This document provides 10 tips for making a startup more attractive to investors. The tips are: 1) Articulate your idea clearly, 2) Sell your team rather than advisors, 3) Get feedback from real customers, 4) Know if your technology is patented, 5) Understand your market, 6) Be transparent with investors, 7) Act as a salesman when pitching, 8) Have a well-developed business plan, 9) Be honest, and 10) Raise enough funding to reach important milestones while maintaining low dilution of ownership. The document emphasizes preparing thoroughly to make the fundraising process as efficient as possible.
YouNet Accelerator Program is a seed start-up accelerator / incubator pioneer in Vietnam based on the models of JFDI (Singapore), Techstars, Y-Combinator in Silicon Valley.
Download this at bestpitch.es/yc-pitch-deck
The prestigious Y-Combinator accelerator program is known for being the launchpad for countless billion-dollar "unicorn" startups over the last decade, such as Airbnb, Dropbox, Instacart, Twitch, & many more.
A few years ago, the YC team released an (extremely) simple pitch deck template to help guide founders, based on what worked for decades of YC startups.
While not every founder can present their pitch deck in as simple terms as the likes of Airbnb & other YC stand-outs, their template is nevertheless a fantastic starting point for framing a winning investor presentation.
This adapted version of the YC Pitch Deck template was crafted for founders seeking to win funding &/or investment for their early-stage startups. Our team of experts added a professional design touch to the YC pitch deck formula, while preserving their focus on simplicity — something we have first-hand experience with, having consulted for several YC alums over the last 5+ years.
Available at bestpitch.es/yc-pitch-deck
Adapted from ycombinator.com/library/2u-how-to-build-your-seed-round-pitch-deck
How to Raise Venture Capital: What's Your Plan? David Ehrenberg
Are you looking to raise investment capital? If so, you need a plan. The trick is to get investors to believe in you, in your company, in your vision, and in your ability to execute.
While bootstrapping may be preferred, some businesses are almost impossible to launch and grow without capital. From angel & VC investments to crowdfunding, SBIR grants and debt financing, opportunities for funding seem endless… and confusing.
Join The Capital Network for an evening with a veteran panel of experts from the Angel, Venture Capital, Crowdfunding and Banking worlds who will compare and contrast the many ways you can fund your startup. The discussion will address common questions including:
What are the best funding options for growing my business?
At what stage should I go after external funding?
How much money should I ask for?
What metrics do I need to show to ask for funding?
Does ‘NO’ mean ‘maybe later?’
If you are an entrepreneur or investor looking for early stage companies, then you do NOT want to miss this event!
Food & Networking post-discussion.
As a startup with a great idea you are always looking out for investors and funding. However, "just" an idea might not cut it and you have to step up your game. Why investors are always looking for more...
YouNet Accelerator Program is a seed start-up accelerator / incubator pioneer in Vietnam based on the models of JFDI (Singapore), Techstars, Y-Combinator in Silicon Valley.
Download this at bestpitch.es/yc-pitch-deck
The prestigious Y-Combinator accelerator program is known for being the launchpad for countless billion-dollar "unicorn" startups over the last decade, such as Airbnb, Dropbox, Instacart, Twitch, & many more.
A few years ago, the YC team released an (extremely) simple pitch deck template to help guide founders, based on what worked for decades of YC startups.
While not every founder can present their pitch deck in as simple terms as the likes of Airbnb & other YC stand-outs, their template is nevertheless a fantastic starting point for framing a winning investor presentation.
This adapted version of the YC Pitch Deck template was crafted for founders seeking to win funding &/or investment for their early-stage startups. Our team of experts added a professional design touch to the YC pitch deck formula, while preserving their focus on simplicity — something we have first-hand experience with, having consulted for several YC alums over the last 5+ years.
Available at bestpitch.es/yc-pitch-deck
Adapted from ycombinator.com/library/2u-how-to-build-your-seed-round-pitch-deck
How to Raise Venture Capital: What's Your Plan? David Ehrenberg
Are you looking to raise investment capital? If so, you need a plan. The trick is to get investors to believe in you, in your company, in your vision, and in your ability to execute.
While bootstrapping may be preferred, some businesses are almost impossible to launch and grow without capital. From angel & VC investments to crowdfunding, SBIR grants and debt financing, opportunities for funding seem endless… and confusing.
Join The Capital Network for an evening with a veteran panel of experts from the Angel, Venture Capital, Crowdfunding and Banking worlds who will compare and contrast the many ways you can fund your startup. The discussion will address common questions including:
What are the best funding options for growing my business?
At what stage should I go after external funding?
How much money should I ask for?
What metrics do I need to show to ask for funding?
Does ‘NO’ mean ‘maybe later?’
If you are an entrepreneur or investor looking for early stage companies, then you do NOT want to miss this event!
Food & Networking post-discussion.
As a startup with a great idea you are always looking out for investors and funding. However, "just" an idea might not cut it and you have to step up your game. Why investors are always looking for more...
How to work with startups if you are a corporate? What are the necessary steps I have to undetake if I want to work with startups?
Here are a few tips in a 101 collection how to move forward as the gorilla among the monkeys.
Most investors ask startups to send a pitch deck over before a meeting, a lot of them pass and say no on the strength of that pitch deck.
We do things a little bit differently and we've actually made a pitch deck to sell ourselves to startups. We're Founder first and we see ourselves as privileged to be buying some equity in your company.
How To Raise Capital: Understanding Your Funding Stack & Optimizing Your Fund...Lighter Capital
Despite some signs of a slowdown, the seed and venture markets are relatively healthy. However, raising capital remains one of the most challenging jobs that a startup CEO will ever undertake.
What's your fundraising strategy for remainder of 2017 and beyond? How do you plan to raise your next round, especially in a tighter VC market?
Join BJ Lackland, CEO of Lighter Capital, and Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite, on September 19 where they will discuss:
- Recent funding trends and the rise of alternative funding options
- How to think about your capital stack
- Tips on optimizing your capital raise
CEBIT Scale 11: Send me an Angel - How to find an Angel Investor for your Sta...Florian Huber
“Angel Investors” or "Business Angels" are wealthy individuals with money available to invest in early-stage tech startups hoping that someday these small companies might become the next Google or Amazon. The presentation shows what Angel Investors are looking for in a startup, on what terms (e.g. valuation) the typically invest and how to recognize "evil" angels.
Founders and CEOs of early-stage startups are frequently faced with the daunting task of raising venture capital for their companies. Many face that challenge ill-equipped, just as serial entrepreneur Carol Realini had in 1997 when she co-founded her first company. Since then, Carol has successfully raised over 175 million in financing for her companies.
Women entrepreneurs can be especially challenged in raising venture capital for their startups because they lack training, role models and sometimes just don’t see themselves being able to succeed. Because of this, Carol coaches Women 2.0 entrepreneurs to tackle this with determination, saying “It is not rocket science, but it is very hard work.”
Promoting your company successfully to raise capital is a skill that can be mastered, and unfortunately there is no formal training process for this. Everyone has to learn it.
Over the years she has formulated a rubric for raising money, building on lessons learned to create a more efficient and less risky approach. Here are her tips for first-time entrepreneurs seeking capital for their ventures.
1. Starting up: a reality check
2. Evaluating your business idea
3. Your polar expedition: one chance to prepare
4. You: the deciding factor
5. Tips for success
Input about the entrepreneurial journey with the entrepreneurial theory like business model canvas, value proposition design, 1nspiring & customer development.
1. Starting up: a reality check
2. Evaluating your business idea
3. Your polar expedition: one chance to prepare
4. You: the deciding factor
5. Tips for success
Check out the new Techbikers infographic by Zarina Holmes
More commentary and our latest video here: https://medium.com/@ediggs/techbikers-2016-a-picture-is-worth-1000-words-511be22d0d2d#.n9nessvy2
How to work with startups if you are a corporate? What are the necessary steps I have to undetake if I want to work with startups?
Here are a few tips in a 101 collection how to move forward as the gorilla among the monkeys.
Most investors ask startups to send a pitch deck over before a meeting, a lot of them pass and say no on the strength of that pitch deck.
We do things a little bit differently and we've actually made a pitch deck to sell ourselves to startups. We're Founder first and we see ourselves as privileged to be buying some equity in your company.
How To Raise Capital: Understanding Your Funding Stack & Optimizing Your Fund...Lighter Capital
Despite some signs of a slowdown, the seed and venture markets are relatively healthy. However, raising capital remains one of the most challenging jobs that a startup CEO will ever undertake.
What's your fundraising strategy for remainder of 2017 and beyond? How do you plan to raise your next round, especially in a tighter VC market?
Join BJ Lackland, CEO of Lighter Capital, and Nathan Beckord, CEO of Foundersuite, on September 19 where they will discuss:
- Recent funding trends and the rise of alternative funding options
- How to think about your capital stack
- Tips on optimizing your capital raise
CEBIT Scale 11: Send me an Angel - How to find an Angel Investor for your Sta...Florian Huber
“Angel Investors” or "Business Angels" are wealthy individuals with money available to invest in early-stage tech startups hoping that someday these small companies might become the next Google or Amazon. The presentation shows what Angel Investors are looking for in a startup, on what terms (e.g. valuation) the typically invest and how to recognize "evil" angels.
Founders and CEOs of early-stage startups are frequently faced with the daunting task of raising venture capital for their companies. Many face that challenge ill-equipped, just as serial entrepreneur Carol Realini had in 1997 when she co-founded her first company. Since then, Carol has successfully raised over 175 million in financing for her companies.
Women entrepreneurs can be especially challenged in raising venture capital for their startups because they lack training, role models and sometimes just don’t see themselves being able to succeed. Because of this, Carol coaches Women 2.0 entrepreneurs to tackle this with determination, saying “It is not rocket science, but it is very hard work.”
Promoting your company successfully to raise capital is a skill that can be mastered, and unfortunately there is no formal training process for this. Everyone has to learn it.
Over the years she has formulated a rubric for raising money, building on lessons learned to create a more efficient and less risky approach. Here are her tips for first-time entrepreneurs seeking capital for their ventures.
1. Starting up: a reality check
2. Evaluating your business idea
3. Your polar expedition: one chance to prepare
4. You: the deciding factor
5. Tips for success
Input about the entrepreneurial journey with the entrepreneurial theory like business model canvas, value proposition design, 1nspiring & customer development.
1. Starting up: a reality check
2. Evaluating your business idea
3. Your polar expedition: one chance to prepare
4. You: the deciding factor
5. Tips for success
Check out the new Techbikers infographic by Zarina Holmes
More commentary and our latest video here: https://medium.com/@ediggs/techbikers-2016-a-picture-is-worth-1000-words-511be22d0d2d#.n9nessvy2
AWS works with many leading VC's in the UK. Join AWS as we share our learnings about venture capital, how it works and provide tips and tricks on how to pitch with the goal to successfully get funding for your startup.
The 10 rules to build a badass startup team by Alice ZaguryTheFamily
"Building a great team isn't enough, you need to build a cult."
There are many things that can determine the success or the failure of your startup, but no factor is more powerful and more in your control than how you build your team.
In a startup, execution is EVERYTHING.
You need the right people, and you need the right mindset.
Alice Zagury knows a little bit about this...
Alice Zagury is cofounder & CEO of TheFamily, a private investor (300+ startups, $100M+ raised for top companies). Previously, she created the first startup accelerator in France, Le Camping. She's had a lot of experience on hiring & culture, being around startups for many years and working on her own team at TheFamily.
As a startup founder, there are a few key questions you should be asking before you get too far into building your venture that will help you evaluate whether it's worth the investment of your time and resources. Things like: how big of an opportunity is this? Who else is trying to address this opportunity? How will our startup be different from the competition? Learn about how to get the answers to these, and other critical questions that will help you assess the opportunity.
Perspectives from Global Business LeadersMak Hesson
A collection of the thought leadership excerpts on Innovations, Leadership, Startups & eCommerce from the best global business leaders during the conference sessions hosted by Arcadier. In this eBook, you will find a host of topics that would benefit not only the start-up entrepreneurs but also anyone embarking on starting their own business or leading their own teams. Our distinguished speakers are from a spectrum of industry and experiences and they bring different perspective to various discussions.
Want to turn an amazingly innovative idea into reality? We’ll help share techniques with you to make your dream a reality.
AGENDA TOPICS
- From idea development to innovation design
- Brain power “Deep Innovation”, working in a team
- The difference between an original idea and a copy
- Prepare for the extreme innovative solution
- Back in reality and the first compromise
- Keeping the vision
- Market leader through innovative thinking
The 10 Biggest Questions We Received From Tech Startups - NextView VenturesNextView Ventures
These were the most popular blog post we created in the last six months for our startup blog, The View From Seed. This site is dedicated to seed-stage tech startups in the web and mobile spaces. NextView is a leading seed VC located in Boston. Topics include raising venture capital, hiring a COO, content marketing and blogging, and more.
Are you ready to speak to investors. Use these essential tests to better prepare yourself. Read expert investor pitch advice about investor pitch decks, investor pitch meeting and tough investor questions. Read more
Here are 10 Reasons HOW we empower mortgage agents at iBridge Capital. We believe in People over Numbers and doing what it takes to embody our values of Accessible to Everyone, Continuous Growth and Transparency. Learn more at www.ibridgecapital.ca. Contact us at 416-357-9529 or email us at ask@ibridgecapital.ca
Lean Startup Inside a Big Company (with a Shark Tank Twist), Stephen Liguori,...Lean Startup Co.
What happens when a small group of mavericks decide to launch an unauthorized version of Lean Startup inside a huge multinational firm like Cisco? Over 1,100 new organic-growth ideas, including a surprise Shark Tank-like ending. Presented by Steve Liguori, (Founder Liguori Innovation and former GE Exec Director of Global Innovation) with Alex Goryachev (Cisco Senior Director Innovation Strategy and Programs) and Oseas Ramirez Assad (Cisco Senior Manager, Business Development and Innovation Enablement.)
How to Prepare & Deliver Deal-closing Pitches for Your StartupGabriel DOMBRI
Pitching your startups is fun but it is not easy. Learn how to prepare and deliver pitches that actually help you close investment or partnership deals.
It's all about the pitching as a strategic flow that gets you to have to be effective in preparing, creating and delivering presentations.
The Miami Brickell Chamber of Commerce and RedZone International are excited to host Brickell Biz Expo(TM) & ICON Real Estate Awards(TM) on Tuesday, December 6th, 2016 at the Atton Brickell Miami Hotel.
We are pleased to cordially invite you to come together with South Florida’s most prominent business professionals to Do Business at the Brickell Biz Expo 2016. FOR EVENT INFORMATION VISIT: http://bit.ly/2fhHU9E
>DON’T MISS OUT! SPACE IS LIMITED!
>NETWORK WITH EXECUTIVES & BUSINESS LEADERS!
>SHOWCASE YOUR PRODUCTS/SERVICES TO HUNDREDS
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FOR EVENT INFORMATION VISIT: http://bit.ly/2fhHU9E
An investor pitch is a special pitch - you are trying to convince someone to part with their money for your idea. The key thing to remember is that the investor is not evaluating your idea - they are evaluating you and your ability to execute on the idea.
As presented @ Betahaus Sofia. It is very much based on the original seed fundraising presentation of Steve Schlafman (http://www.slideshare.net/schlaf/raising-a-seed-round), the best I've seen on the subject.
Techstars organized a boot camp for people who served in the military. The focus is to teach / encourage veterans to think about starting or joining tech startups. This presentation is a primer on fundraising and other related items.
Similar to 10 tips to make your startup attractive for investors [vc cafe] (20)
Welcome to the Program Your Destiny course. In this course, we will be learning the technology of personal transformation, neuroassociative conditioning (NAC) as pioneered by Tony Robbins. NAC is used to deprogram negative neuroassociations that are causing approach avoidance and instead reprogram yourself with positive neuroassociations that lead to being approach automatic. In doing so, you change your destiny, moving towards unlocking the hypersocial self within, the true self free from fear and operating from a place of personal power and love.
15. Before we go [ ] … When? Who? How Much? “Short answer: [raise] enough to get your startup to an accretive milestone plus some fudge factor” “As much as possible while keeping your dilution under 20%, preferably under 15%, and, even better, under 10%.” NiviBabak, VentureHacks Chris Dixon, founder collective
16. Raising money can be time consuming. So learn and prepare to go forth and conquer! 16 Special thanks: E: eze@vccafe.comT: @ediggs
Editor's Notes
Telling that you’re hire a professional CEO helps too (VCs love small egos to an extent)
If you really have no competition, perhaps you’re in the wrong businessBut, do not underestimate the first mover advantageList ALL competitors. How are you better or different?There’s a different between no competition (sound like an idiot) and no one else does what we do. There’s other companies that make similar technology, but they haven’t applied it in the same way, and their not going for the same customers and here’s how we are differentKeep it in context. Don’t fear other startups. You’re biggest fear is who owns the market. Other startups compete on funds, but not necessarily on the market. Position yourself smartly
Cliché but trueFor every tip I’ll give, the opposite is also probably trueDon’t underestimate a good story that takes 10 mins
Sell yourself – they’re investing in youIf you have a team, it shows you’re not all about ego. Say why the people that work with you are AMAZING. The advisors are for the benefit of the entrepreneur not the investorThe marriage you have with your co-founder is even stronger than the marriage with the investor. If there’s any tension, you won’t get money. Decide the responsibilities early – don’t be childish. You have to define the roles, talk about what you each want to do. You should each be talking about the stuff that you’re good at – don’t think about splitting an equal number of slides. If you’re technical – accept your role, and shut up until we talk about tech – you’re not the business guy. Or find another team - and know that things can change. It’s sensitive – put the ego asideFind the co founder with whom you’re comfortable cristising and getting crtisized
Read steve blank and ericreissYou know shit – your customers know shit. But all of them together know more shit than you. Don’t let feedback take you off your vision, but allow them to influence how you execute it. Try to understand where they’re coming from.Listen! Don’t’ cave in right awaySand hill road, there’s a uniform – it’s a noy’s club. Don’t get too obsessed with it.
Patents matter when it comes to acquisitionIn the beginning it is a nice to have to secure that the IP is protected. The lawyers can sleep much easier fif you’re protectedIf you’re pharma it is different.Technology depth depends on the investor – they want to feel that there’s real technology – in a consumer play it may be different. Graph theory, Thevc comic strip – robert von goebon
Don’t raise if you don’t have toEveryone wants to sell to 1%of China…It’s hard to know in the beginning what you’re niche will be. B=PIVOT if you need too. Don’t pick a niche that’s too narrow
Dangerous!!If you’re technology is so replicable, you’ve got a real problem.Don’t take them through the code but explain how it works.Are you going to fight them in court?Either you’re insecure or the idea is too fragile.Investors don’t signed NDAsBe very wary of who is in their porftolio– you’re idea will end up with the competitors – it is his fiduciary obiligation to share it!Part of your value is that you’re going to go do it. If you have an idea for a business – it’s not going
If you have a co-founder – one of you is invariably better at selling – know you’re strenghtsIf you have a close advisor that go with you on the meetings, it’s great. Use the resources you’ve got. If youre not good at it, take a co-founder…
Nobody looks at business plansHave it so you can send it You know shit when you write it, Conventional wisdom as cliché as iit is, in the end
You’re better off, if you can show tractionDo as much as possible as you can on your own (don’t develop a drug) If you build a consumer facing service you have more data, It’s better for you financiallyDon’t raise money cause you’ll have a salaryYou want to raise money only when you need to start hiring. Keep track on what you spend – expense it later (when you get the money)Get the servers, put some of your own moneyWho to raise from The best investors tend to be the most fairThe top tier VCs offer “fair” deals, not the best dealsPick a VC that has a high EQ (someone who understand the dynamics and sensitive to your needs)How much – depends on your personality as well. Even if you have money, you can still take the bus. The more money you take, the more you give up. But nothing is worse than going back and asking the well for more money. You lose face, and the investors hate it.