Texas Investment Network

Entrepreneur FAQ

How do I submit a pitch?

The first step is to register as an entrepreneur. Then you'll be able to submit a pitch using our simple online form.

Why do I keep getting an error message when I try to login?

You must enter your email address and password with the same mix of upper and lower case letters you used when you registered. Often the problem is that a registered email address has an initial capital letter in it that is not being entered when you try to login. If you continue to have login problems use the Contact Us form to let us know.

Why is nothing happening when I try to login?

If you are submitting your login info and nothing appears to happen (i.e., you are not getting an error message) then the most likely reason is you are still logged in. If you leave the site without logging out, your login is remembered for 2 to 3 hours before it expires. When you return you can access your login area by clicking the "Entrepreneurs" link (or sublinks) in the top navigation bar (between the "Home" and "Investors" link). Where the "Entrepreneurs" link goes depends on whether you are logged in or not. TIP: You can mouse over the "Entrepreneurs" link to see what links are available and this will tell you whether you are still logged in or not.

What information should I include in my pitch?

There are tips in the pitch form about what to include in each section. Basic items that investors expect to see in a pitch are: a brief history of your business, what you need the funding for, why your company will succeeed, what relevent experience or expertise you or your team might have, what you are prepared to offer investors in return for funding.

I would like to contact a specific investor listed on your site?

It is up to the investor to decide if they want to connect with entrepreneurs based upon their pitch. It is part of our privacy policy with investors that we only provide their contact info to entrepreneurs when they express interest in the entrepreneur's proposal. We do not provide investor contact info otherwise.

Can I upload my business plan?

Yes, the Premium Service package allows you to upload additional documents for investors to view, including your business plan and/or whatever other documents you wish to share (e.g., pitchdeck, financials, executive summary, etc..)

How can I protect the confidentiality of my idea?

If you are worried about confidentiality we'd advise you to write enough to get investors interested in your project without revealing any sensitive information. Once you start discussions with an investor, you may want to ask them to sign a non-disclosure agreement (NDA) before you release more information.

Can pitches be edited after launch?

Yes, pitches can be edited at any time. Free Basic Service pitches will be reviewed after each edit to make sure no contact details have been included. You should try to refrain from making edits to a free proposal in the first few hours of it being released as there could be delays in reapproving and investors will not be able to find your proposal when they look for it. Edits to Referral and Premium Service pitches do not need to be re-approved.

What are the costs?

See the "Our Rates" page in the Entrepreneurs section of the site to find out more about what is included in our three packages. The Free Basic Service is $0, but has limitations in what you can include in your pitch and in your ability to follow up with investors who express interest. The Referral Service is $149 has no limitations on what you can include in your pitch and allows you to follow up with interested investors. The Premium Service fee is $249 and offers all the features of the Referral Service plus the ability to create an enhanced pitch and to have enhanced advertising on the site.

Do I have to pay for every contact?

No, your payment gives you access to the contact details of ALL the investors who show an interest in your pitch.

How can I pay?

We primarily use PayPal to process payments. You do not need an account with PayPal to make a payment as they offer the option to pay by credit card. Most people pay by credit card. If you have issues using PayPal contact us and we can make arrangements to use the Stripe payment service. NOTE: We do not off Paypal's eCheck option as the significant delays in clearing causes too much frustration for entrepreneurs.

Can I choose Referral Service first and then upgrade to the Premium Service later?

Yes, you can upgrade from the Referral Service to the Premium Service at any time and only have to pay the price difference.

Does my payment apply to all the proposals I submit?

No, your payment applies to the specific proposal that you pay the fee for. It is a per-proposal fee.

What happens at the end of the 180-day listing?

Before the end of your 180-day listing period you can opt to pay to resend or renew your pitch. Your pitch will then be renewed for another 180 days and will be resent to the investors. If no payment is made, you proposal will simply expire and be move to an "Archived Proposals" area of your login area.

Am I ever automatically billed to keep my proposal active on the site?

We never do automatic billing. Your proposal will simply expire after 180 days if you do not pay to have your proposal Resent or Renewed to keep it alive for another 180 days from the date of these payments.

Do I need to do my own due diligence?

We carry out a number of checks on each investor when they register, but you also need to do your own due diligence on any investor you deal with. Please check out the Security Notices page in your login area for things to look out for. Consult with legal council before paying any fee in advance of receiving funding (i.e., upfront fees). Contact us if you have any suspicions. To maintain accountability, you should only deal with registered investors or investors who have been specifically referred by a registered investor. Ask questions, get references.

How do I delete my account or proposal?

You can contact the site administrator using the Contact Us form to request deletion. You may also request that your proposal be set back to draft mode so that it can no longer be viewed by anyone but you can still view it and any interested investors who may have expressed interest in your proposal.

I have other questions. Who do I contact?

You can connect with us via our Contact Us form.

Texas Investors

Texas > Arlington

Registered Investment Advisor, previous general/electrical contractor, pilot, business owner since 1984.

$0 to $1,000,000

Texas > Henderson

Former CEO and entrepreneur with full P&L, strategy, and development expertise. I am seeking ownership, board, investment opportunities, the majority of my work has been in Federal Government work, but have multi- industry experience.

$50,000 to $300,000

Texas > Houston

I am an experienced petroleum engineer in the early 40s, married, living in Houston, working full time in the energy industry. Over the past decades, as an individual, off work, I invested millions of my saved money in stocks, real estate, startups, etc. Being quite happy with the results, I believe the valuable learnings are worth even more than my financial gains to date, learnings that will pave roads to future milestones. I am always actively looking for next exciting 'project'. I prefer to meet people to discuss business models, with preference to be a hands-on investor if my equity is >20%, while acting as a silent investor if my equity is <5%. As of 2023, with the housing in short supply and rising interests, in the next couple months/years, I may end up being involved in flipping houses, new apartment development, or even custom homes. Finally, I have passed all three levels of Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA), & may use the charter network more often in the future.

$10,000 to $300,000

Texas > San Angelo

Invested with private small businesses in Eastern Europe and public stocks in US. Had an active management role with many of the companies I invested with. Interested in diversified portfolio and generating higher return than what public stocks can offer right now. I like business models that can show potential for steady monthly revenues. I prefer a profit sharing agreement.

$10,000 to $100,000

Texas > Spring

I am 51 years old, married, father of a 10 year old girl, currently living in Argentina due to work as expat. Planning to move back to US in near future. I am a Mechanical Engineer with more than 20 years of experience in the oil and gas drilling industry. Worked before for major US and Canadian Drilling contractors as Maintenance and Operations Superintendent/Engineer. Currently I am self-employed working remotely as a consultant due to Covid crisis. I speak fluently Spanish, English and Russian. I can submit Resume as per request. Anticipated involvement is hands-on, advisory, or silent, depending on investment opportunity Status: Individual investor.

$10,000 to $100,000

Texas > El Paso

Personal - I am married, with 3 kids living in El Paso Tx Professional - I have over 25 years of experience in running companies and startup up situations. I was a Senior VP running 4 divisions for a Fortune 150 company. My divisions had sales of over $2B and 30K employees. Education - I have a Bachelors in Business Finance and Accounting Investment Experience - I have started two companies growing both from nothing to profitable businesses. The last venture was in the music business. I took on managing very famous latin singer's. The business went from the red into the black in just 1 years. Other - Every position or company I have worked with has improved financial because of my involvement. I am hands on and will only invest if I believe I can add more value than just financial resources

$100,000 to $1,000,000

Texas > Irving

My telecom company is looking to invest in interesting opportunities. I am a 28 year old finance manager and account manager for the company with experience in bar/clubs as well as many other professional experience areas. Have a bachelors in advertising/public relations, masters from UT in psychology and a masters in creative photography from CICE institute in madrid, spain. Investment experience is collectively strong between the telecom agency and family as well as myself. Other value-adders are that i am an expert photographer/advertiser/public relations administrator as well as growing interpersonal relationship studier. Anticipated involvement from the company and myself depends on the project.

$10,000 to $300,000

Texas > Houston

I am a 42 years old self employed individual investor living in Houston Texas and married with 2 kids. Worked as a field engineer in oil and gas drilling industry for 8 years. I traded the stock market and have engaged in couple of investments.

$25,000 to $100,000