Foodshed Investors mission is is increase the supply of good local food. But what do we mean by that? 

We see "Good Local Food" as Good, Clean, Fair, and Local...

When we started this adventure in 2014 the first thing we did was list our values and principles. They haven't really changed...

Local Impact Investors, LLC d/b/a Foodshed Investors ("Company" or "We") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting it through our compliance with this policy...
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Last updated:  January 19, 2019

Welcome to Foodshed Investors.   The website www.foodshedinvestors.com, and the various related services (the “Services”), features, functions, software, applications, websites and networks (collectively, this “Site”) are provided and operated by Local Impact Investors, LLC d/b/a Foodshed Investors (FI) and also d/b/a Austin Foodshed Investors (“AFI”). ​

Short answer: No.

Often firms that come to Foodshed Investors want us to sign an NDA, or Non-Disclosure Agreement. This is totally understandable, as they are concerned about their proprietary trade secrets, their financial actuals and projections, and their plans for the future.  But we won't do it...

We get a lot of questions about Accredited and Unaccredited Investors. We'd like to clarify what accreditation means, why it matters, and how FI works with these investors.

Before we start, this is not legal advice and we are not attorneys. With that out of the way, we hear from a lot of companies about general confusion regarding 506 (b) and 506 (c) deals. This FAQ is intended to help clear up this confusion and provide some high level information with regards to these two types of investor exemptions. 

Our Funding Readiness advisory service provides the process and tools for entrepreneurs to prepare due diligence materials for efficient investor review, and in...

We're kind of picky. We only want to work with firms that value positive impact on the world as much as profitability. We focus on good local food. Click "Read More" for the full list of qualifications.

The short answer is: Everyone has the opportunity to invest through Foodshed Investors. That said, depending on your accreditation, there are specific ways in which you can engage.

Unlike most tech-focused angel networks and most cohort-based incubators and accelerators, we don't use a funding cycle. We've built a continuous process flow...

"A Foodshed is the geographical area between where the food is produced and where the food is consumed. The Foodshed concept is similar to a watershed as both encompass the flow of a substance from its origin to its ultimate destination."

We believe that regenerative agriculture, and the products that result from it, is a substantive collection of activities and results directly and positively impacting needed changes in the world.

Click Read More for a video on why we focus on food.

You very well might. If you're doing this solely to make money, stop now. Investing in private companies is risky. If you invest in private companies, you could lose all... 

Increasingly, we're hearing from entrepreneurs that have received interest from an outside investor or are just about to approach investors and they want us to "take a look" at their deal. They're not necessarily looking for funding from us, but just want an informed opinion as to whether the terms on the table are fair, or customary. Or maybe they've never raised money before and just want to understand the process.

​We're happy to do that!

Companies engaging with FI may have access to tools to assess "gaps" between their present state and having a quality fundraising deal; to create a workplan to address those gaps; to assemble a potent investor package and due diligence materials; to target and curate potential investors; and to to plan and manage their business.

Everyone Network: For a limited time there is NO FEE to join the FI Everyone Network.

​FI Accredited Network: Membership is $1,000 per year, or $1,500 for two years. New investors also incur a one-time $500 registration fee. The year starts on your join date. After signing up, we will invoice you.

Like most angel groups, we charge fees to offset the costs of deal acquisition, review, and communication; due diligence; investor coordination and education; and our unpaid work in foodshed ecosystem development.

There is currently no charge to apply for funding. Once your application is received we will review it against our qualification criteria. Should there be a fit, we charge a one-time on-boarding fee to cover the administrative cost of formatting your offering into our "Investor Interest" email and circulating it to our Investor and Syndicate Networks. We never charge a "success fee" based on the size or outcome of your raise. In addition to our fees, companies raising money can expect other 3rd party fees.

FI charges a simple monthly retainer for Advisory Services. The amount of the retainer varies by client, dependent on the complexity and effort of the expected work and the client's stage of business.

We see Convertible Note deals all the time. Generally, we really dislike them as bad for both the entrepreneur and the investor, for all kinds of reasons...

One goal of the work we do here at FI is to strengthen local food ecosystems and we consider our "Extended Family" to be one part of our attempt to do just that.