How I Invested in 5,000 Startups
Learn from my brief journey angel investing in privately-held businesses...
Dear Community,
I began my startup investing journey just a few short years ago, and I just realized my portfolio has grown to include more than 5,000 startups and privately-help small businesses!
Accessible education on startup investing is often gate-kept and overcomplicated. Most people assume its reserved for multi-millionaires, venture capitalists, and silicon-valley elites able to get into the right rooms. In truth, it’s never been easier to begin investing in this historically high-growth asset class — with thousands of opportunities accessible at a minimum of just $100.
So, how did I do it?
After starting my angel investing journey, I learned that its very similar to the traditional stock market. I could invest in individual companies — like stocks and bonds, or I could also invest in a bundle of startups — like the an ETF, or the S&P500.
As an example, this article is posted on Substack, which is an individual startup in my portfolio. With a $585 million valuation, Substack opened a “community round” in 2023 for everyday people to invest in the company via Wefunder, an SEC-regulated platform enabling Substack’s campaign. Check out the deal memo we posted and shared with the community:
The Memo | Substack Investment Opportunity
Today, we’re discussing an equity crowdfunding investment opportunity in Substack, which is currently fundraising on Wefunder!
It’s what I call being “VC•ish”
I could invest $100 into 5,000 individual startups, or I could invest $500 into 3 fundraising platforms enabling the success of the ecosystem.
For example, I’m an equity owner in the Wefunder platform itself, so, not only do I potentially benefit from Substack’s success, but I now have exposure to each of the 3,000+ startups fundraising with Wefunder. This is what I call being “VC•ish” — you don’t have to be a venture capitalist to think like one.
Smart investors know the value of diversification, so I’ve also been sure to make small bets with investments in Republic and StartEngine as well — two other leaders in the startup fundraising landscape.
By becoming equity owners in platforms enabling accessible investing at scale, we’ve got a vested interest in creating opportunities for the diverse communities we serve.
At Bison Venture Partners, we’re on a mission to become a vehicle for change.
If you’re ready to learn more lessons from my startup investing journey, be sure to get your free copy of my eBook, The Ghetto VC: How to Invest like a Venture Capitalist, with Limited Resources.
As an educational supplement, I’ve also recorded a 10-lecture course available to view at your own pace. Remember, if you’re an official member of The Herd, you get full access to this as well! Check it out below:
Intro To Angel Investing | Lectures 1-10
Dear Community, I'm excited to share that anyone interested in taking our highly requested "Introduction to Angel Investing" course can now view all 10 previously-recorded lectures directly on this Substack thread! Its more important than ever for us to empower a new generation of angels (both accredited and non-accredited) to accelerate the growth of promising businesses during these increasingly challenging times. History shows us that many of today's strongest companies were built during economic downturns, but not without the help of angels lending their social and financial capital. Through teaching this course, and making it more accessible than ever, the team behind
Thanks for reading!
Garry Johnson III
Founder & Managing Partner