Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

Angel investors are still the lifeblood of early-stage startups, despite the surge of activity in crowdfunding and an increasing early interest from venture capitalists. According to the Angel Capital Association , at least 300,000 people have made angel investments in the last two years, totaling $24 billion in the U.S.

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Angel Investor Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Angel Groups 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 21, 2015

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. only accredited investors can use crowdfunding sites such as EquityNet to buy ownership in their favorite startup.

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Accredited Investor SEC Equity Europe 120

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 27, 2010

I’ve noticed that some entrepreneurs seem to have no trouble attracting investors, while others with a great business plan struggle with it. The reality is that angel investors are humans, and personal traits often make or break the relationship, even before the investment is considered. Listens before answering questions.

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Angel Investor Technical Review Intellectual Property Elevator Pitch 241

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 15, 2015

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t make equity investments in non-profits. The simple reason is that it’s impossible to make money for investors when the goal of the company is to not make money. You still start the process with a business plan, but then you look for a philanthropist rather than an investor.

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Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 120

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2020

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs, and a former angel myself, I still find startups confused about the definition of an angel investor, and how and when to attract one. Here are some key points to consider in finding one for you: Look for accredited angels and groups rather than individuals.

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Angel Investor Valuation Syndicate Syndication 322

Austin Startup

JULY 29, 2018

Raising funding from Angel Investors can feel like a catch-22. It’s easy to figure out who the active angel investors are but it’s hard to find the right time to pitch them. Not all investors are the same. Some like to be the first investor to commit and others prefer to be the last.

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Angel Investor Technical Review Los Angeles Seed Stage 59

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 28, 2021

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). Rose, according to his classic book, “ Angel Investing.” Investing in startups is a numbers game.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 6, 2010

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t invest in non-profits. The simple reason is that it’s impossible to make money for investors when the goal of the company is to not make money. You still start the process with a business plan, but then you look for a philanthropist rather than an investor. Marty Zwilling.

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Angel Investor Technical Review Exit Strategy Equity 143

David Teten

SEPTEMBER 16, 2014

Enter Dave: Angel investing is a great way to make a lot of money. Either way, angel investing is on the rise! Q: How popular is angel investing ? A: Over the past decade, angels have invested at a healthy pace, averaging more than $20 billion annually in the US (see graph below). Angel Investment Activity, 2002-2013.

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Angel Investor Technical Review Venture Capital Pre-Money Valuation 114

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 11, 2022

Angel investors and venture capitalists don’t make equity investments in nonprofit good causes. The simple reason is that it’s impossible to make money for investors when the goal of the company is to not make money. You still start the process with a business plan, but then you look for a philanthropist rather than an investor.

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Angel Investor Equity Technical Review Exit Strategy 327

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2022

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, crowdfunding still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. In Europe, other investors can buy equity, with platforms such as Seedrs. Startup equity model.

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Accredited Investor Startup SEC Equity 352

Gust

JULY 23, 2014

The most useful meetings with an investor are ones where going in everyone understands that there may actually be a rational reason for the investor to be interested. The biggest problem, as I’ve discussed elsewhere, is the sheer overwhelming number of overtures I (and many other higher profile investors) receive.

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Angel Investor Elevator Pitch Pre-Money Valuation Technical Review 153

Gust

NOVEMBER 15, 2011

So how do angel investors fall on this question? My bias, as an angel investor: other things being equal, yes. And of course there will always be exceptions, but, in general: Unless proven otherwise, a lot of investors would agree with my bias in the second paragraph. Angel investors are all individuals.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 13, 2022

The problem is that professional investors (angels and venture capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than early projections and product development. According to a well-researched Motly Fool report, the challenge is very real, since around half of all businesses fail in the first five years.

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Intellectual Property Technical Review Startup Incubator 341

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2022

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Message delivery must be customized for each investor.

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Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 278

View from Seed

OCTOBER 11, 2023

It’s no surprise, then, that the funding round which the company just announced also included endorsement from notable insider venture groups and angel investors alongside NextView.

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Metadata Technical Review Advertising Angel Investor 177

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

Excellent detailed resources are everywhere, including a classic book, “ The Startup Checklist ,” by serial entrepreneur and founder of the New York Angels, David S. Investors and partners now look only for a framework of your business essentials, within the context of your opportunity, solution, and financials.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. The biggest complaint I hear from fellow investors is that startup founders often talk way too long, and neglect to cover the most relevant points. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology.

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Technical Review Elevator Pitch Angel Investor Matching 369

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 12, 2021

As a startup mentor and investor, I am approached regularly by aspiring entrepreneurs who assert that business plans take too much time, are inaccurate, and rarely add value. Most of these scenarios involve attracting outside investors, strategic partners, or key team members: You are the team and you don’t need outside funding.

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Business Plan Technical Review Angel Investor Due Diligence 316

The Startup Magazine

AUGUST 11, 2023

pexels You need to have enough resources by having a seed-stage investor who will financially support your company in the long run. The following is a condensed explanation of seed funding: Seed money is a form of early-stage financing that new businesses receive from investors in exchange for a share of ownership in the company.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 14, 2023

Investors check your burn rate to assess your efficiency, and project your remaining runway before you run out of money and into a brick wall. Don’t wait until you are almost out of cash before managing every dollar spent or looking for the next refueling from investors. Cash flow is a basic survival metric for every startup.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 15, 2023

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). Professional investors and advisors, on the other hand, usually refuse to sign these agreements today due to the risk of litigation and administrative workload, and will walk away.

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Non-disclosure Agreement Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 254

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 16, 2022

In addition to being the startup entrepreneur, there are other key roles where Boomers can be a force in driving successful startups, in concert with leaders from Gen-X and Gen-Y: Early-stage angel investors. Supportive co-founder and executive positions.

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Advisory Board Dividend Angel Investor Cofounder 368

Business Plan Blog

DECEMBER 12, 2013

Angel Investors vs. Angel Groups. What is an angel investor? Angels are often former or current entrepreneurs themselves, as well as business professionals and corporate leaders. Angels typically invest in companies local to them. What is an angel group?

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Angel Groups Angel Investor Software Review Accredited Investor 51

View from Seed

AUGUST 13, 2014

We at NextView Ventures invest exclusively in a startup’s seed-stage round , meaning that many if not most of our deals are made alongside individual angel investors. These angels, however, come in many different shapes and sizes. It can also help founders better approach angels in the first place. The Super Angel.

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Entrepreneurs-Journey.com by Yaro Starak

JULY 19, 2023

This lead Brian to realize he’d rather have a small piece of lots of […] The post Brian Nichols, Angel Investor (Hustle Fund, Angel Squad), Lyft ‘Mafia’ Angel Syndicate, How To Pick Unicorns appeared first on Yaro.Blog.

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Syndicate Syndication Angel Investor Startup 85

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

Most entrepreneurs have learned that it’s almost always quicker and easier to get cash from someone you know, rather than angel investors or professional investors (VCs). In fact, most investors “require” that you already have some investment from friends and family before they will even step up to the plate.

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Technical Review Elevator Pitch Due Diligence Angel Investor 338

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 12, 2022

When it’s time to sell your company, or get new investors, valuation is the key parameter to success or disappointment. In my experience as an angel investor to startups, goodwill disagreements are perhaps the most common reason that you will fail to close interested investors as an entrepreneur.

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Valuation Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 368

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 28, 2020

Excellent detailed resources are everywhere, including a classic book, “ The Startup Checklist ,” by serial entrepreneur and founder of the New York Angels, David S. Investors and partners now look only for a framework of your business essentials, within the context of your opportunity, solution, and financials.

Intellectual Property 404

Intellectual Property Startup Angel Groups Social Media 404

Business Plan Blog

DECEMBER 12, 2013

Angel Investors vs. Angel Groups. What is an angel investor? Angels are often former or current entrepreneurs themselves, as well as business professionals and corporate leaders. Angels typically invest in companies local to them. What is an angel group?

Angel Groups 40

Angel Groups Angel Investor Software Review Accredited Investor 40

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. only accredited investors can use crowdfunding sites such as EquityNet to buy ownership in their favorite startup.

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Accredited Investor Entrepreneur SEC Equity 324

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2022

Maintaining your team’s passion and freedom to focus first on innovating for customers are only a couple of the reasons for thinking hard before you seek money from crowdfunding, angel investors, venture capital organizations, or attempt to qualify for a public stock offering. Investors want board seats and a vote on key decisions.

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Cost Bootstrapping Advisory Board Startup 267

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 18, 2022

Many new entrepreneurs are so excited by their latest idea that they can’t resist contacting every investor they know, assuming the investor will be equally excited and want to contribute immediately. Others will work hard on a business plan, and then mail it indiscriminately to every potential investor they can find on the Internet.

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Business Plan Technical Review Angel Investor Social Media 273

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 13, 2020

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that venture capital and angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Message delivery must be customized for each investor.

Intellectual Property 316

Intellectual Property Angel Investor Early Stage Venture Capital 316

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 18, 2021

If your startup is great enough to get a term sheet from angel investors or a venture capitalist, the next step for the investor is to complete the dreaded due diligence process. You need to brief the investor ahead of time if there are career anomalies or personnel situations that could be a problem. Size of the market.

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Technical Review Due Diligence Term Sheet Angel Investor 380

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 1, 2021

Most entrepreneurs I meet are reluctant to disclose anything about their idea to investors before getting a signed confidential disclosure agreement (CDA). Professional investors and advisors, on the other hand, usually refuse to sign these agreements today due to the risk of litigation and administrative workload, and will walk away.

Non-disclosure Agreement 399

Non-disclosure Agreement Technical Review Due Diligence Angel Investor 399

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 12, 2023

Every entrepreneur I know has their favorite excuse for a previous failure – an investor backed out, the economy took a downturn, or a supplier delivered bad quality. A business plan is for you first, not investors. Patents and trademarks are very valuable in attracting investors for scaling, as well as future premium buyouts.

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Intellectual Property Startup Angel Investor Viral 312