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What We’re Investing In: Current investment opportunities on OurCrowd (April 2015)

What We’re Investing In: Current investment opportunities on OurCrowd (April 2015)

Apr 29, 2015 | ,

Diversification is one of the most basic and important principals of investing.  This April, we launched a broad range of companies across a multitude of industries on OurCrowd’s platform. These span from cutting-edge brain technology to the world’s first meter-dosed medical cannabis inhaler. For more information on all of our currently funding companies, visit the site and click the “Browse Startups” tab. Below, read about five of the companies we’re investing in this April on OurCrowd; for an under-the-radar investment, log in on www.ourcrowd.com. Syqe Medical Syqe Medical is the world’s first meter-dosed, medical cannabis inhaler. Today, doctors have no way to measure the intake of prescription cannabis to patients, which directly impacts the affectivity of the prescription. Syqe is getting in at the ground floor of what is projected to be an $11B legal cannabis market in the US alone. Perry Davidson, founder and CEO of Syqe, has over 9 years of experience in controlled substance regulation and state implementation in Israel. Click here to learn more about Syqe ElMindA Over 2 billion people worldwide live with some form of...

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Lessons from Passover: The 4 Sons of Angel Investing

Lessons from Passover: The 4 Sons of Angel Investing

Apr 2, 2015 | , ,

With the holiday of Passover ready to drop at the end of this week, it offers a good time to reflect. One of the best known sections of the Passover ritual meal is the recitation of the “4 Sons”. These prototypical characters represent all of us — different types of people, each with their own types of questions that stem from our experiences and individualized views of the world. Each son asks his own question. Instead of providing an overarching singular answer to these sons’ questions, the Passover Hagaddah answers the 4 sons by addressing the subtext behind the questioner himself (and not just the question itself). Of course, while enjoying the holiday, we’re focused on the experience with our friends and family, but we’re also investors at heart. I couldn’t help but transpose these 4 sons and their questions to the investing world and in the process, address some key tenets core to angel investing and our crowd investing model. So, here it goes… OurCrowd’s 4 Sons (of Angel Investing) The Wise Son: What does the wise son...

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What We’re Investing In: Current Investment Opportunities on OurCrowd (March 2015)

What We’re Investing In: Current Investment Opportunities on OurCrowd (March 2015)

Mar 8, 2015 | ,

March is a busy month at OurCrowd: In addition to the new, exciting investment opportunities on the platform, our team has been traveling the world hosting events for the global OurCrowd community. Check out our blog to see the full events calendar and join us on the road in a city near you. With that, here is a summary of all the currently funding companies on OurCrowd: XpresSpa – The leading airport spa chain The frequent-flyers out there should recognize this brand. XpresSpa is the leading airport spa chain, with over 40 locations worldwide. The XpresSpa kiosks are visited by over 1 million passengers every year, who enjoy a wide range of spa services such as massages, manicures, skin treatments and haircuts. Airport concessions in general are an $8B market that is growing at a rapid pace of 5% annually. XpresSpa plans on capitalizing in this market from two separate revenue streams, consisting of spa treatments and the sales of retail products. We are investing in XpresSpa alongside veteran retail investor and CEO of Mistral Equity Partners Andy Heyer....

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How do I make money investing in startups?

How do I make money investing in startups?

Jan 25, 2015 |

I wish investing in a startup was as easy as “buy low, sell high“, but it’s a bit more complex. Angel investors must consider a variety of factors when they put their capital to work in an early stage company like: Startup valuation: Figuring out how much a startup is worth is as much an art as it is a science. Choosing the right founders: Team plays a critical role in a startup’s success. Investors want to invest in successful founders. Portfolio management: What’s the right number of startups to hold in a portfolio? (Hint: Kauffman Foundation research says at least 6). Taxes: You gotta pay Uncle Sam at some point, right? and lots more…  With all this in mind, a startup investor has to juggle lots of things at once — but ultimately, it’s all about the money. How do I make money investing in startups? As OurCrowd and other equity crowdfunding startups democratize early stage investing, we get asked a lot about how investors make money in startups. Basically, there are 4 ways a startup investor can...

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What We’re Investing In: Current investment opportunities on OurCrowd (January 2015)

What We’re Investing In: Current investment opportunities on OurCrowd (January 2015)

Jan 22, 2015 | , , ,

OurCrowd’s portfolio growth is expanding: this month, featured opportunities include innovative companies in the medical technology and cyber security spaces. Stay tuned – there are more deals to be announced before the end of the month; bookmark this post to view the next deals. TheraCoat: Hydrogel-based drug delivery A major pain point for pharmacologists when developing drugs is finding a substance that can efficiently deliver the needed medication before the body’s natural fluids wash it away. TheraCoat’s Intracavity Drug Retention System (ICDR) was created to solve that very problem. Their patent-protected substance liquefies when in cool temperatures and hardens in hot temperatures. The ICDR is mixed with the necessary drug and taken in liquid form. When the liquid reaches the cavity, body heat causes the substance to harden and stick to the walls of the cavity. This enables the drug to be emitted at a slow, consistent rate, without being washed away by the body’s fluid. So far, TheraCoat has experienced significant early traction, conducting a number of successful test trials and securing regulatory clearance in a number of...

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