Archive: First Stage Investor

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Startup Insider: Assessing Founder Risk

By Early Investing on September 21, 2020

Last week, StockX cofounder Josh Luber left the company he started in 2016. Luber helped build StockX into a $1 billion startup. It hasn’t gone public yet. StockX is probably in good hands. But Luber’s departure illustrates a problem that faces all startup investors — founder risk. When you invest in a startup, you’re investing in the founders and their ability to deliver. And navigating that risk is what separates average…
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New Pick: Invest in Smart Cities

By Andy Gordon on September 17, 2020

DEAL DETAILS Startup: Cityzenith Security type: Common stock Valuation: $27.4 million Price per share: $1.15 Minimum investment: $500.25 Where to invest: StartEngine Deadline: July 1, 2021…
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Update: Digital Brands Group’s Big Holiday Plans

By Andy Gordon on September 14, 2020

DBG (Digital Brands Group) has been busy.  DBG holds a special place in our hearts — and in our portfolio. It’s the only startup we’ve recommended three times. We originally recommended DBG in 2016. Back then, the company went by…
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Startup Insider: Evaluating Raise Pages

By Early Investing on September 10, 2020

One of the trickier aspects of startup investing is evaluating raise pages. For investors, these pages are often the only source of information available on a startup. But for companies that are raising funds, these pages are a marketing exercise. The goal is to present the company in…
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New Pick: The Future of Sustainable Supply Chains

By Andy Gordon on September 3, 2020

Deal Details Startup: Bext360 Security type: Crowd Note Valuation: $7.75 million Conversion discount: 20% Stage: Seed Minimum investment: $1,000 Where to invest: SeedInvest Deadline: September…
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New Pick: Invest in Saving Millions of Lives

By Andy Gordon on August 31, 2020

DEAL DETAILS  Startup: Biopact CT Security type: Common stock  Valuation: $30 million  Share price: $1.55  Minimum investment: $465  Where to invest: Equifund  Deadline: February…
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Only Days Left to Invest in Better Conflict Resolution

By Early Investing on August 27, 2020

It’s not often that companies and workers alike line up to use new HR dispute resolution software. Yet that’s exactly what’s happening with People First RH. It’s why Andy Gordon first recommended investing in the startup to First Stage Investor members in June.
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Startup Insider: How to Pick the Right Startups

By Early Investing on August 24, 2020

This week, Andy Gordon and Vin Narayanan show you exactly what makes them Startup Insiders. They take you deep inside the process of evaluating founders and the startups they run. And they also discuss why startup investing is more important than ever in these…
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Portfolio Update: Monogram Thinking Raise and Exit

By Andy Gordon on August 20, 2020

While COVID-19 has slowed down economic activity across the country, Monogram has actually sped up. We recommended Monogram to you almost exactly a year ago. It makes “perfect-fit” hip implants that will be followed by “perfect-fit” knee replacements. Monogram’s…
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Portfolio Update: Aavrani Has a New Look

By Andy Gordon on August 17, 2020

Aavrani keeps rolling on. I recommended the skincare company last October. Since then, the company has increased sales, added a couple of key hires and brought on hundreds of new influencers. And, to top things off, Aavrani recently finished a complete rebranding —…
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Invest in Award-Winning Tequila

By Andy Gordon on August 13, 2020

DEAL DETAILS Startup: AsomBroso Tequila Security type: Common stock Valuation (cap): $32.2 million Price per share: $3.95 Discount: Eligible for the StartEngine Owner’s 10% Bonus Minimum investment: $355…
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Startup Insider: Private Markets Surge

By Early Investing on August 10, 2020

Restaurants are struggling. Retailers are declaring bankruptcy. But startups? They’re doing quite well, thank you very much. Many startups have seen increased demand. Their valuations are holding steady. And raising money hasn’t been a problem at all. So why are the private markets surging when everyone predicted doom…
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Real Estate’s Unfair Advantage

By Andy Gordon on August 6, 2020

Note: This is a guest post from our friends over at MillionAcres. They’re at the frontier of helping individuals like you and me invest in alternative asset classes. And while we’ve urged you to invest in startups and crypto, MillionAcres believes in the investing power of real estate. And they…
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Invest in Connecting With Customers

By Andy Gordon on July 30, 2020

DEAL DETAILS Startup: goDeskless Security type: Crowd note Valuation (cap): $7 million Discount rate: 20%  Minimum investment: $100 Where to invest: MicroVentures Deadline: August 17, 2020 Conversion provisions:…
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Webinar Reminder: Meet Republic’s CEO

By Vin Narayanan on July 27, 2020

Editor’s Note: In case you missed it, we’re hosting a special webinar with Republic founder and CEO Kendrick Nguyen on Thursday at 3 p.m. ET/noon PT. The invitation is below. We hope you join us. Andy Gordon will be back on Thursday with…
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Market Update: How to Handle the Stock Bubble

By Early Investing on July 23, 2020

So far this year the 5 largest stocks in the S&P 500 have returned 35%. The other 495 stocks are down 5%. And stocks are more expensive than ever. These are things you typically see in the late stages of a stock bubble. What other…