Search results for: Risk

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    Uniswap Plagued by SEC Investigation and Shadowy Banking Moves

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    By: Vin Narayanan on February 25, 2022

    I’m worried about Uniswap (UNI). Uniswap is one of crypto’s most well-known decentralized exchanges. UNI is the governance token for Uniswap. And since September, the price of UNI has been plummeting. In fact, not even bitcoin hitting its all-time high of more than $68,000 in November could rescue UNI from its downward spiral. So what exactly is going on with…

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    What Disruptive Startups and Figure Skating Have in Common

    By: Allison Brickell on February 23, 2022

    In the startup world, big ideas have the potential to become big moneymakers. Good ideas — especially if they’re executed well — can change the world.  But revolutionary ideas scare people. They often fail because the world isn’t ready for them yet.  As startup investors, we regularly evaluate how much risk we’re comfortable with. Part of that evaluation process involves…

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    New Pick: This Noninvasive Glucose Monitoring Solution Could Help 422 Million People

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    By: Andy Gordon on February 10, 2022

    I worry a lot about Mark, Liz and Julia. Mark was my flatmate in London in 1975, and we’ve kept in close touch ever since. Liz and Julia are my sisters-in-law. They all have diabetes. I already lost a dear friend to diabetes last year. I don’t want to lose another one.  All three are very diligent about keeping their…

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    How to Play Today’s Jittery Stock Market

    By: Vin Narayanan on February 9, 2022

    The stock markets are a mess this year. The S&P 500 is down 4.07% this year. The Nasdaq is down 7.95% and in correction territory. The Dow is down 1.56%. And the Russell 2000 is down 7.69%. My group texts — normally reserved for sports discussions — are blowing up with investment-related questions and commentary. Among the common questions: “What’s…

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    Take Advantage of the Golden Age of Medtech Investing

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    By: Vin Narayanan on February 8, 2022

    A basic market inefficiency has created a massive opportunity for startup investors interested in medical technology and drug development startups. And angel investors savvy enough to understand what’s going on have a rare opportunity to invest in medtech startups with massive upside that have been significantly de-risked. Historically, early stage startups developing new drugs, medical compounds and medical devices have…

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    Lower Startup Valuations Are on the Horizon

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    By: Vin Narayanan on February 1, 2022

    Last week I wrote about how some of the country’s biggest asset managers are investing in startups because they simply can’t find a better alternative (and they really want one!). As a result, they’re all trying to identify and invest in the best startups before their competitors do.  And there’s a LOT of money splashing around in the startup space.…

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    The Investor’s Guide to Making Money in Crypto

    By: Adam Sharp on January 28, 2022

    I talked with an old friend this week. After we caught up, he asked, “You still doing that crypto stuff?” He wanted advice on various coins, trading and people to follow. So I told him what I know. Here are the key points. Don’t Trade Just don’t trade crypto. Instead, buy and hold coins long term. Trading fees eat into…

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    New Pick: Revolutionary Prosthesis Technology That Competitors Can’t Touch

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    By: Andy Gordon on January 27, 2022

    Lots of sectors are broken: banking, housing, education, day care and infrastructure. But none of these are as broken as the physical disability space. Fewer than one out of five arm amputees who need prosthetics actually use them. Available prosthetics are too heavy, clumsy and uncomfortable. They’re super expensive. And their functionality is shockingly limited.  It’s an inexcusable state of…

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    The Real Reason VCs Are Investing So Much In Startups

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    By: Vin Narayanan on January 25, 2022

    Last month, I flew out to Seattle for an event to meet up with angel investors, venture capitalists and some of the largest players in wealth management and private equity. The people in the room represented firms that had more than $10 trillion in assets under management combined. And we had a frank and open discussion about how this unique…

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    Bitcoin Enters the Jack Dorsey Era

    By: Vin Narayanan on January 19, 2022

    Bitcoin is now in the Jack Dorsey era. The former Twitter CEO (and co-founder) is betting big on bitcoin. Dorsey renamed his payment company — formerly Square — “Block” to signal its new focus on crypto and blockchain technology. And his outsized presence looks like it may dominate the landscape for years to come. In the last 30 days, Dorsey…

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    Chronic Fear Is Bad for Our Health

    By: Adam Sharp on January 14, 2022

    Nothing is more relevant to our current situation than fear.  The first thing to realize about fear is that it’s not very helpful in modern society. In some ways, it’s an artifact of evolution. I found a very interesting description of what fear does to our bodies in this fascinating article “The Effects of Chronic Fear on a Person’s Health”…

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    New Pick: Invest in the Uber of the Apparel Industry

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    By: Andy Gordon on January 13, 2022

    Passenger drones – AKA flying cars – are technological marvels. But science fiction has been promising flying cars for decades. So seeing them become reality now feels right. But apparel startup Sene feels like it’s been ripped from the future. It has made a commercially thriving company out of one of the most ingeniously disruptive ideas I’ve ever come across. …

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    New Pick: Invest in One of the Government’s Only Trusted Capital Providers

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    By: Andy Gordon on January 6, 2022

    Here’s the deal. I’ve just given you $100 million to start your own bank (you can thank me later) on your own private island. U.S. rules don’t apply there. You make your own rules. So what would they be? Here’s my fantasy list… I’m the only bank on the island. I’m outlawing defaults. You get money from us. You pay…

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    New Pick: A Life Preserver for a Planet Drowning in Plastic

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    By: Andy Gordon on December 20, 2021

    We’re drowning in plastics. The problem is monumental and global. It’s threatening to slowly but surely kill the planet. It’s also getting worse. And what’s really worrisome is that the biggest companies in the world can’t figure out how to stop it.  They’ve been trying and failing for decades while following the same sad script. A new supposedly groundbreaking technology…

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    New Pick: Repairing the Broken Relationship Between Pharmaceutical Companies and Patients

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    By: Andy Gordon on December 9, 2021

    Deal Details Startup: Responsum Health Security type: Crowd SAFE* Valuation (cap): $4.5 million Discount: 0% Minimum investment: $100 Where to invest: Republic Deadline: January 2, 2022 What do you do when your doctor and half of your friends tell you a pill is safe but the other half says it could kill you?  I’ll tell you what I do. I…

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    Aavrani Grows Sales and Sets Its Sights on Expansion

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    By: Andy Gordon on December 2, 2021

    I just got off the phone with Justin Silver, the co-founder and COO of Aavrani. He reported significant progress on several fronts.  We introduced Aavrani — a beauty company rooted in Indian tradition and rituals — to First Stage Investor subscribers a little more than two years ago.  Aavrani has come a long way since then. Revenues have grown from…