Archive: startup investing

Startup Insider: Medical Testing’s Golden Age

By Early Investing on April 21, 2021

We have a special treat for you this week. Our First Stage Investor members (click here to sign up) regularly get to hear Andy Gordon and Vin Narayanan interview founders. This week, we’re releasing a very special interview they conducted Friday to the entire Early Investing community. On Friday, Andy and Vin talked to Jonathan Cohen, the founder and CEO of 20/20 GeneSystems. Andy…
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Deal Details Startup: TapRm Security type: Crowd SAFE* Discount: 0% Valuation (cap): $22 million Minimum investment: $100.98 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: May 1, 2021 TapRm…
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Don’t Write Off Weird Startups

By Adam Sharp on April 13, 2021

Some of the best startup investments I’ve made — and some of the best that I’ve missed — have been “crazy” or “weird” ideas. Take Density, one of the first startups I invested in back in 2014. Density’s mission is to…
Mainstream media coverage of inflation — and the forces that drive it — tend to be superficial and limited. That’s why I want to highlight three recent stories. They all revolve around inflation in some way. And together they emphasize the need for every investor to have some…
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New Pick: Invest in the Google for Videos

By Andy Gordon on April 8, 2021

Deal Details Startup: Vyrill Security type: Convertible Note Valuation (cap): $8 million  Minimum investment: $250 Where to invest: Wefunder Deadline: April 23, 2021 …

Why SPACs are Good for Startup Investors

By Vin Narayanan on April 7, 2021

Have you ever been in a conversation or argument where you come up with the perfect response five minutes after the talk ends? It happens to me all the time. And I hate that empty feeling. You can’t return to the conversation to share your comeback or key…
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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 —…

Why Founders Refuse VC Money

By Andy Gordon on March 31, 2021

Venture capital (VC) investing isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. Last week I talked about the many things that crowdfunding does that appeal to founders and investors alike. Today, I’d like to focus more on the VC side of investing. And why…
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Three AngelList Syndicates Worth A Look

By Adam Sharp on March 30, 2021

I’m an AngelList superfan. It’s a beautiful marketplace for early-stage investors. The site has grown incredibly since I started investing in 2014, and today there are more than 100 syndicates to choose from. Here are some of my favorites. Jenny Rooke – Biotech …

Choose Startups for Tech Exposure

By Adam Sharp on March 26, 2021

Tech stocks are getting eye-wateringly expensive. Here are a few examples using their price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio. Tesla: 997x Square: 490x Netflix: 83x Amazon: 73x Zoom: 140x These are all very well-run companies which probably have bright…
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A Brighter Future Through Startups

By Andy Gordon on March 25, 2021

I’ve been thinking a lot about the “big picture” and the future recently. I guess it’s because last week I welcomed my first grandchild into the world. I want Sammy to live a happy, meaningful life. And I worry that for many of our newest humans, that’s becoming…

What VC Gets Wrong About Crowdfunding

By Andy Gordon on March 24, 2021

A tech startup founder was bragging to me about his recent hires a couple of days ago. He found some outstanding people and said that the talent available in 2021 was off the charts.  But it wasn’t just luck or happenstance. The highly experienced people he…
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Last week, the SEC’s new rules around equity crowdfunding went into effect. Now companies can raise up to $5 million per year from the crowd. On the first day, we got a good idea of the potential of this new medium. Gumroad — an online platform…
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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…
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New Pick: Invest in the Future of Capital Formation

By Adam Sharp on March 19, 2021

DEAL DETAILS Startup: Wefunder Security: Preferred Stock Round size: Side-by-side round — up to $5 million under Reg CF Valuation: $160,000,000 Share price: $2.19862 Minimum investment: $100 Investment portal:…

Venture Capital Is Facing Real Competition at Last

By Adam Sharp on March 19, 2021

On Monday, the SEC’s new startup investing rules went into effect. Startups can now raise $5 million annually through equity crowdfunding. That’s a 5x increase from the previous limit. I really can’t overstate how important this change is. It’s a monumental moment for startups — and…