The Angel Nest

Reflect Ventures Invests in Markets Where the Smartphone Revolution is Still Just Getting Started

America has led the tech revolution, but now some smart investors are backing emerging market startups with similar models, huge addressable markets, and much less competition.

As high-tech ventures spread across the planet, Michael Friedman and Jor Law have discovered huge opportunities backing startups with similar business models to the giants except that they’re in emerging and frontier markets like Africa, Pakistan, and Morocco.

Imagine investing in a place that’s starting to adopt the smartphone but you already know what the smartphone revolution can bring.

Michael and Jor from Reflect Ventures are our guest for this episode of the Angel Nest Podcast. Learn more about their firm at reflectventures.com.

And, be sure to catch up on past episodes by visiting TheAngelNest.com.

Centers will Turn Gas-Guzzling Pickups into Smooth-Riding Electric Vehicles

We know the future of cars and trucks is electric, but what happens with all those other vehicles that are still running well?

There are 25 million half-ton pickup trucks on the road right now whose only problem is that they run on gasoline. Everyone has decided that, to save the planet, transportation vehicles need to go electric. But sending 25 million vehicles to the junkyard doesn’t seem very environmentally friendly or economical (especially for their owners).

Today, we meet Tom Storey and his EV startup Conversion Centers which aims to repurpose those gas-guzzling vehicles for a fraction of what they would cost to replace.

Listen to this episode and catch up on any you've missed at TheAngelNest.com.

Episode 18 - Here’s Why Veterans Make Great Entrepreneurs

It stands to reason that entrepreneurs with military backgrounds have many of the same qualities investors look for in founders. And yet, they are 30% less likely to find venture capital. 

In this episode of the Angel Nest podcast, we welcome Darren Burrell, of Veteran Ventures Capital. Darren served in the U.S. Air Force which gave him discipline, focus and mental agility – all skills he would later use to succeed in business. His fund, Veteran Ventures, invests exclusively in entrepreneurs with military background. That’s not only to support those that served but also because they have unique domain expertise. And, because Darren knows why veterans are a good bet.

Bill Reny, an U.S. Air Force vet and founder/CEO of SEE ID, also joins us. Veteran Ventured backed his company which provides real-time IOT asset tracking to government and private sector clients. Thanks in part to that funding and mentorship, SEE ID is seeing explosive growth. 

We’ll discuss how SEE ID and other veteran-led companies are turning their unique experiences into new business success.

You can learn more about Veteran Ventures at https://VeteranVentures.us. 
And, find SEE ID online at at https://seeidinc.com.

Catch up on past episodes of the Angel Nest podcast at https://theangelnest.com.

 

Episode 17 - New North Ventures Propels New North Ventures Propels Firms with Proven Dual-Purpose Technologies

Where do prudent investors turn in uncertain times? The team at New North Ventures has found a niche leveraging their industry and national security connections to advance technologies that can serve both. They provide capital and connections to companies with proven technologies that are ready for new markets. 

New North's "sweet spot" is AI, Cybersecurity and next generation communications.

New North Ventures partners Jeremy Hitchcock and Brett Davis join us for a conversation on the Angel Nest along with Steven Witt of Anno AI, a New North Ventures portfolio company. Anno uses AI to leverage data generated by sensors - taking the value of that data to a whole new level

Learn more about New North Ventures at newnorthventures.com.
And, find more about Anno AI at anno.ai.

Finally, be sure to check out theangelnest.com for additional episodes and conversations with great entrepreneurs and investors.

XIRA Helps Consumers Find Lawyers and Helps Lawyers Manage Their Practice

Where do you find a good lawyer? And, if you’re a lawyer, where do you find clients if you’re not part of a big firm? Many consumers are intimated when choosing a lawyer and price sensitive to the large law firms which often have to charge big fees. 

Enter Xira, a platform designed to connect independent lawyers and clients. Xira seems to be well-positioned for this current moment. After the Covid pandemic, more clients seem to be willing to work online and more lawyers are looking to be independent, making this a potentially great time for Xira to grow.

In this episode, we speak with company founder Reza Ghaffari and one of his first investors Bob Leggett, who envisions a future for Xira well beyond just the current platform. We’ll also hear from attorney Joseph Semartino who has used the platform to help grow his practice.

Learn more about Xira at https://xira.com.

And check out theangelnest.com for additional episodes and conversations with great entrepreneurs and investors.

Aerogami Improves Customer Service by Turning Key Documents into Digital Assets

Aerogami helps companies access today’s “mobile” customers with tools like their Digidoc platform. The app allows traditional insurance companies, for instance, to quickly go mobile in order to appeal to younger consumers who use their phones for absolutely everything.

Companies use Digidoc to translate their material to easily accessible digital files without coding, saving time and money. Consumers can then access all those important documents like insurance policies and contact info right on their home screen whenever needed. 

On this issue of the Angel Nest podcast, we talk with Aerogami president Bradley Adams and customer Ariel Wiley from On Call International which uses the app to serve college clients around the world.

Tune in for more episodes and conversations with great entrepreneurs at theangelnest.com.

Event for StartUps in Providence to Teach Marketing

Marketing Your StartUp?

Nick Cianfaglione gives a preview of his free event April 28 at Venture Cafe Providence on how to market at every stage of the startup and program manager Reilly Kons talks about meeting investors at Venture Cafe. 

Learn more and reserve your spot at VentureCafeProvidence.org

Find more episodes and conversations with great entrepreneurs and investors at theangelnest.com.

 

New App Lets Users Turn Change from Purchases into Crypto

There’s a new way to get in on the cryptocurrency investing craze and it is as easy as shopping.

The Roundly X app gives small savers access to cryptocurrencies by letting them round up their purchases and applying that amount to their choice of more than 70 crypto assets. The app maker says rounding up by about $12.50 a week could yield investors over $8,100 in value for the year. 

The company is quickly growing their user base and already rounding up about $12,000 a day. Co-founder Andrew Elliot ascribes much of the company’s success to a unique partnership with angel investor Steve Walsh, known as the “hands-on angel” investor. The two discuss micro-transactions and crypto with David on this episode of the Angel Nest podcast.

Tune in for more episodes and conversations with great entrepreneurs at theangelnest.com.

Crowdsourced GPS App for bike and scooter rider taps into active community

Bikes and scooters are no longer just for fun. They’ve gained ground as an everyday form of transportation. And now they have their own crowdsourced GPS app to help riders find the right routes. Think Waze for bikes and scooters. It’s called Pointz and it’s the brainchild of two entrepreneurs from Brown University.

Pointz hopes to tap into an avid micro-mobility community sprouting up in connected cities around America. The app’s sophisticated mapping algorithms combine with local user input to rank routes from “Dangerous for Bikes” to “Most Bike-Friendly.”

Company founders Maggie Bachenberg (CEO) and Trisha Ballakur (CTO) and their first investor, Tom Sperry of Rogue Venture Partners join host David Hemenway in this edition of the Angel Nest podcast.

Tune in for more episodes and conversations with great entrepreneurs at theangelnest.com.

Investors Find World Class innovation in Rhode Island’s New Tech Hub

Some of the best places to find start-up companies to invest in are not in New York, London or Silicon Valley. Savvy investors are increasingly looking for their next opportunities in underserved markets like Providence, RI, where a new tech ecosystem is already showing promising signs.

RIHub is a not-for-profit incubator for technology startups. The government-funded program provides mentoring, educational programs, access to a shared workspace and networking opportunities to connect investors and entrepreneurs.

Annette Tonti, managing director of RIHub tells us why it’s RI’s turn to shine in tech innovation. She’s joined by entrepreneurs Trisha Ballakur and Maggie Bachenberg, co-founders of Points. The two are recent graduates of the RIHub experience and found their first investor through the program, Tom Sperry of Rouge Venture Partners, who also joins us. Sperry’s company finds great startups in less saturated markets where access to capital is often less and valuations more down-to-earth.

Tune in for more episodes and conversations with great entrepreneurs at theangelnest.com.