Hey Startup Investor,

It’s the Research Team. We’re dropping by today to share an interesting startup opportunity that we think you’ll really like. Let’s talk about it…

Startup investing is where the real money is hiding. You know it, we know it, and we’ve been talking about this consistently in the almost two years since our launch.

You’re not going to see these kinds of insane returns by investing in the stock market alone. But in the world of angel investing, it’s completely possible.

The number of unicorns (or, companies with over a $1 billion valuation) is increasing rapidly. Last year, that number hit 500 companies worldwide, a 2X increase from the two years before that.

And while the United States and China are still home to the majority of these companies, the rest of the world is catching up.

In other words, angel investing and venture capital is becoming more global and lucrative than it ever has been. If you play your cards right, one or more of the world’s future unicorns could land right in your portfolio.

But There’s a Massive Problem

The world of venture capital is broken, particularly for female and minority founders who have been underrepresented in the funding ecosystem since its very beginning.

Last year, for example, U.S. startups raised a record $143 billion in venture capital. However, only $3.2 billion of that capital went to sole female founders. That’s a 22% drop from the year before, and represents only around 3% of the total funding raised last year.

Only $1 billion of that record capital went to Black or African American founders… less than 1% of last year’s total funding.

And not to mention, bagging returns on these major unicorn opportunities has – until recently – been reserved for the richest of the rich out in Silicon Valley, New York, or any other tech hub home to the investors who are already wealthy.

We believe that everyday investors should have every opportunity to benefit from startup investments, not just the world’s 1%ers.

At Angels & Entrepreneurs, we’re making serious strides in that direction. It’s only when startup opportunities for everyday investors meet an equitable funding ecosystem for founders that we can fix the system for all.

Meet Expert DOJO:

That’s exactly what piqued our interest in Expert DOJO*, an international early-stage startup accelerator that works with some of the highest potential startup companies in the game. They’re the third most active startup accelerator in the country right now, behind other massive names like TechStars and Y Combinator.

Helping minority and female-founded tech startups succeed is Expert DOJO’s entire game. They write $100,000 checks to each of their portfolio’s startups and help them scale, get traction, and grow faster than they ever thought possible.

Founder Brian Mac Mahon created Expert DOJO in 2016 with the belief that every single person in the world should have an equal opportunity to create a successful business, no matter their gender, color, or privilege.

Minority and female-founded tech companies represent 75% of Expert DOJO’s entire portfolio, and the team has no plans to slow down anytime soon.

Over the last three years, Expert DOJO has raised a $20 million fund and invested in 100 different companies. They plan to make another 80 investments this year, and a whopping 1,000 investments over the next 10 years.

Already, Expert DOJO has invested in businesses like Nigeria-based Klasha and South Africa-based Akiba Digital.

Klasha streamlines borderless payments for commerce in Africa, and was founded by ex-Amazon, Net-a-Porter, and ASOS employees. Akiba Digital is a financial data aggregator that predicts consumer behavior and trends.

Both companies are female-founded.

Brian and the entire Expert DOJO team also want to make investing in these companies as accessible as possible for everyday investors, not just venture capitalists.

Investors will get ownership of Expert DOJO’s shares… But they’ll also get access to specific companies, picked and vetted by the Expert DOJO team, that they can invest in alongside the team with preferential terms.

Why Does This Mission Matter?

The numbers don’t lie. Diversity is essential for success in the startup world, both for a business and its investors.

  1. Diverse founding teams see 30% higher multiples on invested capital (MOIC) than homogenous companies, once that company goes through an exit.
  2. Female-founded startups see 63% higher valuations, on average, than all-male teams.
  3. Founding teams with at least one person of color see 65% higher valuations than all-white teams.

Already, the valuation of Expert DOJO’s past investments has increased by over 300% in the last three years. Over 65% of Expert DOJO’s portfolio companies have raised follow-on capital rounds, and the program has a 95% rating from startups.

How to Access the Campaign

Currently, Expert DOJO is raising capital on Wefunder, with a minimum investment of just $100. We thought it looked like a potentially great opportunity, and we wanted to pass it along to you with some information about what exactly piqued our interest.

You can access the Expert DOJO campaign page by clicking here. It’ll take you right to Wefunder, where you can read even more about what this accelerator does and the impact it’s making for startup companies and their founders across the globe.

And as always, let us know what you think! Drop us a line in the comments below with your thoughts and feedback on the company. We’ll be back soon to dive into a little bit more detail.

Until then,

The Research Team

*Expert DOJO is not an official deal recommendation of the Angels & Entrepreneurs Network.