Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary of A-Grade | Disrupt NY 2013 Fireside Chat

Transcript

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Summary

In this video, Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary talk about their investment firm, A-Grade Investments, and their approach to investing in technology companies. They discuss topics such as intelligent objects, decentralized security, and the future of Hollywood and Silicon Valley.

Questions & Answers

Q: How long have Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary been investing through A-Grade Investments?

They have been investing through A-Grade Investments for two and a half years.

Q: Are they taking outside investors for their current portfolio and new investments?

Yes, they are taking outside investors for their current portfolio and new investments. They are raising money at a $100 million valuation.

Q: Are they bundling up their current investments into a new entity or creating a new fund for new investments?

They are doing both. They are bundling their current investments and taking on new capital to invest in new opportunities.

Q: What are some of the investments that A-Grade Investments has made?

Some of their investments include Spotify, Uber, SoundCloud, Fab, Airbnb, and Rap Genius.

Q: What is the focus of their investments?

Their focus is on consumer-facing products, particularly in the areas of financial services, social sharing economy, and service-based companies that disrupt traditional industries.

Q: How did Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary meet?

They met through Guy Oseary's ex-wife, who is one of Ashton Kutcher's best friends. They also worked together in the management company that represents Ashton Kutcher.

Q: What is the most frustrating thing about working with Ashton Kutcher, according to Guy Oseary?

Guy Oseary jokes that Ashton Kutcher always looks great in the morning while he himself looks disheveled. He finds it frustrating when Ashton books early morning meetings.

Q: Do companies that A-Grade Investments invest in still have misconceptions about working with a celebrity investor?

In the beginning, there were misconceptions about what Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary could bring to the table. However, as they worked with more founders, the word spread that they bring more value than just their celebrity status. Today, only about one out of ten companies they work with still have misconceptions.

Q: Are Hollywood and Silicon Valley starting to reverse in terms of inspiration?

Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary believe that the innovations in Silicon Valley are happening as fast as they can be imagined, while Hollywood is becoming a marketing system for technology that might be available soon.

Q: What kind of tech would they like to see exist that does not exist yet?

They are interested in intelligent objects, where sensors and operating systems are associated with everyday products. They believe this will revolutionize the way people interact with objects and lead to new ideas and possibilities.

Q: Are they investing in the distributed security space?

They are speculatively looking into the distributed security space as they believe decentralized technology can revolutionize privacy and security. They believe that the same technology used in Bitcoin can be used to create a peer-to-peer monitoring system that can flag illegal activities.

Q: Is Hollywood starting to take more inspiration from Silicon Valley?

Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary believe that Hollywood is starting to take more inspiration from Silicon Valley, especially in terms of marketing upcoming technologies and innovations.

Q: What is their view on the future of music and streaming services?

They believe that streaming and curation are the two most important features in music today. They are betting on streaming platforms like Spotify to succeed and hope that the music industry can unify and support one system instead of competing with each other.

Q: Is there a new name for their new company?

Currently, their new company is called A-Grade Holdings. They may make an announcement with a new name once everything is finalized.

Q: Are they done raising money for their new company or are they still open to new investors?

They have their lead investor and are almost filled up with strategic investors. They may still bring on a few more strategics, but they are closing in on finalizing their fundraising.

Takeaways

Ashton Kutcher and Guy Oseary have been investing through A-Grade Investments for two and a half years. They are taking outside investors for their current portfolio and new investments, and they are raising money at a $100 million valuation. Their focus is on consumer-facing products, particularly in the areas of financial services, social sharing economy, and service-based companies. They believe that intelligent objects and decentralized security are the future of technology. They see Hollywood starting to take more inspiration from Silicon Valley, and they are optimistic about the future of music and streaming services. They are almost done raising money for their new company and may make an announcement with a new name soon.