Market Trends

Where the Alternative Finance Market Is Headed

As technology continues to disrupt, transform, and enhance established industries like finance, education, and healthcare, we have tracked the resulting intersections and developments to better understand the different market landscapes. Recently, we brought together leaders in the alternative finance market Al Goldstein (Founder and CEO, Avant), Rumi Morales (Executive Director, CME Ventures), Scott Rose (Leader, […]

June 17, 2016 By Alida Miranda-Wolff

What We Learned About Emerging Innovation Trends in the Midwest from the Chicago Venture Summit

Since launching eighteen months ago, the Chicago Venture Summit has quickly become a mecca for venture capitalists across the country to learn more about and meet with Midwest tech startups on the rise. Last year’s participating startups alone have raised $220.87M since presenting, and this year’s lineup will likely be on pace to do the […]

April 22, 2016 By Alida Miranda-Wolff

The Biggest Opportunities in Food Entrepreneurship and Investing in Chicago

The Food and Beverage landscape is a behemoth, and one that until recently has remained relatively unchanged, creating enormous opportunities for entrepreneurs and investors to innovate, disrupt, and technologize its vast subcategories. In particular, Chicago’s Food and Beverage industry, which is currently the second biggest in the United States behind Los Angeles, is on the […]

April 8, 2016 By Alida Miranda-Wolff

What We Learned About Innovation Trends from SXSW Interactive

Since launching the SXSW Accelerator eight years ago, SXSW Interactive has increasingly become a hub for investors and entrepreneurs alike to immerse themselves in emerging trends and make critical connections. Since the first Accelerator, SXSW has grown its startup focus considerably, expanding Startup Village and the number of startup-specific panels, meet-up’s, and exhibitions. This year, […]

March 16, 2016 By Alida Miranda-Wolff

The Biggest Trends in Angel Investing

Every year, the Angel Resource Institute works together with Pitchbook and Wilamette University to put together the Halo Report, an in-depth analysis of individual angel and angel group investment activity across the country. As members of the Angel Capital Association and the larger angel community, we are proud to be featured in this year’s report […]

March 11, 2016 By Alida Miranda-Wolff

Who Invests in Social Impact

The idea of “making an impact” has exploded into our everyday vernacular. Millennials want to make an impact in their personal and professional lives, startups want to make an impact on the world, and investors want to provide the financial capital to support both. Since 2007, impact investing has grown tremendously, with funds of all different […]

February 26, 2016 By Alida Miranda-Wolff

Where the Early-Stage Investment Market is Headed According to Investors

In partnership with Visible, a Chicago-based company, we surveyed dozens of top angel investors and venture capitalists from around the world to provide insights into market trends in the early-stage investment ecosystem. As an entrepreneur, understanding the investor perspective puts you in a better position to make smarter business decisions, prepare more effectively for investor […]

July 15, 2015 By Alida Miranda-Wolff