Startup Professionals Musings

SEPTEMBER 10, 2014

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 103

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 103

TechCrunch LA

SEPTEMBER 13, 2021

Last year at this time, SpotOn was on the brink of announcing a $60 million Series C funding round at a $625 million valuation. Since its 2017 inception, SpotOn has been focused on providing software and payments technology to SMBs with an emphasis on restaurants and retail businesses.

Technical Review 296

Technical Review Software Review Invest Acquisition 296

Startup Professionals Musings

JULY 13, 2022

Acknowledge every customer feedback and review. For those of you who are fearful of a spurious negative review, I recommend that you proactively ask every customer for a positive review, such that any negatives will be lost in a sea of positives. Don’t let that one negative stand out as the only review submitted.

Technical Review 142

Technical Review Social Media Conference Customer 142

Both Sides of the Table

MAY 24, 2018

If you’ve read any of my ongoing series on fund raising from venture capitalist (episode 1?— ?controlling Building models to evaluate the deal and/or reviewing customer files, company financials, business plans, etc. controlling your psychology ) you no doubt have heard me say that raising capital is a sales & marketing process.

Venture Capital 314

Venture Capital Technical Review Invest Slides 314

Startup Professionals Musings

MARCH 27, 2016

Struggling entrepreneurs are often so happy to get a funding offer that they neglect the recommended reverse due diligence on the investors. Taking on equity investors to fund your company is much like getting married – it is a long-term relationship that has to work at all levels. It’s no fun for either side.

Technical Review 63

Technical Review Innocal Offshore Entrepreneur 63

Berkonomics

JUNE 19, 2014

If you seek funds from an organized investment group such as an angel fund, venture capital entity, or even an investment club, the first thing you want to do is to find one person to buy into your vision, become excited by your enthusiasm and be willing to become the internal champion for your fund-raising effort.

Technical Review 207

Technical Review Tech Coast Angels Summary Email 207

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 14, 2011

The Tech Coast Angels announced this morning that it has had a first close on its Angel Capital Entrepreneurial (ACE) Fund 1, the firm's new early-stage investment fund. The fund--which has been in the works since last year--is aimed at making it easier for the TCA to move quickly to invest in companies. fundraising.

Tech Coast Angels 165

Tech Coast Angels Angel Funding Technical Review 165

socalTECH

OCTOBER 22, 2020

What kinds of areas does the fund make investments in? Krisztina Holly: We are an early stage fund, known for our ability to discovery and cultivate very complex science and technology deals. We just launched a third, $100M fund focused on seed to Series A investments in transformative science and technology companies.

Southern California 124

Southern California Capital Technical Review Startup 124

Tech.Co

DECEMBER 29, 2023

As investors continue pouring funding into artificial intelligence and consumer habits shift, many AI and subscription model startups have been enjoying rapid growth. Verifying Looking for regular tech news straight to your inbox? Yet, while many early-stage startups crumbled under the pressure, diamonds also emerged.

Startup 213

Startup Generative AI Newsletter Tool 213

Berkonomics

FEBRUARY 15, 2024

Forming business relationships at the highest level As you follow these insights from ignition to liquidity event, you’ll detect a continuing theme, emphasizing the need for deep and wide relationships that the CEO and senior staff can call upon for advice and guidance.

Class 194

Class Organization Technical Review Activity 194

socalTECH

JULY 21, 2010

Watson , a member of the San Diego Tech Coast Angels , who was found dead in June. The murder charges follow the release of information from the San Diego County Medical Examiner, finding that Watson died of suffocation, due to strangulation. Tags: finance investor angel angels coast tech murder diego.

Tech Coast Angels 145

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel San Diego 145

Tech.Co

MARCH 8, 2018

Fortunately, for those headed to SXSW, Startup Night SXSW 2018 , presented by the Kauffman Foundation and TechCo, will be filled with investors from a multitude of industries who are looking to discover and fund startups building the latest solutions and tech innovations. Lisha Bell, Deal Flow Lead for Pipeline Angels.

Technical Review 70

Technical Review Startup Software Review Entrepreneur 70

TechCrunch LA

MARCH 23, 2021

Indeed, two of the best funded companies in the lab-grown meat market hail from The Netherlands, where Mosa Meat is being challenged by a newer upstart, Meatable , which just announced $47 million in new financing. Meatable has a long road ahead of it, because, as Gates acknowledged in his interview with MIT Technology Review (ed.

Chief Technology Officer 261

Chief Technology Officer Technical Review Software Review Product 261

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 21, 2009

On the third Wednesday of every month I co-chair a meeting called the SoCal VCA (venture capital alliance), which represents participants from all of the top venture capital firms in Southern California as well as prominent members of the Tech Coast Angels (TCA). We feature a prominent speaker at every event.

Venture Capital 241

Venture Capital Technical Review Southern California Company 241

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. Networking events are great starting points. Order all 3 Berkonomics books for $49.95,a

Angel 191

Angel Technical Review Coach Entrepreneur 191

socalTECH

FEBRUARY 3, 2010

We thought today for our interview, that we'd get an update on the angel investment environment here in Southern California from Scott Sangster , the incoming President of the Los Angeles Chapter of the Tech Coast Angels , the biggest angel investment group in Southern California. It was actually a really good year last year.

Tech Coast Angels 182

Tech Coast Angels Technical Review Angel Southern California 182

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 22, 2021

If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait. You need to convince them that you have been working on this vision for a long time, and have done the “due diligence” on all the potential knockoffs. Ask for the minimum rather than the maximum.

Invest 135

Invest Technical Review Startup Ideas 135

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 7, 2019

Due to the overwhelming demand to pitch at our last event in Orange County, we're throwing an exclusive PitchFest speed dating event where you will be pitching to over 20 investors one-on-one! At this OC Event, we will be showcasing some of the newest early-stage venture funds and angel groups in the San Diego area!

Orange County 100

Orange County Venture Capital Angel Tech Coast Angels 100

socalTECH

DECEMBER 27, 2012

For the last week of the year, we're featuring the thoughts and reflections of some of the movers and shakers of Southern California's high tech community. We asked the same four questions of a variety of top technology entrepreneurs, investors, and others, to hear what they're thinking about, and are sharing it here over the next week.

Dollar Shave Club 272

Dollar Shave Club Technical Review Santa Monica Southern California 272

Startup Professionals Musings

AUGUST 7, 2020

In my experience, even in startups, longer-term strategy often gets pushed off the agenda due to current challenges. Overtly connect every operational problem to your strategy, rather than putting strategy on a different plane and making it only an annual event. Don’t make growth a big-bang event.

Technical Review 124

Technical Review Layoffs Social Media Metrics 124

Both Sides of the Table

NOVEMBER 5, 2014

The press around the raise & company was fantastic and the promise of their technology – wireless charging that works as easily as WiFi – would positively affect many of our lives. uBeam’s tech does work and I have safely seen it demo’d in the real life many times. Now they are partners.

Technical Review 417

Technical Review Startup Software Review Course 417

InfoChachkie

AUGUST 29, 2011

The Three Enthralling Factors Of Venture Funding. Naval Ravikant, Co-Founder of AngelList and Venture Hacks, details a variety of factors that influence your chances of raising venture funding in this informative interview. This concentration is partly due to natural causes – successful startups spawn other successful startups.

Venture Capital 233

Venture Capital Capital Funding Technical Review 233

socalTECH

JANUARY 2, 2019

During the holiday season, our tradition over the last few years has been to post reflections on the past year and some predictions from Southern California's technology industry. Are there any technology innovations, gadgets, devices, software, that you found most interesting in 2018? I remain VERY bullish on SoCal's tech community.

Capital 113

Capital Southern California Technical Review SaaS 113

SoCal Tech Calendar

DECEMBER 3, 2018

Speaker: Ben Kuo, editor and founder, socalTECH.com We are excited to invite back Benjamin Kuo, editor and founder of socalTECH.com, for another year in review. He will talk about some of the noteworthy funding deals, acquisitions, exits and trends of 2018, and talk about what might be in store for the future.

Thousand Oaks 100

Thousand Oaks Startup Acquisition Funding 100

Startup Professionals Musings

FEBRUARY 25, 2023

Here are three important reasons for the question: Good investment paybacks normally require an exit event. These events may take three to five years at a minimum. Of course, if you are able to bootstrap your startup, and don’t anticipate the need for outside investors, you can technically ignore the first two points.

Technical Review 105

Technical Review Equity Invest Startup 105

Startup Professionals Musings

APRIL 19, 2014

If you set around quietly waiting for someone you know to offer you money to fund a startup, you will probably have a long wait. You need to convince them that you have been working on this vision for a long time, and have done the “due diligence” on all the potential knockoffs. Ask for the minimum rather than the maximum.

Startup 106

Startup Funding Technical Review Ideas 106

Both Sides of the Table

AUGUST 14, 2009

Very few people fund individuals. I know you’re not a tech guy and haven’t done anything other than an HTML course you once took, but if you’re inspirational and a leader you’ll find somebody to moonlight for free to get your prototype built. It is also the best thing to send in advance see here.

Angel 291

Angel Funding Venture Capital Startup 291

SoCal Tech Calendar

SEPTEMBER 27, 2009

Tom O'Toole and Brandon Villery will cover issues on licensing, due diligence, NDA, different types of IP (trade secret, patent, trademark, copyright), etc. 123signup.com/event?id=jmphg. They will emphasize IP licensing and IP licensing issues of importance to entrepreneurs. See https://www.123signup.com/event?id=jmphg.

San Fernando 100

San Fernando Technical Review IP Southern California 100

Both Sides of the Table

OCTOBER 26, 2020

I’ve become fond of saying “if I had a dollar for every person who told me just how much they loooooved Kara Nortman, I’d have a 10x fund.” Our industry needs more female leaders and they shouldn’t have to all quit their respective firms and raise their own funds to get a shot at running things. And all the platform stuff. I’m only 52!

Venture Capital 361

Venture Capital Startup Invest CitySearch 361

Startup Professionals Musings

OCTOBER 19, 2013

“Scope creep” (or feature creep) is an insidious disease that kills more good startups than any other, especially high-tech ones, and yet most founders (who may be the cause) never even see it happening. Final features approval event. Define milestones for cost review and sign-off. Implement and enforce a change process.

Technical Review 110

Technical Review Startup Software Review High Tech 110

Both Sides of the Table

MARCH 18, 2010

Applications are due April 6th, 2010, the form is on the website and the Twitter address is @launchpadlad. Encourage the most successful LA tech entrepreneurs who had previously started companies to get involved as mentors, instructors or just informal advisors. We will be selecting 10 startup companies to participate. We connected.

Technical Review 259

Technical Review Venture Capital Southern California Tech Coast Angels 259

Tech.Co

MAY 25, 2018

If you’re an early-stage entrepreneur, technology has served you well. Still though, when founders are seeking funding, “ 75 percent of the venture capital goes to three states: Massachusetts, New York, and California,” said Steve Case in an interview with Recode. The Case Foundation (Washington, DC).

Startup 141

Startup Technical Review Competition Software Review 141

socalTECH

DECEMBER 28, 2012

For the last week of the year, we're featuring the thoughts and reflections of some of the movers and shakers of Southern California's high tech community. We asked the same four questions of a variety of top technology entrepreneurs, investors, and others, to hear what they're thinking about, and are sharing it here over the next week.

Southern California 215

Southern California Technical Review High Tech Venice 215

SoCal Tech Calendar

JUNE 5, 2019

Due to the overwhelming demand to pitch at our last event in San Diego, we're throwing an exclusive PitchFest speed dating event where you will be pitching to over 20 investors one-on-one! At this San Diego Event, we will be showcasing some of the newest early-stage venture funds and angel groups in the San Diego area!

San Diego 100

San Diego Venture Capital Angel Summary 100

Tech Zulu Event

JULY 8, 2011

For those who still might be wondering what Spotlight: LA Tech is all about, It’s a screening room for new technology homegrown in our region. It’s a gathering of friends and tech enthusiasts of all stripes. This Spotlight takes place Thursday, July 14, at The California Institute of Technology (CalTech). Event Details.

CalTech 100

CalTech Technical Review Company Companies 100

Startup Professionals Musings

MAY 25, 2020

Here are three important reasons for the question: Good investment paybacks normally require an exit event. These events may take three to five years at a minimum. Of course, if you are able to bootstrap your startup, and don’t anticipate the need for outside investors, you can technically ignore the first two points.

Startup 150

Startup Technical Review Equity Statistics 150

socalTECH

AUGUST 28, 2017

Looking for someone who can put together that perfect wedding or corporate event? PartySlate (www.partyslate.com)--which is backed by a slate of LA area investors--offers up a place to browse photos on events, find venues, and most importantly, planners who put those events on, so your next big event can be an unforgettable one.

Technical Advisors 100

Technical Advisors Technical Review Metrics Startup 100