EMERGING TECH "SUPER ANGEL". INVESTED IN OVER 500 STARTUPS.

On October 16th, the Federal Trade Commission announced a final “click-to-cancel” rule that will require sellers to make it as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment as it was to sign up. Most of the final rule’s provisions will go into effect 180 days after it is published in the Federal Register. “Too often, businesses make people jump through endless hoops just to cancel a subscription,” said Commission Chair Lina M. Khan. “The FTC’s rule will end these tricks and traps, saving Americans time and money. Nobody should be stuck paying for a service they no longer want.”

Angel investing in the tech startup ecosystem demands a keen understanding of market dynamics and strategic evaluation of potential investments. Key factors include identifying startups with high-growth potential, prioritizing solid execution, and staying attuned to the evolving venture capital environment. Investors should be aware of common pitfalls and focus on the critical aspects that determine long-term success in their investment portfolios.

The "The Investor Talk" video series on EquityMatch features interviews with well-known investors. All people around the world will have access to this. The majority of its target market consists of ambitious business owners who are serious about looking for sources of seed investments to expand their enterprises. We believe that entrepreneurs will have a significant advantage in successfully starting their businesses if they know how to approach venture investors.

In this insightful episode, Karen is joined by thought leader and prolific angel investor David Mandel. David, known for his expertise in finance, insurance, advanced mathematics, and computer science, pivots into the world of venture investing after successfully exiting multiple traditional businesses. Since 2014, he has dedicated himself fully to the tech startup ecosystem, investing in over 500 startups and focusing on innovations in insurance-tech and fintech, as well as AI. David and Karen dive deep into the intricacies of late seed stage investments, safe notes, and the market disruptions they're causing. Alongside the excitement, David shares his mixed feelings about the future of AI balancing enthusiasm for technological advancements with concerns over rapid automation and its impact on future job markets. They also explore the incremental yet transformative progress in AI and its various applications across industries like legal tech and autonomous vehicles. Join us as we uncover the challenges and opportunities in venture investing, the impact of AI, and the evolving landscape of technology and startups. This episode is a treasure trove of insights for seasoned and aspiring angel investors alike.

The pre-seed investor is taking a significantly higher risk without any significant reward. In careful review and analysis of both my angel portfolio and the fund’s portfolio, I developed a clear understanding that the best value in the current tech startup market is at the Seed stage and that pre-seed, in particular, in most cases, is not worthwhile, participating in. It’s best to have the discipline to wait and watch and then join in the eventual Seed round.

Many early-stage startups fail or become "zombies" after taking angel money. The investment thesis focuses on execution: building, selling, and finding people to pay for the product. David’s advice to founders: build it yourself, find a co-founder, go to an accelerator program. Startups outside of Silicon Valley were struggling to figure out how to raise funding. Southern California has great support for life sciences, social space, e-commerce direct-to-consumer brands, and entertainment.