First investors beyond "friends and family"
Founders Capital Partners (FCP) is a group of “angel investors” – individuals who invest in early-stage, technology-based businesses. We tend to be the first investors beyond “friends and family”. If traditional venture firms have already invested, it is generally too late for us to become involved.
We are a group of some 40 individual investors – active and retired entrepreneurs, executives, industrial and academic scientists and engineers. All are accredited investors. Participation by individuals in any given project is their own decision, based on their interests and their perception of risk/reward.
Investment Size
The size of our investments historically has ranged from a low of $100,000 to a high of $42 million. Our “sweet spot” is $250,000-750,000.
Industrial Products and Services
Our focus is industrial products and services. We do not invest in consumer or fashion businesses.
Central Coast region of California
Investment activity is focused principally, but not exclusively, in the Central Coast region of California.
The Managing Partner is L. Robert Johnson. Bob is the point man for investment activity. Other individuals get involved based on their own interests, but this is generally limited to being available for specific advice where they have relevant experience or expertise.
The size of our investments historically has ranged from a low of $100,000 to a high of $42 million. Our “sweet spot” is $250,000-750,000.
Primary areas of interest include using (1) software, the Internet, mobile technologies and domain expertise to provide business and healthcare services, and (2) sensor, electronic and mechanical technologies applied to life sciences, imaging, monitoring, and similar industrial applications. Our focus is industrial products and services. We do not invest in consumer or fashion businesses.
Investment activity is focused principally in the Central Coast region of California.
We are usually involved as an uncompensated adviser to any company we invest in. This includes board representation, advice on building the management team, financing strategy, and business and personnel problems in general. Because of our continuing active involvement, we are limited as to how many companies we can work with at any given time. As a practical matter, we seem to do one deal a year. In recent times, we have participated with some of our individual investors who have started new companies outside our geographical area. In these situations we are a passive investor.