5280 Angel

It is always nice to be able to write about a successful Colorado startup, but it is extra special if I get to participate.  :)  One of my portfolio companies, Routesmith, was recently purchased by Runzheimer, and I wanted to say congratulations to the founders, Matt and Jeff, for a job well done.  These guys […]

No, it is not a marital aid. It’s a Sprig. What’s a sprig? It is the coolest, greenest, cleanest children’s toy you’ve ever taken from your kid to play with on your own. It also happens to be my latest investment.
I saw Sprig Toys present last year at the Angel Capital […]

I am a little late in getting this information together, but I finally got around to it and wanted to share. I really enjoyed the diversity of deals that came across my desk last year, and I am always energized by the entrepreneurs who are out there grinding toward their dreams. I love […]

I haven’t written much about the Techstars companies since I attended the Investor Day event in Boulder, and I felt like an update was in order. In the weeks following the event I met with several of the companies because I saw some real potential.   Recently I closed investments in two of them: […]

Answer: Nothing. A while back I mentioned that I made an investment in a company that came to me through this blog, and it’s time to share some of my excitement! The company is called Legislative Database (LgDb), and it is definitely the next Google…well, maybe MySpace…er, uh, perhaps Hot or Not…whatever, […]

Breaking away from the early-stage investment model for a change, we made an investment in Aegis Analytical in late 2005 then again early this year. Now, we typically invest before the institutions, but this time we are coming in after the big boys have already made their play and we are facing more of […]

We recently closed an investment in our latest company, Routesmith, and I am happy to announce that I feel no trace of “investor remorse” that can briefly bloat your stomach after writing the check. You know that feeling that either you just overpaid for something or your new product isn’t at all as […]

…and I should have been on board. Do you know that feeling? Last fall I lost a company that will quite possibly go on to be a success, and I am no longer involved. It hurts, and I feel the need to share my grief so bear with me as I […]

Fred Wilson over at Union Square Ventures recently posted a piece on the types of people they back with capital investments, and he got me thinking about our portfolio and the people we have supported financially. His list included Franchise Entrepreneurs (people who they have backed before), Serial Entrepreneurs (successful startup before not necessarily with […]

This year was a mixed bag of success and failure for me, but the experience gained and lessons learned were invaluable. Our deal flow looked similar to 2005, but the quality of deals continues to improve every year. We looked at 74 deals, funded 2 new companies, and funded 3 of our existing […]