• The Startup Investor | January 5, 2022

    The Govt’s $1.2 Trillion Push: Which Startups Stand to Win

    On November 15, 2021, President Biden signed a $1.2 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill into law.

    This historic flood of capital will go towards rebuilding America's roads, bridges, and railways... Expanding access to clean drinking water... Giving more Americans access to high-speed internet... and tackling the environmental crisis head-on.

    These are some of the biggest and most challenging problems the U.S. faces. And whenever there's a big problem to be solved, there's a massive opportunity for startups with innovative ideas to explode in value.


  • The Startup Investor | January 4, 2022

    Where Is Crypto Headed in 2022?

    I think we can all agree that we're ready to put 2021 behind us - but after a record year leading the pack, blockchain and crypto startups are already charging ahead into 2022. We're on the cusp of mass adoption like we've never seen before. Here's what's in store for the new year... and exactly where you need to look for the best opportunities to profit.

  • The Startup Investor | December 30, 2021

    Is Your Environment Toxic? This Startup Answers that Question

    At this year's Angels & Entrepreneurs Retreat, we got to hear LIVE pitches from 10 never-before-seen startups... including Q+A sessions with our expert panelists. We're sending you one pitch a week - so take your front-row seat and check out your first company here.

  • The Startup Investor | December 29, 2021

    Here’s How We’ll Avoid 2022’s Biggest Investing Pitfalls

    It's been a great two years to be an investor, with VC funding, crowdfunding, IPOs and public stocks all hitting record highs.

    But the last few months have started to cool off the markets, thanks to the Federal Reserve's decision to raise interest rates (among other factors).

    We're heading into a year that will probably be a little tougher for investors than 2021 or 2020 were.


  • The Startup Investor | December 26, 2021

    Meet the Startups that Pitched at the A&E Retreat

    Brian Mitchell here - Director of Deal Flow at Angels & Entrepreneurs.

    Earlier this month, we hosted our second annual Angels & Entrepreneurs Retreat in sunny Austin, Texas.

    It was easily the highlight of our year... between our incredible lineup of speakers, the chance to mingle with dozens of founders from all kinds of exciting industries, and finally getting to meet so many of you in person.


  • The Startup Investor | December 21, 2021

    3 Explosive Growth Zones in 2022

    Hope you're enjoying your holidays! It's been a huge year for crowdfunding and the industry continues to grow rapidly. Some of the companies I helped start, like Graze, Miso Robotics, and Piestro have all raised millions in dollars by crowdfunding.

    I remember when I first started crowdfunding in 2019, I wondered if there would be enough angel investors out there to raise even $1 million for each of these companies. Today I have the opposite problem - there is so much demand!

    Crowdfunding is a lot bigger and growing a lot faster than I thought back then. Excitingly, we're just at the beginning. While 2021 was a great year for the industry, I think 2022 will be even better.


  • The Startup Investor | December 7, 2021

    Red Flag, Green Flag: 3 Key Things to Look for in a Pitch Deck

    Buck Jordan here, and I'm going to talk to you about the good, the bad and the ugly of pitch decks. I've been an investor for a long time, and I've reviewed thousands of pitch decks over the years of all types, styles, and length. In that time, I've learned what makes a great pitch deck, what makes a good one and what makes a bad one.

    Pitch decks are critical tools for startups because they let them tell their story in a condensed format (15-20 slides). Most often, startups use these pitch decks to raise capital from investors to grow their business. As an angel investor, you're going to be reviewing a lot of pitch decks moving forward as we keep sharing opportunities with you through Angels & Entrepreneurs and more.

    Here are the top traits I look for in a pitch deck that I think you should keep in mind next time you look at one.


  • The Startup Investor | November 30, 2021

    It’s Official: One of Our Recommended Startups Just Went Public

    Neil here. As you've probably heard by now, we're celebrating something big at the Angels & Entrepreneurs Network: our model portfolio just had its first IPO!

    It's been almost a year since I first sat down with the founding team of Winc - the data-driven winery that uses more than 5 million customer ratings to create new wines.

    And when the Research Team recommended it to our readers, it landed at a post-money valuation of $182.5 million.


  • The Startup Investor | November 26, 2021

    The Top 3 Things VCs ALWAYS Look For

    Buck Jordan here.

    When I first got out of the military, I launched a venture fund called Canyon Creek Capital.

    I was still pretty green, but I trusted my instincts. And luckily, a handful of investors did too.


  • The Startup Investor | November 23, 2021

    Which Startups will end The Great Resignation?

    Neil here.

    Right now, we're living through one of the most extreme workforce shortages in recent history.

    The "Great Resignation" drove 4.4 million Americans to quit their jobs in September alone.