TechCrunch40's VC sponsors
Owen Thomas ยท 09/18/07 11:35AMA Valleywag tipster whispers that a company that had made the initial cut of 20 companies for the Techcrunch40 conference โ back when it was known as "TechCrunch20" โ got bumped when conference organizers "doubled down" and expanded the list to 40 startups. The company's sin? Competing with a startup funded by one of TechCrunch40's four VC sponsors. The competitor got bumped, and room was made for a sponsor-backed startup. "Ah, the Valley mafia at its finest," the tipster concludes. Of course. Sand Hill Road was built on conflicts of interest.