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Could someone explain the differences in acquiring funding as an inventor vs an entrepreneur? Reason I ask is that I was recently laid off by a failed startup t
by Vekz 16y ago
Could someone explain the differences in acquiring funding as an inventor vs an entrepreneur? Reason I ask is that I was recently laid off by a failed startup that had secured and wasted an investment in the amount of 2 million.
After that experience I went on to do some contract work with another early stage startup. They had no solid idea or vision for a product and had funding in the amount of 1.5 million.
It is concerning to me that a proven inventor like Johnson, who has a solid concept, is struggling to pull in his initial 100,000
- dstein 16y agoHe should disguise his invention as a social network for the energy industry -- BOOM! instant funding.
- nickpinkston 16y agoHaha I think you've got that backwards. It's probably better to make a social network look green and sell the carbon credits! How that for monetization?!?
- dstein 16y agoYou nailed it! A social network for carbon credit sharing. Call Sequoia.
- olefoo 16y agoI expect to see this very thing funded by this time next week. Looks like someone else has already proven the market http://sandbag.org.uk/ http://sandbag.org.uk/ But since they aren't doing it in the bay area it's an easy run for a motivated team with strong leadership.
- sandGorgon 16y agoOr rather, Kleiner-Perkins http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/26/news/companies/terralliance_tech_full.fortune/index.htm http://money.cnn.com/2010/03/26/news/companies/terralliance_...
- mkramlich 16y agotrue/funny but one factor is the relative costs involved. the cost to create the basic "technology" for a new social network is basically zero (ok, assuming one talented programmer, working for self/equity, one weekend to write the core, plus several more weeks to flesh it out incrementally, etc.). Whereas the cost to take the JTEC to a productized, profitable, polished device in the marketplace could be many millions USD.
- dusklight 16y agoIt is not clear that he has been looking for investors .. from the article it seems he has been looking for government grants, which would have given him money without asking for equity in return. Johnson may have initially wanted to fund his invention purely from his own money, keeping all the equity, but as the money started running out he has been looking for alternatives.
- cvg 16y agoHe has been funding the company with his money from Super Soakers, but because of knock-offs is now only able to cover one third of expenses. Looks like he's trying to give up as little ownership as possible: govt grants, reinvest revenue, slow to get vc funding.
- demallien 16y agoIt does look like that, though you do end up wondering why. Even 10% equity in the company that owns the patents on efficient solar energy generation is going to be wealthy beyond their hopes of ever being able to spend the money. Maybe its just that he likes being the boss, and not having to answer to anyone, including investors...
- deleted 16y ago[deleted]