socalTECH

JUNE 14, 2017

Pasadena-based Episona has raised $4M in seed funding, to go towards expansion of its male fertility testing product, Seed, the company said last week. According to Episona, the funding came from the Pasadena Angeles, as well as other high-net worth individuals from Pasadena and San Francisco.

Pasadena 133

Pasadena Pasadena Angels Seed Funding .Net 133

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 8, 2020

He did note that in the four markets where the company has gone live since launching its business in January 2019 — San Diego, Los Angeles, the Inland Empire , and Sacramento — has yielded an annualized revenue run rate of over $400 million in gross merchandise value (the total value of home sales transacted on its platform).

Sales 282

Sales Demand San Diego Funding 282

TechCrunch LA

MAY 19, 2020

These are companies like the recent Y Combinator graduates Homestead and Rent the Backyard and United Dwelling, which has just raised $10 million in funding from investors including Lightspeed Venture Partners and Alpha Edison. “Garage conversions were a new concept for us,” Martin McCauley told Curbed Los Angeles.

Los Angeles 191

Los Angeles Startup Culver City .Net 191

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2021

When you first start your career as an investor (or when you first start writing angel checks) your main obsession is “getting into great deals.” They sold 2 years later for $16 million In the financial crisis of 2008 we had a company that had jointly hired lawyers to consider a bankruptcy and also pursued (and achieved!)

Funding 294

Funding Startup Writing Invest 294

TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 5, 2020

Companies that have leveraged technology to make the procurement and delivery of food more accessible to more people have been seeing a big surge of business this year, as millions of consumers are encouraged (or outright mandated, due to Covid-19) to socially distance or want to avoid the crowds of physical shopping and eating excursions.

Technical Review 343

Technical Review Startup Marketing San Diego 343

Berkonomics

JUNE 8, 2017

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder can self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). Professional angels: This is the arena where I work and play. For you who fit that description, nice work.

Venture Capital 266

Venture Capital Class Invest Equity 266

Berkonomics

AUGUST 10, 2017

Fixed overhead for salaries, rent, equipment leases and more make up the majority of the “burn rate” (monthly expenses) for most companies. Since this number is budgeted and pre-authorized, managers tend to focus upon other things such as sales, marketing and product development issues.

Venture Capital 243

Venture Capital Product Resource Marketing 243

Both Sides of the Table

DECEMBER 27, 2011

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business for 4-6 months. Are you looking to potentially sell the company in the next year or two?

Startup 418

Startup Venture Capital Sales Technical Review 418

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 13, 2011

If your startup is looking for an angel investor, it makes sense to present your plan to flocks of angels, and assume that at least one will swoop down and scoop you up. The challenge is to find the right angel for your, and for your situation. Angel investors are people too. Or does it? Keiretsu Forum.

Angel 102

Angel Keiretsu Organization Template 102

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 17, 2017

The most obvious way to explain this is with sales people. If you hire 6 senior sales reps in January at $120,000 / year salary then you’ve taken on an extra $60,000 per month in costs yet these sales people might not close new business 6 months. Are you looking to potentially sell the company in the next year or two?

Startup 227

Startup Venture Capital Sales Course 227

socalTECH

MAY 30, 2019

Our interview this morning is with Robin Richards , the CEO of Los Angeles-based CareerArc (www.careerarc.com). Richards--a serial entrepreneur who has been involved in a number of technology companies here, including NTI Group (sold to Blackboard), Internships.com, MP3.com, com, and Vivendi Universal Net USA, where he was also CEO.

Content 193

Content Social Network Coach Help 193

Berkonomics

APRIL 4, 2019

Every investor wants regular information from companies taking their money. And most of us investors are frustrated by the lack of regular communication – unless of course – the company needs more money. First, let’s cover the absolute minimum legal requirement a company must provide to its investors.

Class 120

Class Course Report Competition 120

socalTECH

JULY 31, 2009

Los Angeles-based Stamps.com reported its results Thursday, saying that the firm had net income of $1.0M The company saw a steep drop in its revenues from its personalized photo product, PhotoStamps, which was down 31% to $2.0M No reason for the drop in PhotoStamps sales was given by the firm. in income on $21.4M

.Net 100

.Net Sales Los Angeles Report 100

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 25, 2011

It’s nearly impossible to get a services company financed by VCs. And stop effing around trying to create a product company.&#. It would not be a big stretch to image a well run service business like this making 15-25% net profit margins. You’re a small fish. Why Shouldn’t Most Services Businesses Raise VC?

Services 332

Services Venture Capital IP Startup 332

socalTECH

AUGUST 2, 2017

Our interview today is with Alan Horsager , the CEO of Pasadena-based Episona (www.episona.com), an angel backed startup which has already developed and has been offering up an epigenetic test for male fertility. Alan Horsager: We are an epigenetics data company. How did you decide to turn this into a company? What is Episona?

USC 100

USC Technical Review Startup Southern California 100

Berkonomics

APRIL 14, 2012

First, let’s cover the absolute minimum legal requirement a company has to provide to its investors. That burden is an ongoing cost of taking the investment, much as a public company takes on the additional burden of governmental reporting, both adding to costs over time.

Class 202

Class Report Competition .Net 202

InfoChachkie

DECEMBER 7, 2015

This analysis is particularly timely, given the recent tidal wave of successful entrepreneurs who have become Angel and venture investors. I was very appreciative of this windfall, as the company was essentially a lifestyle business that my co-founder and I never expected to sell. Possibly.

Venture Capital 100

Venture Capital Capital .Net Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 10, 2010

If your startup is looking for an angel investor, it makes sense to present your plan to flocks of angels, and assume that at least one will swoop down and scoop you up. One of the most common questions I get is “How do I find angel investors?” Here are three of the largest flocks: Angel Capital Association (ACA).

Angel 48

Angel Keiretsu Startup Template 48

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 22, 2012

They are your route to angel money. Your entrée to sales meetings. Helping with a Sales Lead. Usually it’s on behalf of a portfolio company. People need access to angels and VCs. But all too frequently people send angels & VCs too many unqualified intros. We couldn’t live without them.

Email 359

Email Venture Capital Startup Technical Review 359

Berkonomics

JANUARY 20, 2010

Some businesses require very little capital and the founder is able to self-finance the enterprise and retain 100% of its ownership and control from ignition through liquidity event (startup through sale). For you who fit that description, nice work. There is a lot to say about retaining control.

Venture Capital 174

Venture Capital Invest Class Entrepreneur 174

socalTECH

JULY 7, 2010

socalTECH.com has mined its proprietary database of high tech companies and entrepreneurs and identified just a few of the repeat entrepreneurs to watch in the region. Demand Media / Richard Rosenblatt / Los Angeles - Rosenblatt's last big win: MySpace, where he was Chairman, brokering its sale to News Corp.

Southern California 228

Southern California Entrepreneur SoCal Mahalo 228

socalTECH

DECEMBER 12, 2014

One Los Angeles company-- OneStop Internet (www.onestop.com) has created a growing business handling exactly that. John Tomich: OneStop Internet is an e-commerce services company. The way we get compensated, is we receive a percent of net sales that flow through the website. Who are your ideal customers and market?

Commerce 203

Commerce Venture Capital Internet Brands Startup 203

Berkonomics

MARCH 30, 2010

Fixed overhead for salaries, rent, equipment leases and more make up the majority of the “burn rate” (monthly expenses) for most companies. Although young companies rarely measure profitability this repeatedly, more mature companies usually can bring from five to ten percent of revenues to the bottom line in the form of net profit.

Venture Capital 212

Venture Capital Product Resource Marketing 212

socalTECH

MARCH 3, 2011

Last week, we talked with Fouad ElNaggar of Redpoint Ventures about some of the interesting companies in Southern California. The firm is based in Los Angeles and Seattle. How is the company funded and backed? He joined Redpoint after we founded the company, but before we had gotten the money.

Redpoint 201

Redpoint Startup Content .Net 201

Tech Coast Venture Network

APRIL 22, 2010

Once you have some skin in the game, if you personally can’t get to some level of revenues in the business, or at a minimum, pre-sales or letters of intent, then on to round two – asking family and friends for help. In order to qualify, you have to have high net worth, a strong credit score and significant skin in the game.

Startup 124

Startup Tech Coast Angels TCVN Incubator 124

Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 5, 2010

They often make great team members such as head of products, CTO, head of sales, CFO, etc. Great companies are comprised of great individual point people or functional leaders. There are plenty of great leaders who work really hard and work for big companies. He wanted to raise angel money. I finally called bullshit.

Entrepreneur 293

Entrepreneur Startup Venture Capital CTO Hire 293

Both Sides of the Table

JULY 16, 2010

You don’t have to hire as many sales people because much can be sold online. So companies are running for the first 1-2 years on significantly less capital than they did 10 years ago. So companies are running for the first 1-2 years on significantly less capital than they did 10 years ago. That’s OK.

Venture Capital 311

Venture Capital Startup Seed Funding Rustic Canyon 311

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 3, 2014

Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Take little to no net profit. As soon as you bring in investors, they force you to plan for an exit (merger or sale) in three to five years. Reinvest gross profit.

Organization 111

Organization Startup Summary Entrepreneur 111

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 25, 2012

In reality, only 3 out of 100 companies who apply are successful with Angels, and the success rate with VCs is even lower. The advantage is no time and effort searching and preparing for the other alternatives, and you don’t have to encumber yourself or give up control of your company. Angel investors. Friends and family.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Equity Incubator Venture Capital 103

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2012

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” This time I’ll use a hypothetical health-care web site company named NewCo as an example to illustrate the points. Early customers and contracts in progress add value.

Startup 108

Startup Invest Patents Outsource Development 108

Tech Coast Venture Network

MARCH 9, 2011

Last year, venture capitalists and angels who co-invested with them placed $7 billion into seed and early-stage deals, an 11 percent increase from 2009, according to the most recent PricewaterhouseCoopers/National Venture Capital Association MoneyTree report. Meet angels via the entrepreneurs they’ve funded. By Monica Mehta.

Tips 100

Tips Capital Tech Coast Angels Screening 100

socalTECH

JUNE 25, 2009

Los Angeles-based XCast Labs (www.xcastlabs.com) announced earlier this month that it has raised a $2.7M round of funding from the Pasadena Angels and Frontera Capital for a voice-over-IP service, and we thought we'd talk with Cliff Rees, the firm's CEO, to understand how the firm is different from those many providers.

IP 165

IP Pasadena Angels Pasadena Los Angeles 165

Both Sides of the Table

APRIL 5, 2010

TWTFelipe and I ended up speaking for nearly 30 minutes and we talked mostly about why his company was based in Canada and not the US. In 2005 he was graduated and took a job in South Carolina working for technology company while he started his own web design company on the side. So he decided to start his company in Canada.

Technical Review 282

Technical Review Startup High Tech Software Review 282

Tech Zulu Event

FEBRUARY 8, 2013

O’Neil said, “ScoreBig.com is the only business that offers consumers deep savings on tickets in a way that protects the brand of the property and the integrity of full-price sales.” ScoreBig.com , headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., ScoreBig.com , headquartered in Los Angeles, Calif., is backed by Bain Capital and U.S.

Ticketmaster 65

Ticketmaster Entertainment Pricing Class 65

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 30, 2011

Once you have a potential investor excited about your team, your product, and your company, the investor will inevitably ask “What is your company’s valuation?” This time I’ll use a hypothetical health-care web site company named NewCo as an example to illustrate the points. Early customers and contracts in progress add value.

Funding 98

Funding Startup Patents Outsource Development 98

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2011

In reality, only 3 out of 100 companies who apply are successful with Angels, and the success rate with VCs is even lower. The advantage is no time and effort searching and preparing for the other alternatives, and you don’t have to encumber yourself or give up control of your company. Angel investors. Friends and family.

Startup 93

Startup Technical Review Equity Incubator 93

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 23, 2013

Bootstrapping avoids all the cost, pain, and distractions of finding angels or VCs, and allows you to keep control and all your hard-earned equity for yourself. Take little to no net profit. As soon as you bring in investors, they force you to plan for an exit (merger or sale) in three to five years. Reinvest gross profit.

Equity 96

Equity Startup Summary Tips 96