Investor Connect: Mathias Ihlenfeld on Bootstrapping Woom Bikes, Scaling, and Founder Coaching
[audio src="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/angelconnect/Mathias_Ihlenfeld.mp3"][/audio] In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Mathias Ihlenfeld of ByMathias, who shares his journey from growing up near Frankfurt, Germany, coming to the U.S. to play college tennis, earning a business degree and an MBA from the University of Alabama, and working in consulting at IBM…
Investor Connect: Strategies for Investing in Turbulent Markets
In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome back Angela Lee of 37 Angels and Columbia Business School to share an update on the angel investing landscape and strategies for investing in turbulent markets. Angela reviews today's venture market dynamics, including deal volume near peak levels, a "barbell" effect where…
Investor Connect: Investor Education January – Part 04
In this episode of Investor Connect, we hear a pitch from Jason on Ticket Rewards, a ticketing company offering "live entertainment as a service" to help enterprise brands drive engagement, retention, and loyalty through access to live event tickets. Ticket Rewards works directly with presenters, promoters, sports teams, and venues,…
Investor Connect: Data Moats, Not Demos: How to Build Durable AI Investments
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Sue Xu, Managing Partner at Amino Capital. Located in Palo Alto, California, Amino Capital is a global venture capital firm investing from seed through growth stage, with over $1 billion in assets under management and a track record that includes backing companies such…
Investor Connect: Backing Defensible Deep Tech and Enterprise AI
[audio src="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/angelconnect/03.27Lu_Zhang.mp3"][/audio] On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Lu Zhang, founder and managing partner of Fusion Fund. Calling in from downtown Palo Alto, Lu shares how Fusion Fund, based in the heart of Silicon Valley, backs early-stage companies with difficult-to-copy technology across enterprise AI, healthcare AI, industry automation,…
IC: From Lab to Market: University of Houston Tech Commercialization with Michelle Leeuwon
In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin welcomes Michelle Leeuwon, a leader in technology commercialization at the University of Houston working at the intersection of innovation, entrepreneurship, and ecosystem development. Michelle shares how UH treats commercialization as a translational process—"cultivating deals" by asking three key questions: what problem…
Investor Connect: Seed Investing, Fast Decisions, and Founder Readiness
[audio src="https://traffic.libsyn.com/secure/angelconnect/0227Dave_Sanders_Sacramento_Angels.mp3"][/audio] On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Dave Sanders, angel investor and Membership Chair at SAC Angels. Located in El Dorado Hills, California, Sac Angels is a long-running Sacramento-based angel group that's been investing in high-potential early-stage startups since the late 1990s, with about 70 members completing…
Investor Connect: Investor Education January – Part 03
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Barry, who presents a medical device focused on improving treatment for hydrocephalus, a condition caused by excess fluid in the brain. Barry describes the current standard approach—ventricular-peritoneal shunts that drain fluid from the brain to the abdomen using a long rubber tube—and…