Wednesday, September 23, 2009

TechStars' Cohen Throw Challenge To FundingUniverse

David Cohen, one of the founders of Boulder's TechStars, has thrown down a challenge to South Jordan, Utah-based FundingUniverse, in response to FundingUniverse's expansion of their startup pitching events into Colorado. FundingUniverse said it holding an event next week in Denver, where it charges $125 to pitching companies to show their companies off. Cohen says that he will help pay the presentation fees for half the companies, if Funding Universe will match him. The issue comes as there is an increasing divide between angel and other investors who believe that aspiring entrepreneurs should not pay a fee to present their investment opportunities, and an increasing number of "pay to pitch" companies and some angel groups which charge companies to pitch their deals to investors.