I may have gored a sacred cow with my previous article, “Entrepreneur Gold.” Now, I’ll add some weight behind the blade: “Forget the hackneyed advice that ‘passion is the most important quality of an entrepreneur,’” I advised. “Just because an entrepreneur is...

Gold is one of the most widely distributed elements on earth.  It occurs in most rocks and soils; is found in every continent; and exists in the oceans.  But “striking it rich” from prospecting is a rare event:  There are few places where gold occurs in...

We have discussed the Great Communications Divide in depth. The central premise of that article is the belief that entrepreneurs and investors are constantly misunderstanding each other. Entrepreneurs are passionate and want to succeed. Investors want to invest in and...

Over the now almost 12 year storied history of Angel Capital Group, we have found key information is indicative of a team ready to use our capital to buy revenue, make use of our network and expertise, and to become business partners. These are key characteristics we...

Over the years of transitioning from an entrepreneur to an investor, I realized there is a great communication divide between entrepreneurs and investors. I was an entrepreneur starting, running, and raising capital for science and tech ventures for 11 years. When I...

It is a romantic idea to want to be an Angel…to be a patron of the startup, or as one of our members phrases it, “worshiping at the altar of capitalism.” Every day I hear about how much fun most people believe my job is because of the ability to work with passionate...

There is both an art and a science to selecting the right deal vehicle to close an investment. Angel Capital Group / Appalachian Angel Investor Alliance is versed in templates for five types of deal vehicles: Convertible Note SAFE Note Revenue Share Series Seed NVCA...

Diligence is not a formality. It is not to be skipped. It is not to be glossed over with trust of a charismatic entrepreneur. As we say, “In God we trust; everyone else goes through diligence!” The reason is simple. Studies show that even 20 hours of diligence on a...

Fred Schwed was a customer’s man in a Wall Street brokerage during the stock market boom of the 1920’s. Following the Great Depression, Schwed penned an investment classic. The title of his book was reportedly taken from a reply to a stockbroker who offered the trope,...

Pitching for an investment is not an easy thing to do. It is part art and part business acumen. The short version is the pitch should mimic a great business plan in structure and flow, but be told as a story. It ultimately depends on your style of presentation, but...

We constantly get the question, “when is a venture ready for first funding?” Approximately 90% of startups will seek venture-style capital. And, it is common for a high-growth company to go through three or more rounds of capital. When you seek...