Startup Investing

The Startup Ecosystem: A Fishy Look at Predator vs. Prey [Infographic]

The Startup Ecosystem: A Fishy Look at Predator vs. Prey [Infographic]

Dec 22, 2013 |

There’s no denying that when it comes to startups, it’s a dog eat dog world… or is that a fish eat fish ocean? Whether you’re  a young startup hiring employees, raising venture capital or an angel investor looking to invest in the next Facebook, it’s tough navigating the murky and danger-filled waters of the startup world. This funny ocean themed infographic looks at the delicate balance between predators and prey in the startup ecosystem, and helps you figure out how to balance all of the key players in the industry. So without further ado, dive in and get your sea legs...

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The past, present, and future of crowdfunding — Harvard Business School style

The past, present, and future of crowdfunding — Harvard Business School style

Dec 18, 2013 | ,

It’s been almost 20 years since the last time I was  at Harvard. I had spent most of my undergraduate degree running up and down the campus trying to make it in time to my economics classes. Earlier this month, through my role at OurCrowd, I had the opportunity to revisit the campus and go back to school, so to say. On December 4th 2013, I participated in a crowdfunding panel at the Harvard Business School Association of Boston (see the event link here). In light of recent developments int he crowdfunding field, HBS has organized a series of events to discuss the various aspects, implications and issues concerning the crowdfunding market today. The panel was moderated by Daniel Gorfine of the Milken Institute. The slides below are his and were presented at the event. Daniel is one of the foremost analysts on the ecosystem evolving around crowdfunding and the great discussion that ensued was evidence of his expertise. Crowdfunding Panel at Harvard Business School (Dec 4, 2013) from OurCrowd Represented on the crowdfunding panel were OurCrowd (equity crowdfunding), Fundrise...

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High-Tech Hanukkah: 8 Israeli tech trends for 8 crazy nights

High-Tech Hanukkah: 8 Israeli tech trends for 8 crazy nights

Dec 2, 2013 | , , ,

We’re celebrating Hanukkah in Israel right now, a time for latke eating, dreidel spinning and candle lighting festivities. There is a lot to celebrate (and be thankful for — Thanksgivukkah FTW!) in startup land this year. Last year OurCrowd took the opportunity to highlighted some of the tech trends seen in the Startup Nation in a series of blog posts 8 Israeli Tech Trends for 8 Crazy Nights. Since 2013 turned out to be such a successful year, we thought it would be a good time to look back at last years trends and see how far they’ve come and what we have to look forward to in the future. So, Happy Hanukkah and enjoy! 8 Israeli tech trends for 8 crazy nights Trend 1: Social Driving Interestingly, many of the most popular driving apps have been developed in Israel. The solutions tend to cluster around overlaying social with driving data to aid navigation and parking. Check out the trend here. Trend 2: The Quantified Self This trend reflects how the tie-in between hardware and the smartphone is getting tighter and tighter. People are getting more...

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OurCrowd Announces Strategic Co-Investment Agreement with GE Ventures

OurCrowd Announces Strategic Co-Investment Agreement with GE Ventures

Nov 4, 2013 | , ,

Earlier today OurCrowd announced  that it has closed a strategic co-investment partnership with GE Ventures, the corporate venture capital arm of GE. As part of our new relationship, GE Ventures will have the right to co-invest with OurCrowd in early stage companies from the energy, healthcare, software, and advanced manufacturing sectors.  This is an important announcement for OurCrowd but it’s equally important for our investors. GE brings not only investment dollars to our portfolio companies but its experience and expertise in a broad range of industries. GE is one of the world’s largest companies and also one of the most admired and most respected for innovation. This is a great day for OurCrowd. This means a lot for our investments and portfolio companies but it also underscores the fact that the investment playing field is being levelled — OurCrowd investors get access to the same deals multi-billion dollar corporations are seeing, at the same terms. OurCrowd CEO Jon Medved said, “We are thrilled to partner with GE Ventures on co-investments via our equity crowdfunding platform.  GE brings unequaled expertise and experience in...

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OurCrowd op-ed in WSJ: “An SEC Rule Change Opens a New Era for Crowdfunding”

OurCrowd op-ed in WSJ: “An SEC Rule Change Opens a New Era for Crowdfunding”

Oct 10, 2013 | , , ,

The Wall Street Journal published an op-ed today written by OurCrowd CEO, Jon Medved. In the editorial, Jon talks about how recent U.S. regulatory changes to equity crowdfunding will open up new opportunities for investors and how these changes have positioned OurCrowd as a leader in its space. Startups and businesses have taken notice. They have begun to use similar online crowdfunding platforms—but to gather investments. And thanks in part to the SEC’s new rule, the equity crowdfunding market is poised for rapid growth over the next decade.   A new class of angel investors, affluent individuals who invest personal funds in companies, is another byproduct of the burgeoning crowdfunding movement. These angel investors are no longer just former startup founders. They’re a younger, broader class of Internet-savvy investors ready to evaluate and pick deals online. Read the full Wall Street Journal article here. A version of this article appeared October 10, 2013, on page A17 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: An SEC Rule Change Opens a New Era for Crowdfunding.   Making...

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