Startup Investing

The million-dollar question: What kind of angel investor are you?

The million-dollar question: What kind of angel investor are you?

Mar 8, 2016 | ,

As an angel investor, you already likely know (or soon will) that there is a long list of young technology companies and enthusiastic entrepreneurs with brilliant ideas, ready to pitch to you in the hopes of securing an investment. For example: OurCrowd screens at least 200 companies a month before we choose who to meet, and of those, the 2-4% to invest in and present to our accredited investor community. In addition, we have our own set of criteria for who and what we’ll offer as investment opportunities. So… how do you identify investments? How do you choose which company’s deck to review, which CEO to meet with? Most likely, as an angel investor, you fit a certain type. Knowing what drives you to invest in a particular startup may help you consolidate the time and energy that goes into your investing strategy. Stage Most angel investors are interested in seed or early-stage companies. Certainly, growth-oriented companies are the ones in most need of angel funding, as VCs typically invest when a company already shows long-term growth potential. But if you are an investor...

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The Startup Red Carpet (It’s our awards season, too…)

The Startup Red Carpet (It’s our awards season, too…)

Mar 1, 2016 | ,

Earlier this week, people from around the world tuned in to watch the Academy Awards, or “Oscars,” an annual American awards ceremony that recognizes excellence in cinematic achievements. Inspired, we thought this would be a great opportunity to commemorate the excellence of some of our own startups and their innovative, technological achievements. Over the last few months, OurCrowd’s portfolio companies have received several awards in various competitions recognizing their innovative achievements in their respective fields and in the broader startup ecosystem. Here is a quick recap of some of our companies’ recent notable awards: Biocatch voted one of Fintech 100’s Top 50 Emerging Stars BioCatch was listed in the Fintech 100 report as one of the most intriguing 50 ‘emerging stars’ – exciting new fintechs with bold, disruptive and potentially game-changing ideas. The Fintech 100 report gives an in-depth look into those global companies that are taking advantage of technology and driving disruption within the financial services industry. The report is a collaborative effort between H2 Ventures and KPMG. The report also named OurCrowd the 10th most innovative Fintech company worldwide, a significant leap from last year when OurCrowd was...

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Outsmarting diabetes: Q&A with a digital health expert on the future of prevention

Outsmarting diabetes: Q&A with a digital health expert on the future of prevention

Feb 25, 2016 |

Everything starts with people and ends with people. […] And in order to really touch people, you have to understand how to translate healthcare IT platforms and apps into something that is encouragable. Something that touches people’s emotion.” — Dr. Yossi Bahagon, Sweetch Dr. Yossi Bahagon, Chief Medical Officer and co-founder of Sweetch, OurCrowd’s latest investment opportunity, is setting out to predict and prevent diabetes. Sweetch, a smartphone platform, leverages a unique diabetes prediction engine to produce a dynamic risk-meter, which interfaces with a custom, automated coaching regimen to guide users toward lowering their risk of developing diabetes in compliance with the “Diabetes Prevention Program” (DPP). A clinically active family physician, entrepreneur, and worldwide key opinion leader on e-Health, m-Health, and Tele-Care, Dr. Bahagon founded Clalit Health Services Digital Health Division, the largest Health Maintenance Organization in Israel and one of the largest e-Health platforms in the world. SEE ALSO: Anatomy of OurCrowd’s Innovative MedTech Portfolio [Infographic] OurCrowd’s Audrey Jacobs recently interviewed Yossi Bahagon about Sweetch and the digital health sector, discussing some of Yossi’s background and how that impacts where Sweetch is headed. Outsmarting diabetes: Q&A...

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Innovation Calling! OurCrowd’s Innovative MobileTech Portfolio [Infographic]

Innovation Calling! OurCrowd’s Innovative MobileTech Portfolio [Infographic]

Feb 23, 2016 | ,

The smartphone may be smart, but it’s no longer simply a phone. From consumer apps and hardware to enterprise software, mobile technologies and innovations are a leading focus area in startup investing! Which begs the question: What are the next-gen mobile technologies that will change our lives? OurCrowd’s MobileTech portfolio encompasses a variety of technologies, overlapping with various sub-sectors, such as MedTech, Enterprise, Consumer, and more. Two out of our four portfolio exits are mobile technologies: BillGuard, a personal finance app fighting credit card fraud that was acquired by Prosper in 2015, and Nextpeer, an industry leading mobile gamers network acquired by Viber in 2015. As we continue to build, grow, and exit mobile technologies (among others), we’re pleased to share the following infographic capturing the scope of some of the amazing MobileTech companies in OurCrowd’s portfolio, proving themselves in this growing industry. Does this infographic call out to you? Share if you find it helpful! To find out more about mobile technology and other investment opportunities on our platform, contact our Investor Relations team or visit our...

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Who’s afraid of the big bad bear? An internal memo on startup investing during a down market

Who’s afraid of the big bad bear? An internal memo on startup investing during a down market

Feb 17, 2016 | ,

Last month, I traveled to the VC and financial capitals of the world – Silicon Valley and New York City – for meetings with VCs and potential investment opportunities, plus a few days of meetings at CES, the largest consumer technology conference in the world. Being another tough week for the financial markets, it was an interesting time to take such a trip. Here are some of my thoughts that I wrote up initially as an internal memo after returning, and decided to share with our broader community. While we generally spend our time focusing on the micro side of investing – companies, their teams, the competition, the technological and business advantages — it is important that we remember that investment opportunities do not exist in a vacuum. We need to raise our eyes to view the broader picture. Below, I discuss: The overall global investing environment What it means that valuations are coming down Takeaways: Private market investing during a public market downturn But… good companies will continue to be built, raise capital and create wealth OurCrowd in the...

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