News
Superfrau and InsureLife set to present at January RVI Meeting
Superfrau converts waste to value by rescuing surplus whey and upcycling it into delicious, nutritious beverages; good for people and the planet. Company is based in Western MA, women-led, and their lead investor is MassMutual.
InsureLife provides an AI-powered Network Orchestration Platform for Insurers that digitally connects their financial services products with consumers and agents, so they interact anytime, growing sales in a contactless world. This deal is syndicated through the Nassau ReImagine (Hartford, CT).
Torigen and N.A.bld to Present at December RVI Meeting
Torigen – Torigen is a veterinary biotechnology company focused on helping pets with cancer. We offer the first personalized cancer vaccine in the veterinary market to treat pets diagnosed with solid tumors. Executive Summary.
N.A.bld – N.A.bld is a supply chain tool for on-demand manufacturing and inventory free retailing.
Lumme and Freedom Wind to Present at November RVI Meeting
Lumme Health, Inc. – Lumme’s AI-powered smartwatch apps predict unhealthy behaviors from hand motions and deliver tailored, just-in-time nudges to avoid them.
Freedom Wind Tunnel – Indoor Skydiving at Patriot Place, we also offer VR Parachuting that one can steer, land, and control your own canopy in famous and familiar locations e.g. like jumping a game ball into Gillette Stadium or wing suit proximity flying in the Italian Dolomite region. In the end we stage high fidelity experiences that our customers keep with them for the rest of their lives.
RVI Invests in Ignitepost
Western-Massachusetts based angel network River Valley Investors (RVI) has completed an investment in Ignitepost.
IgnitePost is a handwritten mail service that enables businesses to develop deeper relationships with customers & prospects. We do this by combining software and robotics to send real pen & ink letters that are indistinguishable from human handwriting.
This is River Valley Investors’ first investment in Ignitepost.
River Valley Investors is the premier angel investor group in western Massachusetts. RVI accepts members from around the country, offering curated dealflow, approachable due diligence processes, and a simplified investing and networking experience!
Meenta and Launch413 to Present at RVI October Meeting
Launch413 – takes companies to their first $10 million in revenue while providing early returns to investors. See the executive summary here.
Meenta – We make the worlds scientific equipment, services and clinical tests accessible through an online platform. See the executive summary here.
RVI Welcomes New Ecosystem Member – Chris Huntley
We are very excited to welcome our new ecosystem member Chris Huntley to RVI!
Christopher L. Huntley is a Business Analytics professor at the Charles F. Dolan School of Business at Fairfield University, where he has served in various capacities, ranging from department chair to NCAA representative. He is currently director of Fairfield StartUp, a talent incubator that connects student entrepreneurs with potential advisors, mentors, customers, and private investors. StartUp’s annual Showcase event, where students pitch their ideas in front of a live audience, attracts ~2500 viewers each year.
Dr. Huntley earned a Ph.D. in Systems Engineering from the University of Virginia. Prior to completing his doctoral studies he worked as a consulting data analyst in the transportation and defense industries. A particular highlight was a project for ‘Carvin’ Marvin Runyon to reorganize / re-turf the US Postal Service in 1992; the resulting zip code maps are still in use today. He also played a key role in the Conrail / CSX Transportation merger in 1996.
We are very excited to welcome Chris to the RVI family. You can check out more about Chris on his LinkedIn page.
RVI Welcomes a New Member – Ali Usman!
We are excited to welcome our new member Ali Usman to RVI!
Ali is the Founder and CEO of PixelEdge, where he helps businesses monetize their content and data through our enterprise-level web applications and mobile apps platform. He is also a founder of Click Workspace in Northampton MA and Credit Market Intelligence, prior to which he served as President of Pioneer Valley Capital.
We are very excited to welcome Ali to the RVI family. You can check out more about Ali on his LinkedIn page,
RVI Welcomes a New Member – Steve Erickson!
Please welcome our new member Steve Erickson to RVI!
Steve is an experienced Principal with a demonstrated history of working in the accounting industry. He is uniquely skilled in Nonprofit Organizations, Budgeting, Affordable Housing, Tax Preparation, and Strategic Planning. He holds a Bachelor of Science (BS) focused in Accounting from Drake University BS in Accounting, and a Trinity College MA in Economics.
We are very excited to welcome Steve to the RVI family. You can check out more about Steve on his LinkedIn page.
RVI’s New Model 9 Months in: 2x members, more investments, more diversification
As mentioned previously, in January RVI pivoted to focus on speed, convenience, and syndicated deals. In March we switched to meeting online permanently.
The results:
- Membership has nearly doubled in 9 months.
- Membership is growing at the fastest rate we’ve ever grown in seventeen years.
- We’re investing in more deals than we’ve ever invested in before.
- We’re helping our members get more diversification than they’ve ever had before.
I’m proud as hell of what we’ve done in less than a year, and excited to see where the next year takes us. We’ve accomplished all of these results because of the incredible feedback our members, past and present, generously gave in Q4 of 2019. I can’t thank them enough for helping ensure our region continues to have a source of high-risk capital for startups!
If you aren’t familiar with the River Valley Investors (RVI), we are a network of successful business executives and entrepreneurs who invest in exciting startups. No one investor has all of the time and expertise needed to fully vet all deals. That is why we only look at startups that have already passed the hurdle of securing another angel group or venture fund as their lead investor. RVI members then leverage each other’s expertise and networks to vet the opportunities and come to a decision in just a few short hours of work, then co-invest to secure optimal terms.
If that sounds like your cup of tea, learn what is required to be an RVI member.
RVI Welcomes a New Member – Spike Behn!
Please welcome our new member Spike Behn to RVI!
Spike works in data collection and analysis of current and emerging trends in the luxury buyer market and the luxury market purchase triggers vs perceived realities, with a strong emphasis on value perceptions vs product validity and price efficiency. He has served as President of Serenity Enterprises, President of Signs by Tomorrow, a Bond Trader at Nuveen, and a Bond Trader at Irving Trust Company.
We are very excited to welcome Spike to the RVI family. You can check out more about Spike on his LinkedIn page.