AngelList, CapLinked, And Financing Marketplaces

AngelList has been generating  a lot of buzz recently. Today, Business Insider has a piece claiming that they are scaring VCs to death. Really? I have a hard time believing that! In any case, I thought this would be a good time to give readers my perspective on AngelList, as well as other fund raising services that are coming into the market like CapLinked, which has recently raised money from star investors like Peter Thiel. Other related services are SecondMarket, Kickstarter, ProFounder and Invested.In, the latter three specifically focused on crowd funding (not CapLinked’s approach), while the first is more of a brokerage.

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1M/1M: Cloud Computing Module Of The Curriculum Is Ready

Entrepreneurs, the Cloud Computing module of the 1M/1M curriculum is also ready. In my opinion, this is an area that you can build some exciting companies in, and it is also possible to bootstrap ventures. The module, as usual, contains video lectures and case studies, as well as a discussion of major trends and blue-sky opportunities.

You can access it on the 1M/1M site, here.

1M/1M: Outsourcing Module Of The Curriculum Is Ready

Folks, some of you have conveyed, through our ambassadors, that you are looking for a module on Outsourcing in the 1M/1M curriculum. Well, I am happy to announce that this module is now ready and available for your consumption. We will also be layering on additional services on top of this module so that you can market your particular brand of specialization to the 1M/1M community in due course.

The intent of this module is twofold: (1) Help entrepreneurs build new outsourcing companies addressing the gaps in today’s market; and (2) help entrepreneurs bootstrap product companies using outsourcing services as a source of cash.

As usual, it contains video lectures and case studies, including a comprehensive discussion on blue-sky opportunities.

You can access it on the 1M/1M site, here.

1M/1M: VCs, Angels, Incubators, Accelerators – What WE Do With Your Rejects

Last week I wrote the post VCs, Angels, Incubators, Accelerators – What Are You Doing With Your Rejects? following which I had a number of significant private discussions which I curate here for the benefit of others who have the same kinds of questions. Overall, I think it will help the ecosystem better understand how we simply supplement existing resources and add value. Existing resources include incubators, accelerators, financing marketplaces like AngelList, and of course VCs and angels. >>>

1Mby1M Deal Radar: Systems In Motion, Fremont, California/Ann Arbor, Michigan

Joining the blog’s ongoing conversation about outsourcing, nearshoring, and IT services is Systems In Motion, a U.S.-based technology services company that was founded to create a competitive and complementary alternative to the trend of offshore outsourcing of IT work. >>>

Seed Capital From Angel Investors: Tim Cartwright, Chairman, Tamiami Angel Fund – Naples, Florida (Part 4)

By guest authors Irina Patterson and Candice Arnold

Tim: We [the Tamiami fund members] typically go through a more robust question and answer period inside of the fund structure [than the Gulf Coast Venture Forum]. When we’re done with our question and answer period, we ask the entrepreneur to leave the meeting. >>>

1Mby1M Deal Radar: Cantaloupe Systems, San Francisco, California

From machines that dispensed holy water at temples in first-century Greece to the mini tech stores containing iPods and other electronic gear at airports, the contents of vending machines have changed greatly since their invention. But the technology behind managing them was for a long time an inexact process based on intuition. Cantaloupe Systems, which develops wireless and cashless vending solutions in the United States, is making the vending machine business more efficient through the use of cellular networks and the cloud. >>>

Message To Students In India Who Are Aspiring Entrepreneurs