Month: October 2011

Angel Investment News:

• The Number Of All-Female Angel Investment Groups Is Exploding: https://ow.ly/76034
• Indian investors turn to early-stage VC funds for higher returns: https://ow.ly/76Clb. Do you think this is a wise strategy?
• Israel venture funding rose 53% in 3rd quarter: https://ow.ly/77XwV
• Leonardo DiCaprio has joined the growing list of celebrities who are also startup investors: https://ow.ly/78Du9

Business Plans & Pitching:

• Entrepreneur Pitchbook- How To Create An Investor Pitch: https://ow.ly/76fup
• Effective Ways to write a Business Plan: https://ow.ly/77Y2X
• Top 11 Tips for a Great Elevator Pitch: https://ow.ly/76fAQ
• 10 Items That Will Ensure Your Business Plan Is “Not” Considered or Seriously Read by Investors https://ow.ly/78CpN
• Pitching to a venture capitalist or angel investor? Read this first: https://ow.ly/79gYQ
• Use this 10-step guide for pitching perfection to investors: https://ow.ly/7aqfS
• Six things you can say to mess up your investor pitch: https://ow.ly/7bL6h

Fund Raising:

• Resources for Startup Investment Opportunities: https://ow.ly/7aq6o. Can you think of any others?
• City of London Corporation to generate over £10 million a year of angel investment to propel growth of Tech City: https://ow.ly/7aqxb
• €10m fund to target Irish tech start-ups: https://ow.ly/7bFVw
• EU bank to launch €50m social investment fund next year: https://ow.ly/76C00

Marketing & Social Media:

• Businesses with tight advertising budgets should turn to social media to get the word out: https://ow.ly/78BD5. How do you use social media?
• 17 Twitter Marketing Tips From the Pros: https://ow.ly/7arCx. This is a really great article with some top advice
• Social Media — 4 Trends To Watch in 2012: https://ow.ly/7dRzm

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship:

• This infographic highlights some of the reasons start-up companies go down the gutter: https://ow.ly/7bGul
• Skype founder says Ireland a great place for tech startups: https://ow.ly/7cSdO

To stay updated, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network.

Read anything interesting? Feel free to add links to any articles or resources you’d like to share with the angel community.

Source: https://vator.tv/news/2011-10-29-web-start-ups-are-still-given-huge-boots-to-fill

Here’s a roundup of some of the recent seed-stage and angel deals from around the world:  

•           Liftopia, the largest online retailer of lift tickets and mountain resort activities, raises $1.3 million funding led by First Round Capital

•           Gagein, a business information content platform, has raised a second round of angel funding to expand marketing, sales and R&D

•           Pose, a mobile platform for real-time discovery and sharing of fashion, shopping and style, has raised $3 million in Series A financing

•           bLife, the stealth-mode, wellness-related startup headed by Hamet Watt, has raised $1.25M in a seed funding round

•           Zoove, a registry of vanity numbers that lets brands connect with consumers – anytime, anywhere, on any mobile phone, secures $5 million

•           SmarTots, who has developed a mobile apps recommendation & analytics platform specifically for kids aged 2-7, raises $750,000 seed funding

•           Chartboost, which offers a direct-deal advertising marketplace for game app publishers, lands $2 million in its initial round of funding

•           Bar Refaeli’s e-commerce lingerie co Undeez raises $1m from angel investor Yuval Tal, ex 888 Holding CEO Gigi Levy & Fox-Weizel Ltd

•           Brain-in-Hand, who develops technology to help people with impaired executive brain function to live more independently, lands angel funding

•           PlayJam, the world’s leading TV games platform, has closed $5 million Series A financing. Backers included Adobe Ventures & Venture Partners

•           Navigating Cancer, an online resource for patients dealing with cancer, raises $3m financing from Rustic Canyon Partners & an angel investor

•           Ryan McGann, an inventor who has built a portable solar-powered cooler that can refrigerate, has raised an $800,000 angel investment

•           Anderson Aerospace, who design & manufacture advanced technology satellite antenna systems for aircraft, raises $250k funding from JumpStart

To get regular updates, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network.

Have you managed to raise capital for your company?  We always love to hear from entrepreneurs who manage to get funded.

1) “Unfortunately I can’t reveal too many details here as my idea is so simple that anyone could steal it.”  

Problem:  If you don’t give the investors any information, they’re not going to be interested.  In a lot of cases, the idea is nothing and execution is everything.

2) “I want to build a new social media platform that will be like Facebook but with better features and functionality.

Problem:  If you’re taking an existing business model and putting a twist on it, you need to give clear description of what will make you different and (most importantly) better.  We already have Facebook, so you have to convince them why on earth we need yet another social network (or whatever your product / service may be).

3) “All my friends think this is a great idea”

Problem:  Your friends are probably just being polite.  Get out there and get some proper feedback from retailers, distributors or potential customers.

4) “We have no competition”

Problem: Every company has competition, even if it isn’t a direct competitor.

5) “The market for this product is $50 billion a year.  So all we need to do is just get 1% of that market and we are all rich.”

Problem:  Business plans promising to get a small percentage of a large market are lazy and useless.  Yes, 1 percent of $50 billion is $500 million, but it probably won’t happen.

This is lazy and it is impossible to predict what market share you will achieve.

6) “According to my conservative assumptions…”

Problem: I have lost count of how many times I’ve come across the word “conservative” in a business plan or elevator pitch.  Investors know that backing a start-up is a very risky business, and conservative isn’t what they are interested in, nor is it what they expect.

Any other suggestions?  What else could someone else say to make investors run a mile?

Startup companies can be lots of fun, or a lot of pain. Making it big as one of the first employees of a rapidly growing company obviously has its benefits, but there’s never any guarantees when working in a small, newer company. This infographic highlights some of the reasons these companies go down the gutter. I advise anyone thinking about applying to a startup to read this so you can prepare some useful questions in an interview.

I think startups are a great idea for lots of reasons. You get to do what you are truly interested in. You have control over the company’s destiny and how much time and effort is put into its growth. Oftentimes the founders interact with every employee on a regular basis, and this creates a strong sense of family in the workplace. With the expansion of technology and advancement of lifestyle, people have more and more specific needs and markets expand into areas never developed before. Startups are a great way to attack these new areas of lifestyle.

Some of us prefer job security with a long lasting company we trust, so to each his own.

Source: https://dailyinfographic.com/the-startup-gamble-infographic

Angel Investment News:  

• Lei Jun and Dave McClure Share Secrets of Angel Investing: https://ow.ly/6ZmGM
• Bay State now 3rd in angel investing. NY has topped Massachusetts in the venture capital game for the first time ever: https://ow.ly/6Zn9v
• Punjab government sets up venture capital fund for IT sector: https://ow.ly/74kPC
• A great interview with Ron Conway, who has placed more bets on Internet start-ups than anyone else in Silicon Valley: https://ow.ly/74lN0

Business Plans & Pitching:

• Pitching perfection to investors: A 10-step guide: https://ow.ly/71R7W. A really nicely written article.
• According to the Angel Capital Education Foundation, all angel investor business plans should include these 4 elements: https://ow.ly/74moj

Fund Raising:

• The State of Venture Capital and the Internet: https://ow.ly/74kVU
• Infographic – US Startup Funding by the Numbers: https://ow.ly/74luL

Marketing & Social Media:

• 5 Steps To Creating A Social Media Strategy For Your Business: https://ow.ly/6Zmlu. Can you think of any other important strategies?
• 10 Things You Should Include in a Social Media Plan: https://ow.ly/6Zmty
• A Beginner’s 5-Step Solution to Email Marketing Success: https://ow.ly/71VDu
• Social Media for Small Businesses – A Modern Day Essential: https://ow.ly/6ZmUc. What does your business use social media for?
• How Top Brands Measure Social Media Success: https://ow.ly/72y3c.

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship:

• Steve Jobs and the 7 Rules of Success: https://ow.ly/70yd8
• Top 10 coolest offices in the world: https://ow.ly/74l3J
• 9 Twitter Accounts Every Startup Investor Should Follow: https://ow.ly/74ld2.

To stay updated, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network.

Read anything interesting? Feel free to add links to any articles or resources you’d like to share with the angel community.

Here’s a roundup of some of the recent seed-stage and angel deals from around the world:  

• Onepager, a simple website building tool, lands $350k seed funding. Angel investors Daniel Eskapa & Mark Birch have invested in the startup
• Snapette, a mobile fashion app, raises $1.3M in seed funding from several unnamed VC firms and angel investors
• Crashlytics, a startup which provides a crash reporting solution for mobile developers, has raised $1m in funding from VCs & angel investors
• Mobile software startup Maide raised seed funding from Extreme Venture Partners and the Ted Livingston funded Velocity Venture Fund
• Pinkdingo, a young startup looking to breathe new life into the charity space, has raised $1.4 million in seed funding from a host of angels
• Capricorn Gifting Solutions, a corporate gifts and promotional products company, lands seed funding from Seeders Venture Capital
• Tagstand raises a $1.1 million funding round that includes many notable angel investors to help take Near Field Communication mainstream
• Carmine, a subscription service for users looking to discover and test cosmetic products, lands Series A funding from Accel Partners
• Ginger.io, which turns mobile phone data into health insights, raises $1.7m financing from venture capital firms and angel investors
• Ordr.in, which brings the power of food to any app, service or website that wants to integrate it, raises seed funding from Google Ventures
• WebEngage, a company that offers online feedback and survey tools to websites, has raised seed funding from the Indian Angel Network
• Enflick, a developer and provider of mobile services, has closed a seed round of financing led by Freestyle Capital Fund
• GroSocial, which provides powerful social media marketing tools that are easy to use, closes $450,000 seed funding led by Kickstart Seed Fund
• Chesson Labs, which sells a synthetic skin product called Nuvaderm, has raised $1.5 million from angel investors
• OwnLocal, who provide software to help newspapers increase advertising revenue, nabs funding from Automattic, 500 Startups & angel investors
• HipWay Ltd., an innovator within the Russian online travel industry, lands $2 million funding from angel investors

To get regular updates, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network.

Have you managed to raise capital for your company?  We always love to hear from entrepreneurs who manage to get funded.

In many cases, money is a key fertilizer for startup growth. Many startups, and many more small businesses, fund themselves through traditional bank loans. Others exchange portions of their companies for an influx of cash.

This type of startup funding, known for its high-risk, high-reward nature, is an interesting game to keep track of — and there are entire publications dedicated solely to doing just that. But it can also be hard for outsiders to put it into perspective or understand the insider jargon. The infographic below takes a broad look at the numbers and lingo behind startup funding.

Source: https://mashable.com/

Angel Investment Network’s Weekly Twitter Roundup: News, Business Plans, Pitching, Fund Raising, Social Media, Entrepreneurship.  

Angel Investment News:

• Cleantech Investments Grow 12 Percent in Q3, U.S. Leads the World: https://ow.ly/6SfIc
• PepsiCo Invests in 10 European Startups that will make up PepsiCo10 – a programme to support emerging tech companies: https://ow.ly/6UMNO
• Angel investing up in 2011, narrowing startup financing gap: https://ow.ly/6UNYx
• Tech startups blossoming in Singapore, but lack of funding a major obstacle: https://ow.ly/6Wz0u
• Venture capital on pace for biggest year since dot-com era: https://ow.ly/6X97i
• Business Insider: The Complete 2011 Silicon Alley 100 List: Ranked! https://ow.ly/6X9t4

Business Plans & Pitching:

• A Business Plan for Angel Investors: https://ow.ly/6TyEC
• 4 Questions To Ask When Creating Your Business Plan Outline: https://ow.ly/6UNGo
• 7 Steps for Writing a Powerful Elevator Pitch: https://ow.ly/6X94m

Fund Raising:

• Use these 10 metrics to estimate your start-up’s funding value: https://ow.ly/6VSE9
• What things should an entrepreneur have noted, ready to present an investment opportunity to an Angel Investor? https://ow.ly/6VSML

Marketing & Social Media:

• Get Optimized & Start Engaging: Essential Social Media Marketing Tips: https://ow.ly/6UNtx
• Marketing chiefs feel overwhelmed by the growing volume of customer data on websites like Facebook and Twitter: https://ow.ly/6UNzq
• Best Social Media Metrics: Conversation, Amplification, Applause, Economic Value: https://ow.ly/6VTkq
• Five Questions Your Business Plan Must Answer: https://ow.ly/6VTte
• 5 Thought Provoking TED Videos About Social Media: https://ow.ly/6WAcH
• Brafton’s infographic explores how content is key to SEO and search engine visibility: https://ow.ly/6WB7B

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship:

• Richard Branson Interview about How to Succeed as an Entrepreneur: https://ow.ly/6SfSr
• Why Steve Jobs was an inspiration for entrepreneurs: https://ow.ly/6Sg36
• 235 Young Entrepreneurs to Follow on Twitter: https://ow.ly/6T6d2

To stay updated, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network.

Read anything interesting? Feel free to add links to any articles or resources you’d like to share with the angel community.

 

Here’s a roundup of some of the recent seed-stage and angel deals from around the world:  

• GetApp.com, a business software search engine which lists software applications, has secured $1.1m Series A funding from Nauta Capital
• e-Go aeroplanes has landed investment from business angels and Martlet that will take its radical single seat aircraft through to production
• HiGear, a peer-to-peer car sharing startup focusing on luxury & sports cars, has raised $1.3m seed funding from venture and angel investors
• CorTec, developer of a neurotechnological platform for measuring and stimulating of brain activity, has raised €2.4m in seed funding
• Spree Commerce, the open source, Ruby on Rails-based eCommerce solution, has raised $1.5 million in seed funding led by True Ventures
• Pricetector, the creators of a new social loyalty platform for retailers, has received $2 million seed funding from Dr. Michael Burry
• Fotobabble, a simple photo sharing platform that adds your voice to your snapshots, has sealed $575,000 in financing
• Finnish start-up Intoloop, developer of an online child journal, raises $600,00 investment from angel investors & venture capitalists
• Kiwi Crate has raised $2m funding for a service that delivers hands-on crafts and activities for pre-school and kindergarten age children
• Stickery, a mobile learning game platform for children, lands $500,000 seed funding from Google Ventures, 500 Startups & strategic investors
• GENWI, the leader in cloud publishing platforms for Tablets & SmartPhones, lands $4 million Series A funding led by Nexus Venture Partners
• Intelen, the leading Greek start-up in Web 2.0 smart grid applications, has closed a Seed Round of $250,000 from Greek Angel Investors
• AwayFind, the email productivity app that alerts users when they receive important messages, raises $800,000 seed funding
• eShakti, an online apparel design firm, lands $3 million from IDG Ventures, an early-stage venture capital firm which invests in tech companies
• Udemy, “the Academy of you”, has raised $3m Series A financing led by Lightbank, the tech investment fund started by Groupon’s co-founders

To get regular updates, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network.

Have you managed to raise capital for your company?  We always love to hear from entrepreneurs who manage to get funded.

 

Angel Investment News 

• Dublin’s Size Helps Tech Community Thrive: https://ow.ly/6O1tc
• The 2011 Digital 100, Revised: The World’s Most Valuable Startups: https://ow.ly/6O1Zi
• Australian start-up incubator Pollenizer is about to close a $1.2m investment round that it will use to back ventures: https://ow.ly/6P5kV
• Expats find Singapore the best country for startups according to a NatWest study: https://ow.ly/6QLbu

Business Plans & Pitching

• Why I don’t sign NDAs (usually) – A great article by Aristos Peters: https://ow.ly/6Nb6b.
• Entrepreneurship 101: Developing an executive summary and business plan: https://ow.ly/6M96q

Fund Raising

• Landing angel investment: 5 tips from those who’ve done it: https://ow.ly/6LvgS
• Are You Venture Capital Fundable? 5 business traits that make it difficult to get funded: https://ow.ly/6NWXx
• Entrepreneurs’ often wait until it is too late to raise capital. Here are five reasons to pursue investors now. https://ow.ly/6O0zY
• 5 Tips to Find the Right Angel Investor: https://ow.ly/6O2MR
• An Insider’s Take on Attracting Angel Investment: https://ow.ly/6PCWM.
• Infographic: A Visual Look at Funding — Comparing Equity vs Debt Financing: https://ow.ly/6PDeS

Marketing & Social Media

• Infographic: 5 tips for a more effective social media strategy: https://ow.ly/6LtWw
• 10 PR Tips For Start-ups in Asia: https://ow.ly/6MJRv
• Why Richard Branson Always Makes Time for Social Media: https://ow.ly/6O0TJ

Start-Up & Entrepreneurship

• 5 Startup Tips For Non-Technical Co-Founders: https://ow.ly/6LuEf
• 10 Revealing Signs That You’re Cut Out To Be An Entrepreneur: https://ow.ly/6Lv2a
• 25 tweetable entrepreneur tips from Steve Jobs: https://ow.ly/6QdTB

To stay updated, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network or visit our blog at https://www.angelinvestmentnetwork.net.

Read anything interesting? Feel free to add links to any articles or resources you’d like to share with the angel community.

Here’s a roundup of some of the recent seed-stage and angel deals from around the world:  

• Henry Blodget’s Business Insider, a business site that aggregates, reports & provides analysis of breaking business news, lands $1.3 million
• Idevices, which makes apps and app-connected devices, has brought in $700,000 equity financing round from a trio of investors
• BetterLesson, which let educators find and share the best lesson plans, grabs $1.6 million Series A venture funding from a host of VC firms
• White label mobile handset manufacturer CyCell Ltd has completed a £600,000 funding round led by London Business Angels
• Patchwork – the safeguarding app – has raised a £280,000 start up investment
• RecordSetter, a platform for people to submit unique records and compete against other people’s records, grabs $1 million Series A funding
• ezCater, who offer a fast, reliable way to order food from local caterers, raises $630K seed funding from Spinnaker Trust & angel investors
• Italian grocery store comparison shopping site, Risparmio Super, has raised $550K seed funding co-led by Zernike Meta Ventures and LVenture
• Banyan Branch, a social media agency providing marketing services for the world’s leading brands, lands $1.7m funding from private investors
• SaferTaxi, which allows taxi customers to choose their driver as to feel comfortable and safe no matter their location, $1m Venture Funding
• Touch Bionics, a Scottish prosthetic technology group, is set for a major period of expansion after securing £2.5 million in new investment
• Cloudbot, a startup that pulls social networking feeds onto a single platform, has raised funding from a group of investors led by Lightbank
• Surfingbird, developing a service of search recommendations, has raised $2.5m from French and Russian business angels
• Incentive Targeting, developer of a web-based targeted marketing service, has raised $1.63 million funding from 52 undisclosed investors
• Vtrim, that provides an online weight management program, has raised $650k from Vermont Seed Capital Fund and angel investor Claudia Clark

To get regular updates, come follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/angel__network.

Have you managed to raise capital for your company?  We always love to hear from entrepreneurs who manage to get funded.

Business loans, angel investors and venture capitalists — in many cases, these three entities are determining the success or failure of small businesses across the country.

This graphic takes a deep look at each source of capital, have uncovered how much money is going where, and identified common considerations, compromises and benefits of each. In the end, this gives a good visual look at the state of business financing in today’s economy.

Source: https://www.lendio.com/blog/visual-funding-infographic/