Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 1, 2022

Every entrepreneur I know is dismayed by the number of friends who approach them with a line such as “I have an even better idea that will change the world, and one of these days I’m going to get around to starting my own business.” Focus” is the key to success as an entrepreneur. There must be something deeper that slows people down.

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Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Knowledge Base 153

SoCal Tech Calendar

SEPTEMBER 21, 2017

Tuesday, September 26, 2017 -- How To Get Your Startup Funded - Tips From Entrepreneur and Renowed Angel Investor Jason Calacanis. But most of Jason's money has been made by angel investing. Jason Calacanis founded Silicon Alley Reporter, Weblogs Inc, Mahalo, and Inside.com. See [link].

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Tips Mahalo Angel Entrepreneur 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 27, 2023

Most aspiring entrepreneurs look to their alma mater, or any university, as a source of classes that can help them, but neglect to think outside the box or take advantage of all the other resources to be found there. Get help with grant funding and incubator resources. Access to entrepreneurs-in-residence, business mentors.

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Entrepreneur Class Startup Resource 110

socalTECH

JULY 27, 2016

The The Stage Fund , a investment and acquisition firm focused on acquiring turnaround companies, has tapped a longtime Southern California entrepreneur, Dan Tamkin , as a new Managing Partner in Los Angeles. According to the fund, Tamkin will be setting up a West Coast office for the fund, which is based in Denver, Colorado.

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Los Angeles Chief Technology Officer Funding Angel 100

socalTECH

SEPTEMBER 10, 2020

A new, climate-focused investment fund--the VertueLab Climate Impact Fund --said it launched yesterday afternoon, fueled by a donation from a couple of Los Angeles area philanthropists. VertueLab said its new new fund allows participation by foundations, donor-advised funds, individuals and corporations.

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Funding Ventura Los Angeles Entrepreneur 124

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 11, 2022

New entrepreneurs are always looking for a shortcut in getting their venture story and plan across to investors, and closing on the funding they need. As a former angel investor, I look for this level of alignment and understanding in every funding presentation I hear. No startup or entrepreneur is an island.

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Funding Activity Customer Custom 133

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 5, 2023

According to most definitions, an entrepreneur is one who envisions a new and different business, meaning one that is not a copy of an existing business model. Many entrepreneurs have a passion and an idea, or even invent a new product, but are never able to execute to the point of creating a startup. Funding and rollout stage.

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Entrepreneur Startup Ideas Satisfaction 108

socalTECH

JULY 30, 2018

Galvanize, which is based out of denver but has locations in Austin, Boulder, Denver, New York, Phoenix, San Francisco, and Seattle, said the acquisition and funding will add Los Angeles to its "innovation hubs" technology students, alumni, entrepreneurs, startups and established companies. READ MORE>>.

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Los Angeles Angel Software Engineering Activity 100

Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 16, 2023

The rate of new entrepreneurs increased between 2013 and 2021, from 280 to 360 out of 100,000 of the adult population. Of course, that’s both the good news and the bad news for aspiring entrepreneurs, since it means more competition, and the business landscape is changing faster than ever.

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TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 23, 2020

Leonardo DiCaprio is making a significant commitment to the Los Angeles-based investment firm, Struck Capital , as part of the actor’s commitment to building LA into a tech development powerhouse. DiCaprio is also investor in the Los Angeles-based ethically and sustainably focused financial services firm, Aspiration.

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Capital Funding Los Angeles Invest 188

Startup Professionals Musings

NOVEMBER 26, 2022

One of the myths I often hear as an advisor to many entrepreneurs is that their lifestyle would somehow be better if they could more easily find other people’s money to build their startup. Most entrepreneurs never forget for a moment that having investors means owing money, even if they can legally argue that equity is not debt.

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Funding Startup Satisfaction Venture Capital 107

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 9, 2014

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). I just don’t see it happening any time soon. billion collected in 2012.

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Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 16, 2017

Entrepreneurs who require funding for their startup have long counted on self-accredited high net worth individuals (“angels”) to fill their needs, after friends and family, and before they qualify for institutional investments (“VCs”). Rose, according to his latest book, “ Angel Investing.” Neither does David S.

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Startup Angel Funding .Net 76

socalTECH

AUGUST 23, 2017

LA's technology startup industry has saw a surge in new companies and efforts from its serial entrepreneurs in the last few months. Here's a quick look at just a few of the new companies who are led by serial entrepreneurs from the LA ecosystem. Funding status: Backing from CAA. Ground Control. AppOnboard. READ MORE>>.

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Entrepreneur Company Companies Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 29, 2020

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” If you have the urge to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to think seriously about each of these, before you zero-in on one or two, and get totally discouraged if those don’t work for you.

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Funding Startup Equity Examples 174

TechCrunch LA

AUGUST 16, 2020

Over their longtime personal and professional relationship, the two Los Angeles-based serial entrepreneurs have invested in each other’s companies and investment firms, but never worked together until now. The plan, even at the time, was always to raise a larger fund. “I see two things happen.

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TechCrunch LA

NOVEMBER 1, 2019

Software development companies tackling services for niche industries, like commercial real estate subcontracting, continue to find Los Angeles to be fertile ground for development. The latest company to raise funding from a clutch of investors is BuildOps , which raised $5.8 Co-founded by former ServiceTitan devel.

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socalTECH

JANUARY 5, 2012

The San Diego chapter of the Tech Coast Angels , the largest angel investment group in Southern California, as well as the United States, said today that it has established a new, memorial fund, the John G. Watson Foundation , which will support entrepreneurism in the San Diego region. He also served at Vestar Inc.

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Tech Coast Angels San Diego Angel Funding 159

socalTECH

MARCH 16, 2017

Are you an entrepreneur, looking for capital here in Southern California? It's turning out to be a great time for entrepreneurs looking for funding in the region, with not only high profile exits of such companies as Snap Inc., but a bunch of new, early stage investors looking to seed or fund the next big tech success story.

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Southern California Artificial Inteligence Funding SoCal 138

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2018

Los Angeles-based Moonshots Capital , the venture capital investment firm led by Kelly Perdew and Craig Cummings, has raised its first official fund, a $19M seed stage venture fund. Moonshots said the new fund will focus on seed stage deals, holding reserve capital for follow-on pro rata. READ MORE>>.

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Artificial Inteligence Capital Funding Social Media 133

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 22, 2020

As a long-time advisor to entrepreneurs, and a former angel myself, I still find startups confused about the definition of an angel investor, and how and when to attract one. Here are some key points to consider in finding one for you: Look for accredited angels and groups rather than individuals.

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Angel Invest Ideas Entrepreneur 129

socalTECH

OCTOBER 11, 2018

This morning, Moonshots Capital (www.moonshotscapital.com), led by Kelly Perdew and Craig Cummings , announced its first formal fund, a $19M seed stage fund. Kelly Perdew: I think you know that, since 2004, I have been an angel in LA. I'm in Los Angeles, and Craig is in Austin. Tell us about this new announcement?

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Capital Funding Startup Venture Capital 164

socalTECH

JUNE 29, 2017

We've summarized the funds that have announced new funds in the last nine months or so, or that are in the midst of raising funds--a total of more than $1086 million in total funds. List ordered by fund size). Fund size: $230M fund. Fund size: $100M fund. Fund size: $100M fund.

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Southern California Venture Capital Artificial Inteligence Capital 178

socalTECH

AUGUST 13, 2014

Los Angeles-based venture capital investor TenOneTen Ventures , which is run by David Waxman and Gil Elbaz, is looking to raise a $25M fund, according to a regulatory filing from the company this week. tenoneten tenone venture capital ventures funding applied semantics factual google firefly burner vurb nearwoo' READ MORE>>.

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Funding Venture Capital Google Los Angeles 164

Both Sides of the Table

JUNE 27, 2013

I am super excited to announce that today is a day of lots of new things for my partners & me: A new fund, a new office and a new brand. Let’s start with the fund. We have previously raised funds in 1996 ($200 million), 2000 ($400 million) and 2008/9 ($200 million). This month we closed our 4th fund of $200 million.

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Funding Santa Monica Venture Capital Startup 343

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 8, 2023

Most entrepreneurs have found by now one or more of the many popular crowdfunding sites , and have the name and contact information for at least one of the big venture capital firms. But many have no insight or connections to the ethereal angel investment community, which In the U.S. Angels prefer strong teams to big ideas.

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Venture Capital Angel Seed Funding Invest 106

Startup Professionals Musings

JUNE 26, 2013

I see now emerging a new wave of investors, popularly known as “super-Angels,” micro-VCs, or “super-seed” investors. Every early-stage startup should explore this new funding alternative. Due to the struggling economy as well, traditional individual Angel investors haven’t been able to fill the gap.

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Angel Entrepreneur Venture Capital Startup 92

socalTECH

AUGUST 2, 2018

The Los Angeles Dodgers , along with Elysian Park Ventures , the private investment firm created by the ownership group behind the Los Angeles Dodgers specifically for investments in entrepreneurs in the areas of sports, technology, and entertainment, have launched and funded a new venture called E|L1.

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Los Angeles Redondo Beach Angel Coach 113

TechCrunch LA

DECEMBER 19, 2018

million in seed funding to begin building a manufacturing facility and expand its presence in Los Angeles as the city continues to grow as a hub for robotics and automation. . Barnehama was tight-lipped about the specifics of the technology that Elementary is using for its robotic stack. Elementary Robotics has raised $3.6

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Los Angeles Angel Artificial Inteligence CalTech 207

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 14, 2014

The problem is that professional investors (Angels and Venture Capital) want a proven business model before they invest, ready to scale, rather than the more risky research and development efforts. Self-funding or bootstrapping is still the most common and safest approach for startups Keep your day job until revenue starts to flow.

Entrepreneur 113

Entrepreneur Funding Startup Technical Review 113

Startup Professionals Musings

DECEMBER 6, 2014

As a startup mentor, I’m always amazed that some entrepreneurs seem to be an immediate hit with investors, while others struggle to get any attention at all. Finally I realized that Venture Capital and Angel investors are actually humans, despite some views to the contrary. Exudes integrity, humility, and stability.

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Entrepreneur Angel Social Media Patents 107

Berkonomics

JUNE 26, 2014

Angel investors, particularly those in organized angel groups, are typically former entrepreneurs who have had successful liquidity events in their pasts, or executives of companies who’ve retired with the funds from their stock options. So how an angel responds to your pitch depends upon his or her background.

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Angel Technical Review Coach Entrepreneur 191

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 8, 2014

” It’s the most common refrain I hear from investors and even entrepreneurs these days. Let me start with the obvious baseline that most people probably know instinctively: Los Angeles is the 3rd largest technology startup ecosystem in the US. “There’s something going on in LA.”

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Entrepreneur Snapchat Startup Google 376

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 12, 2014

One of the most frequent questions I get as a mentor to entrepreneurs is “How do I find the money to start my business?” If you have the urge to be an entrepreneur, I encourage you to think seriously about each of these, before you zero-in on one or two, and get totally discouraged if those don’t work for you.

Startup 113

Startup Entrepreneur Funding Equity 113

Startup Professionals Musings

JANUARY 21, 2023

The average length of a funding pitch to angel investors is ten minutes. Equally bad is a full tutorial on your new disruptive technology. Investors are more interested in your solution and your business, rather than your technology. Some entrepreneurs seem to think that their product pitch is also their investor pitch.

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Slides Funding Technical Review Startup 147

Both Sides of the Table

SEPTEMBER 10, 2021

The world around us is being disrupted by the acceleration of technology into more industries and more consumer applications. Technology solutions are now used by authoritarians to monitor and control populations, to stymie an individual company’s economic prospects or to foment chaos through demagoguery. What Has Changed in Financing?

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Venture Capital Writing Invest Pricing 471

socalTECH

JUNE 27, 2013

Despite the increase in startup activity in Southern California, local venture capital funds are still few and far between, and a large chunk of the funding here is still from Sand Hill Road. The firm just announced that new fund, and a new name, Upfront Ventures (www.upfront.com). Tell us about the new fund?

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Funding Venture Capital Los Angeles Social Media 196