Startup Investing

A pinch of salt and a dash of innovation: 6 great food tech startups from Israel

A pinch of salt and a dash of innovation: 6 great food tech startups from Israel

May 26, 2015 | , , ,

Not for nothing is Israel named the ‘Startup Nation’ — there are more high-tech startups and a larger venture capital industry per capita than any other country, ranking as the #2 startup ecosystem in the world, right after the Silicon Valley. The country’s thriving entrepreneur community is constantly thinking-up and producing innovative ideas, cutting-edge technologies, and business opportunities in a wide variety of industries. Investors worldwide look to Israel to find that next top trend that will turn heads and smash records. So what if that next big thing in tech… actually lands on your plate? Israelis are passionate about technology, but they are even more passionate about food, and when gastronomy meets technology, anything is possible. The rapidly growing foodtech sector is changing the way we find, order, ship, prepare, and consume food and drinks, and although Israel may have entered the industry after the US, thousands of food-related technologies are already being developed in the country. It’s no surprise that the Startup Nation is set to soon become a powerhouse for foodtech startups. Israel recently witnessed the launch of it’s 1st foodtech accelerator – alpha Strauss. The program,  part...

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Conquering the Term Sheet: Everything you need to know about deal terms (Part 2)

Conquering the Term Sheet: Everything you need to know about deal terms (Part 2)

May 21, 2015 | , ,

Yesterday, we held the 2nd installment of OurCrowd’s educational series on how professional investors analyze and construct terms and conditions for their investments. Missed Part 1? View it here. On this week’s Q&A session, we continue to explore the fundamentals of deal terms in startup investing, discussing how to: Understand the basics of deal terms, from full ratchet to anti-dilution Get an insider’s view of crafting deal terms in startup investing Learn what to look for in a term sheet from seed stage to pre-IPO ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: To view the 3rd and final installment of our 3 part educational series on deal terms, click here. ::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::: 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.   View the FULL program Download/view the presentation [xyz-ihs...

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All your questions, answered: 8 things to know about the medical cannabis industry [AMA with Dr. Morris Laster]

All your questions, answered: 8 things to know about the medical cannabis industry [AMA with Dr. Morris Laster]

May 20, 2015 | , ,

Medical cannabis is the next frontier of medtech investing, forecasted to become a $35 billion industry by 2020. How are the challenges of this industry being resolved? Your questions, answered: OurCrowd presents our first investor AMA (“ask me anything”) with medtech advisor, Venture Partner and 25-year industry veteran Dr. Morris Laster. Below, Dr. Laster addresses medical cannabis, providing answers and insight into the industry as well as the medtech advances made by Syqe Medical, developers of the world’s first meter-dosed botanical inhaler and OurCrowd’s current investment opportunity. Missed the live AMA? Have more queries about the medical cannabis industry? Don’t let your questions go unanswered!  Leave a comment below and we’ll answer them! —————- About Dr. Laster Dr. Laster is a physician with over 25 years of experience in the biopharmaceutical industry and with expertise in identification, development and management of advanced biomedical drugs and technologies. Dr. Laster is the Venture Partner responsible for Medtech investments at OurCrowd; he has founded and/or managed six companies that have gone public in the US, UK and Israel. He invented a novel device to access the circulatory system through the bone...

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Bigger? Better? Try ‘Smarter’: Investing in the Internet of Things [Infographic]

Bigger? Better? Try ‘Smarter’: Investing in the Internet of Things [Infographic]

May 19, 2015 | , ,

Let’s talk impressive numbers: There are already more than 10 billion systems connected to the Internet (IDC) and by 2020 there will be nearly 26 billion devices on the Internet of Things (Gartner). If you haven’t heard the term by now, Internet of Things (IoT) refers to the climbing trend of connecting “dumb” devices through an internet connection to collect and utilize actionable intelligence about everyday life. Although the trend is still in its infancy, its potential is huge and the possibilities seem limitless. Given the growing ubiquity of the internet, lower-than-ever costs of connected devices, and a cross-sectorial trend towards increased connectedness, it is our belief that IoT is poised for enormous growth in the coming years. Inside the Internet of Things To capture the scope of this emerging world of connected devices, OurCrowd has created an inforgraphic to provide some insights into everything Internet of Things and location based technologies. Check it out and share if you found it...

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Medical Marijuana: Clearing the smoke on a miracle drug

Medical Marijuana: Clearing the smoke on a miracle drug

May 18, 2015 | , ,

This is a guest post by OurCrowd Venture Partner and medtech investment advisor Dr. Morris Laster.  If ever there was a ‘miracle drug’, the top candidate would be cannabis. The range of clinical conditions that have had the potential for treatment with marijuana is extensive ranging from approved conditions with cannabis derivatives such as Sativex for MS induced neuropathic pain and spasticity, or Marinol for cancer treatment induced nausea and vomiting, and AIDS cachexia. Other conditions include Type 2 diabetes, obesity, various neurological diseases such as Alzheimer’s, or Huntingdon’s disease, glaucoma and the list goes on and on. The biggest challenges with medical marijuana are: Marijuana is best administered by smoking due to the combination of active ingredients and first pass kinetics Dosing variability due to individual smoking differences and plant material There is the potential for recreational drug abuse For the first time, there is a solution for the issue of dosing medical marijuana. Israel-based Syqe Medical has developed an inhaler that “druggifies” marijuana by providing clinically-proven standardized dosing, utilizing a cartridge based dose, uniform heating element and...

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