Paul Grim

Paul Grim is a General Partner at SunBridge Partners, the US affiliate of Japan-based SunBridge Corporation; previous investments include Alien Technology, Flarion (acquired by QCOM), Eclipse Aviation, and Salesforce.com (NYSE: CRM).Prior to co-founding SunBridge Partners, Paul was a GP at Equitek Capital, and spent ten years in Europe at Gemini Consulting and IBM. Paul holds an MBA from MIT Sloan and a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT.

Recent Posts

Why Apple can't beat Android

Why Apple can't beat Android

This story was contributed to VentureBeat by Paul Grim, a General Partner at venture capital firm SunBridge Partners. Grim blogs on wireless issues at Grim Times.

For the better part of 20 years, Mac lovers fumed in frustration as Apple languished in sub-5% PC market share territory. Wintel dominated. Big, ugly, buggy, clunky, and everywhere. It seemed as if graphic designers were the only people stubbornly refusing to admit defeat and join the rest of … Continue Reading

An investor's take on the iPad — how to parse the hype

An investor's take on the iPad — how to parse the hype

Paul Grim is a General Partner at venture capital firm SunBridge Partners and blogs on wireless issues at Grim Times.

As an investor, whenever a major consumer electronics launch creates a fuss (especially when it’s from the master himself), I try to step back and see the bigger picture. Is this a game changer in any way? Does it create real investment opportunities that didn’t exist before? What companies or technologies will be impacted by … Continue Reading

Why Nexus One changes (next to) nothing, but Android changes everything

Why Nexus One changes (next to) nothing, but Android changes everything

Paul Grim is a General Partner at venture capital firm SunBridge Partners. He submitted this to VentureBeat.

Having survived the Nexus One barrage, it’s clear that many reviewers are missing the implications for wireless carriers and handset makers. They are not the losers, nor is Google the sole winner. As Android continues to gain traction, they will all become winners. The big deal, therefore, is not the Googlephone, but the GoogleOS (not Chrome, but Android).… Continue Reading

Clearwire needs to shake things up to save WiMax

Clearwire needs to shake things up to save WiMax

On Thursday, strategy consulting service Analysys Mason released a report claiming the end is nigh for WiMax wireless technology, and Lord knows I’ve rung that bell a few times (here, here, here, and here). WiMax has been touted as the ultimate broadband wireless solution for laptops and internet devices, and with billions of dollars invested to date by Intel, Google, Motorola, Cisco and others, its demise could leave only one option for broadband wireless — … Continue Reading

FCC kicks off hearings on $7.2B broadband expansion

FCC kicks off hearings on $7.2B broadband expansion

The Federal Communications Commission has kicked off highly-anticipated hearings about the $7.2 billion stimulus package for rural and underserved broadband services. Unsurprisingly, there has been much debate (and no small amount of teeth-gnashing) about how to best invest this chunk of taxpayer-funded largess.

“This is a huge deal… Broadband is the central infrastructure challenge of the early 21st century,” stated acting FCC chairman Michael Copps. “If done right, it will be the most formative proceeding … Continue Reading

WiMax — Game on?

WiMax — Game on?

[Editor's Note: Back in April, venture capitalist Paul Grim painted a somewhat bleak picture of the future of mobile WiMax networks, pointing to Sprint and Clearwire's inability to strike a deal as one of its prime weaknesses. Last week, the Federal Communications Commission finally gave the agreement its blessing. But is this enough to rescue WiMax? Below, Grim revisits the topic in light of recent developments.]

While the world was busy celebrating the election of … Continue Reading

CTIA Roundup –- Game Over for WiMax?

CTIA Roundup –- Game Over for WiMax?

Things are certainly happening quickly in the wireless industry -- the iPhone has actually lived up to much of the absurd hype that preceded its release.

Tear down this Wall!

(Editor’s note: This is an opinion piece by Paul Grim, a General Partner at SunBridge Partners, the US affiliate of Japan-based SunBridge Corporation)

We recently celebrated President Reagan’s famous quotation from twenty years ago, a challenge to a closed regime that no one at the time ever imagined would open up and allow its subjects a real sense of freedom and choices.

So I would suggest that it’s time to set that challenge again, … Continue Reading

Is WiMax like the tragic Barbaro?

In addition to the demise of the MENS Club, there were several other interesting insights to be found at the Orlando CTIA conference a few weeks back:

Mobile Broadband is now a three-horse race, but one of them (mobile WiMax) may end up like Barbaro -– a visibly thrilling candidate that tragically crashes and burns in the final round.

You call *that* a technology company?

[Disclosure: Paul Grim's firm, SunBridge Partners, invested in Eclipse Aviation, and this article is in part to explain why he thought this made sense, despite lots of people who thought he was nuts at the time. With dozens of companies offering copycat mobile or Web 2.0 technologies lately, his perspective about alternatives is welcome.]

Although there certainly has been no dearth of opining on the problem of copycat, flipmeat Web 2.0 companies and the VC’s … Continue Reading