When we began forming LaunchMemphis, one of the things that we discussed quite a bit was what the demand for events really was. We felt there was a ground swell desire to enliven and engage the Memphis entrepreneurial community, but were pleasantly surprised with the flurry of activity around the LaunchMemphis events. Now that we have received more than 34 applications for the investment forum, we are certain that we were right in believing that there was (and is) a need for what we are doing. There has also been incredible support from the institutional investors in the area; many of these firms have agreed to make time for the investment forum and listen to the companies we have managed to pull together. And, of course, we greatly appreciate all those that have applied to the investment forums.
All of these things have exceeded our expectations, and we are incredibly thrilled.! But the one thing that has been noticeably absent is the involvement of “Angel” investors. Angels are those individuals and groups that have the resources to invest in small companies. They are the critical cog in the machine that is necessary to allow companies that start in Memphis to stay in Memphis. When you look at Silicon Valley, Washington, DC, Austin, TX, and other places with strong startup environments, it is the angels that enable many companies to get over the chasm**.
So, to all the angel investors and potential angel investors in Memphis, please contact us (forum@launchmemphis.com). Hopefully, we’ve reached you through other channels, but if not please join us. We are seeing amazing things here in Memphis through the networking events and the investment forum, and we want to make sure that the wonderful entrepreneurs that we have met have a chance to show you the ideas that they believe in and are working so hard to make a reality. We also want to engage in a discussion around how best to leverage the resources of the many wealthy individuals in the area to create an investment opportunity that is more accessible. So, let’s talk.
* Apologies to Train for borrowing the title of their song of the same name, copyright 2003.
** Moore, Geoffrey A. Crossing the Chasm. Harper Business. 1991.