Kevin is a friend and angel leader in Boise, Idaho. Dr. Learned is a counselor at the Idaho Small Business Development Center at Boise State University where he specializes in counseling with entrepreneurs seeking equity capital. He is a member of the Boise Angel Fund, and is a principal in Loon Creek Capital which assists [...]
Drug development is interesting and important R&D but, unfortunately, very few regions of the world can attract the venture capital necessary for commercialization. Read my June column in the Flathead Beacon (Kalispell, Montana) at http://www.flatheadbeacon.com/articles/article/montana_drug_rd_good_science_but_no_commercialization_funding/23243/
One way to categorize startups is as lifestyle businesses versus growth businesses. Don’t jump to the wrong conclusion. Both are great for the US economy! Lifestyle Companies (build to keep) Lifestyle companies are usually owned and operated by an entrepreneur and his or her family, or a small group of partners. They tend to grow [...]
One entrepreneur has a company which appears to be scalable to a $30 million exit value in 5-8 years and a second entrepreneur’s venture seems to be scalable to $200 million in exit value in the same time frame. Yet, at the pre-revenue stage of development, angel investors price both companies at a pre-money valuation [...]
I was interviewed early this month by Gareth Price of the Warsaw Business Journal about my experiences as an entrepreneur and angel investor, and about what angels look for in fundable deals. See link.
A week or so ago, I posted on a new workshop available for entrepreneurs in Montana – sponsored by Montana State Workforce Investment Board and the Governor’s Office of Economic Development (see Financing Startups – A New Workshop for Entrepreneurs). Here is some additional information on this workshop: Kathy McLane from Glendive participated via two-way [...]
What do angels look for in new investments? Read my recent column: Angel-Fundable Startup Companies in the Flathead Beacon.
I just returned from the 2011 Angel Capital Association Summit in Boston, April 4-6, 2011. It was attended by over 500 angels and associates, including about 60 international angel leaders. It was an excellent meeting – the best yet of the half-dozen or so US ACA angel Summits to date. On Wednesday afternoon, I was [...]
Everyone who understands the capital food chain for entrepreneurs is aware of the huge capital gap that has appeared in the past decade. Very little capital is available in the US for rounds of $1 million to $5 million. Angel investors have for decades funded deals of $200K to $1 million. Until the late ‘90s, VCs [...]
As many of you know, high-growth entrepreneurs seek capital from three generally non-competing sources: Friend & Family, Angel Investors and Venture Capitalists. F&F often invest up to $100K in idea-stage companies (no product, no customers). Angel investors provide funding in amounts ranging from $100K to $1 million to companies with at least a prototype product [...]
