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A Mesh WiFi Network That Protects You From Hackers While You're Home Or On The Go
Plus, the host of The Ringer's 'Sports Cards Nonsense', Mike GioSeffi on the pod!
Heyyyo,
We talk a lot about alternative assets, from startups and crypto to real estate and NFTs — but I want to introduce you to yet another asset class making its way to Main Street!
Trading cards.
Sparked early on by pandemic-related boredom and spare cash, trading cards are now a $5B market and growing fast! That rapid interest and cashflow created volatility, which in-turn caught the eye of retail investors; much like stock trading has.
Now top tech entrepreneurs such as Alexis Ohanian and Gary V are pumping venture money into an already 🔥 industry dominated by only a limited number of card makers and trading platforms; Panini/Dunruss, PWCC, eBay and Goldin — to name just a few!
All of this activity opened the door to millions of nostalgic card holders (such as myself) to reengage with a former vice. But, it also opened the door for card lifers like Mike Gioseffi — who’s been making a living dealing cards for more than a decade — to take major advantage!
Mike’s experience and witty disposition also led him to Bill Simmons media kingdom with a new Ringer Podcast called, Sports Cards Nonsense!
I recently had Mike on my pod to learn how he spots a good card investment, what all these new entrants mean for the card industry and how the hell he pulled off a show on The Ringer (my dream)!
Listen to my interview with Mike Gioseffi here 👉 https://spoti.fi/3x8uPqt
Follow me on Twitter @kitun.
Scott
Every week I breakdown startup pitches with the added hook that you can invest whether you’re accredited or not (if you don't know what that means, click here).
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Company Bio
Gryphon is a cloud managed network based protection service.
The platform creates high performance mesh WiFi router system, paired with a simple to use app and machine learning that strengthens your protection as you use it. Gryphon also offers a product called Homebound, that extends your protection by allowing you to access your home network on the go.
Meet the Founder
Watch my full interview with Gryphon founder, here.
John Wu is the co-founder and CEO of Gryphon. Prior to Gryphon, John spent 23 years in wireless and IoT at global companies like Novatel Wireless and Motorola. He led high impact teams with over 120 employees and successfully shipped multiple product lines with over 4 million units annually. John was also one of the key inventors behind MiFi mobile hotspot — which was selected by Time Magazine as one of the top gadgets of the century.
Let’s start with the fact that John holds 25 patents with others pending and was a key figure behind the invention of MiWi mobile hotspots — experience that might come in rather handy with his latest venture. Additionally, John and his team have an expansive network and the sort of reputation you need when hiring in highly competitive markets.
Traction
Since launching mid 2018, achieved over $5M in total sales (unaudited) and over 5M threats blocked across more than 25,000 Gryphons
Over 160% YoY revenue growth and 480% YoY recurring subscription revenue growth from FY2018 to FY2019
Intellectual property protected by 5 patents issued and other patents pending, which covers machine learning based network protection and parental controls
Co-founder & CEO was one of the key inventors of the MiFi mobile hotspot and currently holds 25 patents
Over $5.8M raised to date from noted angel groups such as ATI, Frontier, and Hyderabad Angels as well as an oversubscribed past SeedInvest round
These guys literally invented the MiFi mobile hotspot and it shows in the number of patents Gryphon now holds. Beyond the technical stuff, taking an idea to more than 25,000 units sold is impressive. But, the most important metric I like here is the 480% YoY subscription growth — it means people are buying and using their Gryphon which should bode well for long term success.
Terms & Takeaway
Invest in Gryphon here 👉 https://bit.ly/3xbxyzz
Security Type: Preferred Equity
Pre-Money Valuation: $25,000,000
Investment Goal: $10,000,000
Raised (as of publishing): $3,554,444
Minimum Investment: $1,000
Here's what I like: Gryphon solves a massive problem that impacts our children and wallet! It’s so lucrative, Apple has built its entire marketing campaign around privacy. Factor in the future hybrid work environment, digital wallets and smart-everything; you can start to see why Gryphon has such impressive traction. For me, the crazy part is that we’ve only scratched the surface here — we as a population are still incredibly lax with our data and most of that is due to how complicated cybersecurity can be.
Gryphon solves for much of that by simply plugging the biggest hole — your internet.
Here's what I don't love: TBH there’s not much about Gryphon that I don’t like.
The founders have ridiculous pedigree and the problem/solution set is obvious. My only fear is that many tech giants like Google and Amazon (and previously Apple) already offer mesh wifi units. And, if the economics required it, they could just start building a comparable product.
Even then, Gryphon stands to gain due to their strong IP and acquisition potential.
Who should invest and why: This is for real equity, Gryphon is raising its Series A-1 and the minimum investment is $1,000, which might be too high for some. That said, with a $25M pre-money valuation, that’s only a 5x on current revenue which is actually not that crazy (especially given the current venture climate and market size). If you’re into cybersecurity, privacy advocacy and backing products you can actually use in your home, I would definitely consider taking a harder look at Gryphon.
As always, startup investing is super high risk, anything can happen. So, don’t spend money you’ll need for ransomware... 👾 💸
Invest in Gryphon here 👉 https://bit.ly/3xbxyzz
Questions? DM me on Twitter @kitun