Archive: Startup Insider
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Startup Insider: Talking Crypto and ETFs with Frank Holmes
By Vin Narayanan on April 12, 2021
When Frank Holmes reaches out and asks to talk to you, you always say yes. And then you make sure your members can see the conversation. Frank is the CEO and chief investment officer for U.S. Global Investors (which runs the JETS ETF). He’s chairman of the board for HIVE Blockchain Technologies — an immensely profitable and publicly traded ethereum and bitcoin mining company. And he’s one of the most intelligent,…
Startup Insider: How to Judge Cannabis Startups
By Vin Narayanan on April 5, 2021
Andy Gordon and I have run across plenty of cannabis startups raising capital over the past few months. But none of them stood out as good investment opportunities. So we decided to sit down today and talk about what we’re looking for in a good cannabis startup —…
The Most Interesting Person in Startups: Buck Jordan
By Early Investing on March 22, 2021
Some of you may remember the Dos Equis Most Interesting Man in the World TV commercials. Buck Jordan, the CEO and founder of Wavemaker Labs, is the startup equivalent of the Most Interesting Man in the World. And Andy Gordon and Vin Narayanan interviewed him Friday for this…
Startup Insider: Equity Crowdfunding vs. Venture Capitalism
By Early Investing on March 15, 2021
Equity crowdfunding and venture capitalism share some similarities. But they’re also fundamentally different ways to invest. So it’s important to understand how they’re different. That way, investors can make the right decision when they’re crowdfunding a startup. In this week’s Startup Insider,…
Startup Insider: Why CityZenith Is Hosting its Own Raise
By Early Investing on March 11, 2021
Andy Gordon first recommended CityZenith as an investment opportunity at a $20M valuation in the summer of 2019. He recommended them again this past September at a $27.4 million valuation. CityZenith briefly paused that raise (watch this week’s…
Startup Insider: Learn About Biotech Startups from Insiders
By Early Investing on March 1, 2021
If you’ve ever wanted to understand how really smart founders think — or how biotech startups operate — then this episode of Startup Insider is for you. Monogram Orthopaedics’ co-founders Ben Sexson and Dr. Doug Unis joined Andy Gordon and Vin Narayanan for a wide-ranging conversation about their…
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…
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…
Startup Insider: Cortex Co-founder on Machine Learning and Marketing
By Andy Gordon on February 1, 2021
In December, Andy Gordon recommended Cortex as a potential startup investment. Cortex uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to help predict how people will respond to videos or pictures before they’re shot. This is a massive step…
Startup Insider: Assessing CPG Startups
By Early Investing on January 25, 2021
Two weeks ago on First Stage Investor‘s Startup Insider, Andy Gordon and Vin Narayanan discussed how to evaluate biotech and pharmaceutical startups. In this week’s Startup Insider, Andy and Vin explore the different factors people need to consider before…
Startup Insider: Making Smart Biotech Investments
By Early Investing on January 11, 2021
Seed stage investing in pharma and biotech companies is a little different than seed stage investing in other sectors. When pharma and biotech companies approach crowdfunders, they’re usually pre-clinical — which means that human trials haven’t begun yet. And they’re raising amounts of money that can’t possibly sustain…
Startup Insider: Crowdfunders Poised to Beat VCs
By Early Investing on January 4, 2021
2021 is here and the startup investing landscape is changing! This year, the limit on how much a startup can raise through crowdfunding increases from $1.07 million to $5 million. That’s great news for investors like us. And venture capitalists (VCs) don’t know…
Startup Insider: Post-Pandemic Trends
By Early Investing on November 30, 2020
We finally have some good news on the COVID-19 front! It looks like the FDA will approve two vaccines shortly. And that by May or June of next year, we will start getting back to “normal.” So what does normal mean for startup investors? Which consumer…
Startup Insider: An Update from Winc’s Founders
By Early Investing on November 23, 2020
Winc is one of our favorite startups in the First Stage Investor portfolio. Winc is combining big data and a really smart supply chain to disrupt the way wine is made and sold. And since we recommended them right…
Startup Insider: The Need for Equal Access
By Early Investing on November 9, 2020
We’re entering a new era in startup investing. Starting next year, startups will be able to raise $5 million from investors like you and me (instead of $1.07 million). That means we’re going to see even more high quality startups to invest in. But the new…
Startup Insider: Check Out the Competition
By Early Investing on October 26, 2020
When we evaluate startups, one of the key factors we look at is competitors. Who are the company’s competitors? Is the startup competing against other startups or against legacy companies? How does this competition affect its chances of success? And…