Archive: startup
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The One Thing All Good Founders Have in Common
By Andy Gordon on March 10, 2021
Why do founders become founders? There are certainly easier paths to wealth. Like what I do. A good startup investor makes more than a great startup founder eight out of 10 times. I should know — I’ve done both. And I’ve made a lot more investing in founders than trying to be one. There are many paths that entail fewer hours and less heartache that what founders endure. Develop real estate. Finance a new…
Top Tips From Six Years of Startup Investing
By Adam Sharp on March 9, 2021
I’ve now been investing in startups for more than six years. And it’s taken that long to prove concretely that what I’m doing is working. This is the frustrating — yet rewarding — truth of startup investing. It takes a very long time to see results.
Amazon’s Fake Review Problem Is an Opportunity for Disruption
By Adam Sharp on March 5, 2021
Like a huge portion of Americans, I use Amazon a LOT these days. And with a 50% market share, it absolutely dominates online sales in the country. But lately I’m frustrated with it. I’ve bought a few items recently that were…
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…
Hardware Startups Have a Secret Strength
By Andy Gordon on March 3, 2021
Hardware is risky. Making something you can touch and feel usually takes more money and time than developing software products. Yet five out of the last seven startups I recommended to my First Stage Investor members are hardware (or hybrid hardware and…
Be a Value-Add Investor
By Adam Sharp on March 2, 2021
One of my favorite things about early-stage investing is that the companies are small enough that investors actually have a chance to make a meaningful impact. In the VC/angel world, this is known as being a “value-add investor.” As online startup investors, we can certainly add…
Startup Insider: Learn About Biotech Startups from Insiders
By Early Investing on March 1, 2021
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…
Financial Rebellions: Investors Are Pushing Back
By Adam Sharp on February 26, 2021
We are living through a very unique period in financial history. On one side, we’re in the midst of an amazing technological revolution. Software and new technologies are streamlining the way the world runs. Advances in renewable energy are picking up steam. Medicine is leaping forward…
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…
Webinar: Caliber CEO Discusses Making Real Estate Investments More Accessible
By Vin Narayanan on February 24, 2021
Andy Gordon and I spend countless hours each week reviewing startups and talking to founders. So does our friend Chris Lustrino, the founder and CEO of KingsCrowd. And every now and then, we meet a founder so interesting that we ask them to…
Big Tech Censorship Creating Startup Opportunities
By Adam Sharp on February 23, 2021
Back in October, I wrote a piece titled Big Tech’s Growing Vulnerability. In it, I discussed the rapidly increasing amount of censorship on sites like Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. No matter how you view the big tech controversy, I think…
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…
Silicon Valley Is Losing Dominance
By Adam Sharp on February 19, 2021
For the past few decades, Silicon Valley has dominated the world of venture capital. According to Pitchbook, Silicon Valley accounted for a whopping 26% of all VC dealmaking in 2014. Even more impressive, more than 39% of all dollars invested into VC-backed startups happened in the Silicon Valley…
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…
Forget SPACs — There’s a Better IPO for Everyday Investors
By Andy Gordon on February 17, 2021
The wrong kind of IPO is getting all the attention these days. And the right kind is being virtually ignored. The much praised — but highly flawed — special-purpose acquisition company (SPAC) is the talk of the town right now. SPACs are shell companies that raise…
How to Handle Silicon Valley’s Rising Valuations
By Adam Sharp on February 16, 2021
It’s getting a little crazy out there in some pockets of the startup investing world. All the Series A deals I’ve seen lately have been much more expensive than they were even a year ago. I recently saw a fast-growing software company raising a Series A with just…