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

On 1/25/2010 Anne is a speaker on a Life Science Angel Investors Panel: Trends for 2010

Anne DeGheest will be a speaker at FountainBlue: Life Science Entrepreneurs Forum on January 25, 2010.

Topics will include how early stage companies can position themselves for successful partnerships and fundings, strategically plan your business based on evolving market needs, tightly manage cash flow, and build strategic alliances with larger organizations, angels, research organizations, and other key stakeholders

 http://www.fountainblue.biz/lifescience.html

Below is a summary of some of the panel comments and advices to entrepreneurs looking for angel capital:

Our panelists started by remarking on both the fact that there were 40% fewer dollars AND 30% fewer deals than in 2009, the lowest level of activity since 1997, however, they remarked that angel investing is still very active with smaller amounts for more deals. But as 10% of the deals have paid 75% of the total returns, many investors, particularly early stage investors who are more likely to get diluted in future rounds, and who might have incurred huge losses, are much more cautious. VCs are actually even more cautious, waiting for angels to vet and fund early stage companies. As one investor put it, ‘there is no money on the sidelines' - investors are already "all-in". There is also unlikely to be additional money as we are all "exit challenged", with the disappearance of the IPOs.

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Anne DeGheest | 22 January 2010