CannaInsider interviewed Troy Dayton, the CEO and co-founder of The ArcView Group, who discussed the operations of the organization, which oversees an angel investor network focused on the cannabis industry. ArcView, which also publishes research and has partnered with accelerator CanopyBoulder and with insurance company Cannasure, has over 500 accredited investors in its network that have invested more than $70mm into 111 companies in the cannabis industry.
Troy discussed how the cannabis industry has changed over the past few years since ArcView launched. He has noticed that the quality of investor has improved dramatically since the Colorado legalization. He also suggests that more investors are willing to invest in direct cannabis companies rather than focusing exclusively on the ancillary businesses.
Troy offers a lot of advice to both investors and entrepreneurs, suggesting that the best management teams are balanced with both cannabis domain expertise and business experience beyond the cannabis industry. He recommends that investors think long-term and also start small. ArcView allows investors to invest as little $5-10K through its internal deal platform with New Way Capital.
I think people spend too much energy on their pitch decks and not enough energy on their relationships. At the end of the day investment is all about relationships.
A good pitch deck might give people the sense that you’re really sharp but at the end of the day an investment is like a marriage right.
Key Takeaways:
1:42 – Troy talks about his background in activism
3:13 – What is the ArcView Group
8:10 – Troy talks about the Best Pitch prize
11:08 – How are entrepreneurs prepared for pitching to investors
13:54 – What types of companies are investors investing in
16:33 – Certain types of businesses & market segments that appeal to ArcView
19:12 – Who is a good candidate to become an ArcView investor
21:22 – What’s it like at an ArcView event
24:03 – Troy talks about how new members are oriented into ArcView
27:23 – The Breeze Online Cannabis Investing Platform
30:42 – Troy talks about the growth in the Marijuana market
39:23 – Troy’s book recommendation
43:28 – Information on the next ArcView event
Read the transcript or listen to the interview “The State of Cannabis Angel Investing with Troy Dayton”: http://www.cannainsider.com/troy-dayton-arcview-group/
