Archive: Startup Update
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Cityzenith Shuttered, but Investors Still Have Hope
By Vin Narayanan on June 8, 2023
Many First Stage Investor members have written in to ask us about Cityzenith closing its business. We recommended Cityzenith as an investment opportunity in September 2020. And like you, we’re disappointed that Cityzenith closed. We were hoping for big things. I reached out this week to Cityzenith founder and CEO Michael Jansen to see if we could have a quick conversation. I wanted to better understand why…
Monogram Orthopaedics Announces an IPO
By Teddy Lyons on April 27, 2023
Great news. Monogram Orthopaedics is going public on May 18! The company is going to list on the Nasdaq under the ticker MGRM. The company will go public at $7.25 per share. But don’t worry if this price seems low. Monogram recently completed a…
Pureboost Sales Hit Double-Digit Growth Despite Some Setbacks
By Teddy Lyons on April 6, 2023
We first recommended Pureboost back in November 2022. The company sells a powdered energy drink that has shown remarkable traction among a surprising demographic: women. Traditionally, the energy drink market is hyper-masculine in terms of both marketing messaging and clientele. Pureboost has…
KMX Technologies Attracts Powerful Partners
By Andy Gordon on March 23, 2023
KMX Technologies is raising again. We recommended the company to you last July at a $40 million valuation. At the time, everything was beginning to come together for the company and its innovative approach to lithium production. So it’s not surprising…
Portfolio Update: Tradefox Enters an Inflection Year
By Andy Gordon on March 2, 2023
According to Tradefox, a trade analytics company with a focus on scrap metal and recyclables, waste materials are recyclables in the wrong place. The faster and more efficiently they get to the right place, the better it is for the health of the planet. In its…
Portfolio Update: TÖST Expands Its Global Reach With Rave Reviews
By Teddy Lyons on January 26, 2023
We first recommended TÖST in 2021. The company sells non-alcoholic sparkling beverages made with simple ingredients and low sugar. We recently caught up with CEO Brooks Addington to see how things have been going over the last year and a half. …
SampleServe Is on the Brink of Major Growth
By Teddy Lyons on January 5, 2023
We recommended SampleServe back in 2020. SampleServe is a Michigan-based provider of environmental project and data management solutions. The company offers environmental sampling tools that allow gas stations and oil companies to monitor and manage underground contaminants as required by law. …
World Tree Steps Up Its Game
By Andy Gordon on December 19, 2022
World Tree is raising again — this time on StartEngine. This raise gives old and new investors alike a chance to grab a revenue share of the 2032 Empress Splendor harvest. Raising every year is baked into World Tree’s…
What Went Wrong With NowRx
By Andy Gordon on December 12, 2022
Last Monday, I told you that NowRx was going out of business. Today, I’m going to share some more thoughts on why it happened. The company says it was because of the deteriorating economy. But there’s a lot more to it…
NowRx Is Going Out of Business
By Andy Gordon on December 5, 2022
As many of you know, NowRx is going out of business. NowRx issued an email yesterday detailing some of the asset sales of the company that have recently taken place, including a link to the company’s announcement last Wednesday that Alto Pharmacy has acquired the rights to NowRx’s…
Barrow’s Intense Bounces Back From COVID-19 Troubles
By Teddy Lyons on November 10, 2022
We recommended Barrow’s Intense Ginger Liqueur back in 2016. Barrow’s is a Brooklyn-based producer of premium handmade ginger liqueur. We recently caught up with CEO Josh Morton to learn more about the company’s progress and future plans. Back in 2019, the…
Portfolio Update: Monogram Orthopaedics Explores a Public Listing
By Teddy Lyons on August 18, 2022
We recommended Monogram Orthopaedics to you back in 2019 and again in 2021. The company is developing advanced robotics technology combined with 3D printing to disrupt the joint replacement industry. We recently caught up with Monogram CEO Benjamin…
Smart Soda Gets $3 Million and a Huge Vote of Confidence
By Teddy Lyons on August 4, 2022
We first recommended Smart Soda in November 2020. The company makes healthy, vitamin-infused sodas that it sells through two business lines — ready-to-drink bottles and proprietary soda dispensing machines. And in the nearly two years since our recommendation, the company has achieved remarkable…
Blendid Makes Splendid Progress
By Teddy Lyons on July 21, 2022
Update as of October 13, 2022: Blendid’s raise is closing tomorrow. The company has made significant strides since our update, and we feel you should know the very latest in case you want to make a last minute investment. In July 2022, Blendid…
Portfolio Update: CodeCombat Grows Revenue, Expands Customer Base
By Early Investing on June 9, 2022
We recommended CodeCombat almost two years ago in July 2020. The company develops video games that teach middle schoolers and high schoolers how to code. Since we recommended CodeCombat, the company has navigated the COVID-19 storm and is now growing sustainably and profitably. …
The Third Time Is Not the Charm for This Startup
By Andy Gordon on May 12, 2022
NowRx will complete its third crowdfunding raise on SeedInvest later this month. We’ve recommended it twice. And it has worked out incredibly well for our members who invested. But the third time is not…