News

In November 2021, a panel of experts explored ways to fund growth without using outside investors or alternative equity sources. Depending upon the business plan, growth focus and the founder’s wishes, companies of all types can find different ways to fund their growth. Not all businesses require angel or venture capital funding to be successful. 

Watch the video to hear our panelists address the question: “DO YOU EVEN NEED TO IMPRESS INVESTORS IN TODAY’S FUNDRAISING WORLD?”

Moderator

Gerry Roston, NEF member,  publishes an article in The Chronicle Tech News pointing Michigan Entrepreneurs  to the resources to assist in their start up journey. 

Workit Health cofounders and co-CEOs Lisa McLaughlin (L) and Robin McIntosh (R)

• Workit was  an NEF  Showcase Presenter in 2015, winning best presentation award that year.
• In 2018 - Lisa McLaughlin won the NEF Rising Star of the Year award
• Earlier this year, Lisa McLaughlin won the NEF 2020 Award Entrepreneur of the Year Award

The approach and the opportunity to help treat the more than 20 million Americans with alcohol and opioid use disorders (not counting gambling, smoking and other addictions that Workit offers to help) has garnered investment from top tier firms. On Thursday Workit announced a $118 million Series C led by Insight Partners ($90 million in equity and the rest in debt). CVS Health Ventures, FirstMark Capital, BCBS

NEF is proud to congratulate Jason Yaeger, CEO of Tenacity and graduate of NEF’s entrepreneur coaching process on a successful raise. Tenacity, a SaaS platform that empowers businesses to thrive in a secure public cloud, announced that it has raised $3 million. The round was led by Hyde Park Angels, with participation from Sandalphon Capital, Base Investments UK, and others. This funding will enable Tenacity to drive its go-to-market strategy further and enhance product roadmap development.

This exciting news signals the next phase of Tenacity’s journey, following an impressive 30% month-over-month growth rate since January 2021 and the integration of Microsoft Azure into the platform.

At our September Forum, a panel of experts addressed several critical questions - What are the elements of a strong team that will truly stand-out to investors? What are investors looking for in a team? 

Moderator

Jen Laidlaw is the owner of TeamWerks Talent Development and Consulting; President of the Ann Arbor chapter of the Association for Talent Development; a

During the June 2021 Forum, a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs and other experts provided their perspectives on this critical topic for early-stage startups. 

During the April 2021 Forum, a panel of seasoned entrepreneurs and other experts provided their perspectives on this critical topic for early-stage startups. (The first couple of minutes are missing from the video due to a technical glitch.)

Jack Miner Chief Investment Officer, TEDCO. At TEDCO, Jack stewards diligence and investment processes, leads the Builder, Seed and Maryland Venture Funds and investment portfolios to maximize the financial return, and ensures a lasting impact for the State of Maryland. He reports to the CEO providing insi

RIZZARR Founder, Ashley Williams gave a heartfelt thanks to her NEF coaches after receiving the award for 2020 Presentation of the Year.

Ashley’s coaching team included April Christian-Davis, Jennifer Laidlaw, David Maas, Bill McPherson and Scott Taylor.

RIZZARR is a tech-enabled content marketplace for brands to work with Millennial and Gen Z content creators worldwide. RIZZARR acts as an intermediary marketing platform for brands to find, connect, and collaborate with  over 5,300 content creators from around the world. RIZZARR helps Millennial and Gen Z nano-influencers and mi