Global Themes

On Globalization & Venture Capital

Apple, Sony and Nintendo: A Stunning Comparison

Courtesy Gerhard Fasol of Eurotechnology Japan, a fascinating comparison between Sony, Apple and Nintendo

…On October 22 APPLE announced spectacular full-year results with a year-on-year net income increase of 38%.

…on August 29, 2008 Nintendo revised the forecast for full-year net income upward by +26.2%

…in contrast, on October 23, 2008, SONY said that full-year net income (for the financial year ending March 2009) is expected to be 37.5% lower than previously predicted

Lets look at today’s (Oct 22nd) market caps:

APPLE market cap = US$ 85.6 Billion

NINTENDO market cap = US$ 37.2 Billion

SONY market cap = US$ 19.9 Billion

Why this dramatic difference? We believe its focus. Apple and Nintendo are companies with clear focus.

…In terms of sales, SONY = 3 x APPLE …(and)…SONY = 4 x NINTENDO

annual revenues of SONY, Nintendo, and APPLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In terms of operating income, APPLE = 3 x SONY…(and)…NINTENDO = 3 x SONY

operating income: Apple, SONY and Nintendo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

In terms of operating margin, APPLE = 9 x SONY…(and)…NINTENDO = 15 x SONY

operating margin: nintendo, sony and apple

November 5th, 2008 Posted by Shantanu | Global Competition, Japan, Miscellaneous | 2 comments

Notes from the China VC_PE event

At the second China VC & PE Eventin London last week, Ozaki-san of NIkko AntFactory presented some striking data about Japanese and Chinese demographics. I am trying to get hold of the slides and will upload them here. China is already Japan’s largest trading partner (both exports and imports) while for China, Japan was its #1 trading partner but is now at #3 (behind EU and USA). 

He also mentioned how China is getting “expensive” (Uniqlo, the Japanese clothes maker has already moved half of its production facilities out of China) and “rich” (# of plasma TV sets sold are already more than Japan).

Some more quick notes:

  • JVs are hard to execute in China (Alexia)
  • Deals are getting more realistically valued (Fernando)
  • JV model of creating a China Fund may not be the best approach…Easier option is to buy an existing management company (a la Sequoia, KPCB)
  • Direct transplantation of deals may not work

Quote of the Day: “…The “Pioneers” are the ones with the arrows in the back…” (Courtesy Charles) 

Related Post:

Amidst the global downturn, China continues to amaze…

October 15th, 2008 Posted by Shantanu | China, Conferences and Panels, Venture Capital in Asia | no comments

Amidst the global downturn, China continues to amaze…

From an email I received y’day:

According to Zero2IPO Research Center statistics, a total of 29 domestic and foreign VC firms established 40 funds during Q2‘08. This figure represents US$3.02B of capital available for investing in Mainland China marking a record high for a single quarter.

Additionally, 159 Chinese entrepreneurial firms receiving venture capital disclosed investment totaling US$1.20B. In comparison with the same period last year, the number of deals and the disclosed investment amount increased 31.4% and 73.5% respectively.

Keeping up with the “booming…China investment market”, Zero2IPO is organizing its second China VC & PE Event in London next month. Try and be there.

I will be speaking just after the tea break on investment opportunities for European investors in China.

September 10th, 2008 Posted by Shantanu | China, Conferences and Panels, Emerging Markets, Venture Capital in Asia | 2 comments

Comparing Indian and Chinese M&A

Some excerpts from a great article comparing Indian and Chinese M&A, “Dancing “Dragon” and Running “Elephant” on the Stage of M&A  by Mark He at Zero2IPO Research.

*** Excerpts Begin (emphasis mine) *** 

Keep Reading…

August 7th, 2008 Posted by Shantanu | China, Emerging Markets, Global Competition, Globalization, India | one comment

India, China and G11

Excerpts from a recent article by Liam Halligan (Chief Economist at Prosperity Capital Management) in The Sunday Telegraph, “China, Brazil and India belong in the G8

*** Excerpts Begin (emphasis mine) ***

It’s become fashionable to say the G8 is pointless. Last week’s summit of the “world’s advanced industrial democracies” was certainly an anti-climax.

After all the posturing, “working lunches” and “financial stability pacts”, the impotence of the leaders gathered on the Japanese island of Hokkaido was displayed for all to see.

Western shares kept tumbling. Crude hit another record high. As the smell of meltdown turned acrid last week, the markets seemed determined to stress the G8’s irrelevance.


Since the mid-1970s, the US, UK, Germany, Italy, Japan, France and Canada have held an annual summit. Russia has recently been added – grudgingly, because four G7 members depend on its oil and gas. Even with Russia, the G8 accounts for only 14 per cent of the world’s population, and less than 60 per cent of the global economy. And that share of worldwide output can only fall as the fast-growing emerging giants continue to outpace the West.

The likes of China, Brazil and India have churned out average annual growth of 5 to 10 per cent for many years now – an expansion rate that’s set to continue.
In dollar terms, these countries are now the fourth, 10th and 12th largest economies on earth – and climbing fast.

Keep Reading…

July 29th, 2008 Posted by Shantanu | China, Development Issues, Economics, Emerging Markets, India | one comment

On local markets etc

An interview by Cherry Zheng from last September (with a nice photograph to boot!):

*** INTERVIEW BEGINS ***

European venture capital firms universally hold a prudent attitude towards the entry into Chinese market. As a result, only a few of them entered China. On the other hand, quite a large number of them, which include Amadeus Capital Partners Limited (”Amadeus”), are always observing the Chinese market actively and forming relationships with local VCs and major corporations

Amadeus invests venture capital in new technologies from offices in London and Cambridge, UK.  Since its inception in 1997, Amadeus has backed more than 60 companies in the UK and continental Europe, covering computer hardware and software, mobile and fixed communications technologies and medical technologies. Amadeus manages a total of GBP288 million of assets, raised through five funds including two seed-stage funds.

In his role as Business Development Partner for Asia at Amadeus, Shantanu Bhagwat (”Shantanu”) has 18 years of broad international experience in the broad technology sector, in Europe as well as in Asia, where he once worked in Japan and India. Shantanu has already visited China several times and continues to find opportunities to get familiar with this country and understand the developments even better.

Keep Reading…

May 18th, 2008 Posted by Shantanu | China, Globalization & VC Firms, India, Interviews, Venture Capital in Europe | 2 comments

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