Networking and investor events
Investor Panel: Hawaii, Ocean Tech, Early Stage and Digital Assets
Global Investor Insights Panel - Family Office Club | Deal Flow, Sectors, & Investment Strategies
Founders and deal sponsors who want to see how different investors describe their focus, check size and deal flow needs before they reach out.
What to take from this talk
- Narrow focus can be a strength. The Hawaii investor describes their sandbox as small. They look at business and commercial services, especially hospitality and construction, and at Hawaii's aging infrastructure.
- State the check size and track record. Matt shares a clear range of 100 to 250k checks. Matt also gives numbers on activity, with 70 investments into 44 companies.
- Ocean data can mean recurring revenue. Matt describes Honu, which places sensors on coastlines and in flood plains. The company sells flood risk data to governments, which Matt calls B2G recurring revenue. Matt says the model is resource light and uses low-cost hardware.
- Early-stage investors favor customer-focused founders. One panelist wants founders who are strong executors and spend their time on customers. They say the venture model has long leaned on bias toward schools and connections, and they want to move that bias toward the customer.
- Digital asset investors can wait for scale. The digital assets investor does not engage with a project until it reaches the top 100 by market capitalization. They note that tens of thousands of projects have launched ICOs over the last 5 years.
The short version
One panelist invests only in the state of Hawaii, with a focus on business and commercial services, hospitality and construction. Another, Matt, runs an accelerator and an investment arm that writes 100 to 250k checks into pollution-reducing companies. Matt reports 70 investments into 44 companies. His areas include green shipping, ocean data, satellites, plastic alternatives and sustainable aquaculture.
A third investor backs early-stage founders around the world and likes to co-invest with other people. This investor looks for strong executors who focus on their customers. A fourth panelist focuses on digital assets and waits until a project reaches the top 100 by market capitalization. The session ends with an invitation to join the Family Office Club.
Key facts
- Matt's group writes 100 to 250k checks and has made 70 investments into 44 companies.
- Honu uses hundreds of low-cost sensors on coastlines and in flood plains and sells flood risk data to governments.
- The digital assets investor waits until a project is in the top 100 by market capitalization.
Sources
From Richard C. Wilson's Centimillionaire Strategies YouTube channel: Global Investor Insights Panel - Family Office Club | Deal Flow, Sectors, & Investment Strategies. Quotes come from the video captions, lightly edited for readability. Figures are the speakers' own estimates and experience.
General education only. Not legal, tax or investment advice.
Said on the call
"We don't even start getting interested until they get into the top 100 by market capitalization."
"100 to 250k checks into these companies, and we've done 70 investments into 44 companies."
"Hawaii has a real aging infrastructure, so anything we can do to take advantage of that."
Related questions
- Which investor conferences are worth attending for fundraising?The conferences worth your time have real investors on stage, a team that has run many events, and plenty of time to meet people in person.
- How do I close a funding round?I close a funding round by focusing on investors who fit the opportunity and moving each interested prospect through clear, consistent follow-up.
- What documents do investors request during due diligence?Prepare a clear, organized package covering your operations, investments, compensation, team, and track record.
Questions about this video
What check size does the ocean and pollution investor write?
Matt says they write 100 to 250k checks into companies from their accelerator and investment arm. They report 70 investments into 44 companies.
What sectors does the Hawaii investor look at?
They focus on business and commercial services in the state of Hawaii. Hospitality and construction are named, along with opportunities tied to Hawaii's aging infrastructure.
When does the digital assets investor get interested in a project?
Only once the project reaches the top 100 of the market capitalization. They note that tens of thousands of projects have launched ICOs over the last 5 years.
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