Tag Archives: new companies

April 18, 2017 · 10:00 am

CHICAGO—THE BEST INCUBATOR IN AMERICA?

by Denny O’Malley

Recently, Inc.com published an article about the best cities for early-stage companies. The premise: Chicago is the surprise winner.

Why would that be? San Francisco and New York are both beautiful, thriving cities that dramatically represent the diversity of American ideas. San Fran—younger, more venture-oriented, with beautiful natural vistas. New York—the classic, bustling private and public equity concrete jungle.

What do they have in common? It costs a kidney to pay rent for a closet. Continue reading →

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Filed under angel, angel investor, Characters, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, mobile, mobile internet, Startup Companies, Startups, The Economy, vc, venture capital

Tagged as 1871, accelerator, angel group, angel groups, Chicago, cost, east coast, funding, getting a start, heartland, Heartland Angels, incubator, midwest, money, new companies, new company, venture capital, west coast

January 12, 2017 · 7:00 am

BILLION DOLLAR UNICORNS

Kenneth M. Freeman

The world seems captivated by the growing number of unicorns – private companies theoretically worth more than $1 billion based on their latest round of funding. There are now more than 100 unicorns, led by Uber with a valuation of $66 billion. Continue reading →

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Filed under angel, angel investor, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, mobile, mobile internet, Startup Companies, Startups, vc, venture capital

Tagged as bubble, company valuation, heralded unicorns, new companies, overvaluation, overvalued startups, startup bubble, startup valuation, unicorns, valuation, venture bubble, venture valuation, venture value

July 12, 2014 · 12:41 am

WHIZ KIDS

by John Jonelis

You don’t want to compete with this kid. Believe me. Just watch his intensity as he pitches his business to some of the private equity luminaries in the city. I’m a judge at this event and try not to show my feelings of awe as he answers all the tough questions in a pressure-cooker environment without so much as a flinch. There’s an intimidating team behind him too. They’re all in middle school. Middle school! Continue reading →

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Filed under Education, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups

Tagged as business competition, Chicago events, Entrepreneurship, genius, gifted kids, IMSA, intelligence, new companies, pitch, prodigies, startups, whiz kids

April 29, 2014 · 2:31 pm

THE ANGEL EDGE

Adapted from the Journal of the Heartland Angels

Part 1 – by John Jonelis

Is an Angel a fool?

In the world of private equity investing, the order of funding is supposed to go like this:

Seed Round—that’s friends, family, and fools.
Angel Round—that’s funding the big initial spurt of growth.
Venture Round—that’s big funding for massive scaling.

Compare that stack-of-three (above) to a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Notice that Angels make up the good stuff in the middle. And yes—according to studies by the Kauffman Foundation—Angels make the best money. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups

Tagged as advantages to private equity. earnings by angel investors, angel investor, angels vs VCs, angels vs venture capitalists, Friends & family, friends and family, friends family and fools, new companies, Private equity, securities, startups

September 27, 2013 · 12:25 pm

TAKING IT APART

Michael Pollack of Rocket Fuel Labs

Verbatim, Part 3 – John Jonelis

I’m continuing a conversation with Michael Pollack, CEO of Rocket Fuel Labs at the huge 1871 space here in Chicago. We’ve covered a lot of ground and I think it’s time to get down to the business itself. Continue reading →

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Filed under Biography, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, High Tech, Low Tech, Startup Companies, Startups

Tagged as cash, equity, filling gaps, getting paid, new businesses, new companies, outsourcing, startups, talent

September 2, 2013 · 1:20 am

FASCINATION OF A THOUGHT LEADER

Michael Pollack of Rocket Fuel Labs

Verbatim – John Jonelis

I always enjoy the scenic water taxi ride to the Chicago Merchandise Mart where the huge high-tech incubator known as 1871 lives and breathes like a sleeping dragon in a cave full of gold. Continue reading →

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Filed under Biography, Entrepreneur, High Tech, Low Tech

Tagged as Biography, Eisenhower, enthusiasm, genius, how to get help starting a company, infrastructure, new companies, new ideas, platform, Richard Feynman, Rocket launch, software, starting a company, startups, Super Highway, thought leader

May 14, 2013 · 2:07 pm

THE TWO LAWS

IMSA Kids at MIT Enterprise Forum

John Jonelis

From a special correspondent – Mark T. Wayne:

Frankly sir, I am flabbergasted! This is something beyond my experience! Think of it. High school students turned serious entrepreneurs. These are children in suit and tie—teams of them politely waiting to speak in turn without interrupting the others. Not so much as a spit wad—do you hear me? Not one! That in itself is cause for more than casual interest. And no fluff here, sir! These kids seek equity funding without so much as a blush. And they do it with such aplomb. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Education, Electric Power, Entrepreneur, Games, High Tech, Low Tech

Tagged as children, English language, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, generate electricity underwater, green energy, High School, High School Students, IMSA, IMSA Power Pitch, mark T wayne, MIT, MIT Enterprise Forum, MITEF, new companies, Power Pitch, schools, sketch a tune, spit wads, startups, Tom Sawyer, Whitewash, who's in my class, winners, young adults, young people

May 1, 2013 · 12:22 am

WHAT’S CLEAN

Impact Engine – Part 6

John Jonelis

~ VERBATIM from a special correspondent ~

Loop Lonagan here. I’m at a place where my natural greed ‘n’ avarice can do some good fer dis poor worn-out world. This is the Chicago CleanTech Competition—what you might call a race between high-tech global janitorial services. Ten distinguished judges will pick the best o’ da best—companies that’re really doin’ somethin’ to deal with the mess we’re makin’ outa our little corner o’ God’s creation. What we got here is da last ten finalists in our great city and tonight that gets cut down to five. Continue reading →

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Filed under Characters, Entrepreneur, High Tech, Low Tech, Poverty

Tagged as angel, angel capital, angel investor, bacteria, Big Money, Chicago, chicago clean energy alliance, chicago ventures, clean water, cleantech, dirty water, drinking water, e. coli, entrepreneruship and politics, Entrepreneur, Entrepreneurship, events, filter, gcca, global cleantech cluster association, Impact Engine, impact investing, innovation, innovation and culture, invention, investments, investor, Jobs, Kellogg, Loop Lonagan, new companies, Northwestern, philanthropist, pitch, portapure, social entrepreneur, vc, venture capital, virus, water, water contamination, water pollution

December 22, 2012 · 12:25 am

THE BUM IN ME

Funding Feeding Frenzy – Part 2

John Jonelis

VERBATIM transcript of a recording by Loop Lonagan—investor and man about town.

Loop Lonagan here. I’m headin’ out to this year’s Funding Feeding Frenzy. It’s the big event if ya wanna see all o’ Chicago’s best startups in one place. This time the FFF is happenin’ at a place called the Chopin Theater northwest o’ downtown and I wanna see how that’s gonna work out. Will there be a string quartet? They yusta hold it at a huge automobile showroom which seems weird but worked out. It had about half the floor space of McCormick Place and plenty o’ room fer hordes o’ people to roam. But this is gonna be a lot different. Continue reading →