Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

These are all accredited investors who risk their own money. As an active angel investor myself, I understand how the process works, and I see the disappointment in the eyes of entrepreneurs who approach angel groups for funding and often get turned away for not being timely or prepared in the minds of potential investors.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Angel Groups 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 10, 2016

Is there a real customer willing to give a testimonial? Don’t be sidetracked by potential customers in the middle of a free trial, or friends of the founder. These questions are the key ones in every due diligence effort, always done by accredited investors, but almost never done by key employees and new partners.

Sweat Equity 120

Sweat Equity Burn Rate Technical Review Intellectual Property 120

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 8, 2015

Is there a real customer willing to give a testimonial? Don’t be sidetracked by potential customers in the middle of a free trial, or friends of the founder. These questions are the key ones in every due diligence effort, always done by accredited investors, but almost never done by key employees and new partners.

Technical Review 120

Technical Review Due Diligence Sweat Equity Burn Rate 120

Gust

OCTOBER 20, 2011

Individual accredited investors in typical angel deals put personal capital at risk for an equity share of growth-oriented, start-up companies. These angel investors generally invest $25,000 to $100,000 in a round totaling $250,000 to $1,000,000. Other factors (great early customer feedback). Competitive Environment.

Valuation 146

Valuation Pre-Money Valuation Intellectual Property Technical Review 146

David Teten

FEBRUARY 26, 2012

HBSANY members are required to be accredited investors (per SEC regulations) and are expected to agree to the terms of the HBSANY Membership Agreement. You will be able to meet privately with these companies later in the evening. This evening is exclusively for members of the HBS Angels of Greater New York.

Technical Review 128

Technical Review New York Accredited Investor IP 128

Gust

FEBRUARY 22, 2014

Instead, it is our eight years of indefatigable relationship and customer building with large segments of the world’s early stage finance industry.

Kazakhstan 107

Kazakhstan Belarus Portugal Accredited Investor 107

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 26, 2020

Many successful crowdfunding campaigns, just like many startups funded by angels and VCs, fail miserably due to normal business challenges, including inventory buildup, marketing, competition, and customer support. Thus crowdfunding is clearly not the panacea for funding and success that many entrepreneurs envision.

Accredited Investor 378

Accredited Investor SEC Campaign Equity 378

Up and Running

JUNE 14, 2012

You have a great idea to start a new venture and the theory goes that if you can’t convince at least one other person to join the venture with you, how will you convince customers to buy into your vision and product/service. It is a place where the buck starts and stops with you. But in our example, they’re even.

Cofounder 90

Cofounder Technical Cofounder Accredited Investor Equity 90

Up and Running

NOVEMBER 26, 2018

A well-written and convincing business plan (and pitch ) presents your business to investors in detail; but they are investing in your business, not just a plan. Normally you have to have a team in place, have made progress toward idea validation , or—better still—traction (paying customers). Nobody invests in ideas or plans.

SBA 161

SBA Venture Capital Angel Investor Technical Review 161

Austin Startup

MARCH 15, 2021

With boots on the ground in Austin, Dallas, Houston, and San Antonio, we meet the best entrepreneurs in Texas and introduce them to investors, employees, mentors and customers. With the introduction of Rolling Funds, any accredited investor can now easily invest with Capital Factory.

Accredited Investor 106

Accredited Investor Texas San Antonio San Francisco 106

Gust

SEPTEMBER 27, 2014

And don’t forget the ability to customize your profile’s background. Your private profile is where investors will look with a critical eye on everything that makes you a business rather than just a product or a sexy idea. Any legitimate investor who finds you through Gust will also contact you through Gust!

Angel Groups 159

Angel Groups Elevator Pitch Software Review Deal Flow 159

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 11, 2023

Many successful crowdfunding campaigns, just like many startups funded by angels and VCs, fail miserably due to normal business challenges, including inventory buildup, marketing, competition, and customer support. Thus crowdfunding is clearly not the panacea for funding and success that many entrepreneurs envision.

Accredited Investor 252

Accredited Investor SEC Campaign Equity 252

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 30, 2020

These also get used for guest lectures in business classes, judges for business plan competition, and introductions to accredited investors. If looking for help, you can find interns willing to work for the experience, and real insights into new customer segments. They can also connect you to area businesses.

Arizona 310

Arizona Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Dividend 310

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 27, 2021

By definition, angels are accredited investors, who invest their own money for a percentage of the business. Angels need to see a proven business model, with a working prototype and preferably a real customer or two. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes.

Search 317

Search Accredited Investor Angel Investor Venture Capital 317

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

These also get used for guest lectures in business classes, judges for business plan competition, and introductions to accredited investors. If looking for help, you can find interns willing to work for the experience, and real insights into new customer segments. They can also connect you to area businesses.

Arizona 276

Arizona Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Entrepreneur 276

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

By definition, angels are accredited investors, who invest their own money for a percentage of the business. Angels need to see a proven business model, with a working prototype and preferably a real customer or two. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes.

Accredited Investor 265

Accredited Investor Venture Capital Syndicate Syndication 265

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 12, 2013

Sites like KickStarter have for years offered rewards and pre-sales for crowd investments, but real equity won’t be legalized until sometime this year for people other than accredited investors. Super-angels. Rewards include becoming the “mayor” of an entertainment location via FourSquare , to winning badges via a Badgeville campaign.

Entrepreneur 274

Entrepreneur Accredited Investor Silicon Valley Angel Investor 274

Hunter Walker

MARCH 10, 2025

One byproduct of this movement, especially during the blitzscaling era , were new startups in areas such as finance, healthcare, housing, education, using venture capital to acquire customers at accelerated rates. What Id ask the investors in these companies is that they share the same values. I toast to your success and your efficacy.

Software 87

Software Cap Table Accredited Investor B2C 87

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 16, 2012

For angel investors, early-stage means there is a good business plan and maybe a prototype, but no customer revenue. For VCs, early-stage means customer revenue is less than $10M. Lean startups operate on minimal money, an open source environment, and assume multiple iterations, with customer feedback, to get it right.

Early Stage 253

Early Stage Finance Seed Stage Entrepreneur 253

Kodorra

JANUARY 4, 2019

But then, the exchange would perform the necessary due diligence that will protect its existing customers (who passed all KYC/AML process) who will be the targeted investors. Choosing (or being chosen) by an exchange to conduct an IEO is more difficult compared to ICO, let alone the fees that the exchange might charge upfront.

Securities and Exchange Commission 40

Securities and Exchange Commission Technical Review Lock-up Period Accredited Investor 40

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2011

That means your entire life must be an open book, 100% of the reference checks we do on you (including ones we find on our own) must come back positive, and we need to see that you’ve treated former investors, employees, partners and customers with impeccable fairness. David: Being an entrepreneur is tough. Really, really tough.

New York 221

New York Accredited Investor Advisory Board IRR 221

Gust

JULY 8, 2012

For angel investors, early-stage means there is a good business plan and maybe a prototype, but no customer revenue. For VCs, early-stage means customer revenue is less than $10M. Lean startups operate on minimal money, an open source environment, and assume multiple iterations, with customer feedback, to get it right.

Early Stage 177

Early Stage Finance Seed Stage Entrepreneur 177

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2015

Many successful crowdfunding campaigns, just like many startups funded by angels and VCs, fail miserably due to normal business challenges, including inventory buildup, marketing, competition, and customer support. Thus crowdfunding is clearly not the panacea for funding and success that many entrepreneurs envision.

Accredited Investor 120

Accredited Investor SEC Campaign Equity 120

Gust

JANUARY 15, 2014

Unfortunately, there isn’t (and since Google hasn’t fixed Gmail yet, if you’re actually a paying customer for Google Apps, instead of a free customer, you have strictly limited Gmail mail storage, and are not allowed to purchase more, at any price!) But I digress [harumph].

Angel Investor 119

Angel Investor Belarus Portugal Accredited Investor 119

The Startup Magazine

MARCH 22, 2019

When a company is targeted for Series A investment, it usually has a track record of sales or steady customer interest already. Venture capitalists are often trusted advisors to entrepreneurs and use their connections to build a customer base or help the businesses in their portfolio overcome obstacles.

Angel Investor 153

Angel Investor Venture Capital Accredited Investor Equity 153

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2016

In fact, it is your job to show how the technology will be embodied in a solution that satisfies a painful customer need, what channels will be used for sales and what business model maximizes return. Real customer revenue and thousands of new users represent traction and are the best indication of fundability.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Angel Investor Bootstrapping 120

ReadWriteStart

AUGUST 16, 2019

” Before acquisition the then SeedInvest CEO Ryan Feit previously said , “With over 37,000 accredited investors, SeedInvest is by far the largest platform in terms of the number of high net worth investors. ” Platforms are changing; not all platforms are the same.

Artificial Inteligence 115

Artificial Inteligence Accredited Investor Startup SEC 115

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

These also get used for guest lectures in business classes, judges for business plan competition, and introductions to accredited investors. If looking for help, you can find interns willing to work for the experience, and real insights into new customer segments. They can also connect you to area businesses.

Intellectual Property 120

Intellectual Property Accredited Investor Entrepreneur Incubator 120

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 16, 2015

By definition, angels are accredited investors, who invest their own money for a percentage of the business. Angels need to see a proven business model, with a working prototype and preferably a real customer or two. Here are eight key insights that will help you find a productive match: Angels want equity ownership, not causes.

Angel Investor 120

Angel Investor Accredited Investor Venture Capital Startup 120

Growthink Blog

FEBRUARY 20, 2014

For example, "accredited investors" can now make equity-based Crowdfunding investments. But non-accredited investors still cannot. Crowdfunding is helping entrepreneurs raise money and gain customers, and more and more Crowdfunding success stories will be featured in the media in the coming days. Dave Lavinsky'

Accredited Investor 89

Accredited Investor SEC Equity Viral 89

YoungUpstarts

NOVEMBER 17, 2016

There are inherent challenges in raising smaller amounts from many shareholders rather than leveraging larger checks from fewer experienced, accredited investors. What do I need beyond capital, to build a successful company and where do I get it, if not from investors? Timeframes are defined and short.

Equity 100

Equity United Kingdom Cap Table Oklahoma 100

Scott Edward Walker

JUNE 23, 2011

Similarly, if a startup collects sales taxes from its customers and then fails to remit it to the applicable state taxing authority, founders could be charged with theft of state funds. Obviously, the failure to pay applicable federal and/or state income taxes could lead to criminal liability.

Accredited Investor 82

Accredited Investor Sweat Equity Los Angeles San Francisco 82

Gust

JANUARY 15, 2014

Unfortunately, there isn’t (and since Google hasn’t fixed Gmail yet, if you’re actually a paying customer for Google Apps, instead of a free customer, you have strictly limited Gmail mail storage, and are not allowed to purchase more, at any price!) But I digress [harumph].

Angel Investor 70

Angel Investor Belarus Portugal Accredited Investor 70

Growthink Blog

MARCH 19, 2012

The businesses would get access to tens of millions more potential investors, and could reach out to them at little or no cost through online outlets like Facebook. Then, if the companies won funding, they'd get a built-in base of customers who were strongly motivated to help the brand succeed.

Equity 88

Equity Securities and Exchange Commission Private Equity SEC 88

thebarefootvc

MARCH 5, 2018

The Regulator Service can be configured to meet relevant securities regulations, Know Your Customer (KYC) policies, Anti-Money Laundering (AML) requirements, tax laws, and more. In the case of Section 4(a)(7), for example, R-token will ensure that a token is being transferred to an accredited investor after the initial 90-day period.

Security 40

Security Accredited Investor SEC Mobile 40

Startup Company Lawyer

MAY 26, 2012

Securities sold pursuant to the crowdfunding provisions are not transferable by the purchaser for one-year from the date of purchase, unless the securities are transferred to the issuer, an accredited investor, in a registered offering, or to family of the purchaser. Requirements on Intermediaries. Requirements for Issuers.

SEC 58

SEC Securities and Exchange Commission Accredited Investor Private Placement 58

Hippoland

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

But the reality is that angel investors can be anybody, especially these days, now that non-accredited investors can invest much more freely. Angel investors can be people without a tech background: doctors, lawyers, bankers, engineers, etc.

Angel Investor 48

Angel Investor Accredited Investor Elevator Pitch Silicon Valley 48