News
Future Forward Appearance
On Nov. 19, CEO Shereen Shermak participated in the Future Forward Boston event. The invitation-only event included 50 founders, investors, and C-level executives, discussing Technology, Leadership and Competitive Advantage. The format was a series of 10-minute briefings on significant changes, with Shereen covering equity crowdfunding.BRA Panel Participation
The Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) hosted an Access to Capital Workshop on Nov. 22. CEO Shereen Shermak was on the panel advising entrepreneurs, startups, and small businesses about early stage capital sources. Shereen spoke about the promise of equity crowdfunding as an alternative to traditional financing, between debt and equity financing speakers. The helpful workshop materials can be found online.VentureFizz Shout-Out
PayPal’s David Chang gave a shout-out to Launch Angels in a Nov. 4 VentureFizz article. Change noted, “ ‘I played with AngelList syndicates, but decided to use Launch Angels as a platform instead.’ ” Full disclosure: David is Shereen’s husband, but VERY independent-minded. Read the article here.Events
Women’s Fund Next For Launch Angels
We’re pleased to announce that we have opened our next fund to investors. Our focus will be on women-led equity crowdfunding deals. We’ll select promising opportunities that meet our regular criteria, plus one or more of the following:- Women-led. Companies with a strong female presence on the management team or Board, and/or a track record of promoting women.
- Women-backed. Companies that are backed by women’s capital, where women have a stake of 40% or more in the venture.
- Women-friendly. Companies that offer women-friendly products or services, or have especially female/family-friendly policies.
The Un-Event of the Season
UnPitch Boston, a brilliant brainchild conceived by Boston’s tech/innovation community, is going to be the pitch party of the season. And Launch Angels is invited. The free event, scheduled for Dec. 11 in Boston, is a pitch contest open to 60 startups. Launch Angels will be one of the deal evaluators, along with some of Boston’s other leading VCs and angels. The contest was conceived as a response to a pricey paid event offered by an out-of-town group.Industry News
Hellishly Hot Relationships?
The risks of startups taking money from unsophisticated investors may produce the equivalent of the McDonald’s hot coffee lawsuit. And investor asset tests won’t put a lid on that risk, warns this WSJ contributor. Read more…
“If Cuban invests, I’m in!”
This humorous poke at the SEC’s crowdfunding rules proposes an alt version of regulations—including management teams that feature “at least two members who are old enough to drive.” Read more…
A Bad Haircut
Startup crowdfunding investors need to look not only at the present opportunity, but the risk of future equity dilution. Read more…
Who Says It’s Grade A Prime?
The commentator urges every would-be crowd investor to examine how well platforms vet their deals. Read more…
Get in There and Play!
A crowdfunding panelist argues that angels can be invaluable participants in crowdfunding and should “step up and show what they’ve got.” Read more…
