Archive: First Stage Investor
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Startup Insider: Why Startups Shouldn’t Fear Amazon
By Early Investing on June 21, 2021
It’s Amazon Prime Day, which means millions of people across the world are scanning Amazon’s marketplace for deals on everything from portable ice makers to dog DNA tests. This shopping holiday has historically generated massive sales. On Prime Day in 2020, third-party sellers on Amazon made more than $3.5 billion in sales across 19 countries. And Prime members around the world saved more than $1.4 billion. This is what makes Amazon the…
Startup Eyes Cannabis Industry’s Growing Software Problem
By Andy Gordon on June 17, 2021
Cannabis use has been exploding across the country. But it’s a disjointed market. Cannabis operators rely on software programs for their team communications, distribution, compliance documentation and more. And these programs are a tangled mess with no cross-communication. Operators typically spend $5,000-to-$7,000 a month…
Startup Insider: To Zoom or Not to Zoom?
By Early Investing on June 14, 2021
In Malcolm Gladwell’s latest book, The Bomber Mafia, the author explores the concept of revolution. Revolution typically doesn’t happen because of one person, Gladwell writes. It happens because of a community. And the community works best when people are in close proximity. But in…
Don’t Look Backwards In Startup Investing
By Andy Gordon on June 10, 2021
Over the past five years, the top 25 venture capital (VC) firms invested in around 1,600 early-stage startups. According to CB Insights, the sectors with the biggest increase in investments from VCs are fintech, enterprise software, enterprise analytics, pharmaceuticals,…
Startup Insider: Why Startups Don’t Need a Technical Founder
By Early Investing on June 7, 2021
One of the most popular investing myths is that a good technical startup needs a co-founder who can handle all of the technology or software development. And the lack of a Silicon Valley tech wizard spells failure or doom. But that’s really outdated thinking. As Vin…
Invest in the Transformation of Real Estate Loan Flow
By Andy Gordon on June 3, 2021
There’s an ancient adage I have leaned upon at certain times in my life: What doesn’t destroy you makes you stronger. It certainly applies to AlphaFlow, the startup I’m showing you today. 2020 was the ultimate stress test for AlphaFlow. And it survived. …
Tradefox Rides Virtual Business Trend to New Growth
By Andy Gordon on May 27, 2021
I recently spoke to Chris Yerbey, the founder and CEO of Amsterdam-based Tradefox. We recommended TradeFox in 2017 (back when it was called Scrap Connection) and again in 2019. It provides a business intelligence and trading…
Addressing Questions About Digital Brands Group’s IPO
By Andy Gordon on May 24, 2021
Digital Brands Group (DBG) had its initial public offering (IPO) recently. And it generated some confusion and many questions from our members. So I’m taking the opportunity today to address some of the issues you’ve raised. To refresh your memory, DBG’s IPO incorporated a “reverse stock…
New Pick: The Future of Bottled Juice
By Andy Gordon on May 20, 2021
Deal Details Startup: Genius Juice Security type: Crowd SAFE* Discount: 20% Valuation (cap): $14 million Minimum investment: $100 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: September 16, 2021…
Crypto Crash Isn’t Elon Musk’s Fault
By Vin Narayanan on May 20, 2021
One of these days, we’ll dig into my complicated feelings about Elon Musk. They were complicated before Tesla bought bitcoin, started accepting bitcoin as a payment method, stopped accepting bitcoin as a payment method and Musk hopped aboard the crazy dogecoin train. (Say it…
Startup Insider: InnaMed Co-Founder Discusses Medtech
By Vin Narayanan on May 17, 2021
InnaMed is one of the rare startups that has earned a thumbs up from Andy Gordon twice. It’s current raise — which Andy believes is a very good investment opportunity — closes on May 28. With just…
How to Develop a Strategy for Ethereum
By Vin Narayanan on May 13, 2021
Ethereum (ETH) is killing it. That’s the only way to describe this current run that the second-largest cryptocurrency is on. On Wednesday, its price hit an all-time high of $4358.30 at 10:30 a.m. ET according to CoinMarketCap. A year ago, ethereum was trading for $197.59. That’s…
Important Correction: DBG IPO a Down Round
By Andy Gordon on May 10, 2021
We missed out on a big piece of information in last Thursday’s update on DBG (Digital Brands Group). And it led to some bad math. At First Stage Investor, we own our mistakes. And we made a big one.
Update: Big Things Are Happening for Digital Brands Group
By Andy Gordon on May 6, 2021
Note: This article contains incorrect information. Please read this correction piece instead. First Stage Investor sincerely apologizes for this mistake. DBG (Digital Brands Group) holds a unique distinction in the First Stage Investor portfolio. It’s the only company we’ve recommended three…
Startup Insider: The Lesson in Verizon’s Failed Experiment
By Early Investing on May 3, 2021
Verizon has reportedly sold Yahoo and AOL today for around $5 billion. But Verizon spent $9 billion total to acquire both companies! Today’s sale marks the end of Verizon’s attempts to break into digital advertising. In this week’s Startup Insider, Andy Gordon and Vin Narayanan take a look…
Startup Insider: How Startups Go Public
By Early Investing on April 29, 2021
For startup investors, a company going public is the holy grail. That’s when the relatively small amount of money they invested into a young company turns into (hopefully) big bucks. There are three paths startups can take to going public — initial public offerings (IPOs), direct…