hardware

Experienced angel investors, Ron Conway, Founder of Angel Investors LP, and Mike Maples, Founder of Maples Investments, provide a rare look into the ins and outs of angel investing. Conway and Maples discuss how angel investors assess opportunities, provide assistance to entrepreneurs and transition start-ups to larger venture investments or exit. In addition, Conway and Maples provide advice to entrepreneurs about finding one's passion and developing that passion into new ventures, including insight into how much money to raise and how to manage that money after it is in the bank.

Ron Conway, Mike Maples Jr. - Angel Investing Revealed

Today we cover Part 2 of Hardware Investing with Avidan Ross of Root Ventures.  In this segment we address:

- Examples of Trojan Horse hardware businesses that Avidan has invested in
- Many view hardware as very capital intensive, more difficult to commercialize and thus, too risky in an already very risky asset class.  What's your response to this and why do you think that now a good time to be investing in hardware?
- There are clearly some advantages that software companies have over hardware companies. Can you talk about the distinct advantages that hardware-centric startups have over that of software?... including the business models, revenue streams, stickiness
- Are there certain hardware business models (ex. razor/razor-blade) that you target and do you think it's possible we will see more SaaS-like, subscription-based models with hardware products in the future?
- How is your approach to dealflow and connecting with founders or potential founds different, considering the areas you're investing in?
- Any other thoughts on hardware or core science that you'd like to touch on for the listeners before we wrap things up?

Ep80: Hardware Investing, Part 2 (Avidan Ross)

The Full Ratchet