For five consecutive years, Silicon Legal has been recognized by PitchBook among the top 10 most active law firms in the VC space.¹ To celebrate, we invited some of our innovative entrepreneur and seasoned investor clients to share their lighthearted reflections from 2023 and predictions of what lies ahead.
For more hot takes from our clients, review them all here.
Peter Volz
If the venture capital ecosystem was a movie, what would the title of 2023 have been?
VC: The Cash Strikes Back – A Tale of Risk, Returns, and Relentless Optimism in 2023
Friend, Enemy, or Spouse?
| AI | Friend |
| Web3 | Spouse |
| Future of Work | Enemy |
In five words: What’s your most outlandish prediction for the venture capital market in 2024?
Space tourism startups – blast off.
Who, what, or where did you find your greatest inspiration in 2023?
My work colleagues and my family. It was incredibly inspirational to see our MRV team work so hard and make such great strides. I was also inspired by my wife and daughter who are relentless in their pursuits.
If you could rename one popular tech term to be more honest and descriptive, what would it be and why?
I would rename “climatetech” to “Sustainable Innovation.”
While “climatetech” emphasizes the focus on addressing climate change, “Sustainable Innovation” provides a broader and more inclusive perspective. This name acknowledges that technological solutions aimed at sustainability not only mitigate climate change but also promote environmental stewardship, resource efficiency, and social responsibility. It reflects the multifaceted nature of efforts to build a more sustainable future, encompassing renewable energy, circular economy practices, eco-friendly materials, and more. By framing it as “Sustainable Innovation,” the focus extends beyond just climate to encompass a holistic approach to long-term environmental and societal well-being.
About Munich Re Ventures
Munich Re Ventures is an experienced strategic and financial investor, working across the globe to support the next generation of disruptive technologies and business models.
Disruptive companies create new risks or develop new ways to manage risk. We are uniquely positioned to help our portfolio companies navigate risk by providing capital, board guidance, industry and investor connections, operational guidance and support, and technical expertise.
About Silicon Legal Strategy
Silicon Legal Strategy is the premier boutique law firm providing targeted, bottom-line-oriented advice to technology startups, innovative entrepreneurs and seasoned investors. Trained at the top firms in Silicon Valley, our attorneys and staff are incredibly passionate about technology and have extensive experience representing early stage companies and investors. We are a known quantity in Silicon Valley, and work with or sit across the table from every major law firm in the area. Perhaps most importantly, we ourselves are entrepreneurs. We truly understand the challenges of a startup — like building and motivating a team, creating repeatable processes to ensure continued customer satisfaction at scale and dealing with infrastructure issues. We face these challenges every day — and as a result, are able to deliver more relevant, bottom-line-oriented advice. Put simply, we actually “get” what entrepreneurs are going through.