Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes. Most share expertise as well as money.

Venture Capital 265

Venture Capital Accredited Investor Syndicate Syndication 265

David Teten

MAY 9, 2012

I am very happy to announce today a new program I’ve been working on designed to support women and diverse entrepreneurs, particularly those in the technology sector. VCAP© Addresses the Gap between Venture Capital and Funding for Women and Diverse Entrepreneurs. for non-diverse firms.

Venture Capital 154

Venture Capital Programming Accredited Investor New York 154

David Teten

JUNE 22, 2012

HBS Angels of NY and the NAIC have named the finalist women and minority entrepreneurs of the Venture Capital Access Program; check out the press release below. VCAP© is a collaborative venture that provides women and diverse entrepreneurs nationwide with access to venture capital through accredited investors within the HBSAANY network.

Programming 128

Programming Accredited Investor Naming New York 128

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2014

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”). Here again, the entrepreneur will be the one hurt most, by having fewer funding sources to access.

Angel Investor 278

Angel Investor Angel Groups Accredited Investor IRR 278

David Teten

JUNE 22, 2012

HBS Angels of NY and the NAIC have named the finalist women and minority entrepreneurs of the Venture Capital Access Program; check out the press release below. VCAP© is a collaborative venture that provides women and diverse entrepreneurs nationwide with access to venture capital through accredited investors within the HBSAANY network.

Programming 114

Programming Accredited Investor Naming New York 114

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2016

Whether you are talking to peers, competitors or investors, you as an active entrepreneur will be judged on your familiarity with today’s startup and funding jargon. In that context, I offer you my latest collection of popular investor-to-entrepreneur terms and concepts. Frothy is good for entrepreneurs.

Software Review 120

Software Review Sweat Equity Accredited Investor Angel Investor 120

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

These are all accredited investors who risk their own money. As an active angel investor myself, I understand how the process works, and I see the disappointment in the eyes of entrepreneurs who approach angel groups for funding and often get turned away for not being timely or prepared in the minds of potential investors.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Angel Groups 120

Growthink Blog

APRIL 21, 2013

As part of the JOBS Act, equity-based crowdfunding was made legal in the US. However, before entrepreneurs could start using equity-based crowdfunding, the SEC had to write the specific rules governing it. On these sites, entrepreneurs (and individuals) can solicit loans from other individuals.

Accredited Investor 95

Accredited Investor SEC San Francisco Equity 95

Gust

JULY 19, 2012

1) Non-equity, creative project crowdfunding portals, which are currently allowed and are not subject to legislation under the JOBS Act. 2) Pure-play equity crowdfunding portals as directly envisioned by the JOBS Act. I believe this is likely to continue, and that at least the two leaders will be very successful.

Accredited Investor 144

Accredited Investor SEC Equity Early Stage 144

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2021

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes. Most share expertise as well as money.

Search 317

Search Accredited Investor Angel Investor Venture Capital 317

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Access to intellectual property and current research.

Arizona 310

Arizona Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Dividend 310

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 5, 2015

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”). Here again, the entrepreneur will be the one hurt most, by having fewer funding sources to access.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Angel Groups Accredited Investor IRR 120

Up and Running

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

million people qualify as accredited investors. Entrepreneurs need to find a way to get traction (sales) without funding. If entrepreneurs are only pitching to angel groups, they’re only pitching to 6% of the active angels, and 0.4% Furthermore, according to the IRS, about 3.9 What does that mean?

Angel Investor 159

Angel Investor Technical Review Software Review Accredited Investor 159

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2016

Most founders like to talk about their many months or years of sweat-equity , but cash invested is a stronger commitment. These questions are the key ones in every due diligence effort, always done by accredited investors, but almost never done by key employees and new partners.

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 120

ReadWriteStart

APRIL 26, 2011

The service is meant to help investors from all over the country - both accredited investors and what the company calls "sophisticated investors" - gain access to deal that they wouldn't ordinarily see. MicroVentures says it makes the process of fundraising easier for entrepreneurs too.

Software Review 122

Software Review Accredited Investor Due Diligence Burn Rate 122

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2013

Many entrepreneurs I know don’t realize that the language they learned in the corporate world, or even their recent MBA class, won’t get them ahead in the startup world today. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. As a reality check, try this quick test of your entrepreneur savvy. Super-angels.

Entrepreneur 274

Entrepreneur Accredited Investor Silicon Valley Angel Investor 274

Gust

NOVEMBER 8, 2012

As a business lawyer working with startups in technology and digital media every day, I’m fortunate to have a front-row seat as entrepreneurs create value out of thin air. Political candidates can give all the stump speeches they want, but ultimately, the prescription is simple (though not easy): Entrepreneurial innovation.

Silicon Valley 187

Silicon Valley San Francisco Intellectual Property Accredited Investor 187

Agile VC

OCTOBER 23, 2012

And even if they wanted the index return, there is essentially no way to buy (or sell) a broad-based basket of VC funds in the way you can trade the S&P 500 or Russell 2000 or other public equity index. What about fund of funds (FoF), you ask? Aren’t they a form of bundled investment into the VC asset class?

LP 176

LP Accredited Investor Carried Interest Portfolio 176

VC Cafe

JULY 4, 2012

Amongst the different types of crowdfunding: Donation, Reward, Lending and Equity, the latter is on the rise as a fundraising mechanism for European startups. investors can then, through the platform, buy small parts of this equity stake. Below is a table of the equity Crowdfunding platforms operating in Europe: Location.

Equity 160

Equity Europe Due Diligence Startup 160

Up and Running

JUNE 14, 2012

These are some of the most frequent questions about co-founders that I have heard from entrepreneurs over the years. Should co-founders have the same equity stake? Now that I have launched some startups, I would say there is no reason to have co-founders have the same equity stake. Do I need a co-founder? How do I chose one?

Cofounder 90

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Accredited Investor Equity 90

Austin Startup

FEBRUARY 28, 2019

A systems-wide approach to operationalize diversity, equity and inclusion throughout the startup ecosystem is required and must be built from the ground by communities of color with the support and investment of all. Opportunity Hub is one of those communities forging the path towards true diversity, equity and inclusion.

Partner 55

Partner Cofounder Technical Cofounder Equity 55

Berkonomics

AUGUST 3, 2023

Money from these sources is relatively easy to come by, and most often comes with no strings as to oversight by a formal board composed of these investors and management. And even with the significant cost of credit card debt, many entrepreneurs aggressively use existing cards to finance a startup.

Private Equity 118

Private Equity Valuation Cap Table Accredited Investor 118

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 10, 2014

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. But safely seeking equity investments from the crowd via the Jobs Act of 2012 is problematic and has still not been defined.

Non-disclosure Agreement 254

Non-disclosure Agreement Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Equity 254

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors. Access to intellectual property and current research.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Entrepreneur Incubator 120

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

So you do a lot of work before you get investors. The rare exception is a special case, in which investors know an entrepreneur well and are ready to invest in them at an early stage. In that case, they are investing in the entrepreneur, not the plan. . Nobody invests in ideas or plans. The role of the business plan.

SBA 161

SBA Venture Capital Angel Investor Technical Review 161

Feld Thoughts

MAY 9, 2011

As with anything tax related, there are endless politics involved and many of the things that actual get rolled out are so obscure that they either never get implemented or are to difficult for investors to understand. Make it simple – eliminate capital gains if an individual (who is an accredited investor) invests equity (i.e.

Government 143

Government Technical Review Intellectual Property Accredited Investor 143

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 20, 2016

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of those demanding angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. At least ten online portals are already gearing up to help regular people buy startup equity, without abiding by accredited investor rules.

Angel Groups 136

Angel Groups Accredited Investor Equity Due Diligence 136

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

The hard part for entrepreneurs is figuring out what it takes to play. Here is just a sampling of the latest terminology and lingo that I gleaned from Dave, and from some additional research on the Internet, that I think every entrepreneur should know, who may be looking for funding now, or down the road: Micro-VCs. Crowd funding.

Early Stage 253

Early Stage Finance Seed Stage Entrepreneur 253

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 17, 2013

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. But safely seeking equity investments from the crowd via the Jobs Act of 2012 is problematic and has still not been defined.

Non-disclosure Agreement 266

Non-disclosure Agreement Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Equity 266

YoungUpstarts

FEBRUARY 18, 2020

Selling is a pivotal skill most entrepreneurs must have. Those experiences weren’t always the best, but I did gain something from them. I realized that if I can sell the products and a story and recruit others, then I can sell anything. Oh, and about that “don’t quit your day job” advice. There actually is something to that.

Accredited Investor 147

Accredited Investor India Private Equity Cofounder 147

Gust

NOVEMBER 29, 2011

Crowd funding enables entrepreneurs to raise money in relatively small amounts from large numbers of interested investors. Recently, entrepreneurs in many countries have been soliciting investment through “crowd funding” websites designed specifically for fundraising purposes. Crowd sourcing, in many cases, can be very fast.

Securities and Exchange Commission 154

Securities and Exchange Commission Accredited Investor Angel Investor Due Diligence 154

Business Plan Blog

DECEMBER 12, 2013

What is an angel investor? It is a high net-worth individual who invests his or her own money directly into promising startup businesses in return for mostly equity share of the company. Angels are often former or current entrepreneurs themselves, as well as business professionals and corporate leaders. What is an angel group?

Angel Groups 51

Angel Groups Angel Investor Software Review Accredited Investor 51

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 22, 2019

Most entrepreneurs are aware that securing investments in their companies could be essential to the short-term growth and long-term success of their venture. It can often be confusing to know which investment type might work best for an entrepreneur and business. The question of venture capitalist versus angel investor often arises.

Angel Investor 122

Angel Investor Venture Capital Accredited Investor Equity 122

Growthink Blog

MARCH 19, 2012

The result is that far too many entrepreneurs can't start or grow their ventures—and can't provide jobs and new products and services to spur our economy. Letting small companies sell equity stakes online would be a huge boost to those firms—like angel investing on steroids. million U.S.

Equity 88

Equity Securities and Exchange Commission Private Equity SEC 88

Gust

NOVEMBER 2, 2014

Many entrepreneurs seems to be convinced that the “crowd” of regular people using the Internet will somehow solve their startup funding needs, when they sense a lack of interest from accredited investors. Invested Interests crowd funding entrepreneur funding startup' Pebble watch crowd-funding via Wikipedia.

Accredited Investor 96

Accredited Investor Equity Internet Entrepreneur 96

Pascal's View

OCTOBER 11, 2013

While new entities and forums are sprouting daily to facilitate aspiring venture investors to fund new ventures with as little as $2,500, the investing risks are no different than they were during the time of the iconic entrepreneur Andrew Carnegie. And, to be clear, the risks of failure then and now remain very, very high.

New York 31

New York Technical Review Angel Investor Finance 31

YoungUpstarts

JUNE 5, 2019

The good news for fintech entrepreneurs, though, is that we are well past the time when investors might have viewed fintech as a fad that would pass. I think that most investors have come to understand that fintech is here to stay. One lesson I’ve learned over the years is that successful entrepreneurs must be persistent.

Angel Investor 113

Angel Investor Accredited Investor Bootstrapping Boston 113