About Thomas Alva Edison

Edison Venture Fund was founded in 1986 by John Martinson. The firm's name honors Thomas Alva Edison, the world's greatest inventor and renowned entrepreneur.

Credited with 1,100 patents ranging from the electric vote recorder to prefabricated concrete houses, Thomas Alva Edison was America's most prolific inventor. His most famous inventions include the electric light bulb, motion picture camera and phonograph, Edison's personal favorite. In addition, he improved the telegraph, stock ticker, telephone, radio, dictating machine, mimeograph and storage battery.

Edison was the first professional inventor. He used the proceeds from selling the rights to his early inventions to set up the first large scale R&D facility, initially in Menlo Park, New Jersey and later in West Orange, New Jersey, which is open to the public as the Edison National Historical Site. Edison's invention factory combined science, technology and business in the systematic application of R&D methods.

His entrepreneurial drive led to the formation of 400 companies, including General Electric, Dictaphone, Consolidated Edison and Portland Cement. Edison gathered top experts in their fields, but he remained the driving force. Edison was an entrepreneur by nature and a business manager by necessity. His business scope extended from product concept all the way to broad public usage by raising capital, establishing operations and marketing products. The Edison trademark symbolized innovation and quality.

Thomas Edison's timeless observations of business and entrepreneurship include:

"Genius is ninety-nine percent perspiration and one percent inspiration."

"All progress, all success, springs from thinking."

"Ideas increase as they are cultivated, and the brain must be exercised like any other part of the body."

"The greatest assets for successful inventing are observation and determination."

"If we did all the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astonish ourselves."

"Remember, nothing that's good works by itself, just to please you. You've got to make the damn thing work."

"I have tried so many things that I thought were true, and found out that I was wrong, that I have quit being too sure about anything."

"Thinking is the hardest work in the world for those who have not formed the habit, but thinking can give pleasure and excitement."

"My desire is to do everything within my power to further free the people from drudgery, and create the largest possible measures of happiness and prosperity."

The Lawrenceville, NJ headquarters of Edison Venture Fund displays dozens of Thomas Edison's inventions such as phonographs, dictating machines, movie projectors and lightbulbs. Marketing posters, stock certificates and other memorabilia are also displayed throughout the unique office.