You did what? Why we chose debt over venture capital

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If you’re an entrepreneur, there’s a good chance that many of your conversations — and a good chunk of your inner dialogue — are consumed by thoughts of fundraising. You can’t open a web browser or email or Twitter without being bombarded by opinion pieces, research, case studies, and news on the topic. On this… Read More…

Proof of concept: Majority of angel investments made in revenue producing startups

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Angel investors historically have placed bets at the earliest stages of a company’s formation, oftentimes when the business is nothing more than an idea on the back of a napkin. But as the venture capital marketplace shifts, so is angel investing. According to a new report out today from The Angel Resource Institute, Silicon Valley Bank and CB Insights,… Read More…

VC investing tanks in Washington, overtaken by Oregon for first time since 1993

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I’ve been covering the venture capital beat for nearly 15 years in the Pacific Northwest, through good times and bad. And this marks the very first time I’ve seen this occur. Oregon overtook Washington in terms of venture capital investing during the first quarter. Venture capitalists invested $146 million in Oregon, compared to just $100… Read More…

PetHub scores cash to make sure Fido, Rover and Spot never go missing again

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Dogs and cats go missing every day, but Seattle startup PetHub wants to help discover those wayward canines and felines via the power of technology. The three-year-old company, maker of a QR code pet-finding tag that attaches to a pet’s collar, just landed $375,000 of $750,000 round. Part of the funding is coming via angel investor… Read More…

Seattle angel group Keiretsu Forum invests $20M in 34 startups in 2012

keiretsu

The Keiretsu Forum Northwest today announced that it invested $20.1 million in 34 companies last year, backing startups such as iCapEquity, Journey Gym, Minetta Brook and Puralytics. All but three of the investments were new deals, with technology companies receiving 43 percent of the funding. That was followed by life sciences (30 percent) and real… Read More…

Startup Jedi: 3 phrases every VC or angel wants to hear during a pitch

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[Editor's note: Startup Jedi is a new column by GeekWire chairman, investor and serial entrepreneur Jonathan Sposato. Future columns will be made available exclusively to GeekWire members in a special members-only area of the site. You can become a GeekWire member by registering here]. I hear a lot of startup pitches. I can tell you… Read More…

The wisdom of Tom Huseby: Advice and zingers from Seattle’s most quotable VC

Tom Huseby at the World Financial Symposiums event in Seattle

Tom Huseby knows a thing or two about investing in startups. After all, the former wireless executive now is affiliated with three venture capital firms — including the mega-fund Oak Investment Partners and the Seattle early-stage investor Voyager Capital. I’ve interviewed Huseby countless times over the years, and I’ve always found him to be a… Read More…

Chart: The ‘Series A Crunch’ is alive and well

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A lot has been written in recent weeks about the so-called “Series A Crunch” — the idea that many of the companies raising seed-rounds won’t be able to attract that ever-so-important next round of capital. Now, here’s a chart from Pitchbook which shows what is occurring. As you’ll see above, the number of seed-stage/angel deals… Read More…

Billionaires Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos got a lot richer in 2012

Bill Gates

Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates is trying to give away his fortune. But he may have to try a little bit harder. According to the Bloomberg Billionaires Index, Gates added $7 billion to his net worth during 2012, making him the second richest person in the world and the richest American tech billionaire. The rise in Gates’… Read More…

Energy storage upstart EnerG2 scores new cash

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EnerG2, a manufacturer of carbon materials which are used in next-generation energy storage systems such as lead acid batteries, ultracapacitors and lithium ion batteries, has raised $9.3 million in financing, according to a SEC filing. “Our investors have seen the successful transition EnerG2 has made from its roots as an energy storage R&D company to… Read More…