April 2017

I spoke at Master Investor on this theme about 10 days ago. This list went down a storm so it seems worth repeating it here. 

April 2017

Par Equity’s Andrew Castell looks at how and why the firm mobilises business angels to help assess potential investments.

It’s a puzzle.  Venture capitalists get very excited by innovation and disruption when it comes to companies we invest in, but there isn’t much innovation of our own business models.

Due diligence, the work we do to assess a prospective investment, is of critical importance to investors.  It has a direct bearing on the ultimate success or failure of an investment – unless, of course, you count “spray and pray” as an investment strategy.

A difficult question, particularly where amounts invested are relatively small or innovative technologies are involved, is how to conduct due diligence without loading up the prospective investee company, or the investors, or both, with costs out of all proportion to the amount being invested.

At Par Equity, our innovative step was to come up with a model that sees us crowd-source business skills from within our investor base.  The result is cost-effective assessment of the commercial aspects of potential investee companies by well-qualified individuals.

April 2017

Dr Arthur Krebbers asks whether certain character traits are more likely to make a successful entrepreneur.  

“Impulsive, impatient and hyperactive. I’m sorry to tell you Mrs Jones, but your son may prove to be a highly successful entrepreneur!” Businessmen with a (hypothesised) form of ADHD have given the world Ikea, Virgin and JetBlue, amongst many other household names. What is it about this condition that can help start-ups thrive?

On 26 April 1962, the United Kingdom made history by becoming only the third country in the world to successfully launch and operate a satellite, Ariel 1, in conjunction with NASA. In doing this, the United Kingdom placed itself at the front of the “space race” with the ability to stand alongside and compete with the two superpowers of the day.

As the technological revolutions of the last thirty years have shown, outer space can be as valuable as solid ground for the Earth’s nations but until last week the United Kingdom has been falling behind, compared to countries such as China, India and Japan which have developed well-funded and successful space programs over this period.

No longer.

March 2017

Rockerfeller is estimated to have been worth $336bn (adjusting for inflation) on his death at the age of 97 in 1937.

March 2017

It's Budget week - the last to be held in the Spring.  Can Spreadsheet Phil give us all a thrill?

March 2017

The Coalition for a Digital Economy (Coadec) recently released their latest report, highlighting several key issues for Government to address in order to support the growth and scale-up of the UK’s early-stage tech and digital companies.

Drawing on the insights of founders, investors and policy experts across the UK, Coadec delivered headline recommendations, which pertained to four key areas: investment, trade, skills and talent.

Coadec is calling for more software development apprenticeships, changes to the tax and regulatory environment in which investors operate and a decision from the European Commission relating to startups’ access to EU data.

You can access the full report HERE

March 2017

The onset of the Internet of Things has unleashed a frenzy of new startup apps. In this cacophony of noise, who are the ones left standing when the music stops? The Chinese market offers lessons says Dr Arthur Krebbers.

March 2017

Dr Thomas Prock, Patent Attorney at Marks & Clerk LLP considers the importance of IP Rights when it comes to valuing a business.

March 2017

In the shadow of Brexit, overall investment activity into startups has dropped in 2016, yet high-tech companies based on university research have bucked the trend. Dr Richard Reschen, Senior Technology Transfer Manager at Oxford University Innovation, examines what is driving the bullish enthusiasm for these spinouts.

February 2017

This month’s collection are an example of Angels gone bad. They are linked by two things, their investment in the South Sea Trading Company between 1711 and 1720, and their prominence in the English Government and Civil service during the same period

February 2017

The instinct of the average person when we are seeing so much global change is to hunker down, but angels are not average people.