Insight Venture track record

Quick find code: 15-16-90-63671368 rs forums

Insight Venture Partners is a New York-based private equity and venture capital firm founded in 1995 by **** ****** and Jerry Murdock. Since the creation of this firm 17 years ago, this company now has a capital base of around $5 billion dollars. To put that into perspective, Jagex ltd. is worth about $25 million U.S. dollars.

Now IV has been with Jagex since 2005 holding only around 35% of the shares up until December 2010 when IV increased their shareholdings to 55.45% . Constant Tedder, Andrew Gower and Paul Gower left the board of directors as representatives after hearing this news. Since december 2010 many updates have been made to try and raise profit and revenue, most notably the loyalty rewards update and the ability to buy squeal of fortune spins.

Here is an example of a company who went under after IV got involved.

Spacetime Studios attempted to create an mmo that could run on mobile smart phone, for example an iphone or an android. When IV got involved, their monetization plan completely changed. Here it is:
Monetization: 3 Tier system:
1. allow progression through player commitment and "in character" gold currency (no fee)
2. Allow players to purchase items in MICROTRANSACTIONS - (im sure you know this word) to complement but not compete with 1.
3. Supply high quality updates and content releases that are purchasable using in-game currency platinum that are optional but grow the game organically depending on player feedback.

In other words, money can buy "decent" weapons you still have to grind for level experience and "good" weapons. Sound similar? Squeal of fortune?


Another company is 6waves created back in 2010 that created popular apps and games for facebook etc.Since IV(Insight Ventures) got involved they have now announced massive layoffs of developers to focus on promotion/maximising profits etc.

If none of that convinced you that IV sinks companies then look at this list of companies taken directly from the IV portfolio that have gone inactive after IV started investing in them. The list... is staggering.

cut list as it was huge

95 companies have sunk ever since Insight Ventures have taken control of them.

Wonder how long til Runescape is on the list

RS is already heading in that direction. It makes me sad cause I really wanted to see more of the RS story lines get wrapped up before RS closed and now I doubt it will ever happen.

The first problem was that it was a game for a smartphone.

The first problem was that it was a game for a smartphone.

The fact that 95 companies went under after IV started investing in them is the first problem.

Can we get these guys to invest in pop music?

I dont get how they can be making money if they keep killing all their investments. Im bad at business stuffs

I dont get how they can be making money if they keep killing all their investments. Im bad at business stuffs

1. They buy a company
2. They milk it for all it's worth
3. They abandon the depleted mine
4. Back to step one

I dont get how they can be making money if they keep killing all their investments. Im bad at business stuffs

1. They buy a company
2. They milk it for all it's worth
3. They abandon the depleted mine
4. Back to step one

A good example of this would be Nexon. They milk their games so much, that people are still willing to pay overprice items to stay top tier.

Mass quitting the game like so many opponents of this update are advocating would result in game failure as well, given Jagex's track record for reversing unpopular updates (they don't do it often).

It's discouraging to see that IV has sunk 95 companies, but Runescape has been going for closing in on a year and a half while they've been the majority shareholders, so...I'll still believe it when I see it.