Archive: startups
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Portfolio Update: CodeCombat Grows Revenue, Expands Customer Base
By Early Investing on June 9, 2022
We recommended CodeCombat almost two years ago in July 2020. The company develops video games that teach middle schoolers and high schoolers how to code. Since we recommended CodeCombat, the company has navigated the COVID-19 storm and is now growing sustainably and profitably. We caught up with CEO Nick Winter recently to get more details on what the company has accomplished over the last two years. …
While VCs Struggle, Crowdfunders Are Coming Out on Top
By Andy Gordon on June 8, 2022
2022 has not been kind to SoftBank CEO Masayoshi Son. He’s calling it a “technology winter.” And the numbers are certainly chilling for Son. SoftBank’s Vision Fund lost 2.64 trillion yen ($20.5 billion) for the year ending March 31. The previous year, it had made a…
Why Investors Should Target Seed Stage Companies Right Now
By Vin Narayanan on June 7, 2022
The amount of venture capital flowing into startups dipped below $40 billion last month, according to a Crunchbase report. That’s the lowest monthly investment rate in more than a year and well below the $70 billion invested in November, according to…
Startup Insider: When a Startup Is Worth the Hype
By Early Investing on June 6, 2022
Sometimes it can seem like every founder claims that their company is “revolutionary.” Startups love to highlight how innovative they are. They’re doing something no one else has managed to do. They’re changing the world. Of course, many of those startups aren’t nearly as…
News Fix: Startups Face a Souring Economy, SpaceX Skyrockets to $125 Billion
By Allison Brickell on June 1, 2022
In the wake of yet another mass shooting, many Americans are outraged and terrified. While lawmakers continue to argue over gun control legislation, the effects of gun violence are being felt across the country. That includes businesses too. The May 24 shooting in Uvalde, Texas —…
Crypto Needs to Solve the Stablecoin Problem
By Vin Narayanan on May 20, 2022
Demo Day Alert Before we get to the crypto markets, we wanted to alert you to a really cool demo day opportunity. One of the things I love the most about being a startup investor is meeting founders and having them demonstrate their products to me. It’s a…
Track Startup Investments With This Free Portfolio Tool
By Vin Narayanan on May 18, 2022
A member reached out to us earlier this month wondering if there was a good way to track all of the startup investments they had made. This particular investor had made several startup investments across multiple investment platforms and had also done some private placement deals. They also…
Angel Insider: KingsCrowd Capital Fund Investment Opportunity
By Early Investing on May 17, 2022
Today we have a fund investment opportunity that we’re very excited about. It comes from KingsCrowd, the parent company of Early Investing. The KingsCrowd Capital Fund I is a basket of 100 early-stage startups. And…
Startup Insider: The Evolution of Crowdfunding
By Early Investing on May 16, 2022
Break out the cake and champagne — it’s Regulation Crowdfunding’s sixth anniversary! On May 16, 2016, Regulation Crowdfunding — or Reg CF — went into effect and allowed startups to offer and sell securities through crowdfunding. Reg CF was first made possible by the JOBS Act,…
Five Bold Predictions for the Future of Crowdfunding
By Andy Gordon on May 11, 2022
May 16 marks the sixth anniversary of crowdfunding under Regulation Crowdfunding. But it was the JOBS Act of April 2012 that made it possible. Whether you go by 10 years ago or six years ago, crowdfunding has come a long way. …
The Nightmare of Navigating Student Loans
By Allison Brickell on May 4, 2022
What do you picture when you think of college? Maybe you see cavernous lecture halls. Football stadiums packed with fans. Beautifully manicured lawns where students study or play frisbee or make lifelong connections. For many of today’s students, that image includes mountains of debt.
Watch for Red Flags Around Boards of Investors
By Vin Narayanan on April 19, 2022
Those of you who follow me on Twitter (you can follow me @vinistic) know that I’m obsessed with Elon Musk’s bid to buy Twitter and take it private. In case you missed this story, here’s a quick timeline: April…
Now Is the Best Time to Be a Startup Investor
By Vin Narayanan on April 13, 2022
Andy Gordon and I recommend a startup for our First Stage Investor members to invest in every two weeks (click here to sign up). When Andy and I first started working on startups together in 2018, we couldn’t do…
Investing With a Potential Recession on the Horizon
By Vin Narayanan on April 5, 2022
I broke my ankle pretty badly a couple of weeks ago. It’s going to take four to six months to heal. I’m wearing a walking boot now. And as far as I’m concerned, the walking boot might be the greatest invention since the printing press. The…
Startup Price Inflation Signals Danger for Investors
By Andy Gordon on March 30, 2022
Price inflation in the startup world is running rampant. This isn’t new. But I do wonder when it’s going to peak. We’re not there yet. If anything, it’s getting worse. I’ll give you a recent example. I was talking to a founder yesterday who…
Angel Insider: VCs Are Missing Out on Female Founders
By Early Investing on March 29, 2022
Historically speaking, funding for female founders has been pretty paltry in the venture capital (VC) world. From 2011 to 2020, the amount of VC money going to female-only-founded startups never went above $4 billion. In 2020 — despite U.S. startups raising a record $143 billion — funding to…