VCs say they’ll be stingy in ’09
Cash-hungry startups beware. 2009 will likely be a terrible year for raising needed capital.
A new survey by the National Venture Capital Association paints a grim picture of probable investments next year. Ninety-two per cent of respondents predict a slowdown in US investments compared to 2008, and 61 per cent say the dip will be severe. Read more
GTA maker is hit-and-run victim
Video game software sales are up 30 per cent this year in the US, but the rising tide is not floating all boats – most publishers appear to be holed below the waterline.
Take-Two, publisher of the Grand Theft Auto series, is the latest harbinger of bad news. For its first quarter, covering the peak sales months of November, December and January, it is forecasting a loss of 70 to 85 cents per share on revenues of $175m to $225m. Read more
| About this blog | Blog guide |
Richard Waters has headed the FT's San Francisco bureau since 2002 and covers Google and Microsoft, among other things. A former New York bureau chief for the FT, he is intrigued by Silicon Valley's unique financial and business culture, and is looking forward to covering his second Tech Bust.
Chris Nuttall has been online and messing around with computers for more than 20 years and since 2004 has reported from the FT's San Francisco bureau on semiconductors, video games, consumer electronics and all things interwebby.
Maija Palmer has been writing about technology for the FT since 1999 and is fascinated by cybercrime, privacy and all the other issues of the information society. Based in London, she covers European tech companies and hopes that they won't all get acquired by American rivals.
Robin Kwong is the FT's technology, media and telecoms page editor in London. Formerly he was the Taipei correspondent and wrote about the companies that manufacture the vast majority of the world's computers and gadgets. He is interested in the intricacies of the technology supply chain and how China is increasingly changing the tech landscape.
Tim Bradshaw is the FT's digital media correspondent, and has just moved from London to join our team in San Francisco. He has covered start-ups such as Twitter and Spotify, as well as the online ambitions of more established media companies, such as the BBC iPlayer. He also covers the advertising, marketing and video-game industries. Tim has been writing about technology, business and finance since 2003.
