The Midwest Venture Alliance (MVA) is a membership organization of
accredited private investors committed to investing in high-growth seed
and early-stage technology companies in Kansas and surrounding states.

The
purpose of the alliance is to help promote early-stage equityi investing
and to provide entrepreneurs and investors an effective, centralized
forum to collaborate.  Our members are business owners and executives
experienced in funding and growing emerging businesses. Members engage
in a participative style of investing in which they are encouraged to
share their knowledge and expertise during the investment-selection
process and with companies that are funded and supported by the
Alliance.

Mid-America Angels ("MAA") is a regional network of
angel investors dedicated to identifying and funding the most promising
start-up business opportunities in the Kansas-Missouri Region.  MAA has
two primary objectives:

1. To present high return on investment funding opportunities to its members.
2. To facilitate access to early-stage financing for high-potential businesses and entrepreneurs.

To inquire about membership, please click on Join MAA.  If you are an entrepreneur seeking funding, please click on
For Entrepreneurs.

This is a very informative video that provides great insight into the minds of successful angel investors. Plus, it's hosted by Guy Kawasaki which always makes it an exciting event.

Are you frustrated with trying to attract Angel investment? Do you ever perceive your discussions with angels to be a waste of time? Don't worry you are not alone! In fact many times entrepreneurs mistake an investors discussions for lack of interest when that couldn't be farther from the truth!

First Round Capital is a venture capital firm dedicated to helping
talented entrepreneurs build remarkable companies. We are not
afraid of investing in pre-revenue companies - and often provide
a company's first outside capital. As former entrepreneurs,
we understand the challenges of launching a new enterprise.
We look to take an active role in most of the companies we invest
in. We believe our insight and expertise are far more valuable
than our capital -- and we look for entrepreneurs who feel the
same.

First Round Capital invests nationally and has offices in Philadelphia, New York City and San Francisco.

Seed funding is hard to find, but maybe most effective in vetting new ideas.

Charles River Ventures has a program that looks interesting, but CRV is a venture firm and may have different objectives than a seed fund from angels. Y Combinator has a great program that is mostly a intense incubation boot camp, and a small shot in the arm financially ($20K). I think that we need more of this activity, especially with web driven technologies where sub $500k investment can go along way, and maybe be all that is needed.

Here's a great article from VentureBeat

When seed funding is better than Series A

By Carl Showalter 10.9.07

It’s surprising how often I meet with first-time entrepreneurs who tell me they need $5 million.

Not many companies need that amount in their first round of funding. Much of the time, what they need at the earliest stage is enough money to prove the concept and mitigate some initial risk. Often, what they require is seed funding, more on the order of
$250,000 or $500,000.

So why do entrepreneurs think they need so much money right out of the gate? Some seem to be attempting to finance their way to profitability, but more often than not they think they
need to ask for several million to get the attention of VCs. It’s become a bit of an urban legend: VCs won’t take an entrepreneur seriously if they ask for less than $5 million. That tall tale belongs in the archives with the one about how alligators live in the sewer system.

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From: Soaring on Ridgelift : Online musings of a techno VC

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Valuationi of the Early Stage Company Workshop

Event Description - Valuation of the Early Stage Company Workshop

This workshop covers the term sheeti and helps entrepreneurs understand how to value their business when raising capital. Topics covered include offering terms, factors that affect valuation, valuation by life stage, and valuation methodologies. The workshop also assists entrepreneurs in preparing an actual valuation for their business.

Contact Information Primary Contact Jayne Vehlewald 8527 Bluejacket St. Lenexa, KS 66214 913-438-2282 913-888-6928 jvehlewald [at] ecjc [dot] com   Secondary Contact Add new comment Calendar Email this page Read more Term Sheet Basics Submitted by admin on Thu, 11/29/2007 - 4:24pm. angel financial legal vc What it is good for:  Breaks down the basics of term sheets and the major issues that they address. Very important to understand these terms, as they greatly affect your relationship with investors, managment efforts, and how the investment is structured.     Term Sheeti Basics Presented by Steven R. Kopits   Author & Source:  Steven Kopits, Date:  11/29/2007 Average: 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 No votes yet Add new comment Email this page 1 attachment 123next ›last » Sponsors