angelinvestor

Want to invest directly with an entrepreneur, and get in on the ground floor of a great idea? Angel investing is the way to do it.

Over the last few months, we heard a specific question from many of you — “How do I become an angel investor?” So, we decided to do a show on that very topic! 

If you haven’t heard the term before, an angel investor is someone who provides funding for small startups or entrepreneurs. The funding can be any amount, really, and sometimes the angels will get an ownership stake in the company for their investment, while other times there will be an agreement drawn up for getting your money back — plus profits — once the company gets off the ground. You may sometimes hear angel investors referred to as “private investors,” “seed investors,” or “angel funders,” but one thing is clear — no matter what you call them, angels can make a huge difference in the life of an entrepreneur, and they can also make some serious money in the process. 

This week we’re sitting down to talk about all of it with Brianna McDonald, President of Global Investment Network Keiretsu Forum, which has invested $750 million in over 1,000 companies since it was founded in 2000.

Listen in as  Brianna McDonald gives us all a crash course in what angel investing really is, and breaks down how angel investing differs from crowdfunding and venture capital. We also explain what it means to be an “accredited investor” and all the different pathways to becoming an angel investor. While angel investors previously had to prove that they earned $250,000 per year in order to become an accredited angel investor, these days that’s no longer a requirement — as long as you can prove that you have investing skills or pertinent subject matter expertise, you’re in. 

Brianna talks about how angel investors can find successful rates of return, and why now is a great time for women to consider becoming angel investors. Brianna also walks us through how she got started investing, how to find angel investing groups around the country and the importance of doing your research. 

“The first thing that is really important to figure out is your investment thesis. What do you want to put your dollars towards?” Brianna says. “So, aside from supporting these entrepreneurs, for me, what gets me up every day, especially as a mom of three young kids, is I’m helping to advance technology to make the world a better place, and that’s exciting.” 

Hear the Podcast organized by Her Money

Brianna walks us through the steps involved in becoming an angel investor, from conception to completion, and talks about some of the unknowns in angel investing that typically trip people up. She says there’s a reason why she recommends sitting in and observing the angel investing process and participating in “incubator” style environments for at least six months to a year before making your first investment. To determine whether an investment in a company will pay off, you should make sure to inquire about their capitalization plan, and how much they need to raise so they can go the distance. You should also seek to speak with the CEO and see how the communication flows — when you stop hearing from a company, that’s usually a sign that things have gone wrong. 

In Mailbag, Jean and Kathryn talk about saving for the down payment on a home for a child, how to rebuild credit after a couple of delinquent payment mistakes, and what to do in advance of a credit card losing its introductory 0% interest benefits. Lastly, in Thrive, where to find the best deals at Costco. 

SEATTLE, Oct. 1, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- OtoNexus Medical Technologies Inc. announced today that MedTech Outlook selected them as one of 10 companies nationwide that are at the forefront of providing infection control solutions and having an impact on the industry.

OtoNexus has developed the world's first ultrasound hand-held device to evaluate the four disease states of middle ear infection.  With the tools available today, detection accuracy is approximately 50% in the critical differentiation of viral versus bacterial infections.  As a result, middle ear infections are the #1 reason for antibiotic prescriptions and #1 reason for surgery in children.  

The Center for Disease Control suggests prescribing antibiotics for about 15% of middle ear infections. However, antibiotics are prescribed nearly 85% of the time. "Our goal is to decrease the usage of antibiotic therapy by 50% for the treatment of middle ear infections," said Caitlin Cameron, CEO OtoNexus Medical Technologies. It is an honor that MedTech Outlook recognizes how our unique technology empowers physicians to avoid unnecessary prescriptions of antibiotics and improve treatment of middle ear infections."

The OtoNexus device has the potential to:

• Minimize the use of unnecessary antibiotics in the treatment of middle ear infections
• Improve patient outcomes with timely, accurate diagnosis and treatment
• Reduce the cost of care by decreasing the number of follow up visits due to adverse antibiotics side effects and referrals to specialists

"We have been quite impressed by OtoNexus Medical Technologies' expertise in providing infection control solutions," said Alex D' Souza, Managing Editor of MedTech Outlook magazine." We congratulate OtoNexus Medical Technologies on this prestigious recognition and look forward to seeing their impressive growth streak continue."    

About OtoNexus Medical Technologies Inc.

OtoNexus has developed the world's first hand-held medical device with miniaturized ultrasound technology to instantly and accurately diagnose middle ear infections. In less than 2 seconds, physicians can evaluate middle ear infections and know whether antibiotic therapy is appropriate. This definitive test will provide physicians the information they need to minimize the use of antibiotics, improve patient outcomes, and reduce the cost of care.  For more information, please visit www.otonexus.com

About MedTech Outlook

MedTech Outlook is a platform that bridges the spectrum between MedTech Technology providers and healthcare facilities and medical institutions.  MedTech Outlook monitors and informs about MedTech trends, challenges, and solutions.  MedTech Outlook assists purchasers/procurers, decision-makers, and heads of operations, healthcare managers from peer vetted authoritative contributions.

About Keiretsu Forum

Keiretsu Forum, the world’s leading angel investor network with over 1,500 investors in 38 chapters on 3 continents. Keiretsu Forum has invested more than $500 million into more than 700 companies since inception. Keiretsu Capital administers funds on behalf of its Limited Partners - the Co-Investment & Opportunities Fund creates a diversified portfolio of technology start-ups backed by top tier angel groups and pursues the high upside value potential in these dynamic investment opportunities while promoting the sharing of risk inherent in any early-stage venture.  The firm is based in Seattle and San Francisco and its principals are veteran Silicon Valley and technology investors Randy Williams, Matthew C. Le Merle, and Nathan McDonald. 

For more information please visit www.keiretsuforum.com or contact us.

New York and London, September 30, 2020 -- Art Analysis & Research announced three promotions ahead of other news to be released in October.

Nica Gutman Rieppi has been appointed Managing Director for the company, effective October 1 st. Ms. Rieppi has been leading the New York operations for Art Analysis & Research but now takes that role across the company. Dr. Nicholas Eastaugh, Chief Scientist for Art Analysis & Research said, “We brought Nica in to launch our New York office and she did that very effectively and much more. This is an outstanding move that will benefit our customers greatly.”

Dr. Jilleen Nadolny will assume leadership of UK operations on October 1st as Director, UK. Dr. Eastaugh added, “Jilleen has been with us from the very beginning and is a leading technical art historian who is recognized widely in both academic and commercial circles. Her insights and acumen are a big reason we have so many repeat customers.”

One of the first moves made by Ms. Rieppi was to appoint Dehlia Barman as Manager, Marketing and Sales. Ms. Rieppi noted, “Dehlia’s passion for helping our customers achieve their objectives with their artworks has been exceptional and we look forward to her leading our more customer-centric efforts and articulating our value proposition more effectively.”

As part of the management changes, Curt Bilby will move to Executive Chairman. Bilby commented on the promotions, “We are very excited about the benefits these changes will bring our customers. As world leaders in their field, Nica and Jilleen are singular talents that are a delight in the workplace. Under their business and technical leadership, we have made significant strides towards a more customer-focused business model that is being well received in the market. In regard to Dehlia, she is a wonderful communicator and will be part of the thought leadership in the art market for decades to come.”

Source: Art Analysis & Research info@artanalysis.com

Contact: Dehlia Barman info@artanalysis.com

About AA&R

Art Analysis & Research is a leading provider of scientific and technical expertise to the fine art community. They aim to combine rigorous scientific analysis of paintings with contextual historical research to develop unparalleled insight into artworks.

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About Keiretsu Forum

Keiretsu Forum, the world’s leading angel investor network with over 1,500 investors in 38 chapters on 3 continents. Keiretsu Forum has invested more than $500 million into more than 700 companies since inception. Keiretsu Capital administers funds on behalf of its Limited Partners - the Co-Investment & Opportunities Fund creates a diversified portfolio of technology start-ups backed by top tier angel groups and pursues the high upside value potential in these dynamic investment opportunities while promoting the sharing of risk inherent in any early-stage venture.  The firm is based in Seattle and San Francisco and its principals are veteran Silicon Valley and technology investors Randy Williams, Matthew C. Le Merle, and Nathan McDonald. 

For more information please visit www.keiretsuforum.com or contact us.

SEATTLE, Sept. 3, 2020 - PRNewswire

 LumiThera Inc., a commercial-stage medical device company creating a photobiomodulation (PBM) treatment for ocular disorders and disease, today announced it is a recipient of a small business innovative research (SBIR) phase II grant from the National Institute of Health (NIH) and the division of the National Eye Institute (NEI).

The phase II grant supports a prospective, randomized, multi-center human clinical trial in U.S. subjects diagnosed with Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) and Diabetic Macular Edema (DME). The Photobiomodulation Reduction In Macular Edema (PRIME) trial, which is subject to FDA Investigational Device Exemption (IDE) approval, will test vision and examine disease pathology in the eye following PBM treatments using the Company's Valeda® Light Delivery System. Subjects will be followed for up to 6 months.  In 2018, LumiThera obtained a CE mark to commercialize the Valeda Light Delivery System in Europe for the treatment of dry AMD. 

Diabetic retinopathy is the most common diabetic eye disease and a leading cause of blindness in American adults.  It is caused by damage to the blood vessels of the light-sensitive tissue at the back of the eye (retina). At first, DR may cause no symptoms or only mild vision problems, but eventually, it can lead to blindness. Diabetic retinopathy can develop in anyone who has type 1 or type 2 diabetes. The longer a patient has diabetes and the less controlled their blood sugar is, the more likely they are to develop this eye complication. Sometimes the central part of the retina (macula) begins to swell (macular edema), a condition called DME that requires treatment.

"Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of blindness worldwide," commented Quan Dong Nguyen, M.D., M.Sc. and Diana V. Do, M.D., both professors of ophthalmology at the Byers Eye Institute, Stanford University School of Medicine. "We will be evaluating if PBM can provide an early treatment for DR and reduce macular edema. If successful, PBM could delay or reduce the need for intravitreal pharmacotherapy with currently approved Anti-VEGF medications or replace invasive laser surgery."

"The PRIME study expands LumiThera's global efforts to bring forward PBM treatments for debilitating eye diseases that can result in loss of vision," stated David Boyer, M.D., Retina-Vitreous Associates Medical Group, Los Angeles, CA. "The PRIME study in DME patients would create a novel treatment option for DME patients and expand the Valeda use into a 2^nd major therapeutic market."

"The NIH clinical grant is substantial in providing over $1.5M in funding to develop a PBM therapy for diabetic patients in the U.S.," stated Clark Tedford, Ph.D., President and CEO.  "We are pleased to have the NIH/NEI partially support the further development endeavors of LumiThera, and the grant is a significant step in the validation of the PBM technology and its potential in treating chronic eye disease."

"We are very excited to be part of the PRIME multicenter DME pilot trial," remarked Victor Gonzalez, M.D., Valley Retina Institute, McAllen, Texas. "The U.S. centers and investigators participating in this trial are very well experienced in the treatment of DME and this clinical trial will evaluate a variety of vision and imaging outcomes including Ocumet's mitochondrial and Diopsys' electroretinogram (ERG) functional measures with PBM and set the foundation for expanded use of Valeda in Diabetic Retinopathy and Macular Edema."

The Coordinating Center for the PRIME Study will be at the Byers Eye Institute at Stanford.  The Ocular Imaging Research and Reading Center (OIRRC, Sunnyvale, CA) will serve as the Reading Center for the Study.   

About LumiThera Inc.
LumiThera is a commercial-stage medical device company focused on treating people affected by ocular disorders and diseases including dry age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in adults over 65. The company is a leader in the use of PBM for the treatment of acute and chronic ocular diseases and disorders. The company is developing the office-based Valeda® Light Delivery System to be used by eye care specialists as medical treatments.

The Valeda Light Delivery System has been granted authorization to use the CE Mark by an EU Notified Body as required for commercial use in the European Union only. Valeda is not approved for use by the Food & Drug Administration (FDA) in the USA.

Visit the Company's website at www.lumithera.com.

About Keiretsu Capital, LLC  

Keiretsu Capital, LLC is an affiliate of Keiretsu Forum, the world’s leading angel investor network with over 1,500 investors in 38 chapters on 3 continents. Keiretsu Forum has invested more than $500 million into more than 700 companies since inception. Keiretsu Capital administers funds on behalf of its Limited Partners - the Co-Investment & Opportunities Fund creates a diversified portfolio of technology start-ups backed by top tier angel groups and pursues the high upside value potential in these dynamic investment opportunities while promoting the sharing of risk inherent in any early-stage venture.  The firm is based in Seattle and San Francisco and its principals are veteran Silicon Valley and technology investors Randy Williams, Matthew C. Le Merle, and Nathan McDonald. 

For more information please visit www.keiretsucapital.com or contact Keiretsu Capital public relations at press@keiretsucapital.com