Archive: Articles

Webinar: The Next Generation of Fintech

By Early Investing on October 21, 2020

Fintech is making an interesting transition — from disrupting big banks to disrupting the disruptors. Companies like Robinhood, Lemonade and Credit Karma grew by addressing consumer needs that banks had ignored. Now a new generation of fintech companies is emerging. And they say their solutions are even better. One of them is Guac. It helps ordinary folks “save as they spend.” Our Andy Gordon and KingsCrowd founder Chris Lustrino sat down with Guac’s father/son team to discuss their…
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How To Invest in Complex Concepts

By Adam Sharp on October 20, 2020

I sometimes get invited to participate in deals in areas I don’t understand well — like biotechnology. In almost all these cases, the science is over my head. So I generally don’t invest in startups that are in complex areas (for me). However, there are certain investors who I respect…
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Portfolio Update: Winc Making Rapid Progress

By Andy Gordon on October 19, 2020

We have good news on Winc, which we recommended last December. Winc is thriving. We recommended Winc because we loved its business model and traction. Winc collects data from its hundreds of thousands of customers and uses that data to make wines its customers love. Of…
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Bitcoin and Crypto Poised For Big Gains

By Adam Sharp on October 16, 2020

Bitcoin dropped slightly today on news that Korean crypto exchange OKEx is under investigation by Korean authorities. OKEx has suspended withdrawals — apparently due to at least some of its holdings being held by police. This is not great news. But…

Bitcoin is Looking Better Than Ever

By Adam Sharp on October 16, 2020

Long-time readers know I’m always bullish on bitcoin over the long-term. But recently I’ve become extremely bullish over the short- and mid-term. Let me tell you why.  On October 7th, Square — a publicly-traded $82 billion financial giant — announced that they purchased $50…
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New Pick: Invest in Efficient Energy Use

By Andy Gordon on October 15, 2020

Deal Details Startup: COI Energy Security type: Crowd SAFE Discount: 20% Valuation (cap): $18 million Minimum investment: $100 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: December 1, 2020…

The American Startup Surge

By Andy Gordon on October 14, 2020

There’s no denying that the economy is weaker than it was pre-pandemic. While industries like gaming and work-from-home tech have soared, many other businesses have struggled to survive. But in the midst of all this economic hardship, something rather fascinating has happened in the U.S.  The…
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Investing in Indian Startups

By Adam Sharp on October 13, 2020

India has a very intriguing startup scene (and overall economy) — lots of innovation, high economic growth, a good and improving education and good demographics. It can be hard to find good investment opportunities unless you live in India. But those opportunities do exist. And I believe they’re worth the…
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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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Crypto Monitor: Looking to the Future

By Early Investing on October 9, 2020

There’s been some exciting crypto events recently. Jim Cramer is bullish on bitcoin. Digital payment company Square just bought $50 million worth of bitcoin. And that’s just the tip of the iceberg. All this activity has…
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Big Merger Indicates Crowdfunding Sector Is Changing

By Andy Gordon on October 8, 2020

In the last 12 months, we’ve sourced our startup recommendations from seven different portals. Eight were from Republic… five from SeedInvest… two each from Wefunder, StartEngine and Equifund… and one each from MicroVentures and Netcapital. Each of these portals has unique strengths. The companies raising on…

Why Crowdfunding Is Better Than VC Funds

By Andy Gordon on October 7, 2020

I don’t envy venture capitalists these days. The economics of startup investing are changing. And as of today, crowdfunders like you and me hold a significant edge over VCs.  I know that may seem like a bold claim. Right now, VC investors get all the respect…
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Choosing Between Startups and Tech Stocks

By Adam Sharp on October 6, 2020

Today we’re going to briefly compare tech stocks with startup investments. We’ve reached a point in the public market where many tech stocks are overvalued by what I would guess is a multiple that ranges  from 2x-to-10x.  The valuations at this point are simply silly, as…
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Another Stimulus Package Will Come

By Adam Sharp on October 2, 2020

Over recent weeks there’s been a lot of debate about whether or not the U.S. will see another stimulus package.  I have no doubt we’ll see another one — but it may have to wait until after the election. More stimulus checks and corporate bailouts are…

Secondary Markets Have Hidden Benefits

By Adam Sharp on October 2, 2020

This month, U.S. equity crowdfunding platform StartEngine plans to open a “secondary market” where investors can buy and sell investments in startups that have already raised money using Regulation Crowdfunding and Regulation A+. This new service is…
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New Pick: Invest in Cheaper Energy for Everyone

By Andy Gordon on October 1, 2020

DEAL DETAILS Startup: Neighborhood Sun Security type: Future equity Agreement (Wefunder SAFE) Round size: Up to $1.07 million Valuation cap: $15 million Minimum investment: $100 Investment portal: Wefunder Deadline:…