Rany Raviv: Start Small, Be Disciplined and Never Throw Good Money After Bad

The R-Group, LLC is a privately owned Family-office, active Angel Investor & Venture Capitalist across FinTech, HighTech, Lifestyle- and CPG industries.

Tell us about yourself?

With more than 25 years of experience in Global Energy, Executive Management, M&A and Project Finance, Rany brings a valuable track record of closing complex and diverse deals including leadership roles with Avangrid Renewables (Iberdrola) & Ormat Technologies.

My passion is Angel Investing & Venture Capital — helping startup companies go big. I invest in FinTech, HighTech, MedTech, EdTech, Lifestyle- and CPG companies with endless curiosity and desire to change the world. I am always searching for new opportunities that align with my 3-D vision: “Differentiate, Disrupt and Deliver”.

If you could give one piece of advice to other investors, what would it be?

Start small, be disciplined and never throw good money after bad.

If you could give one piece of advice to startup founders looking to get funding from you, what would you say?

Be thorough, have the answers ready and recognize-and-revisit the things you do not know.

What do you look for in the founding team of the startups you invest in?

I look for teams of founders that complement each-other, adapt quickly and know their limitations. So if you have experience to take a company from 0-$10M, but you need to grow your business to $100M, recruit the right talent to help you.

Is there a trait you have noticed predicts success in your investments?

Smart & humble people that will not rest until they solve a problem, find ways to enter thru locked doors and revive industries that are ripe for disruption.

How has COVID impacted your investment strategy and existing investments?

The magic sauce lies in the people – those that adapted quickly when COVID hit are doing very well. Others, not so much.

What do you see as the emerging areas of technology that you are looking to invest in?

Financial Technologies (though I shy away from crypto), Med Tech and Bio Tech and Ed Tech and most of those apply SAAS business models.

How do you source new investment opportunities?

I source new investments solely thru Angel Groups and Venture Funds I am a member of. I will never invest in a cold-call or with people I do not know, or have met in person.

How do people get involved/buy into your vision?

It takes time to build a good portfolio, and anyone investing in Angel/Venture Capital makes mistakes. It is important however, to learn from those mistakes and try not to repeat. To maintain our portfolio and reputation we are currently not looking for further investment opportunities.