Here are some key takeaways:

• Do a reality check on the company status: did they meet their milestones? Is the opportunity turning into of a product or a large business? Has there been any significant product and market validation since the last round? How much money weill be needed to get to break-even?

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Anne DeGheest | 31 May 2010

Amendment to Financial Reform Bill will allow angel investors to stay accredited and provide seed capital to start ups

The Senators' amendment which passed last night, May 17, 2010, will ease restrictions in the financial reform bill for accredited investors. The amendment promotes small business startups by speeding and increasing the availability of essential seed capital from qualified investors. Specifically, the amendment eliminates the language in the underlying bill that required a 120 day Securities and Exchange Commission review period for investors that prove an annual income in excess of $200 thousand and net worth totaling more than $1 million excluding the value of the primary residence of such natural person (this is NEW and was the compromised to get the bill changed).
Initially they wanted to raise the requirement to $2.5 Million (without the house) and $500K annual income!.. which the ACA, Angel Capital Association, estimated would have eliminated the majority of existing angel investors that fund American start ups.

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Anne DeGheest | 18 May 2010

New angel investor group created, HealthTech Capital

I recently founded HealthTech Capital, a group of private investors dedicated to funding and mentoring new "HealthTech" start ups at the intersection of healthcare and the computer/consumer electronic world.

Our goal is to invest and mentor capital efficient companies that use new scalable business model to improve the efficiency of healthcare delivery from the hospital to the home.

HealthTech Capital is a new private equity investment model that leverages professional investment management oversight with the collegiality and shared expertise found in organized Angel investor groups.

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Anne DeGheest | 17 May 2010