Expert insights. Personalized for you.
Active angels work with term sheets regularly, but not every investor fully understands the sometimes arcane language in these highly-specialized documents. What are term sheets, what do they signify, and why are they so important? MORE
As a follow-up to our message on Angel Investing in Challenging Times, Christopher and I tasked Raza with putting together an update and perspective piece for the CEOs of our portfolio companies. The letter outlines our thoughts on some of the challenges they will face in the near term. MORE
Why do web and software businesses seem to get investment traction while real, down-to-earth business and manufacturing-intensive companies flounder to raise capital? It has to do with the type of investor model involved. The investor model has to match the type of company MORE
Whether you are an experienced impact investor or just starting to explore the space, reading and listening to experts' perspectives can help expand your knowledge and provide new insights. MORE
It’s exciting news! The CEO of one of your investments tells you that a buyer expressed serious interest in acquiring her company for $30M. MORE
Previously we observed that the concepts covered in a typical term sheet can be grouped into four main categories of investor concerns: Deal Economics; Investor Rights/Protection; Governance, Management & Control; and Exits/Liquidity. MORE
I believe building a diverse portfolio is critical to success as an angel investor. But when I first sat down to write an article on diversification of angel investments, I knew right away I was facing a serious challenge. Numerous articles have been written on aspects of this topic MORE
As we all know, the United States IRS tax code is extremely complex. Because the code includes some provisions directly affecting angel investing, understanding the tax rules is important for US-based angel investors. There are significant tax savings for angel investors who understand the rules MORE
Deciding whether to invest in a good idea is hard. Even when its potential is clearly explained. Trying to make that evaluation without a solid explanation is an exercise in needless frustration. MORE
Over the past few years, there has been much talk about the importance of investing both financial and human capital into the rapidly expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem. From our perspective, human capital is as important as financial capital in driving the long term success of startup companies. MORE
The first approach we recommend for selecting investable companies is to screen each company by examining the Team, Market Opportunity and Product. That’s a great way to sift through hundreds of companies to find the few diamonds in the rough. But for serious angels with more solid prospects than they can possibly invest in, a second filter is needed MORE
Things don’t always go exactly as planned in life or in angel investing. And just as in life, with angel investing, it pays to be prepared. So here are some thoughts on planning for the inevitable, and how to prevent catastrophes by fitting your angel investments into your estate plan from the beginning MORE
It’s amazing how the world economic situation changed seemingly overnight with Covid-19. One moment we were enjoying a healthy economy with a robust outlook on the future. Suddenly, a pandemic crisis sweeps over the globe creating uncertainty in all aspects of our lives. MORE
? Early stage investing is an inherently risky way to invest. The list of high level risks is long and includes financing risk, technical risk, and market risk. As angel investors, you need to be aware of the key risks you are taking with your investment MORE
It feels like there is more written about angel investing lately than ever before. This form of early-stage investing seems to be having its 15 minutes of fame. Is it a passing fad? I don’t think so. MORE
Can you help me make it better?” You have to admit that is a fair question from an entrepreneur who’s deck you’ve just criticized. So it’s not a bad idea to have an answer ready. MORE
We have an annual tradition of bringing you the best early stage investing articles of the year, handpicked by our Co-Founders Hambleton Lord and Christopher Mirabile. Here are a few of our favorite, most interesting and informative pieces we read in 2019, in no particular order. MORE
Entrepreneurs fall in love with their products. It’s no surprise… their product is their idea and as they nurture it, it becomes like a child to them, and who doesn’t love their child!? MORE
Before Christopher joined the world of angel investing, he spent much of his early career as a corporate lawyer working in-house for a NASDAQ listed enterprise software company. The pace of customer and strategic deals and corporate housekeeping activities was unrelenting. MORE
Impact investing is still a nascent, rapidly evolving field—which means professionals have to work extra hard to stay on top of best practices, news, and trends. One of the best ways to do this is to attend an industry conference. MORE
Most startup companies have a continuous need for funds to help grow the business. You will hear the term “Follow-on” as a frequent catchphrase for this type of investing. For example, it’s common to hear one investor say to another, are you planning on “following-on” in this round? MORE
Seraf Co-Founder Christopher Mirabile interviews several experienced angel investors from around the country to ask: What's Your Core Investing Philosophy? MORE
One of the best parts about angel investing is all the great stories you gather over the years. MORE
? There are as many different approaches to angel investing as there are investors. Some investors will tell you they invest based on their gut. After a 30 minute meeting with the entrepreneur, they are either in or out. MORE
? When entrepreneurs seek out angel investors, the majority are looking for financial capital. Very few entrepreneurs understand the importance of finding smart investors who will invest both Financial and Human Capital. Read on for a look at what roles angel investors can perform for a startup company MORE
Great ideas are a dime a dozen. Living in the Boston/Cambridge area, we are surrounded by some of the most innovative researchers in the world working at institutions like MIT and Harvard. MORE
Angel investing started to break into the mainstream in popular American culture in the early 2000s. It started with stories of individuals striking it rich from investments in companies like eBay, Yahoo, PayPal and Google. MORE
Investing in early-stage companies is investing in entrepreneurs. Understanding how they measure up is partly a function of understanding how they think, or should think. Entrepreneurship has come a long way toward being a better-understood and accessible way of life. MORE
One of the most controversial topics in the startup community relates to the issue of investing through convertible notes vs. investing through preferred stock. Much has been written about this topic for the past decade, and the debate continues to rage in the blogosphere even today. MORE
The Seraf Compass
MAY 27, 2020
As we all know, the United States IRS tax code is extremely complex. Because the code includes some provisions directly affecting angel investing, understanding the tax rules is important for US-based angel investors. There are significant tax savings for angel investors who understand the rules
The Seraf Compass
MARCH 25, 2020
It’s amazing how the world economic situation changed seemingly overnight with Covid-19. One moment we were enjoying a healthy economy with a robust outlook on the future. Suddenly, a pandemic crisis sweeps over the globe creating uncertainty in all aspects of our lives.
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The Seraf Compass
OCTOBER 30, 2019
Great ideas are a dime a dozen. Living in the Boston/Cambridge area, we are surrounded by some of the most innovative researchers in the world working at institutions like MIT and Harvard.
The Seraf Compass
MAY 13, 2020
It’s exciting news! The CEO of one of your investments tells you that a buyer expressed serious interest in acquiring her company for $30M.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
Data normalization. It’s not a far stretch to suggest that the topic isn’t exactly what gets marketers excited in their day-to-day workflow. However, if lead generation, reporting, and measuring ROI is important to your marketing team, then data normalization matters - a lot. In this eBook, we’ll break down the ins and outs of data normalization and review why it’s so critical for your marketing strategies and goals!
The Seraf Compass
JANUARY 1, 2020
Most startup companies have a continuous need for funds to help grow the business. You will hear the term “Follow-on” as a frequent catchphrase for this type of investing. For example, it’s common to hear one investor say to another, are you planning on “following-on” in this round?
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The Seraf Compass
FEBRUARY 26, 2020
Why do web and software businesses seem to get investment traction while real, down-to-earth business and manufacturing-intensive companies flounder to raise capital? It has to do with the type of investor model involved. The investor model has to match the type of company
The Seraf Compass
JANUARY 29, 2020
One of the most controversial topics in the startup community relates to the issue of investing through convertible notes vs. investing through preferred stock. Much has been written about this topic for the past decade, and the debate continues to rage in the blogosphere even today.
The Seraf Compass
JULY 3, 2019
Seraf Co-Founder Christopher Mirabile interviews several experienced angel investors from around the country to ask: What's Your Core Investing Philosophy?
The Seraf Compass
AUGUST 28, 2019
Over the past few years, there has been much talk about the importance of investing both financial and human capital into the rapidly expanding entrepreneurial ecosystem. From our perspective, human capital is as important as financial capital in driving the long term success of startup companies.
Speaker: Nick Noreña, Innovation Coach and Advisor, Kromatic
In this webinar, Nick Noreña will walk through an Innovation Ecosystem Model that he and his team at Kromatic have developed to help investors, heads of product, teachers, and executives understand how they can best support innovation in their own ecosystem. He'll also go over metrics we can use to measure the health of our ecosystems as we build more resources for innovators.
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The Seraf Compass
OCTOBER 17, 2019
Angel investing started to break into the mainstream in popular American culture in the early 2000s. It started with stories of individuals striking it rich from investments in companies like eBay, Yahoo, PayPal and Google.
The Seraf Compass
NOVEMBER 13, 2019
Deciding whether to invest in a good idea is hard. Even when its potential is clearly explained. Trying to make that evaluation without a solid explanation is an exercise in needless frustration.
The Seraf Compass
JANUARY 15, 2020
Whether you are an experienced impact investor or just starting to explore the space, reading and listening to experts' perspectives can help expand your knowledge and provide new insights.
The Seraf Compass
NOVEMBER 27, 2019
Entrepreneurs fall in love with their products. It’s no surprise… their product is their idea and as they nurture it, it becomes like a child to them, and who doesn’t love their child!?
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
In this report, ZoomInfo substantiates the assertion that technographic data is a vital resource for sales teams. In fact, the majority of respondents agree—with 72.3% reporting that technographic data is either somewhat important or very important to their organization. The reason for this is simple—sales teams value technographic data because it makes essential selling activities easier and more efficient.
The Seraf Compass
JULY 17, 2019
? Early stage investing is an inherently risky way to invest. The list of high level risks is long and includes financing risk, technical risk, and market risk. As angel investors, you need to be aware of the key risks you are taking with your investment
The Seraf Compass
DECEMBER 18, 2019
The first approach we recommend for selecting investable companies is to screen each company by examining the Team, Market Opportunity and Product. That’s a great way to sift through hundreds of companies to find the few diamonds in the rough. But for serious angels with more solid prospects than they can possibly invest in, a second filter is needed
The Seraf Compass
JUNE 12, 2019
? There are as many different approaches to angel investing as there are investors. Some investors will tell you they invest based on their gut. After a 30 minute meeting with the entrepreneur, they are either in or out.
The Seraf Compass
SEPTEMBER 4, 2019
Investing in early-stage companies is investing in entrepreneurs. Understanding how they measure up is partly a function of understanding how they think, or should think. Entrepreneurship has come a long way toward being a better-understood and accessible way of life.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
By using the power of intent data, capturing buyer interest has become more feasible for sales. Not only that, but using it will save immense time during your workflow; a win-win on all fronts.
The Seraf Compass
AUGUST 14, 2019
It feels like there is more written about angel investing lately than ever before. This form of early-stage investing seems to be having its 15 minutes of fame. Is it a passing fad? I don’t think so.
The Seraf Compass
JULY 24, 2019
One of the best parts about angel investing is all the great stories you gather over the years.
The Seraf Compass
JULY 31, 2019
Before Christopher joined the world of angel investing, he spent much of his early career as a corporate lawyer working in-house for a NASDAQ listed enterprise software company. The pace of customer and strategic deals and corporate housekeeping activities was unrelenting.
The Seraf Compass
AUGUST 21, 2019
I believe building a diverse portfolio is critical to success as an angel investor. But when I first sat down to write an article on diversification of angel investments, I knew right away I was facing a serious challenge. Numerous articles have been written on aspects of this topic
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
Forward-thinking marketing organizations have continuously invested in a database strategy for enabling marketing processes. Download this ebook to learn how to maintain a strategy that includes refreshed information, database cleanses, and an accurate analysis at the same time.
The Seraf Compass
JANUARY 8, 2020
We have an annual tradition of bringing you the best early stage investing articles of the year, handpicked by our Co-Founders Hambleton Lord and Christopher Mirabile. Here are a few of our favorite, most interesting and informative pieces we read in 2019, in no particular order.
The Seraf Compass
AUGUST 7, 2019
Things don’t always go exactly as planned in life or in angel investing. And just as in life, with angel investing, it pays to be prepared. So here are some thoughts on planning for the inevitable, and how to prevent catastrophes by fitting your angel investments into your estate plan from the beginning
The Seraf Compass
DECEMBER 11, 2019
Impact investing is still a nascent, rapidly evolving field—which means professionals have to work extra hard to stay on top of best practices, news, and trends. One of the best ways to do this is to attend an industry conference.
The Seraf Compass
JUNE 26, 2019
? When entrepreneurs seek out angel investors, the majority are looking for financial capital. Very few entrepreneurs understand the importance of finding smart investors who will invest both Financial and Human Capital. Read on for a look at what roles angel investors can perform for a startup company
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
For marketing teams to develop a successful account-based marketing strategy, they need to ensure good data is housed within its Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software. More specifically, updated data can help organizations outline key accounts for their campaigns. And to begin the targeting process, marketing teams must develop an Ideal Customer Profile (ICP) with appropriate firmographic and behavioral data to ensure they’re going after the correct audience.Download this eBook to learn how to start improving your marketing team's data!
The Seraf Compass
MAY 6, 2020
Previously we observed that the concepts covered in a typical term sheet can be grouped into four main categories of investor concerns: Deal Economics; Investor Rights/Protection; Governance, Management & Control; and Exits/Liquidity.
The Seraf Compass
FEBRUARY 12, 2020
Active angels work with term sheets regularly, but not every investor fully understands the sometimes arcane language in these highly-specialized documents. What are term sheets, what do they signify, and why are they so important?
The Seraf Compass
APRIL 29, 2020
If you have put time and effort into advising a company it breaks your heart to see them fail with investors. Some teams and ideas are just not fundable, and there is not much you can do there, but many fundable teams make absolutely silly mistakes when dealing with investors.
The Seraf Compass
MAY 20, 2020
No discussion about Board Directors would be complete without addressing Directors’ and Officers’ Liability Insurance. While the risk for most directors of most early stage companies is reasonably low, there is risk, and it should be insured.
Advertiser: ZoomInfo
This eBook highlights how data-driven strategies empower marketing campaigns through personalization tactics.
The Seraf Compass
JANUARY 22, 2020
Can you help me make it better?” You have to admit that is a fair question from an entrepreneur who’s deck you’ve just criticized. So it’s not a bad idea to have an answer ready.
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