Archive: startup investing
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The Ideal Startup Portfolio Size
By Andy Gordon on September 29, 2021
Most meetings I attend aren’t very exciting. But yesterday’s was fascinating because we discussed one of the most important questions an early investor can ask. What is the ideal number of companies for a successful startup portfolio? Many opinions were put forward. So what did we decide? That it needs further research and exploration. But there is an ideal number. And it should be obvious to everybody. That number is… one. For…
The Perfect Environment for Startup Investing
By Adam Sharp on September 28, 2021
While you all know I’ve been a bit frustrated with the high valuations of startups today, there is a lot to be said for investing in this asset class in our current environment. Many bonds are yielding -5% after inflation is…
Illusio’s Future Remains Bright
By Andy Gordon on September 23, 2021
I first presented Illusio to First Stage Investor subscribers in April 2020. It was interesting timing, to say the least. We were finally realizing just how serious COVID-19 was. It certainly affected Illusio… and not in the best of…
Startup Investing in 2014 vs. Startup Investing in 2021
By Adam Sharp on September 21, 2021
When I first started investing in startups in the summer of 2014, seed-stage deals were typically valued between $4 million and $5 million. I remember seeing a few deals at $1 million and a few more at $2 million and $3 million. Today I’d estimate the…
Startup Insider: Mailchimp Proves There Are Many Ways for Startups to Succeed
By Early Investing on September 20, 2021
Last week, financial software giant Intuit confirmed it was buying Mailchimp — an email marketing/content tool — for a whopping $12 billion. The buyout proves there are lots of different ways for a startup to succeed. But it also raises a lot of questions — namely,…
New Pick: A Luxury Beverage Brand That’s Amassing a Global Following
By Andy Gordon on September 16, 2021
Deal Details Startup: Amass Security type: Preferred equity Valuation: $75 million Share price: $3.8 Minimum investment: $498 Where to invest: SeedInvest Deadline: February 12, 2022 Amass is a luxury lifestyle beverage brand. But it’s also so much more. To help you…
3 Qualities to Look for in a Startup Before You Invest
By Allison Brickell on September 15, 2021
If you’re at all new to startup investing, you might feel a little overwhelmed. I know I’ve felt that way. It’s one thing to invest in the stock market. At least there, you’re investing in a public company that has years of financial data…
Online Startup Investing Is the Future
By Adam Sharp on September 14, 2021
One of the concerns people have about online startup investing is getting a read on founders over the internet. However, I don’t think this is a real problem. The best way to evaluate founders is to simply evaluate their business. How much progress have they made?…
Startup Insider: Last Chance to Invest in Genius Juice
By Early Investing on September 9, 2021
Genius Juice — which creates simple and delicious two-ingredient coconut smoothies — is one of the First Stage Investor team’s favorite startups. Andy Gordon presented it to subscribers about four months ago. He summed up Genius Juice’s prospects succinctly…
Which Platforms Have the Most Successful Deals?
By KingsCrowd on September 8, 2021
Editor’s Note: At Early Investing, we research startups that are raising money on all sorts of crowdfunding platforms. Some of the most common platforms include Wefunder, Republic, StartEngine, Netcapital and SeedInvest. But with so many platforms out there, it can be overwhelming…
New Pick: A Sparkling and Refreshing Take on Non-Alcoholic Beverages
By Andy Gordon on September 2, 2021
Deal Details Startup: TÖST Security type: Crowd SAFE* Discount: 0% Valuation (cap): $12 million Minimum investment: $150 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: October 1, 2021 About a decade ago, a good friend asked me what makes a great…
How Early Investors Can Profit From the Unicorn Explosion
By Andy Gordon on September 1, 2021
Unicorns used to be a rare breed. Not anymore. When Aileen Lee of Cowboy Ventures first coined the term “unicorn” — referring to startups worth $1 billion or more — in 2013, she identified 39 unicorns. The vast majority were valued below $5 billion. Apart from…
Startup Insider: How Founders Can Expand Beyond Their Home Region
By Early Investing on August 26, 2021
A founder’s ability to break out of the region where they started their company is a major factor in determining their success. Starting a small business in the suburbs of Ohio is one thing — expanding that business to Chicago, New York and San Francisco is…
How Crowdfunders Can Invest Better Than Venture Capitalists
By Allison Brickell on August 25, 2021
Drake Dukes, co-founder of startup data platform Gravity, shared some interesting data recently from his analysis of 992 unicorn founders. Now for our secret sauce… Here is the FounderDNA™ of every unicorn founder (992 analyzed): 53% are Serial Founders 35% are Technical…
Startup Insider: A Shocking Amount of Exit Experience
By Early Investing on August 23, 2021
For years, venture capital (VC) firms have favored founders who have experience leading companies to successful exits. “Look for founders with prior exits,” VC investors say. “They know what they’re doing.” But Drake Dukes, co-founder of data company Gravity, analyzed 992 unicorn founders and…
New Pick: Healthy, High-Quality Snacks You Can Feel Good About
By Andy Gordon on August 19, 2021
Deal Details Startup: Ayoba Security type: Crowd SAFE* Discount: 15% Valuation (cap): $7 million Minimum investment: $100 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: August 21, 2021 Note:…