Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 6, 2023

With the advent and growth of crowdfunding over the past few years, many entrepreneurs have predicted the demise of angel investment groups and venture capital organizations. billion by 2030, exceeding the amounts contributed by either angel groups or VCs alone. In equity crowdfunding, no investor is representing their own interest.

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socalTECH

NOVEMBER 30, 2017

Los Angeles-based private equity investor The Gores Group has sold one of its portfolio firms, Atlanta-based Peoplenet , to Boston-based Bullhorn. Gores acquired Peoplenet in 2016, through its Gores Small Capitalization Partners fund. Financial details of the sale were not announced. READ MORE>>.

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socalTECH

AUGUST 8, 2017

Los Angeles-based private equity investor Vance Street Capital said this morning that its existing portfolio firm, A&E Medical Corporation , has acquired RTI Surgical's Cardiothoracic Closure business. Vance Street Capital acquired A&E Medical in February of 2016. Financial details of the acquisition were not announced.

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TechCrunch LA

OCTOBER 7, 2021

Jennifer Schwab, the founder and CEO of Entity, has built the business since 2016 on virtually no outside funding, but said that this latest financing is a precursor to the company working on its first, more traditional VC-led equity round. Since 2016, some 400 students, almost all women, have completed the course.

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socalTECH

JANUARY 27, 2020

Kobe Bryant , the basketball legend who also was one half of Los Angeles private equity investment firm Bryant Stibel , is dead at the age of 41, after a tragic helicopter crash in Calabasas took his life, the life of one of his daughters, and seven others.

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Both Sides of the Table

JANUARY 1, 2016

It’s a new year – 2016. We want to invest in early-stage technology enabled startup businesses – upfront in the funding cycle. We’re a national venture capital investment firm but with our roots firmly in Los Angeles. You don’t have unlimited equity to dole out.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Even if you ignore all the hype around crowdfunding, there can be no doubt that it is a real alternative for entrepreneurs to achieve visibility and funding today. In fact, perhaps the most important model, equity crowdfunding for non-accredited investors was only legalized via the SEC in 2016, so its impact is still in the early stages.

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socalTECH

OCTOBER 21, 2015

Startup accelerator operator Techstars has opened up a its second, startup accelerator in Los Angeles today, the Techstars Healthcare Accelerator. The new accelerator is being run alongside Cedars-Sinai , and will focus on health and healthcare delivery.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 11, 2016

Angel investors are still the lifeblood of early-stage startups, despite the surge of activity in crowdfunding and an increasing early interest from venture capitalists. According to the Angel Capital Association , at least 300,000 people have made angel investments in the last two years, totaling $24 billion in the U.S.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

Even non-profits need money to scale, but their pitch should be to philanthropists, not equity investors. Equity investors are buying a chunk of your company at today’s value, not what you think it may be worth in five years. The average valuation for Angel investments is about $2.5 Higher numbers cause investors to walk away.

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2016

They don’t realize that most Angel investors and venture capitalists will also decline to be first, if you have no commitment from friends and family. Most new entrepreneurs are not surrounded by people who understand convertible notes, startup equity investing, and exit strategies. Don’t let it happen to you.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 8, 2016

For example, Bill Gates founded and grew Microsoft, and Michael Dell built a great technology company, both with no outside funding until they went successful enough to go public years later and sell shares to common stockholders. Marty Zwilling First published on Forbes on 06/01/2016. It also may just mean taking less money later.

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Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 25, 2016

If you expect an equity investment from reputable investors for your new startup, you need to know the boundaries that often limit their interest. As an active angel investor, here are some key ones I have seen, with some guidance on how to improve your odds. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 04/15/2016.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

Today most startup investors still register with the SEC as “ accredited ” investors before they buy any startup equity in the U.S. But these requirements have been relaxed with the Crowdfunding JOBS Act implementation in 2016. Fund an entrepreneur you know and trust. Join an existing angel investor group.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 5, 2016

The reality is that over 80 percent of new businesses will never attract venture capital or Angel funding, according to experts , and there are many good reasons for skipping that painful and distracting process. Outside funding is not a startup entitlement. Don’t let early funding increase risk and dilute your potential.

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socalTECH

MARCH 4, 2021

How did you go from running a venture fund to starting Miso? Buck Jordan: The story is, I was at the tail end of my last fund, Canyon Creek Capital, and I wanted to try something different. So, with the last funds out of my fund, I started Miso Robotics. What is Miso Robotics? Coli, they become Chipotle.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 20, 2016

There is a common belief in the angel and venture capital community that you put your money on the best team, rather than the best idea. Thus the top priority of every entrepreneur who wants funding should be to build and highlight their “dream team” of co-founders, executives and advisers, to attract the biggest and best investors.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 16, 2016

Whether you are talking to peers, competitors or investors, you as an active entrepreneur will be judged on your familiarity with today’s startup and funding jargon. Super-angel investors (micro-VCs). Ron Conway , of SV Angels, and Reid Hoffman , LinkedIn's founder, are names often mentioned in this category. Sweat equity.

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socalTECH

MARCH 10, 2017

For today's interview, we thought we'd catch up with Robert Blatt , the CEO of Los Angeles-based MomentFeed (www.momentfeed.com), which recently announced a $16.3M funding led by Level Equity. That allowed us to bring in a new investor, Level Equity, and we raised a little over $16M in capital to scale the business.

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Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 17, 2016

Direct seed funding, for a share of the equity, and introductions to investors. As well, these companies usually bring real new venture funding opportunities to the startups they sponsor. That’s about the same ratio that Angel investors claim. Mentoring and technical assistance from volunteer or paid experts.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 1, 2016

The lesson of finding help, connections, and even funding where other people may never look is one that makes all the difference in the entrepreneur lifestyle. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 04/20/2016.

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Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Tealium , founded in 2008, has raised close to $113 million since its inception, according to Crunchbase , although that number includes both debt and equity deals. Tealium said its business grew by 60 percent in the first half of 2016, but the company did not disclose specifics about its revenue. “We

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2016

As an angel investor, I’ve learned to believe in this approach, since I have seen great ideas go astray, due to poor execution and I have seen apparently marginal ideas make millions, managed by a savvy entrepreneur. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 05/18/2016. You need both for maximum impact.

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Both Sides of the Table

FEBRUARY 14, 2016

I recently survey more than 150 VC friends from all stages and geographies what they thought about the market by asking “Which of the following statements best describes your mood heading into 2016?” I’ll spare you the math and point out that this means we funded 0.104% of the market. Mostly, no. This is how VCs feel.

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