Storm is a venture capital firm that focuses on identifying new market trends and technologies before they become mainstream. The firm helps create startup companies by identifying founders passionate about emerging ideas and recruiting them to build companies. Storm provides initial funding and works closely with founders, helping with growth strategies, recruiting, and strategic partnerships. Some examples of startups created in this way include AireSpace, which developed WiFi infrastructure for enterprises, and Mobile Iron, which created smartphone management solutions. Creating successful startups presents challenges around validating market opportunities and products, and developing founders' passion and go-to-market strategies.

1. Storm Creating Companies
Tae Hea Nahm
Cofounder & Managing Director of Storm
May 2011

2. My Goal
My Passion My Goal: Surf the tidal wave
 Identify new market trends –
identify the next tidal wave
(before it is obvious)
 Identify next great new founder –
identify & mentor the next top surfer
(especially 1st time CEOs)
Storm Ventures Proprietary & Confidential

3. My Investing based on new trends
Source Idea Action
Portfolio Companies Find existing startup
(current and prior) with great team
Mobile: (preferred approach)
Ent mobility (Mobile Iron)
Games (Com2us)
Ent WiFi (AireSpace/Cisco)
(Berkana, Marketo)
Cellphone IC (Berkana/Qualcomm)
Video (MCW/CoreLogic)
Passionately
Software-as-a-Service believe in a
Revenue Performance Mng (Marketo)
Contracting (EchoSign) market/
product idea Find founders to
And failures too create new startup
Carrier: (when tired of waiting)
KT (strategic advisor)
OEMs (AireSpace, AirPlug,
LG, Samsung (long-time client) Mobile Iron)
Enterprise CIOs, Channel, Others
Storm Ventures Proprietary & Confidential

4. Companies Created
Idea Recruit Founders Create Company
Enterprises will need a solution to Pat Calhoun AireSpace
deploy WiFi laptops in scale Bob Friday
Ajay Mishra
Bob O’Hara
Enterprises will need a solution to Suresh Batchu Mobile Iron
deploy smartphones in scale Ajay Mishra
Bob Tinker
Mobile carriers will need a JM Koo AirPlug
solution to the mobile data Korean carriers
explosion
Storm Ventures Proprietary & Confidential

5. Storm Creating Companies
WLAN infrastructure for the enterprise
Select other VCs
Hire
CEO $450m Sale
Storm seeds 2001 2002 2003 2004
with $500k Storm recruits Storm Acting CEO. Storm is active board member
based on 4 Founders Hire first 24 employees (GTM & product strategy, recruiting,
market vision strategic relationships)
Smartphone infrastructure for the enterprise
Select other VCs
first
customer
Storm seeds 2007 2008 2009 2010
with $500k Storm recruits Storm is active board member
based on 3 Founders (GTM & product strategy, recruiting, strategic relationships)
market vision

6. Challenges to Creating Startups
Question Goal
Founders My passion or Become real founders
the founders’ passion? rather than just employees
Market Idea I could be wrong? Need independent validation
(reinforce founders’ passion)
Specific Product 1st iteration is always Founders iterate to find the
(or service) incomplete? sweet spot/customer traction
(and develop real passion)
GTM strategy Capital efficient and Will ultimately decide the
scalable GTM strategy? success or failure of the startup
Storm Ventures Proprietary & Confidential