Archive: startup insider

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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, knee and hip implants, early-stage biotech startups, how they see the market evolving, fundraising and much more. In fact, this might be the most in-depth conversation we’ve ever had…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Closing Soon: Last Chance to Invest in Winc

By Vin Narayanan on December 28, 2020

About a month ago, the founders of Winc joined Andy and me on Startup Insider (click here to watch). They wanted to update the First Stage Investor members that invested in them on their progress. And they wanted to…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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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…
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Startup Insider: The Importance of Traction

By Early Investing on October 12, 2020

As angel investors, we’re told to look for startups with traction. We’re told that startups with real revenue, customers and growth are the best startups to invest in. But when investors don’t like a startup, they find reasons to ignore traction. Some of them are good…
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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…
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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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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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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…