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. In fact, 90% of our investments are either Seed or A-round investments (10% are B-round). We try to recruit investment partners who bring startup operating experience.

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Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 20, 2020

Yet as I mentor entrepreneurs around the country, it still seems to be one of the least understood approaches to startup funding, with more myths than accredited angels and professional venture capital investors combined. Startup equity model. In Europe, other investors can buy equity, with platforms such as Seedrs. In the U.S.,

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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

MARCH 16, 2016

People are even talking about “decacorns" -- investable companies with net worth now exceeding $10 billion -- like Dropbox and Pinterest. Seed-round investment. This term refers to an initial venture-capital investment, often wrongly sought to seed early product development. Super-angel investors (micro-VCs).

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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. You don’t have to fight for your equity, and no one can slow you down in decision making.

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Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 21, 2016

At any rate, here is my own list of red flags, from my years of experience advising and investing in aspiring entrepreneurs, which cause me to lose interest and start looking for a way out the door: Omit the facts on key management team experience and skills. The average valuation for Angel investments is about $2.5

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Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2016

Most entrepreneurs I know are so passionate about their new idea that they are surprised when family and friends don’t line up to invest in their new venture. 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.

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socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 29, 2020

Los Angeles-based Kharon , a research and data analytics company focused on global security threats, says it has received a strategic investment from Barclays. The size of that investment was not announced. The company says that Equity Group Investments (EGI), founded by Sam Zell, has been an investor in Kharon since 2016.

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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. In my angel investor mode, I often find myself flipping to the “management” section of a business plan, even before I read the solution description and opportunity. Able to communicate on every level.

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Xconomy

SEPTEMBER 26, 2016

Georgian Partners and Bain Capital Ventures, the investment firms that anchored Tealium’s $30.7 Georgian Partners and Bain Capital Ventures, the investment firms that anchored Tealium’s $30.7 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

JUNE 8, 2016

Maintaining your team’s passion and freedom to focus first on innovating for customers are only a couple of the reasons for thinking hard before you seek money from crowdfunding, angel investors, venture capital organizations, or attempt to qualify for a public stock offering. Marty Zwilling First published on Forbes on 06/01/2016.

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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

MAY 1, 2016

Every startup needs to start their funding search looking for grants, with no equity dilution, as well as contests and foundations. These often lead to angel investors and venture capital investments later, or connections to local company venture funds for selected focus and technology areas.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 2, 2016

Unfortunately, as a startup advisor and angel investor, I’ve seen too many ventures with great potential get destroyed or set back by legal and other shortcuts that should never have been allowed to happen. Give away more equity than required to drive the business. Marty Zwilling First published on Entrepreneur.com on 04/22/2016.

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Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 27, 2016

There is an old saying in the startup investor community, “Smart investors invest in the team, not the idea.” 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.

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Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2017

Investing in entrepreneurs and startups is a fun but different world from investing in conventional stocks, bonds, and commodities. First of all, it’s more of an investment in people than in a business, since the startup is usually an idea barely half-baked when they need your money. Join an existing angel investor group.

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socalTECH

MARCH 4, 2021

I had been seed investing and incubating businesses, and was sitting with a friend of mine, John Miller, who ran Caliburger, which is a 35 location burger chain, which is exporting the California lifestyle, much like In-N-Out does. There are now over 8,000 investors to date who have invested $1000 to $2000 each. What is Miso Robotics?

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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?” We write about $40 million of first-checks into new deals / year and about $40 million of follow-on investments.

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