Inc - Christopher Mirabile

Christopher Mirabile is the Chairman Emeritus of the Angel Capital Association, the leading professional and trade association for angel groups and accredited individual angel investors. He is the co-founder of portfolio management tool Seraf-investor.com. He is also co-Managing Director of Launchpad Venture Group, a venture investment group focused on seed and early-stage investments in technology-oriented companies. Read more...Launchpad is the largest angel group in New England and top-three ranked group in the U.S. Christopher is a full-time angel and an active member of the Boston-area angel investing community with more than 60 investments in start-up companies. He was named one of the "Top Angel Investors in New England" by Xconomy. Christopher is an adjunct lecturer in the MBA program at Babson's Olin School of Business, a regular advisor and mentor to start-ups, and a frequent panelist and speaker. He is a member of the Board of Directors or Board of Advisors of numerous start-up companies as well as several non-profits. Christopher has served as a public company CFO with IONA Technologies PLC, a corporate and securities lawyer with Testa Hurwitz & Thibeault and as a management consultant with Price Waterhouse's Strategic Consulting Group.

September 28, 2015

Basic Term Sheet Mechanics

A beginners explanation of what a startup termsheet is, how it gets created and how it works.

September 11, 2015

10 Due Diligence Survival Strategies for Entrepreneurs

Advanced tips for successfully navigating the investor due diligence process.

August 18, 2015

Rites of Passage: What Investors Mean By Due Diligence

Entrepreneurs fear due diligence mostly because they don't understand it. Here's an overview of what investors are trying to accomplish.

July 21, 2015

Avoiding The 9 Worst Pitching Thin Spots

Assuming you have mastered the mechanics, flow, and choreography of your pitch, and you have a business that is fundable, and you know how to deliver the pitch and get through the filters investors apply, what is left to go wrong? Failing to go deep enough into certain essential areas. Shallow skimming in these difficult areas is so common some of the summary expressions entrepreneurs use have become cliches. There's no reason to fall into that trap; we know nobody wants to dive into a shallow pool. So let's go through these all-too-frequently short-changed items one at a time.

June 22, 2015

25 Mistakes To Avoid When Pitching Investors

You finally have your chance to pitch some investors. Your business concept may be solid. But are you aware that there are at least 25 other ways you might shoot yourself in the foot? Avoid them all with this checklist, segmented into three sections from easiest to hardest.

June 01, 2015

No Angel Traction? The Problem May Be Your Business Type

Some things are easier to fund than others. For entrepreneurs struggling to get angel traction, it is important to recognize that type of business matters.

May 07, 2015

Hidden Filters to Raising Money

Having a great idea is not enough. To attract investors, you need to understand how to think like an investor. Here is how.

April 15, 2015

When Teamwork Isn't Better: It's A Mistake to Tag-Team Your Pitch

When teamwork isn't better: an explanation of why the CEO should handle the investor pitch solo.

March 24, 2015

Getting Your Story Straight - Pitch Deck Flow

Decent entrepreneurs can succinctly explain what their product does. Good entrepreneurs can describe their market and their customer. Funded entrepreneurs can pitch their company in terms that an investor can relate to.

March 03, 2015

Pitch Deck Fundamentals - What You Need to Include

Securing investment requires more than a great idea. Beyond a compelling executive summary to tell your story and get you the pitch meeting, you will need to craft a great pitch deck. In my years as an angel investor I've seen hundreds and hundreds of presentations. Without a doubt the best investor presentations use consistent building blocks, have the right assembly and the components are arranged in a strategic flow (which will be covered in the next article). First things first.

ACA Inc. Column for Entrepreneurs - Demystifying Angels