Equity Crowdfunding

Make turn at next exit: a roadmap for startup investing

Make turn at next exit: a roadmap for startup investing

Aug 27, 2013 | , ,

Angel investors as a whole have done exceptionally well lately.  A recent study by Prof. Robert Wiltbank that made noise in the angel scene claims that angel investors make 2.5x their investment in just 3.5 years when diversifying properly – which, if you think about it, is a ridiculous nearly 30% year over year return and more than double the returns of the S&P 500 over that same timeframe. How do angels make money? Angel investors make money when a startup they invested in exits, but what exactly qualifies as an exit? From an investor’s perspective, an exit is an event where the investor realizes gains or losses from original investment through a liquidation event, public offering, or a merger.  Sometimes exits are highly profitable events where investors receive a 20 or 30 times return on investment– in the VC/investing world these are called home-runs.  However, more often than not, returns from individual startup exits are more modest, or negative, and as such don’t receive press attention.  Finally, there are also those exits that startups are notoriously famous for producing and every investor should...

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[webinar] The 1st rule of startup investing: How investors lower risk and boost returns when investing in startups

[webinar] The 1st rule of startup investing: How investors lower risk and boost returns when investing in startups

Aug 21, 2013 | , , , , ,

OurCrowd Bootcamp is series of in-depth webinars is intended to give investors new to startup investing — as well as seasoned angel investors — a look into best practices.   Yesterday, we held the 2nd installment of the OurCrowd Bootcamp series on the importance of taking a portfolio approach to angel investing. Picking a startup to invest in is not easy and involves substantial risk.  In the webinar OurCrowd’s Bootcamp team addressed these issues and discussed how professional angel investors de-risk their investments in order to increase their chances of generating good returns. Additional topics covered in the webinar: What kind of returns you can expect with — and without — diversification  How to build a portfolio of startups Other methods professional investors use to de-risk investing in early stage companies Be on the lookout for more webinars in our bootcamp series (for investors in Israeli startups).  To stay updated on future events and the best news from the Startup Nation, sign up for our newsletter, email us, and follow us on social media. To contact David Stark, follow him on Twitter / Linkedin To contact Zack...

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OurCrowd’s Jon Medved On BBC Radio 4, Discusses Investing In Startups via Crowdfunding

Jul 15, 2013 | , , , ,

On his recent visit to the UK, OurCrowd CEO Jonathan Medved was interviewed on BBC Radio 4’s program “The Bottom Line.” In the episode, Jon and two guest entrepreneurs discuss how much money you need to start a business – and where to get it from. Why do some startups require millions and others just a few hundred pounds? And what are the benefits and pitfalls of finding investors on the web? In addition, they discuss crowdfunding and how investors and startup founders envision it to be the next big thing in venture capital. Listen to the interview Listen to the program below or play it on BBC Radio 4 here. [soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/101116485″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true”...

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US venture capitalists bullish on equity crowdfunding

US venture capitalists bullish on equity crowdfunding

May 26, 2013 | , ,

By all accounts, crowdfunding is still in its infancy. For the unfamiliar, crowdfunding is where individuals join together to raise capital online. Crowdfunding, as we know it now, comes in two flavors: donation-based crowdfunding: Individuals band together to fund projects, events, and social causes. In return, individuals donating via crowdfunding receive the pleasure of doing good and frequently, there’s some type of prize associated with giving levels (not unlike general charitable giving campaigns). equity-based crowdfunding: In this type of crowdfunding, individuals don’t donate money —  they invest it. Typically, funding is restricted to accredited investors (who meet certain net-worth and/or income levels) who receive an equity share in a company in return for their money.  The JOBS Act in 2012 set the stage to open equity crowdfunding to the non-accredited investor audience (read, everyone else), though in reality, guidelines have not yet been set. How traditional VCs view crowdfunding Clearly, equity based crowdfunding (and crowdfunding, in general) has the potential to really change the way we invest in private companies. I think there will always be room (and money)...

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Zula receives funding from OurCrowd

Zula receives funding from OurCrowd

May 22, 2013 | , , , ,

OurCrowd is happy to announce the funding of its latest portfolio company, Zula. Zula provides an innovative cloud-based mobile collaboration platform for teams. Zula was founded by Jeff Pulver, pioneer of VoIP, social media master and early-stage investor in companies like Twitter and foursquare, and by Jacob Ner-David, a 3-time entrepreneur who took Delta Three through IPO. Zula  co-founder Jeff Pulver said, “I am excited about the value that OurCrowd brings to early stage investors who  invest in  startup companies. Not only did we raise our seed round online in less than a week, but we had people from all over the world invest in Zula thanks to this platform.” This is OurCrowd’s 18th completed funding round, while 3 additional companies are still actively funding. If you’re an accredited investor and like to find out more please visit OurCrowd.   [xyz-ihs...

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