Investor Profile: SABAN Ventures

Richard Yen, Director, SABAN Ventures


Richard Yen is a Director at Saban Ventures, where he focuses on venture investment opportunities in the digital media, mobile, and consumer Internet sectors for the firm. Richard also works actively with the firm’s private equity portfolio companies and advises them on their digital media strategies.



Prior to joining Saban Ventures, Richard was a Principal at Blueprint Ventures in San Francisco where he established the firm’s digital media and Internet investing practice. He led early-stage investments and was an active Board member at several leading digital media start-ups. Prior to that, Richard was at Rustic Canyon Partners, an early-stage technology venture capital firm in Southern California where he focused on software infrastructure and wireless investments.

Richard participated in the FundingPost event: Silicon Valley Venture Capital Conference
on Thursday, March 5, 2009 in CA

SABAN Ventures

Saban Ventures is the venture capital investment arm of Saban Capital Group, Inc. (SCG), a private investment firm founded by Haim Saban in 2001 and specializing in the media, entertainment, and communications industries. Saban Ventures was formed by SCG in 2008 to invest in early-stage to mid-stage start-ups in digital media, mobile, and consumer Internet with an emphasis on companies that can add value to SCG’s global media investments.



The Saban Ventures team brings significant investment, operations, and industry experience in the digital media, mobile, and consumer Internet spaces. The firm seeks to partner with ambitious, market-changing entrepreneurs and invest in companies where the Principals can add value through their expertise and strategic network. The firm actively partners and collaborates with its portfolio companies to help them achieve breakout success.



Saban Ventures targets initial investments of $1-5 million as a lead or co-lead investor in start-up financings. The firm plays an active role on the Board of Directors and frequently syndicates investments with like-minded venture firms or strategic investors. The firm seeks to invest in start-ups

Some Previous Investments:

Next New Networks

is the leading independent new media company that creates and produces online television networks for targeted communities including: autos, fashion, entertainment, humor, and current news/politics. Next New Networks brings together elements of traditional TV networks with Internet functionality, inviting viewers to contribute, share and distribute content across both their branded URLs and their vast and growing network of partner platforms. The company super-distributes their unique content across multiple platforms including YouTube, MySpaceTV, AOL-Video, iTunes, and Veoh.

Skydeck

is the first service in the world that allows consumers to keep track of all of their mobile phone calls, all of their text messages, and all the people that they call and text. Skydeck’s secure software combines your call records with your address book to create a complete history of all your mobile phone conversations, revealing your true social network: the people that you talk to and text most often. Skydeck reminds you who called you last week, who you need to call next, and who never calls you back. The company was founded in 2007 by Jason Devitt and Mike Wells and is based in San Mateo, CA.

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