Archive: First Stage Investor
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Startup Insider: What Instacart’s Valuation Trim Means for the Startup Market
By Early Investing on April 11, 2022
Instacart got a haircut. The company sliced its valuation by nearly 40% from $39 billion to $24 billion — despite the fact that it saw 30% year-over-year growth last year. And Instacart is not the only high-tech company trimming its valuation. So what’s going on? In this episode of Startup Insider, Vin Narayanan and Andy Gordon discuss why Instacart trimmed its valuation, what this means for startup valuations in general, what trends investors can…
New Pick: A Moonshot That’s Charging Into the Autonomous Driving Era
By Andy Gordon on April 7, 2022
Autonomous driving hasn’t quite arrived yet. But it has spawned several startups that are playing a critical role in advancing autonomous driving technology and adoption. The startup Argo builds cloud infrastructure — including maps, software and hardware…
Crypto Insider: Vitalik Buterin Is Concerned About Crypto’s Future
By Early Investing on April 4, 2022
Vitalik Buterin, founder of Ethereum, is worried about the future of crypto. In an interview with Time magazine, he said he was concerned about the dangers to overeager investors, high transaction fees and the exorbitant displays of wealth that have come to be synonymous…
VirZOOM Fights to Find Sustainable Growth
By Andy Gordon on March 31, 2022
It must be possible to feel very good and very bad about a company at the same time. Because that’s how I feel about VirZOOM. To refresh your memory, VirZOOM offers an app that can be used with just the Oculus Quest headset or in conjunction…
Startup Insider: Data Takes Over
By Early Investing on March 28, 2022
In 2011, Marc Andreessen — co-founder of venture capital firm Andreessen Horowitz — proclaimed that “software is eating the world.” It’s been a mantra of tech investors ever since. But today an even more powerful force is overtaking software: data. Data is a gold mine for…
New Pick: A Functional Beverage That’s Delicious and 100 Times Healthier Than Coffee
By Andy Gordon on March 24, 2022
I never thought this day would come. I’m recommending a company that is replacing coffee with a hot beverage that is damn nearly as rich and roasty but a hundred times more healthy. Listen, I love my coffee. I drink three to…
Crypto Insider: Microsoft Invests in Ethereum
By Early Investing on March 21, 2022
Microsoft is officially paying attention to the crypto space. The tech giant backed a recent $450 million funding round for ConsenSys, a blockchain startup founded by Ethereum co-founder Joseph Lubin. ConsenSys develops software that runs on the Ethereum network. And its valuation jumped to $7 billion with this…
Startup Insider: The Power of Luck
By Early Investing on March 17, 2022
When investors evaluate startups, they need to consider a wide range of factors. Some factors — like founder experience and financial performance — are straightforward. Others — like profit potential and scalability — are more speculative and difficult to measure. Then there’s luck. As…
Crypto Insider: Crypto Proves Itself in Russia-Ukraine War
By Early Investing on March 14, 2022
Crypto is experiencing its first major war. And it has a big role to play. The Ukrainian government has received millions of dollars’ worth of crypto donations. It’s creating an NFT to support its military. And a growing number of Ukrainians…
New Pick: New Space Regulations Are Poised to Launch This Startup to Success
By Andy Gordon on March 10, 2022
The five most exciting future markets are, in no particular order, robotics, medtech, fintech, energy and space/aerospace. But only one of them is harboring a big ugly secret. And that’s the space market. Imagine the FDA allowing companies to avoid listing harmful side effects…
Startup Insider: Ukraine’s Mighty Startup Scene
By Early Investing on March 7, 2022
When news broke that Russia invaded Ukraine in late February, people around the world responded with shock. Now headlines about the ongoing war describe civilians fleeing their homes, protesters resisting Russian forces and government officials discussing their next moves. But the mainstream headlines may not tell…
Startup Insider: Why You’re Analyzing Competition All Wrong
By Early Investing on March 3, 2022
Competition is an essential part of the startup world. When evaluating a startup, investors need to study its target industry and understand what its competition looks like. But this is where investors typically fall into a trap. If the startup has a lot of competitors, investors…
Crypto Insider: All About Crypto Mining
By Early Investing on February 28, 2022
As the crypto market matures, a growing number of investors are adding crypto assets to their portfolios. Various crypto projects are making promising progress – like improving transaction speeds and cutting down on fees. So the market is only getting more inviting. But few investors truly…
New Pick: Invest in Emerging Markets With Stunning Real-Time Risk Management
By Andy Gordon on February 24, 2022
Most American investors can’t take advantage of some of the best markets and most explosive growth opportunities just because they’re happening outside the U.S. So we’re forced to seek workarounds. We can invest in shares of non-U.S. companies through American…
Blendid Makes a Smooth Transition to the East Coast
By Andy Gordon on February 17, 2022
I first recommended Blendid in December 2020. To refresh your memory, Blendid is not only the name of the startup, but also the name of the food robot that makes delicious and incredibly healthy smoothies. Blendid uses the latest technological advances…
Crypto Insider: SEC Stealth Regulations Threaten the Crypto Industry
By Early Investing on February 14, 2022
The SEC decided to increase its regulatory oversight of alternative trading systems — specifically those dealing with government securities (treasurys, debt, etc.). Notably, this expanded oversight opens the door for regulators to poke their noses into crypto. It will allow them to regulate DeFi (decentralized finance),…