Editor's Note: You rely on Crowdability to bring you the very best equity crowdfunding deals each week. Now, rely on us to share the most up-to-date news, trends and opinion. This is the stuff you won’t read in the mainstream press, and the stuff that will keep you on the leading edge of the early-stage investing community. We publish “This Week’s Best Reading” every Friday at 8:00 AM Eastern.
This Week’s Best Reading
U.S. Venture Firms Raise $8.9 Billion
This is the highest level in 6 years, and almost double the amount raised last year. It underscores growing investor enthusiasm for start-ups. Read more here.
A $25 Million Fund to Invest in Angel Investors
A new method to fund start-ups could have widespread ramifications. “Some day you’re going to sit at your Schwab account or your Fidelity account and you’re going to say, ‘I’d like to take 1% of my net worth and put it into angel deals.’” Check it out.
To make money as an investor, do you need to fund mercurial, irrational entrepreneurs? On the surface, the answer looks like yes. See the post.
The Art of ‘Something From Nothing’
Entrepreneurs are lucky to have one big score. By repeatedly asking the same simple question – What piece of info do people crave? – Richard Barton has had a string of them. Read his story here.
Fred Wilson: The Full Business Insider Interview
It took Fred Wilson 10 years to become what he calls a “half-way decent” venture capitalist. It took him 20 to become a startup legend. Read his thoughts on investing trends, what's changing in VC, and the NY start-up scene here.
3 Reasons Start-Up Investing will Blow Up
Recent technology and regulatory developments are giving a boost to start-up investing. Many think we’re only in the early innings. Read more here.
Buy In to Investment Properties for Just $1,000?
RealtyShares is like a “LendingClub for Real Estate,” providing a platform for crowdfunded real estate. Many of their investments start at $1,000. It’s catching on: the company just raised $1.9 million. Get the full story.
Startups, Already Flush with Cash, Getting Richer
Quora, a question-and-answer service, didn't need to raise money. It had barely touched the $60 million it raised just two years ago. Yet the California start-up recently announced an additional $80 million in funding. What's going on here?
The virtual reality space has gotten a big boost from Facebook’s $2 billion deal to buy Oculus. Who’s next? Find out here.
Hunter Walk, a prominent VC and blogger, on why making early bets on founders – and even employees – is a strategy that's served him well. See his post.
