CapLinked collects $525K for deals platform

"LinkedIn-meets-Salesforce": a new startup for entrepreneurs, investors by PayPal, Facebook veterans

CapLinked, a free online platform that connects private companies with their investors and advisors, announced Tuesday that it has completed a $525,000 angel funding round. Added to $400,000 raised in mid-2010, the startup’s capital totals just over $900,000.
 
The company is still young, but it’s already getting talked about a lot because it’s backed by the same people who created and funded Facebook, LinkedIn and PayPal. This round was led by Peter Thiel, co-founder and former CEO of PayPal; Dave McClure, founding partner of 500 Startups; Joe Lonsdale, co-founder of Palantir Technologies; Aman Verjee, CFO of Sonos; and David Anderson, managing partner of 7th Rig.
 
"There had to be a better way to connect great businesses with smart investors, so we created CapLinked, the LinkedIn-meets-Salesforce for private investing," said Eric Jackson, CEO of CapLinked and former PayPal Vice President. "CapLinked acts like LinkedIn for investors, entrepreneurs, and advisors to find each other and build relationships, and like SalesForce to help get deals done."
 
If Facebook makes it easier than ever to stay in contact with family and friends, then CapLinked wants to make it that easy for companies to stay in contact with current and potential investors. Beyond simply providing a communications platform, however, CapLinked offers a “private deal room,” in which the deal summary and other data is viewable by all participating parties.
 
Investors looking to help their clients raise more funds can share deals with their colleagues and other investors.

 
In essence, it’s the kind of Web service that you can’t believe hasn’t been reinvented a hundred times already, especially in this startup boom we’re experiencing now. The company says there are an estimated 20 million US and 100 million worldwide investors, entrepreneurs, and advisors.
 
Already, CapLinked features more than 2,100 companies and 1,000 investors on the platform, and has supported $800 million in potential deals.

CapLinked was founded by Jackson, quoted above, and Christopher Grey (CFO and COO). Jackson previously served various executive positions at PayPal and Grey was a managing partner and co-founder of private equity firms Crestridge Investments and Third Wave Partners as well as a managing director for Emigrant Bank.