactions still happen offline, and usually require large blocks of capital. If someone is looking to invest $1,000 in a private company, it's still virtually impossible.
