Investor Connect Podcast

How To Expand Product Sales Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups raising funding must show a growth story. The best growth story is a revenue curve going up and to the right at a 45-degree angle. For venture, the growth curve must be at least 50% year over year. Here are some key steps to take to expand sales: Increase sales with current customers by selling to more contacts within the account. This means using referrals from the existing users to find new ones. Increase the number of products sold to current customers. This means finding upgrades and additional products to sell to current users. Find new customers similar to the ones already buying the product. This means looking for new customers in the same industry or sector as current customers. Find new customers who are larger than the current customers. Larger customers can pay a higher price and potentially have a greater capacity for buying more. Finally, sell additional services that enhance the current product or service, such as payment facilities to help purchase the product, data analytics on customer usage, and artificial intelligence-enhanced features. Consider these steps in expanding product sales. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Calculate Burn Rate Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Burn rate is a key metric investors use to check the health of a startup. Based on the burn rate and cash in the bank, one can calculate how much time the startup has. Here's how to calculate burn rate. Use incoming cash as the first data point. It's a mistake to use revenue as the timing of the cash received is more important than when the orders are booked. Use outgoing cash as the second data point. Again, it's not the expenses on the accounting system that matters; it's what happened with cash flows. Burn rate is cash income minus cash outflow and is expressed in dollars. Track burn rate each month and over a long period of time. This will show the seasons and cycles that come with every business. Holidays often stretch out incoming cash flows, yet payroll still rolls no matter what. This will provide a range of burn rates throughout the year, making it easier to predict. Consider the burn rate for your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How to Diligence a Crowdfunding Deal Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel investors are familiar with startups raising funding who come through their normal channels. Deals are often submitted on their software platform or referred by a trusted source. In the world of crowdfunding, startups come through a new compliance channel called Reg CF. The startup posts their deal on a software platform that allows anyone to invest using the Reg CF compliance rather than Reg D compliance. Investors see an overview of the investment, a video describing how it works, and some documents for diligence. The crowdfunding platform provides some diligence information. Here's how an angel investor should diligence that startup: First, the crowdfunding platform checked for compliance with the Reg CF requirements but has not necessarily performed the usual checks for investor diligence. For example, the financials are not audited, so the investor must verify the financials provided. Check the team to see how much experience they have and what role they currently play in the startup. The product may look like it's ready to go, but the investor should verify the current status. The deal has a valuation but is rarely stated in clear terms. The investor should check to see what the proposed valuation is and if it is market rate. Finally, the investor should check the terms of the offering to see what rights the investors have, if any. Consider these steps in diligencing a crowdfunding deal. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Be a Good Startup Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup investors not only provide capital but also ongoing support to the startup. Here are some key steps to be a good startup investor: Research the market and provide actionable recommendations to the team about customers to pursue. Provide ongoing support through the tough times as well as the bad times. Build a relationship with the team and then grow it. Give credit to the team for their hard work and avoid taking it for themselves. Define their contribution to the team and set expectations with them. Provide training to the team in their area of expertise. Make connections to help break through the barriers that hold back sales. Rally other investors around the fundraise on follow-on rounds. Coach the CEO on how to connect with investors. Connect the CEO with potential partners who can help drive sales. Reserve funds for a follow-on investment when needed. Consider these steps as a good startup investor. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Make Your Pitch More Engaging Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders raising funding must capture the attention of the investor. Here are some key steps on how to make the pitch more engaging: Include market research to validate the problem to be solved. This touches on the target market, the competition, and customer needs. Make clear the problem to be solved and the solution offered. It helps to show how the product works at a high level. Show the support for the business so far. This includes traction in the current business with leads generated, revenue growth, and support from others, including partners. Highlight the challenges in the space and the hurdles the startup must overcome. Pitch Decks with nothing but rosy projections are suspect. Investors appreciate knowing exactly what must be done to beat the competition. List the skills the team needs to succeed. It's often the case that the founder shows a list of people and claims they are a rock star team. But most investors don't know the people and can only go by where the team has worked before. List a key business skill, technical skill, and domain skill that the team has to show this is the right team. Consider these points in making your pitch deck more engaging. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Dave Blivin, founder and managing director of Cottonwood Technology Fund, who shares how he invests at the intersection of science, capital, and commercialization to turn hard technologies into real companies. Dave explains Cottonwood's focus on early-stage deep tech across areas such as photonics, advanced materials, sensors, med tech, energy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing, with a regional emphasis on the US Southwest and an expansion into Northwest Europe through partners in the Netherlands. He outlines Cottonwood's approach of leading rounds, taking board seats, and writing larger early checks (often around $2M within $2–$4M pre-seed syndicates) to fund prototypes and recruit business leadership, while leveraging a strong corporate venture network for diligence and follow-on rounds. Dave also discusses how he evaluates patent-based innovation with little prior art, why people and fundraising matter as much as working technology, challenges with national lab commercialization, common deep tech pitching mistakes, insights on building ecosystems outside Silicon Valley, and why renewed demand for hard tech is rising alongside AI-driven infrastructure needs. Visit Cottonwood at www.cottonwood.vc/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/company/cottonwood-technology-fund/ and on x.com/cottonwoodvc ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

It Takes a Process Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors looking to invest in a startup often look at the revenue as a sign of traction. In the very early stages, the presence or absence of revenue indicates the fundability of a company. As the company grows, one can look at the growth rate as a sign of traction. In addition to the presence of revenue and the growth rate, the investor can also look at the process behind the sales. This process includes generating leads, qualifying and then closing them. Check to see how sophisticated the process is. More importantly, check to see how predictive the process is. The better the sales process, the better the sales outcome for the company. The process often shows how much the founder knows about selling the product. A fully featured sales process that consistently takes prospects through to close is a key indicator of success. As an investor, review not only their revenue traction but also the process behind it. It takes a process to make a successful startup. As a founder, don't wait to build the process; start on it immediately after launch. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Get Your Fundraise Started Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Starting a fundraise can be a daunting task for the first-time founder. Here are some key steps on how to get your fundraise started. Research the market by talking with other founders who are raising funding. Check the current climate for fundraising. Look at their fundraise documents, including the pitch deck and terms sheet. After reviewing four to five fundraises, the content and format of the documents will be clear. Break the fundraise campaign into manageable tasks. Start with investor document preparation, then build a list of potential investors, and finally, set up a timeline for meeting the investors. Look for advisors who know the fundraising process and can give guidance. Spend time with other founders raising funding to learn from their experience. Practice your pitch and watch other founders pitching to hone your presentation skills. Start pitching to family and friends and then draw the circle wider to friends of friends and finally seek out investors who you don't know. Consider these steps in launching your fundraise. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Return on Mission Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups generate a return on investment for their investors by measuring how much their business generated funds returned compared to investment. For the impact space, one can calculate the return on mission. Here is how to measure the return on mission for your impact startup. Calculate the overhead-to-program expense ratio. See how much of the program cost goes to overhead. Overhead is anything that does not directly drive the cost to produce the product or service. This should be less than 10% in most cases. One can calculate return on mission by dividing a financial investment by the amount of producing the product or service. For example, if an expense is $10K, and the cost of producing a product or service is $1K, then the cost of the expense is 10X. The objective is to determine how much a business expense compares to the cost of providing a service or product. This casts expenses in terms of producing the product or service, which frames the expense in mission terms. Consider calculating the return on mission for your impact startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Connect With Investors in Your Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching investors, founders should strive to connect with them. Here are some key steps to connect with investors: Fit the startup fundraising standards. Too many out-of-standard details such as fundraise amount, terms, and valuation will put off the investor. For example, traditional first rounds are $500K to $1M. Asking for $4M in the first round will have the investor wondering why this is different. Provide the standard information investors look for, including problem, solution, and how it works. A good practice is to say what you do in five words or less so the investor knows what the startup does. Without context, the investor will have a hard time connecting to your deal. Many founders talk about how the product works without first identifying what problem they are solving. Avoid long-winded stories and get to the point. Include the fundraising ask with a clear use of funds. Investors want to know where the business stands today. Show current traction and avoid rosy projections as the investor knows those rarely come true. Finally, demonstrate the team's capabilities. Since there's little revenue at this stage, the investor will make the investment decision on the team. Consider these steps in connecting with investors in your pitch. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Core Skills for Biotech Drug Development Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors looking to invest in a biotech drug startup should diligence the team for key skills. Here are the key skills needed for biotech drug development: Knowledge of how to drug a target. This means identifying a molecule, often a protein, that is associated with the disease to be treated and could be treated by a drug. Ability to elucidate the mechanism of action. This is the process by which a drug functions to produce a pharmacological effect. Demonstrate safety and efficacy. This shows the therapeutic works and is non-toxic. Ability to design clinical trials to show safety and efficacy. This requires the ability to pick the right therapeutic indication and the appropriate patient population. Finally, understand the regulatory requirements for approval. This means identifying the right FDA path and the steps required to reach approval. Consider these skills in a founder before investing in a biotech drug startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Dr. Lyle Berkowitz, Founder and Chairman of KeyCare, a virtual care medical group that helps health systems deliver telemedicine tightly integrated with the Epic electronic health record. With coverage across all 50 U.S. states, KeyCare focuses on expanding access, coordinating virtual and in-person care, and reducing physician burnout by building on Epic rather than creating a separate technology stack. Lyle shares how virtual care shifted from a pre-pandemic "nice-to-have" into a durable part of healthcare infrastructure after reimbursement parity and broader cultural adoption, and he outlines how AI supports pre-visit intake, ambient documentation during visits, and post-visit follow-up. He also discusses the "three Cs" of digital health adoption—coordination, cultural change, and compensation redesign—along with lessons on aligning incentives in partnerships and investing, advice for founders to start with a focused niche and show traction before raising capital. Visit KeyCare at www.keycare.org/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/drlyle/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

What Investors Look for in a Market Slide Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Part of the startup's pitch deck should be a market slide. Here's what investors need to know about your startup's target market. Who is the target customer? A good market slide segments the customers into categories and highlights the ideal segments for the startup's product. Next, the market slide shows how many potential customers are in the target market. Finally, the slide shows how the startup will compete in the market. The market slide does not show the total size of the industry but rather the total amount of revenue the market can generate for your startup. The market slide shows three views of the market. Total Available Market shows the total amount of revenue from your product that could be generated annually. Service Addressable Market shows the amount of revenue generated minus the applications the product cannot address. Service Obtainable Market shows the Service Addressable Market minus the revenue that goes to competitors. Consider these points in building the market slide for your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Pitch the Business Case for Your Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most first-time founders talk about the product and how it works. In pitching, it's important to make the business case for your startup. Here are some key steps to use to make the business case: Start with the problem and show how it costs the customers a substantial amount in time or dollars. Show the number of potential customers who have this problem. This is often shown in a Total Available Market slide. Highlight the current competition and their effectiveness. In most cases, the competition solves the problem but leaves plenty of room for improvement. Show your solution and highlight the competitive advantage. The competitive advantage should give your business a 30% increase in revenue over the competition or a 30% decrease in cost. Next, show the monetization model. This includes all sources of revenue. Finally, include a financial forecast to show the growth over time. It's important to validate the business case with happy customers who paid for the product. Consider these steps in making the business case for your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Growth Startups Are Not Profitable in Year One Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups require up-front costs to set up and build the company. Any financial projection that shows profitability in the first year is suspect. Upfront costs include building the website, filing the company legal entity documents, patent filings, and more. Hiring the team takes time and takes time away from building the product or closing the sale. Initial funding takes time as well. Core business processes need to be put into place. Initial leads need to be generated. These costs always outweigh the revenue coming in. Once the basic processes are in place, then the task of building products and selling to customers can increase. After the sales process has started, there will be some time before revenue comes in. It takes time to build sales momentum. Once you have a growth curve going, the opportunity for break-even becomes a possibility. Beware financial forecasts that leave no time for business or sales startup to take hold. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Delusions in the Early-Stage Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The early-stage startup has its own set of delusions founders must overcome. Here's a list of delusions to watch for: Everyone else is a professional but not the founder. The reality is that the founder has the opportunity to build a great business just like anyone else. Financial projections are always wrong. The mistake is believing they are right. The purpose of a financial plan is to start the process of modeling out the business. This will take some time before the financial forecast matches the actual business. The highs and the lows of the business are not forever. The excitement you have now will diminish, and the lows also will come to an end. Success stories heard from other companies typically come from unusual circumstances. The fantastic revenue growth often comes from a phenomenal spend from a highly dilutive fundraise. There's a fear others won't take you seriously. It all comes down to how seriously the founder takes himself and his role. There are rarely situations that are make-or-break for the startup. Few things in the startup experience are existential. In almost all cases, the startup can bounce back. Consider these delusions one may encounter in the startup world and how to overcome them. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Best Practices for Explaining a Technical Concept Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching investors, founders must explain how their product works. For those with highly technical products, here are some best practices for explaining it to others. Start with what the audience knows. Bridge the gap between their current knowledge and the topic under discussion. Avoid acronyms and jargon that require expertise in the space. Use a concept the audience already knows. Create an analogy that describes the technical concept of what is known. For example, the medical device acts like a blender that mixes the fluids. Focus on the core technology and avoid ancillary information as it complicates things. Break the technical concept down into a three-step process. This can help describe a technical concept as it shows how it works in a simplified manner. Throughout the process, check for understanding. Fill in the audience gaps of understanding. Adjust your presentation for the technical level of the audience. Consider these points for explaining technical concepts. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall talks with Dan Wasserman, founder of Mammoth Health Innovation, about what it takes to turn biomedical and medical technologies into commercially viable healthcare solutions. Dan shares Mammoth's origins from a Canadian innovation center, his "Health Ecosphere" framework for pulling together the elements needed to commercialize health innovation, and how a Hollywood-based plan to tap Canadian entertainment expats for funding collapsed when COVID hit. He explains Mammoth's work bridging Canadian and U.S. innovation approaches, including ACIP (Advancing Canadian Innovation Through Procurement), language from which made it into Canada's 2023 federal budget, and introduces CHIEFS, his KPI-based evaluation tool for both innovators and investors. The discussion covers aging populations, shrinking budgets, regulatory and reimbursement realities, customer discovery, partnerships, exit planning, AI's practical roles, scaling globally, fundraising readiness. Visit Mammoth Health Innovation at mammothhealth.org/ Reach out to at dan@mammothhealth.ca , and on Twww.linkedin.com/in/dan-wasserman-2074192/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Negative Checklist for Startup Investing Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most investors have a checklist for what they look for in a startup investment. The counter to this is the negative list for startup investing. This list shows what the investor does not invest in. Here are some examples: Investments that will close shortly, leaving the investor no time for research or diligence. An investment that has all positives and no negatives. An investment that is risk-free or 'can't fail.' An investment that looks good only because everyone you know is in it. Any investment that has a great story but no traction, momentum or validation of the product or market. An investment with a sky-high valuation and few results so far. Any investment that relies solely on other people's money with no skin in the game from the founder. An investment that the founder can't tell you what it is because it is confidential. The negative checklist helps the investor screen out deals that won't be fundable. Consider your negative checklist for startup investing. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Look for Founders With Balance Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors funding startups know that the team is the most important element. In reviewing the team, look for founders with balance. There are some founders who can work on multiple aspects of the business, such as sales, product development, and team building. There are others who are specialists. They work well in one aspect, such as fundraising. It's important to check the founders' skills to see that they can operate in other parts of the company. There will not be enough funding or revenue in the early days to hire everyone needed to cover all tasks. Look for those founders who have some skill in fundraising, sales, team building, and product development. These are the core elements of a successful startup. Finance, accounting, networking, and other skills can be outsourced or learned. In addition to skills, the founder must spend time on each of these areas. Look for founders with balance. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Key Skills Founders Need at Each Stage Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. At each stage of the startup, the founder needs to have key skills to succeed at that level. Here are the key skills founders need: Seed stage -- grit and jack of all trades. The founder at this stage needs to have grit to grind through obstacles and wear many hats. The founder needs to build a product and sell it. Growth stage -- sales and focus on core business The founder at this stage needs to lead the sales effort as sales growth is all-important. Core business functions need to be established, such as product development and support. Scale stage -- expand into new verticals with the product. The founder at this stage needs to hire specialists who can take the product into vertical segments. Recruiting becomes the name of the game. Beyond scale -- face of the company. The founder at this stage represents the company to the outside world. This includes providing support to close big sales, win new investors, and become the visionary for the company. Investors should look for the CEO to apply the right skills at each stage of the company. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Best Practices for Investor Introductions Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising requires connections to investors. After a founder exhausts his own network, he must draw the circle wider to reach out to investors he does not know. Here are some best practices for investor introductions: Personalize the request for an introduction. If making it to an investor, show how this request is unique to them. If making it to someone who will make the introduction, provide that personalized message to them for their outreach. Find a way to deliver value. Investors look for new information about an area of interest for them. Provide market research or a contact who knows more about that space. Demonstrate the value of the introduction by showing how it's important to your work. Investors aren't interested in spending time on things that don't matter. Finally, return the favor. If they provide the introduction, then see how one can provide value in return. Consider these best practices for investor introductions. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Thriving on Chaos Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups have to go through the rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. There will be good times and bad times. Founders should identify what good problems are and what bad problems are. Good problems indicate you are doing well. These include the following: Increasing sales that outstrip your current team. Growing headcount such that you outgrow your current office space. Customers demand more products and services than you can supply. Bad problems indicate you are not doing well. These include the following: Another missed forecast, making it three in a row. The loss of key accounts, such as that you now have more employees needed. Customers are slow to sign up for the product, and retention is low. Startup founders thrive on chaos. It brings an energy to the startup that galvanizes the team. Learn the difference between good problems and bad problems. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hal hosts Andy as he introduces Tenacious Founder, a platform built to help founders and investors navigate rapid change in the startup world by replacing "winging it" with a structured, data-driven build process. Andy likens today's investing environment to the oil industry's evolution from 70% dry holes to under 7% by using better information before committing capital, arguing the same shift is happening as investors demand succinct proof and AI increasingly analyzes pitch decks before founders ever pitch. Tenacious Founder maps startup maturity across eight stages, distills common requirements from leading pitch frameworks into 17 core elements, and turns them into sequenced project plans with playbooks, checklists, downloadable templates, and an interactive Notion-based workspace, with an AI-assisted SaaS operating system planned next. Andy shares his background in process-driven execution and startups, outlines his team, and answers questions on using multiple ChatGPT engines with task-specific guardrails, handling hallucinations, data input via templates, gating funding by milestones, and upcoming work on IP security and evolving compliance expectations. ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Close an Anchor Client Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Anchor clients are crucial to early-stage startups. They provide a predictable revenue stream for the company. Here are key steps to close an anchor client. Identify a client that fits the ideal customer profile. Build a relationship with that client. Connect with them on a regular basis. Make sure you are in contact with the decision maker. Identify three potential solutions to offer them. Close at least one of them. Provide superior service to the client. Go above and beyond the normal level of support. Build at least three anchor clients in case one falls out. The other two can hold you over till you find a replacement. Make sure no one client is more than thirty percent of the business. If that client drops out, then it will be difficult to continue.. Having a solid set of anchor clients makes it easy to attract other clients who can fill out the revenue stream. Consider these steps in closing an anchor client for your business. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How Fast Can You Spin Up the Flywheel Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors want several things from a startup. Here's a list for investors to consider when investing: Team -- They want a strong team that can not only build the product but also sell it. Product-market fit -- This is a focused solution for a clearly defined problem. The users are engaged, and traction is underway. Large market potential -- The market is big and growing, and there are inflection points that catalyze it. Vision -- the team can see the vision beyond the current problem solution to the next level up. Competitive advantage -- the company has a unique solution or capability that gives them an edge over the competition. Quality investors -- the company has investors who provide value and can help propel the startup forward. Fast start -- finally, the company can spin up the flywheel quickly. Investors want a startup that knows how to build a business and generate revenue in short order. Look for these elements in a startup for funding. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Journey Is the Reward Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders launching and running a startup will experience highs and lows throughout the life of the startup. Some will find the experience exhilarating while others will find it debilitating. The difference between the two extremes comes down to the founders' expectations relative to the reality of the startup world. The startup world can be brutal. The best-laid plans can go awry from black swan events. There are many exogenous factors that impact the outcome of the startup. Those who find it exhilarating expected the challenges that would come up. Those who find it debilitating most likely expected few, if any, challenges and only success. In the end, value the startup for the experience it provides and what it reveals about yourself. To navigate the startup experience, expect the worst from the market and bring the best of yourself to it. The relationships you make along the way and the knowledge acquired will stay with you for a lifetime. The journey is the reward. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

MVPs for the Purpose of Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Minimum viable products or MVPs help the startup not only engage with the customer but also with the investor. Here's how MVPs can help progress the fundraise. It demonstrates the product concept is viable. This shows the product can be built. An MVP demonstrates the founders' commitment to the business. It's easy to talk about a product, but building one takes more. Reduces the risk. A working prototype reduces the risk that one cannot build the potential product. It generates customer feedback. The MVP engages the customer conversation, giving the founder evidence that customers will buy it. Finally, the MVP demonstrates market interest. It shows there is a market for the product. The investor wants to know the product works and customers will pay for it. The MVP helps paint that picture. Consider building an MVP as part of your fundraising strategy. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Support a Founder Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors looking to find good deals should consider how to support founders. The more the investor can support the key founders in their network, the better chance they have at finding a place on their cap tables. Good founders launch a new startup every five years in most cases. The previous startup may or may not have succeeded. Investors looking for strong teams should consider supporting good founders on a day-to-day basis. This builds a network of potential CEOs who need funding. Here are some key steps on how to support a founder: Find out what is top of mind for them currently. Knowing what they are focused on will tell the investor how to add value. Ask the founder about the current milestone they are trying to achieve. Finally, ask what the biggest challenge they face today is. Through simple questioning, one can figure out how to support the founder at this time. Consider building a network of successful startup founders and supporting them in their work. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes by Laura Hilty, Principal at HealthX Ventures and Chief Strategy Officer at Ignite Data, to discuss her path from Epic to building and launching seven software products at a clinical research startup, supporting acquisitions, and ultimately seeing the business sold to Blackstone for $5B—before moving into early-stage health tech investing. Laura shares how digital health opportunities are shifting as Epic expands into AI, creating new investment risk and pushing startups toward deep niches and tech-enabled services Epic won't replicate, like devices or clinician staffing. We also cover the FDA's push toward real-time clinical trials and questions around participant-level data, plus innovations addressing clinician shortages through automation and peer support, including Sober Sidekick's relapse prediction. Laura closes with advice on proving product-market fit before VC, defining moats in an AI-driven world, and avoiding overly frothy early valuations. Visit HealthX Ventures at www.healthxventures.com/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/laura-hilty001/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Challenges of the Venture Studio Model Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The Venture Studio model is a form of venture capitalism that brings numerous startups together and fosters their growth through shared resources and learning. Not all startups make it. The Venture Studio model takes the best of each failed startup and finds a place within a successful startup in the program. Here are some key challenges with the Venture Studio model: The Studio must have ongoing revenue streams. The program is labor-intensive, so there must be some way to pay the salaries. Make clear the program you are running and the output of it. Since the startups will change and reconfigure themselves regularly, it's important to make clear what the outcome will be. This could be to create five successful startups that raise funding by the end of the year. Funding for each startup will be a key challenge to overcome. The Studio will not be able to fund each startup completely, so outside funding must be found. Consider these challenges in your Venture Studio model program. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Building Advocates for Your Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it's best to have a network of accredited investors to pursue. For those who do not, one can start building that network. Figure out where the angel investors in your area hang out. Find out what they read, listen to, and talk about. Based on this information, find individual angels and those who gather in groups. Then recruit angel investors to join your startup's network. Find ways to connect them into the group through investment, networking, or mentorship. For those investing, offer a special incentive such as warrants. For networking, figure out who they want to network with and foster that through meetups and online events. For those who can provide mentorship, gather them into a board of advisors. There will be those who don't meet any of the above criteria but can still be useful as connectors. Include them as well as they have connections they can leverage to help you build your group. With a group of investors behind the startup, the fundraise will gain momentum. Consider building advocates for your fundraise. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Risks in Family and Friends Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Raising investment from family and friends is often a key step in a startup's fundraise. In the early days, there's no team, product, or customer traction. The founder has only an idea but lots of enthusiasm. It's a sign of validation that a founder's family and friends will invest money. They may not invest a great deal, but investing sends the signal of support. Angel investors and others will look for this validation. For those raising from family and friends, make clear the risk they take. They could lose all their money. If the business succeeds, they will suffer a great deal of dilution as there will most likely be many rounds of funding to follow. Family and friends often have no rights or preferences. In most cases, there's no board, so there will be minimal oversight over the startup. Founders will do well to make clear the risks the family and friends funding will take. In fact, it's best to raise small amounts of funding from family and friends and indicate that no one will be paid back. In many cases, family and friends are supporting you and will treat it as a donation rather than an investment. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Go-to-Market Slide Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The Go-to-Market slide is important for seed-stage companies pitching for funding. It shows how the startup will enter the market. Consider setting up an initial target market. List the top twenty customers who will buy your product and gather them into a group called the beachhead market. This shows a focused strategy with a predetermined list of companies to pursue. Show how these companies are a great fit for your product. Then mention that you have already talked with all of them and they are interested in buying. Next, show how these companies will lead to more and bigger companies in the market. Avoid the percent of market approach in which 1% of a billion-dollar market is a big number. This fails with investors as it doesn't indicate what customers you are going to pursue. It demonstrates a lack of understanding of the market. Focus on identifying the customers and their segment and show how you have already sold to them. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Alternatives to an MVP Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Building a full-blown product is unwise at the early stage, as the startup will inevitably build the wrong thing. It's best to test the market first. Minimum viable products or MVPs are a better solution than a product, as it's cheaper and easier to do. The goal of the MVP is to generate a dialogue with customers and estimate demand. There are alternatives to building an MVP. Here are some examples: Create a datasheet showing the product you intend to build and sell. Show the features and benefits of it. Use this to spark a dialog with customers. In-person interviews work best so as to gauge interest and capture feedback. This can be especially useful in setting the initial price for the product. Another alternative is to create a website landing page with key information. Then drive traffic to it. This will demonstrate how interested or disinterested the target market is in the proposed product. Set up the landing page to take orders for the product to see how many actually sign up. Tweak the content till you have interest in the product. Pretend you have the proposed product available today and try to sell it. This will inform your decision about what to build and is far cheaper than an MVP. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we hear from Randy Hubbell, CEO of Soliris Endovascular, a medical device company developing peripheral endovascular technologies for PAD and dialysis access. Randy outlines the company's two advanced programs: Soliris SX, a self-expanding covered stent approved in 45 countries with over 15,000 sold and about $5M in recurring revenue, and a breakthrough-designated drug-eluting version that adds sirolimus to the stent edges to address edge restenosis. He shares Phase 2 interim results from a 115-patient study showing 95% patency compared to 70–75% for covered stents and about half failing after balloon angioplasty, with imaging consistent out to 12 months. Randy explains Soliris' tuck-in acquisition strategy aimed at multinationals, updates investors on a $5M bridge round and an upcoming $25M Series A to fund a single pivotal study and PMA toward a projected $550–$600M exit, followed by Q&A on Anvisa, global distribution, and strategic acquirer interest. ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Customer Intimacy in Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Customer intimacy is a strategy in which one builds a relationship with the customer about their care abouts and expectations. The more one knows about the customer, the better one is able to support and meet their needs. In fundraising, customer intimacy can be a compelling value proposition for the investor. Investors look initially at startups for traction with customers. Once that is in place, the investor looks for customer intimacy. How well does the founder know the customer? How can this be used to build an ongoing relationship with them? The more the founder knows about the customers, the more they can build products and services to meet their needs. For investors seeking to fund startups, look beyond the initial traction to how well the founder knows the customer. Test their knowledge of the customer with the question, now that you have sold the first product to the customer, what will you sell them next? See if the founder knows the customer well enough to chart a product roadmap. Consider customer intimacy as a key value proposition for fundraising. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Founders Who Got Lucky Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Some founders get lucky and achieve a successful exit of their business. They were in the right place at the right time with the right solution. Investors should be wary of founders who got lucky. Their luck may have come early in the life of the startup. It's often the case that they haven't built the skills necessary to launch and grow a startup. Successful founders typically have several years of experience, but an early exit may have cut this short. When those who got lucky start their second business, they assume the conditions will be the same. They assume they will have a great product, and traction will come easily. But the conditions that played out on the first startup will rarely be there for the second one. The challenges of a startup are what make the founder. The hard times become the lessons that they take with them throughout life. If they skipped the hard times, then chances are they don't have the skills needed to take a startup through to an exit. As an investor, be wary of founders who got lucky. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Your First Round Should Have an Investor-Friendly Valuation Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, the first round is always the hardest. Here's why it's so difficult: There's often no product or revenue to prove traction. The team, in most cases, is unproven. The market is not yet well defined. The ideal target customer has not yet been identified. How the business will make money is not yet known. The founder is inexperienced, as this is often their first rodeo. The first round of funding should have an investor-friendly valuation. Use family and friends' funding to raise at least half of the round. Show investors how funds have already been raised. It's a positive that family and friends believe enough in you to invest. Invest your own money and show prospective investors that you are committed. Show how the valuation will go up in the next round when you have more values in business. Make the first round small so as not to incur too much dilution. With so few values in the business, most investors will not pay a higher valuation. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Mitigate the Risks Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In a pitch, founders focus on the opportunity while the investors focus on the risk. Founders who raise funding have successfully shown how they mitigate those risks. Here are some key risks to mitigate: Team risks -- show how the team works well together. Cite a substantial project the team has already taken on and successfully completed. Product risks -- show how the product works, and customers will pay for it. Show the revenue from the product and how customers are happy with it. Technical risks -- show how you have already solved the technical issues. Describe the technical solution and the benefits that come from it. Launch risks -- show how you have already solved the launch challenge. This can be done by showcasing the results of the launch of the product. Market risks -- show how the market exists and will engage your product. Describe the market, including size, structure, and careabouts and list each segment you have already sold into. Revenue risks -- show how the revenue will be sufficient to cover the costs of doing business. Use unit economics to show how the product, which is already selling, is profitable. The more risks you mitigate, the easier it is to raise funding. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Keys to a Successful Preseed Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Raising pre-seed funding is one of the bigger challenges in startup fundraising. This round comes at the idea stage, so there are no metrics around traction or product-market fit. Here are the keys to a successful pre-seed round. The current team must have strong experience in the domain and a track record of growing and exiting startups. The team must have a unique insight into solving the problem in the industry. This will become the company's competitive advantage. The insight must be compelling enough to create a business that can generate more revenue or run the business at a substantially lower cost. The team must know the industry segment well and have enough connections to find customers, partners, and providers. In pre-seed funding, the team becomes the proxy by which the investor will judge the startup, as all values of the business will come from the initial group. Consider this in setting up your pre-seed fundraise. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we hear a pitch from Aether on addressing the global opioid epidemic with ATX-1209, a neuromodulator designed to modulate the mu-opioid receptor by suppressing dependence signals while preserving analgesic benefit when used alongside opioids, with additional development plans for opioid use disorder and neonatal opioid withdrawal syndrome (NOWS). The team cites completed human safety work, clean toxicology, and consistent animal data across species, along with validation from neuroscientist Dr. Phil Skolnick, and outlines a stage-gated, capital-efficient plan to run two clinical studies in Australia over roughly 2.5 years for about $10M to reach a key value inflection point. Ethair is raising $10M on a convertible note at a $13.3M pre-money valuation (with a lead investor already in for $4.5M on a $9M note), targeting an early exit if Phase 2A data shows reduced dependence scores with no loss of analgesia, or alternatively pursuing a pediatric orphan NOWS registrational study tied to a potential PRV voucher. ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Choose a Vertical SaaS Niche Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Vertical SaaS is a known business model that narrows the focus to a single application. This reduces the cost of capital to raise and gives the startup the opportunity to go deep on an application. Here's how to choose a vertical SaaS niche. Look for industry segments that are highly fragmented. It works well where market share is not concentrated. Find niches where technology can improve the efficiency of the business. Combining these two factors, one looks for a highly fragmented market that is currently inefficient. The market segment needs to be able to spend on tech efficiency. There needs to be enough money to implement SaaS systems. In prioritizing highly fragmented markets with low current efficiency, one looks to find the largest submarkets. The vertical must be big enough to produce a profitable business. Applying this methodology to each NAIS industry segment category provides a prioritized list of markets to apply vertical SaaS to. Consider these steps in selecting a niche for a vertical SaaS play. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How Not To Follow Up With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders raising funding should consider their approach to following up with an investor. Here's a list of ways not to do it: Have an admin send out the email follow-ups. At this stage, the founder should be building a relationship with the investor and should send all correspondence. Sending a formal email. The founder should make the email warm and friendly. Passing a new entrepreneur to the investor. It's best to focus on your own deal at this stage. Introducing others may come later. Fill the email with buzzwords and cliches. The email should be informative and not a brochure website. Jumping straight to the ask in the first sentence. It's best to set the context of the email, such as new information about customers. Skipping the updates about the business. Never send an email without some new information about the startup. It's best to continually inform and educate the investor. Consider these steps when following up with an investor. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Investor Questions and What They Mean Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders pitching investors can learn a great deal about an investor by the questions they ask. Investors apply the founders' pitch to their investment thesis. They work through the pitch to see how it does or does not fit. For example, questions focused on the financials show the investor makes decisions based on the numbers. Questions focused on the team show the investor makes decisions based on the skills of the founder. After assessing the interest of the investor, the founder can position the deal as a good fit by focusing on the investor's area of interest. For investors focused on financials, the founder can showcase the other numbers in the deal that are relevant, such as growth rate, gross margins, and the time to break even. For investors focused on the team, the founder can discuss further the experience and skills of the team. Consider the interests of the investor and reposition the discussion to focus on that area. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How Angels Are Different From VCs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Both angels and venture capitalists invest in early-stage companies. Here are the key differences between the two: Angels invest their own money while VCs invest other people's money. This makes the angel investor more risk-averse, while the VC often takes bigger risks. Most angels hold down a day job while most VCs are full-time in that role. Angels don't get paid to invest while VCs charge a management fee on the funds they deploy. Angels typically invest small amounts on their own unless they gather into groups and make a joint investment. VCs employ larger sums of money because they collected funds from many Limited Partners during their own fundraise. Most VCs lead the round if there isn't one, while most angel investors join party rounds rather than lead the deal, as it takes a great amount of time. Angel groups can bring some of the angel investors closer to some of the benefits of the venture capitalist. In pitching angels and VCs, keep these points in mind. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Gaining Sales Traction for Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, revenue traction is a key driver in attracting investors. Here are some key steps to gain sales traction for your fundraise. Early-stage companies don't have a large number of users, as that will take time. Instead, start with a small but dedicated set of users. Engagement with the product comes before revenue. Bring a strong story of initial users engaging with the product. Show how they are daily, weekly, and monthly active users. Calculate a customer ROI for the initial cohort of users and share that number with the investors. Large numbers of users who rarely use the product will fail to convince investors. A small group of users who can't live without the product will attract investors. Show how customer acquisition is a repeatable and predictable process. This shows the investor that you can increase sales as needed. Consider these steps in gaining sales traction for fundraising. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we hear from Dr. Swarna Balasubramaniam, a surgeon-turned-founder, who presents Noleus Leaf, a perioperative therapeutic device designed to restart bowel function and shorten the long, complication-prone recovery after major abdominal surgery, where patients often remain hospitalized 2 to 14 days waiting for intestines to "wake up." She explains how excess IV fluids swell the intestines, contributing to ileus, and how Noleus Leaf uses negative pressure (vacuum) therapy placed at the end of surgery for six hours and then removed at the bedside to remove fluid and help patients eat and drink sooner, supporting healing. Dr. Balasubramaniam shares first-in-human study results conducted outside the US showing patients tolerated internal negative pressure therapy and bedside removal, and recovered bowel function two days earlier than supportive care. She outlines the market opportunity, citing about 2.9 million patients affected, additional use cases in inflammatory or infectious GI conditions, and economics including a device cost under $300 at scale and potential pricing tied to saving roughly two hospital days. The discussion also covers regulatory and commercialization plans, including pursuing a 510(k) pathway leveraging negative pressure wound therapy predicates rather than a De Novo approach, targeting large tertiary and quaternary surgical centers first, and building a sales motion that requires both surgeon champions and hospital value analysis approval. Dr. Balas notes the company has been capital efficient (under $4 million to date), is raising $1.4 million to support a 10–15 patient trial and verification/validation work for FDA clearance, and anticipates commercialization in about two and a half years, with potential exit paths to large medical device or wound care companies. ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Maintain Presence With a Prospective Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it takes several touches to close an investor. It's best to create additional interactions with the investor beyond asking, 'are you ready to invest yet?' Here are some key steps to maintain presence with a prospective investor: Offer to provide a special discount on your product or service to the investor's portfolio companies. This expands the relationship beyond the fundraise and provides value to the investor. Engaging with the investor's portfolio company generates many new interactions. As you encounter the portfolio companies, new conversations with the investor will arise. Ask for advice in a different way that goes beyond the startup. This adds a new dimension to the relationship and brings another set of touch points. Interact with mutual contacts who may then mention you in their own conversations with the investor. The unbiased third-party source of information is the most valuable. It shows others trust and believe in you. Look for ways to generate additional interactions with the prospective investor. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

When the Investor Says No Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, the founder hears the response 'no' many times. Here's what to do when the investor says 'no'. Show gratitude. Thank them for their time and attention. Ask for feedback. Find out more about what they like about your deal and what they don't. Connect on social media. Use the interaction to make a connection. Add the investor to the future prospective investor list.Some investors are risk-averse and want to see the outcome of the current round. If the founder does well, the investor may come in on the next round. Ask for other investors to contact. Investors know many other investors and may know someone that is a better fit. It's often the case that the investor will fund a founder's second venture because they are now more familiar with him. The objective is to use the short-term interaction to build a long-term relationship. Consider these steps for when the investor says no. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Fundraising Is Project Management Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising is project management. In launching a fundraise, treat it like a series of projects. Here are the key steps: Start with investor documentation and build out the materials needed. Build a list of potential investors. Gain introductions to those investors. Set up meetings with each one. Follow up on the investor meetings for next steps. Negotiate the terms of the deal when working with a lead investor. Finally, close the investor. As with all project management, it's best to plan out each step. Communicate the plan to others on the team. Use project management tools to keep track of each stage, such as a CRM and a scheduler. Each project takes time and focus to build. Apply project management skills such as delegation and prioritization of tasks. Consider these project management steps and tools for your fundraise. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.