Archive: Articles

Financial Rebellions: Investors Are Pushing Back

By Adam Sharp on February 26, 2021

We are living through a very unique period in financial history.  On one side, we’re in the midst of an amazing technological revolution. Software and new technologies are streamlining the way the world runs. Advances in renewable energy are picking up steam. Medicine is leaping forward in new and incredible ways. There are, however, troubling financial storm clouds on the horizon. The entire world economy — with a few minor exceptions — is piling…
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New Pick: Invest in Detecting Heart Failure Early

By Andy Gordon on February 25, 2021

Deal Details Startup: Oracle Health Security type: Stock Purchase Agreement Price per security: $2.00 Valuation: $20 million Minimum investment: $250 Where to invest: Republic Deadline…
Andy Gordon and I spend countless hours each week reviewing startups and talking to founders. So does our friend Chris Lustrino, the founder and CEO of KingsCrowd. And every now and then, we meet a founder so interesting that we ask them to…
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Big Tech Censorship Creating Startup Opportunities

By Adam Sharp on February 23, 2021

Back in October, I wrote a piece titled Big Tech’s Growing Vulnerability. In it, I discussed the rapidly increasing amount of censorship on sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. No matter how you view the big tech controversy, I think…
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Startup Insider: Vipin Jain on Star Trek and Food Robotics

By Early Investing on February 22, 2021

When you build an incredible food robot and your first two big customers are Walmart and Jamba Juice, you’re doing something right. That’s why we invited Blendid co-founder Vipin Jain to join us on First Stage Investor’s Startup Insider to discuss what his food robot does, how it…
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Alert: Taking Profits and Selling

By Adam Sharp on February 19, 2021

Deciding when to take profits in crypto is extremely difficult. Based on past bull markets, we likely still have at least a year to go before things cool off (and probably more based on the unprecedented deficits and money printing today). But I think it would…

Silicon Valley Is Losing Dominance

By Adam Sharp on February 19, 2021

For the past few decades, Silicon Valley has dominated the world of venture capital. According to Pitchbook, Silicon Valley accounted for a whopping 26% of all VC dealmaking in 2014. Even more impressive, more than 39% of all dollars invested into VC-backed startups happened in the Silicon Valley…
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Behind the Pick: A Pleasant Vetting Surprise

By Andy Gordon on February 18, 2021

Last week I recommended reusable respirator manufacturer Canopy to you. My reasoning for liking this company goes far beyond meeting growing market demand. Effective masks are not a “nice to have” product. Lives are at risk. Masks are a must-have. But…
The wrong kind of IPO is getting all the attention these days. And the right kind is being virtually ignored.  The much praised — but highly flawed — special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is the talk of the town right now. SPACs are shell companies that raise…
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How to Handle Silicon Valley’s Rising Valuations

By Adam Sharp on February 16, 2021

It’s getting a little crazy out there in some pockets of the startup investing world. All the Series A deals I’ve seen lately have been much more expensive than they were even a year ago. I recently saw a fast-growing software company raising a Series A with just…
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How to Take Profits in a Bullish Crypto Market

By Adam Sharp on February 12, 2021

It’s been a beautiful year for crypto. We had a nice dip in March 2020 which turned out to be an amazing buying opportunity. Now we’re seeing unprecedented growth and adoption. Here are just a few of the major companies to jump on the bitcoin bandwagon…

Most-Shorted Stocks Are Excelling Beyond Reason

By Adam Sharp on February 12, 2021

Market manias sure are intoxicating to watch, aren’t they? Right now almost everybody’s making money in the markets (except bears). All the major indexes are basically at all-time highs. The Nasdaq-100 is up 48% over the past 12 months…
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New Pick: Invest in the Next Generation of Medical Masks

By Andy Gordon on February 11, 2021

Deal Details Startup: Canopy Security type: Crowd IPA* Price per security: $5.61 Valuation (cap): $6.5 million Minimum investment: $100.98 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: May 1, 2021…

Technology is Changing Food and Beverage Discovery

By Andy Gordon on February 10, 2021

I felt like pizza the other day — not an uncommon occurrence for me. Back in the ancient BC days (before COVID), my wife and I would hoof it over to our favorite neighborhood Italian restaurant — a 12-minute walk (or four minute drive).
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Patience Pays in Startup Investing

By Adam Sharp on February 9, 2021

I recently had my first startup investment go public. But don’t get too excited yet. The company, Plurilock Security, just listed on the Toronto Venture Exchange at quite a tiny valuation — around $15 million. I took the opportunity to add to my position. I really…
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Startup Insider: Demystifying Funding Risk

By Early Investing on February 8, 2021

The savviest startup investors know that the difference between being mildly successful and being wildly successful comes down to understanding risk. Because when you’re investing in companies with a limited operating history, some risks are worth taking. Others are not. Not all risks are created equal…