Start-Up Companies — Preferred Company Profile
The network considers requests for investments in the range of $250,000 to $2,000,000. Investments outside this range will be considered on a case by case basis. All potential investments are put through our Evaluation & Funding Process.
To join the network and be considered for investment funding, please submit your company profile. Our preferred company candidate for investment will demonstrate:
- A unique technology, process, or program in the following areas:
- Significant competitive barriers that favor the company
- A 3–7 year exit strategy
- Realistic expectations of significant near term and long-term growth
- Corporate operations within a 300 miles radius of Chicago
- Its plans, records and documents maintained in a manner that allows for a due diligence process
- A management team capable of moving the business through the early stage growth process. The management team will have the following attributes:
- Competence
- Perseverance
- Track record
- Decency
- Personal financial commitment of their own net worth
- Burning desire to succeed
- Well-defined Intellectual Property portfolio or clearly established product innovation (at the prototype or later stage)
- The potential to achieve early milestones leading to demonstrably increased valuation
- A market strategy that enables the business to succeed without a committed and costly national sales structure
- A growth strategy that allows for incremental funding based on performance
The greatest opportunities lie in innovations in which there is a convergence of technologies and a potential for vertical integration.
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