Archive: First Stage Investor

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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 — and why — in this episode of Startup Insider.   In this show, we talk about cannabis startups that touch the plant vs. those that don’t, vertically…
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Keep Your Eyes on Ethereum

By Vin Narayanan on April 1, 2021

Ethereum needs a better publicist. Bitcoin grabs all of the headlines. Yesterday we learned Goldman Sach jumped on the bitcoin bandwagon and will soon be offering bitcoin investment vehicles to its wealthiest clients. BlackRock has quietly begun trading…
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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…
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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:…
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New Pick: Invest in Ending Opioid Addiction

By Andy Gordon on March 18, 2021

DEAL DETAILS Startup: Phoenix PharmaLabs Security type: Common stock Round size: Side-by-side raise – up to $1.07 million under Reg. CF  Share price: $1.00 Valuation: $26,790,283  Minimum investment: $99.00…
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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,…
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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…
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New Pick: This Medtech Startup is Ahead of Its Time

By Andy Gordon on March 4, 2021

Deal Details Startup: InnaMed Security type: Future Equity Agreement (SAFE) Valuation (cap): $20 million (to increase to $25 million) Minimum investment: $100 Where to invest: Wefunder Deadline…
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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…
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New Pick: Invest in Detecting Heart Failure Early

By Andy Gordon on February 25, 2021

Deal Details Startup: Oracle Health Security type: Stock Purchase Agreement Price per security: $2.00 Valuation: $20 million Minimum investment: $250 Where to invest: Republic Deadline…
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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…
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Behind the Pick: A Pleasant Vetting Surprise

By Andy Gordon on February 18, 2021

Last week I recommended reusable respirator manufacturer Canopy to you. My reasoning for liking this company goes far beyond meeting growing market demand. Effective masks are not a “nice to have” product. Lives are at risk. Masks are a must-have. But…
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New Pick: Invest in the Next Generation of Medical Masks

By Andy Gordon on February 11, 2021

Deal Details Startup: Canopy Security type: Crowd IPA* Price per security: $5.61 Valuation (cap): $6.5 million Minimum investment: $100.98 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: May 1, 2021…
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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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Update: 20/20 GeneSystems Grows Revenue Sevenfold

By Andy Gordon on February 4, 2021

Yesterday I wrote about how the medtech and healthcare sector is seeing amazing growth. It’s one of my favorite sectors to look for promising startups in. But my love of this sector is nothing new. And today I want to give you an…