We invest in good, local, food.
AFI News ~ February 2017

Rolling Roadshow - Funding our Foodshed

Throughout 2017 AFI will host a series of events to  help small, sustainable food entrepreneurs better understand the funding and lending landscape . We'll discuss the advantages and disadvantages of various capital sources available to small business owners, and how to get started.  The events are  open to all local sustainable food companies considering raising capital, as well as to the Technical Assistance Providers that help entrepreneurs.


Austin ~ Fredericksburg ~ Lockhart ~ Georgetown
La Grange ~ Burnet ~ Rockdale
March 1 Event in Austin
April 6 Event in Fredericksburg
Updates from the AFI Investor Network

Results So Far
As of 12/31/16 we had seen 123 companies, received 50 applications, and funded 13 transactions for a total of $1.26M deployed. So far in 2017 we've seen 17 new companies, received 14 applications, and have several opportunities close to funding.


New Services for Investors
  • In January AFI's CFO Eric created and distributed a really neat set of accounting reports for AFI investors that show key deal terms as well as payments and returns.
  • In early February we published Vol 1 No 1 of the "Sustainable Food Investor" newsletter, exclusively to members of the AFI Investor Network, detailing all the opportunities that came through the door, are in process, and that fell out for one reason or another.
  • Tonight we'll host the first Investor Roundtable of the year, featuring a low-key meet-and-greet, Q & A session with three cool local sustainable food company founders seeking capital.
Join the AFI Investor Network
Are you an accredited investor looking to transition a portion of your portfolio into socially responsible "impact" businesses? Wouldn't it be great to invest in a local food company, to meet the founders, tour the facilities, maybe even help with business mentoring or your specific expertise? If so, please consider joining the AFI Investor Network.


AFI Releases Four Free Online Tools to Help Entrepreneurs

Fundraising Readiness Assessment
Assess how far along you are in your understanding of the fundraising process, players, and funder requirements.


Px8 Impact Assessment
AFI's Px8 is an online tool to help you think about, and describe, a variety of potential "impact" vectors, all of which happen to start with the letter "P": Planet, People, Place, Product, Procurement, Production, Plan, & Pace.

Executive Summary Template
This worksheet of the typical questions funders have also happens to be the typical components of a business plan.

Elevator Pitch Mad Libs
Remember Mad Libs?  Just for fun, we wrote a "Elevator Story" mad lib for any entrepreneur raising any amount of money!
Barton Springs Mill Field Trip

AFI's Eric and Curt, along with Melody from Farmhouse Delivery, had a blast visiting with James Brown, proprietor of the new Barton Springs Mill recently.

James is doing amazing things with certified organic wheats and ryes. We toured the cleaning machines, the 30 tons of raw wheat, the research kitchen, and most importantly, the Osttiroler A1200, a work of art that doubles as a big ol' grain mill.

Visit Barton Springs Mill
Around the Food, Finance, & Social Good Community

We've been meaning for so long to acknowledge the organizations supporting food, finance, and social good here in Central Texas, and finally put up a Community Supporters web page to do just that.

Here's some other good stuff happening around the ecosystem:
  • in.gredients is a zero waste neighborhood grocery store in East Austin raising $30k on Indiegogo to improve their infrastructure and keep the doors open.
  • Urban Roots is throwing a wing-ding at Fair Market on April 25th and is looking for sponsors.
  • FARFA, the Farm & Ranch Freedom Alliance, is hosting a Local Foods Awareness Day at the Capital on March 9 to lobby for good clean food.
  • Valor VC's Female Founders Camp offers a small group women entrepreneurs the chance to grow, connect, and go big in the Texas Hill Country.
  • The Kauffman Foundation's Entrepreneurship.org has a ton of free online classes on Entrepreneurial Life, Planning, Legal, Money, and many more.
Thanks again for all you do to support business with purpose, local food, and market-based opportunity!

All the best,

Curt, Eric, & Jarred of Austin Foodshed Investors
DISCLAIMER:  Local Impact Investors LLC, dba Austin Foodshed Investors, is not a venture fund, investment bank, broker dealer, investment clearing-house, investment club, or investment advisor, but rather a forum in which investors and companies may be educated on aspects of investment and business, as well as introduced to each other for possible investment.  We are not registered with the Securities Exchange Commission, any self-regulatory organization or any state securities commission.  We do not recommend or make any representation or warranty regarding any particular company or financial product for investment. All investments in entrepreneurial companies involve a high degree of risk, investors must be able to bear the risk of complete financial loss.  All AFI Investors, at the time of transaction close, must be Accredited Investors within the meaning of SEC Rule 17 CFR §501(a).  

Securities transactions requiring intermediaries are offered by  FundAmerica Securities, LLC, a registered broker/dealer and member FINRA/SIPC, and will be offered  under Rule 506(c) of the JOBS Act of 2012, per 17 CFR §230.506(c).

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Local Impact Investors, LLC d/b/a Austin Foodshed Investors