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Stick With It Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Launching a startup is hard work. The hours are long, and there are many obstacles to overcome. The key to a successful startup is not funding from investors, but rather founders who stick with it. Losing faith in the business is the first step toward shutting down. To avoid this, consider the following: Find a source of revenue to keep the lights on. Even if this means moving into consulting, training, or other ancillary services. Have a backup plan if the proposed product doesn't work. Keep costs low and manageable in the early stages of the business until the product gains traction. Have a scaled-back version of the startup ready in case the unexpected happens. Don't be afraid to pivot the business to something else in case the technology or market proves to be unviable. During difficult times, narrow the focus of the solution to meet just a few customers. It's better to have a small number using your product than a large number ignoring it. The business can live to see another day as long as the founding team stays with the 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.

Core Skills for Startup Founders Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup founders are successful because they execute. Many founders have ideas, but the execution separates the winners from the losers. Here are the core skills of a startup founder: They pick an idea and drive it all the way through to successful completion. They launch the startup and then proceed to stand up the business. They raise the funding to grow it. They build a team and galvanize them into action. They create products to sell. They close customers to buy. They make the hard decisions and tradeoffs that come with a new business venture. They actively run the business to achieve a successful outcome. They deal with the customers, vendors, partners, and other players. They drive the business forward to an outcome. In short, they execute at each step. In funding a startup founder, look at their ability to execute rather than ideate. 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.

What Makes for a Great Angel Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. What makes for a great angel investor is a great fit for the startup. An angel is a great fit for the startup if they meet the following criteria: They have knowledge of your industry and can explain the insights into how it works. They have run or invested in startups similar to yours, so they know the pitfalls and the challenges already. They know people in the industry they can ask to be team and board members. They know the investors in the industry and can reach out to them with their connections. They know the customers in the industry and how to approach them. They know the product landscape and can define a path to a successful product design. They know the developers in the industry and can help attract them to the startup. They know the regulators in the industry and how to work with them. They know the potential partners in the industry and can open a dialogue with them. In short, a great angel investor is one who knows your startup's industry very well and connects you with it. 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.

What Are FormDs? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In the startup funding world, there's an SEC registration called a FormD. A FormD is an SEC filing for those who raised funding under Regulation D rules. It's a public notice indicating an investment has been made. For companies receiving the funding, it lists the names or entities that made the investment. It must be filed within 15 days of the funding. For most startups, this is the date of final closing. FormDs are a good resource to track funding events. While there is some basic information about the company in a RegD, investors can find more information about it on online sites. This came out of the Securities Act of 1934, which sought to provide more information to investors about a private company Investments using Reg D require the investor to be accredited. This limits the investment to those who have sufficient funds to cover potential losses. Consider FormDs in your startup research. 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 Martin welcomes Devin Baker, a writer, investor, and the founder of Comma Partners. Devin shares his journey into the world of crypto starting from 2020, his fascination with blockchain technology, and why he believes it's a transformative force similar to the internet. He discusses the foundation and vision of Comma Partners, a fund investing in crypto, and how he perceives the intersection of community, technology, capital, and culture within the crypto realm. Devin elaborates on the evolving role of crypto as both a financial and cultural asset class, providing insights into prediction markets and the broader impacts of blockchain technology on coordination and efficiency in various sectors. He also touches on the significant regulatory changes occurring in the space, the growth of stablecoins, and the potential for a fully crypto economy facilitated by demographic shifts and a massive upcoming wealth transfer from boomers to millennials. The episode wraps up with reflections on the necessary improvements in the crypto space to ensure its safe and productive growth. Reach out to at devin@comma.org, and on x.com/devbakes _______________________________________________________ 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 Fund an Angel Network Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Running an angel network requires a source of revenue just like a startup. Here are some ways to fund an angel network: Charge membership dues. This is the most common form of revenue for an angel group. Charging the members generates more participation. This helps generate more funding for the startups. Charge sponsors. This can be a good way to supplement the income of the group. Sponsors can provide additional services, such as legal and financial. Too many sponsors can distract from the process. Grants. City and state grants are good for launching an angel network. Grants are one-time payments, so it's difficult to sustain a group on it. Entrepreneur application fees. Charging the startups to pay to apply can generate substantial revenue. This reduces weak deals and those that are too early for the group. Angel groups don't need a great deal of income to sustain operations. Most are set up as not-for-profit entities. Consider these sources of revenue for your angel group. 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 a Meeting With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, startup founders must identify and contact many investors. Here are some key steps to getting a meeting with an investor. Research the target investor to identify what they are interested in. This could be a specific industry or sector. For general investors, focus on the top three sectors in favor at the time. Find a connection between the investor's target sector and your startup. Pull together research from your startup to show the current state of the industry. Perform additional research to show trends, including what is coming up and what is going away. Identify those companies that are doing well and those that are declining. Show the why behind the change. Investors look for research to inform their decisions. Approach them to share your research results with information they can use in their investment decisions. Offer to share your research with no ask. This starts the relationship and lets you build on it. Once established, you can pitch your deal as the investor knows and has the context of the sector. 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.

Investors Vary in Quality for the Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors vary in the quality of the startup. There are some investors who bring gravitas to the deal that attracts other investors. Other investors are good, solid players in the market and can add value to the startup. Then there are the average Joe investors who are nice guys and easy to talk to. Finally, there are the wanna be investors who hang around the edges looking to see what other investors do. In raising funding, practice your pitch with family and friends first. Don't practice on investors from whom you actually want to raise funding. Once ready, start with the top-tier investors. If one of them says no, it won't seem out of place, as they say no a lot. Having engaged them in the fundraising process will help, as it shows other investors you are a valid startup to consider. Continue to work your way through the list of investors from the good, solid ones to the Average Joes, and finally the wanna bees. Plan your fundraising to start with the ones who can add the most value to your startup and work your way down the list. 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 Qualities of a Startup Founder Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The quality of the team, in particular the startup founder, is one of the most important factors of startup success. Here are some key qualities to look for in a founder. Integrity is the most important quality, as this must be someone you can trust. Passion for solving the problem is a key factor in the success of the business, which often hinges on a resolve to find a solution. Experience is a key factor as launching and running a successful startup requires it for success. Domain knowledge is another factor to look for. How well do they know the space? Basic business skills, including sales, marketing, and finance, are needed. Leadership skills are important as well as they must galvanize their team to reach the goal. Vision for the business and where it will go is an important quality. Without it, the startup can wander. Emotional intelligence is a key factor as well as those who can empathize with others often find the path to success. In funding a startup, look for these qualities in the startup founder. 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 Prepare for a Valuation Negotiation Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Valuation is a negotiation, not a formula. Before negotiating valuation with the investor, prepare for the discussion. Consider these points of preparation: Know the current market and what other companies are selling for. This is known as comps or comparables. Have two to three examples of other company exits. Know what other startups are proposing for their valuation. Investors will have seen numerous valuations prior to yours, so it's best to know how you will compare. Decide on your floor valuation below which you will not go. This helps set the decision to walk away when the time comes. Determine your ideal valuation. This is not necessarily the highest valuation but rather the one that fits your overall valuation trajectory for the startup. It's best to map out your valuation from launch to exit so you know where you are trying to go. Finally, prepare to negotiate in good faith with all investors. Avoid the games and work to identify and articulate the values in the 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.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin speaks with Dan Delmar, founder and president of Virtual Angels Network. Dan sheds light on the fully virtual national angel investor network that connects early-stage startups with investors across North America. With over a decade of experience in the innovation ecosystem, Dan draws from his background with the Harvard Business School Alumni Angels of New York and discusses the inspiration behind establishing Virtual Angels Network during the pandemic. Highlights include the organization's emphasis on good financial terms, the secret sauce of their successful deal flow vetting process, and trends in online angel group syndication. Dan also offers valuable advice for founders pitching virtually and insights into the growth trajectory of virtual investing over the next five years. For those interested in connecting with Virtual Angels Network as an investor or entrepreneur, Dan provides his contact details and application instructions. Visit Virtual Angels Network at virtualangels.net/ Reach out to at dan@virtualangels.net , and on www.linkedin.com/in/dandelmar/ _________________________________________________________ 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.

Phrases To Remove From Your Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are certain phrases used in startup pitches that kill the credibility of the presenter. Here's a list of phrases to remove from your pitch: "We have no competition." If you have no competition, then you have no market. This basically shows a lack of understanding of the current market landscape. "We only need 1% of a billion-dollar market to make this successful." This is basically a meaningless statement as it conveys no information. This shows a lack of a strategy for entering the market. "This is a conservative forecast." No forecast is ever completely accurate, so it makes no sense to say it's conservative. "Our customers love our product." This doesn't give any solid information about product usage. It's better to show the customers' actual engagement with the product to convince investors. "We'll be profitable in the first year." It's almost mathematically impossible to be profitable in the first year if you are investing for growth. Consider replacing these phrases with more meaningful statements about the 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.

Angel Investing Strategies Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most angel investors focus on one of two strategies. They can be called Moneyball and Powerball. The Moneyball strategy invests the same amount of money in each deal. Each sector gets one investment. There are no follow-on rounds. Funds are considered in addition to startups. The powerball strategy invests a different amount on each deal based on the strength of the team. Specific sectors are chosen based on market outlook. Half the allocation is reserved for a follow-on round. No funds are considered, only startups. Moneyball spreads the money out to find a hit. Powerball looks to find the winners and double down on those. Both strategies can work. Consider which of these strategies you are trying to play for your angel 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.

Say It Out Loud With Words Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The key to a successful pitch is to articulate all the values in the deal. This doesn't mean explaining how the product works in great detail This also doesn't mean spending half your allotted pitch time trying to convince the audience that diabetes is a problem. It does mean, however, that every value that has come into the startup is noted in the pitch deck with at least a logo or a bullet point. The rule of pitching is that if you don't mention it, then it doesn't exist. Here's a list to consider adding to the pitch deck: All funding sources to date, including angels, angel groups, grants, VC funds, and more. All partners, team members, and others who have contributed to building the startup. Any exits and positive outcomes for startups led by the team. All customers who have bought the product or given feedback. Include a logo for each one somewhere in the pitch deck. Investors look for evidence that investors, customers, and partners are supporting you. For each value, say it out loud with words. 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.

Add Consulting to Your Startup Launch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In launching a startup, consider adding a consulting program. New products and services often require additional training and services to help the customer achieve success. Over time, the product improves to the point that the customer can install and run it on their own. In the early days, use consulting to help customers become successful. The startup raising venture capital will need to be scalable to receive funding. Consulting is not scalable. Investors will downgrade the company for funding if a substantial amount of revenue comes from consulting services. Use a second company to provide the consulting. It can form a partnership with the main startup to provide consulting services. If consulting proves valuable to the startup, then it can be bought by the startup and rolled into the main company later. Many startups find that their product is not ready for prime time at the launch. By providing consulting services, one can overcome the initial product weaknesses and potentially make additional revenue to pay the bills. Consider adding consulting to your startup 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.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin speaks with Iga Hallberg, Business Development Lead at EV Realty, which develops, deploys, and operates grid-ready charging hubs for commercial fleets. The discussion encompasses Hallberg's extensive experience in electrification and renewable energy, focusing on the creation of sophisticated commercial vehicle charging hubs. Backed by significant private equity investments, EV Realty aims to develop a national network of these sites, primarily in regions like California, Washington, New York, and New Jersey. The conversation shifts to the investable thesis for charging infrastructure, highlighting substantial trends in commercial fleet electrification, particularly within major ports and urban centers. Hallberg elaborates on the criticality of power access, grid constraints, and the strategic partnerships forming to support large-scale infrastructure projects. Hallberg delves into the main business models in the charging hub market, explaining how different sectors like last mile delivery, ride-share, and school buses influence infrastructure design and financing. She notes the growing involvement of real estate developers and utility companies in providing charging solutions and discusses the importance of de-risking projects through solid customer contracts. With the sector witnessing the transition from pilot projects to fully-financed infrastructure assets, Hallberg emphasizes the transformative impact of this shift on the broader energy and mobility landscape. The podcast also touches on the current challenges and opportunities in the industry, such as navigating federal and state policies, adapting to changes in the incentive landscape, and optimizing returns through strategic site selection. The episode concludes with a look at successful past projects and insights into optimal partnership structures between developers, utilities, real estate owners, and fleet operators. Hallberg highlights the significance of energy as a service and its potential to revolutionize various segments, from heavy-duty commercial vehicles to light-duty passenger electric vehicles. Listeners are encouraged to consider the evolving dynamics of the electric vehicle charging market and the compelling investment opportunities it presents. Visit EV Realty at evrealtyus.com/ Reach out to at leadiq.com/c/ev-realty/6373ca42d4454f2aa30473c2 and on mobile.x.com/evrealtyus _______________________________________________________ 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 Evaluate AI Startups for Investment Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Artificial intelligence brings a new type of startup to the investor for funding. Here is how to evaluate AI startups for investment. Market opportunity. For new applications that have never been done before, AI offers a greenfield opportunity. Estimate the current size of the target market and the value of selling to each one. This often generates an outsized total available market as one solution could cover the entire market. For existing applications that AI enhances, use the existing sales figures for products sold into the market and add the incremental value of the AI-enabled product. Product opportunity. Review how AI-enablement will enhance the capabilities of the product. Will this be a major or minor productivity improvement? Moat. How much of a moat will AI bring to the product? The more algorithm tuning and training data used, the stronger the moat. Deployment. What will it take to deploy the solution? The broader the go-to-market strategy, the more valuable the product. Consider these elements in evaluating an AI startup for 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.

Build Your Support Network Before Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising can be challenging both mentally and emotionally. Before launching your fundraiser, build your support network. In addition to building your investment documents, put in place people who can support you. Here's a list of support to consider: Advisors -- identify two to three people who can advise about fundraising. This is an informal position of those who have raised funding and can give guidance. Team -- set up your team to help you with the logistics and mechanics of fundraising. This includes email marketing, document preparation, and diligence work. Connectors -- those who have broad networks and are good at making connections. This includes investors who know other investors in the community. Legal -- this includes startup-friendly attorneys who can advise on terms sheets and other legal aspects of the fundraise. Emotional -- this includes people with whom you are comfortable. They tell you what you need to hear rather than what you may want to hear. Consider building this support network before launching your fundraiser. 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 Pay the Bills While Launching a Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Launching a startup is hard work. It takes time to build up the revenue to pay a living wage to the founders. So how does a founder pay the bills while launching a startup? Here's one solution: Provide consulting and training services in the domain of the startup you are building. For example, if the startup is building a software application in the HR space, start by providing training and consulting on HR software. Here are the benefits: It fosters contacts and networking with those in the target market. It engages the founder with the current products. It provides hands-on interaction with customers. It highlights the challenges customers face in their work. It shows how the current solutions are positioned in the market and what price they charge. It shows how the current companies in the market make money. It's okay to have a day job while launching a startup. It's even better to have one that helps educate and inform about the startup's target market. 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 Value of Regular Investor Updates Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders who have raised funding should give their investors regular updates. Here's the value of regular updates to the investor: It reminds the investor what you do and what progress you have made. This becomes useful later when the founder goes to raise the next round. It maintains the relationship between the founder and the investor. This becomes useful later when key decisions are made and both sides must come together. It keeps the conversation going so no single meeting becomes a make-or-break event. This takes the pressure off. It informs the investor of how the founder thinks and works. This helps the investor understand the strengths and weaknesses of the founder. It provides the backstory of how the startup reached its current position. This helps the investor understand what has worked and what has not. Investors should press the founder for updates if they are not receiving it. Founders should find a way to provide regular updates to their investors. 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.

Pre-Sell Your Product To Raise Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups raise funding outside of family and friends after they have a product with some revenue. Founders who have a track record of building and selling startups can raise on an idea. Everyone else must validate the business before investors will consider funding it. Pre-selling the product is one path to funding a startup. This is commonly used in the crowdfunding space, where a founder raises funding to build and sell a product. The same concept can be applied to venture-level businesses. One can sign up customers with a $1K prepayment to be part of the product-building process. This works well for funding software startups. This creates a list of interested customers who paid something to engage with the process. In addition to a small investment, the founder could also ask for a half day each week to build the product specification and gain feedback on the results. Just as in crowdfunding, where the average investment ranges from $15 to $100, so in the tech space, one can sign up customers with a nominal amount of $1k to $5K. Consider pre-selling your next product to engage a customer base. 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 T. Martin sits down with Brett Striker, founder of Traction with Brett and a certified implementer of the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS). Brett shares his journey from building and selling two companies to helping other leaders gain traction in their businesses through EOS. He delves into the challenges founders face in scaling operations and how the EOS framework addresses these issues by driving clarity, accountability, and alignment across teams. Brett also discusses the benefits investors see when their portfolio companies adopt EOS, from improved execution to better valuation and reduced risk. For those interested in how EOS can transform their business, Brett offers insights and advice based on his extensive experience and success in implementing this powerful system. Reach out to at brett.striker@eosworldwide.com _______________________________________________________ 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.

Revenue First, Salaries Second Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In launching a startup, the first goal is to generate revenue. Salaries come later and in some cases much later. Some founders look to the startup as a source of income. Fundraising from investors is not the answer to the salary question. Investors will not fund a startup that can't generate enough revenue to prove the market wants it. Fundraising comes into play when there's product and market validation. The product works, and customers will pay for it. Founders often take second jobs to pay their bills while the revenue ramps up. Once revenue is established and growing, then salaries come into the picture. It's often the case that the second job becomes a part-time job. Later, those part-time jobs will go away. Building a startup is hard work. Before launching, identify the path to revenue generation through an initial product. Selling will be the primary goal of everyone on the team every day. As a founder, consider how you can reduce your cost of living for a period of time while you ramp up the business. Investors look for commitment in founders who can make this situation work. It's tough, but it's doable. 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.

Drawing Fundraising Skills From Other Areas Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising requires a set of skills. Those skills can be found in other areas. Here's a list of skills and where to find them: Sales. Fundraising is fundamentally a sales process. One can transfer selling skills to fundraising. Marketing. Fundraising requires the ability to reach out to the investors to convey a message. One can use their marketing skills in promoting the fundraising campaign. Financial. Fundraising requires a basic knowledge of finances. One can use financial literacy from other areas and apply it to fundraising. Communications. Fundraising requires the ability to communicate with others. One can use communication skills in pitching to investors. People management. Fundraising can leverage a team effort. One can use the human resources to enable fundraising. Consider these skills for your 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.

Valid Reasons for Raising Funding Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many valid reasons for raising funding. Here's a list of reasons to consider for your fundraiser: The business is growing and is now ready to scale. It can be hard to bootstrap a scaling effort. There's a clear need for a minimum viable product to establish the product and market validation. It takes some funding to build an MVP. The startup is seeking to prepare for a Series A raise, and the metrics are not yet aligned with the target investor's fund requirements. It can take additional funding to prepare to raise a Series A with an institutional investor. Here are some reasons that are not valid: The founder needs a salary to pay rent. The founder wants to hire a number of people, but doesn't know exactly what they will do. The founder wants to quit their day job to work full-time on the startup. The founder doesn't want to spend time on sales and wants to hire someone else to do it for them. A valid reason to raise funding comes down to building a key deliverable for the 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.

Why Do Some Startups Raise Funding Quickly? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Some startups seem to raise funding quickly and with great ease. The press coverage of startups often leads the reader to believe that the round closed in a short amount of time. In most cases, the startup spent substantial time planning and then campaigning to raise the funding. It appeared easy because the hard work was done before the campaign launched. The founder starts six months before the campaign launches. They researched and built a strategy for the campaign. They then prepared the documents and digital assets for it. Most founders contact ten to twenty investors to check interest in a potential investment. This often tells them the concerns the investor may have about the deal. The founder then mitigates that risk. All of this goes on before the fundraiser begins. It takes seven touches to close a sale, so it takes seven touches to close an investor. Start that engagement before the campaign starts. Once you have enough interest and potential commitments, then launch the fundraise campaign. For some, the fundraiser looks easy. It's not; they just did the work before the campaign began. 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.

Raising Funding To Be a Unicorn Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Raising funding for a unicorn seems like a mystical art. The funding rounds are outsized compared to the norm. Here are the key components to raising funding to be a unicorn: The team has exits. If your team doesn't have a history of successful startups, then build out your team with more experience and star power. The team has a known business model that can be applied to a new growth area. This is often a recurring revenue stream built around a new industry segment that is now inflecting upward. The investors are familiar with unicorn deals and have had success with them. Look for early investors in past unicorns as potential investors for your deal. Scalability is the primary concern. Build scalability into your business through recurring revenue, virality, network effects, and more. Have experience with the domain or sales channel prior. Many successful startups have built businesses in the domain prior to becoming a unicorn. This gives the founding team an edge through their network. Consider these points in raising funding to be a unicorn.   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.

Prof. Joongi Kim, Yonsei University From Seoul to The Hague, from the classroom to the tribunal — this week's guest has seen it all. We sit down with Dr. Joongi Kim, Professor of Law at Yonsei University and a leading figure in the development of arbitration across Asia and beyond. In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Kim shares: His journey from studying in the U.S. to shaping Korea's arbitration landscape What “K-Arbitration” means and why the world should take notice His perspective on transparency, legitimacy, and reform in ISDS Reflections on mentorship, teaching, and lessons learned from his students Why diversity of thought — not just geography — is essential for the next era of arbitration

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall T. Martin engages in a compelling conversation with Courtland Imel, a regulatory executive consultant and founder of Ceutical Labs. With over 24 years of experience in FDA compliance, Courtland shares his journey of aiding companies in remaining compliant and the industry's shift towards individualized medicine in the pharmaceutical and biotech sectors.  The discussion also touches on the implications of innovations in medical devices, the use of AI in development, and the regulatory challenges faced by AI-based medical devices. Courtland emphasizes the importance of having a narrow scope for AI-specific devices to gain regulatory approval and highlights the significant strides Ceutical Labs is making with 25 new products under development. He also shares investment insights, strategically focusing on the right talent, partnerships, and financial backing that are essential for scaling biotech startups. Lastly, the episode delves into the shifting landscapes of biotech hubs, the benefits of operating in Texas, and the future growth opportunities for Ceutical Labs.   Visit Ceutical Labs at ceuticallabs.com/  Reach out to at cimel@ceuticallabs.com, and on /www.linkedin.com/company/ceutical-laboratories-inc-/   _______________________________________________________ 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 Components of a Fundraising Strategy Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Before launching a fundraiser, the founder should first develop a fundraising strategy. This is the plan for how to prepare and then launch a fundraiser campaign. Here are the key components of a fundraising strategy: Identify the problem to solve and ensure it is a substantial problem that will attract investor attention. Build a solution to show that it works, and customers will pay for it. This could be a minimum viable product.  Make a list of family, friends, and other personal connections who can provide funding. The early stage of funding is the hard part and should be done by those who know you. For the rest of the raise, you'll need to show traction, a growth story, and a key insight that drives your business. Traction is revenue that is growing. A growth story shows how your product fits the market and how customers are engaging with it. The key insight is your knowledge of the problem and how to solve it with a unique solution.  The unique solution is your value proposition. Investors look for a competitive advantage, and having a key insight helps. Consider these elements in building 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 Raise Funding for an Idea Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup investors look for revenue traction and momentum in the deal. Those with an idea only can struggle to raise funding, but it can be done.  Here are some key points to consider: Focus on the team, the problem, and the size of the market. Show the strength of the team. The most compelling indicator is the previous startup experience and exits of the team. Highlight the key insight the team has regarding the problem. Show overwhelming evidence that the team can build and sell the product. Show how compelling the problem is with dollar figures and the number of people impacted. Show how other startups are doing well in the sector. This validates that there's a market and others are having success. Show the strong relationships and partnerships the team has with key players in the market. Highlight the immediate opportunities available to the team. Without revenue traction, it's difficult for the investor to know the product will work and the customer will buy it. Raising on an idea alone works best when the target market segment is hot and everyone knows it.   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 Least Talked About Part of Fundraising – Relationship Building Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup fundraising, the discussion focuses on what the investor is looking for. This often comes down to a strong team, traction with the customer, a product with a moat, and momentum in the deal. A key component in raising funding is building a relationship with the investor. There are some startups with enough traction and momentum that carry the startup through the fundraising process. Most startups don't have such traction to win investor interest right out of the gate. It's important the founder builds a relationship with the investor. The founder does this by reaching out on a regular basis first through email and then through phone calls to update the investor and get feedback. After an introductory meeting, this should be done every one to two weeks. Email is great for sending information, but not so much for building a relationship. A discussion by phone or online will build the relationship. The key test to know if you have a relationship with the investor is the ability to make a phone call and have the investor answer it. If you can do that, then you have built a relationship with the investor. If you cannot, then you don't yet have a relationship with the investor. It takes seven touches to close a sale, so it takes seven touches to close 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.

What Investors Are Looking for in Your Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors funding startups look for key factors that point to the success of the business. Here's a list of key points the investor looks for in the startup: Successful track record of the team. Exits by the team are the most substantial proof. Key experiences of the team in solving the problem at hand. Strong relationships with key players in the market. Focused strategy for going to market. Strong communication skills by the CEO. Evidence of success with traction. Scalability of the business model. Some fit with the investor's skills and interests. Market validation is shown by customers paying for the product. Product validation is shown by the product working. Evidence of momentum in the business. A moat of some kind around the business. The more elements you have in the deal, the more likely you are to raise funding.  Make sure you include these points in your pitch to the 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.

Sales for a Biotherapeutic Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In a tech startup, the customer is the one who buys the product. In a biotherapeutic startup, the customer is the pharma company that will buy the company. While almost all tech startups launch a product and sell it to the user,  the biotherapeutic startup rarely launches the startup to sell the product. The cost to launch a biotherapeutic company is very high, given the cost of deploying the sales force and producing the product. The biotherapeutic startup spends its time identifying the right pharma company. This includes a review of their product line, intellectual property portfolio, and position in their sector. The CEO of the biotherapeutic spends time with potential acquirers of the startup to learn more about their priorities. The CEO looks for a candidate pharma company that does not already have the same IP as the startup. Biotherapeutics, in most cases, are looking for IP that fills a gap in their patent portfolio. In launching a biotherapeutic startup, identify the ideal customer profile and then match to the existing pharma companies on the market.    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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Tools for Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Before launching a fundraising campaign, set up the tools you'll need. Here's a list of key tools to support fundraising: Database. Create a list of prospective investors with name, email, phone number, and how you know them. This could be a simple spreadsheet list or a full-blown database. Set up a CRM system for outreach to the investors. This could be a simple mailer tool or a fully developed CRM. Set up an online video conference tool for holding calls with investors. Most introductory meetings are held online. Add a transcription tool for capturing the content of each pitch with an investor. This will help you review the pitch and follow-up questions afterwards. Set up a project management tool to coordinate support activities.  It's often the case that you will engage others to help you find investors and set up meetings. A project management tool can help with coordinating the effort. Install an online calendar for scheduling meetings and follow-ups. Set up software for building the pitch deck. Build a system to keep track of the many variations of the deck you will create. Fundraising is a sales process with a specific set of tools for one outcome -- to raise funding.  Prepare your tools before launching your fundraising campaign   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin chats with Tim Raines, founder and CEO of Rare Innovation, a boutique consultancy that serves as an outsourced executive team for deep tech startups. Tim shares his extensive experience in science and technology commercialization, helping startups transition from research phases to market-ready products. With expertise in creating go-to-market strategies, product development, and compelling pitch decks, Tim has been pivotal in assisting startups to secure funding and achieve market traction. He discusses the importance of founders making the first sale, early market validation, and adapting communication for various stakeholders, from investors to end-users. Tim also underscores the importance of partnerships and strategic collaborations in navigating limited-resource environments and ensuring successful product commercialization. For founders and investors interested in deep tech, Tim offers valuable insights into the current trends and pitfalls in the ecosystem.    Visit Rare Innovation at Reach out to at   _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:    Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

The Four T's of Startup Investing Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many ways to evaluate a startup. For investors funding SaaS startups, here are the four T's to consider: Team.   Does the team have the skills to build the proposed startup? Are they in place, working on the business now? Have they proven themselves yet? Timing. Is now the right time for the startup? Is the market ready for this idea? Traction Does the startup have revenue growth? Will the growth continue? Technology. Does the startup have the right technology for the market? Can the technology scale? Does it provide a moat for the business? Use the four T's to determine if the startup is ready for 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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

How To Pitch in a Down Market Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Down markets change the care abouts of the investor. The investor wants to know whether the business will survive difficult times.  Here are some key points to consider when pitching your startup in a down market: Focus on the core financials to show the business is stable. Show how the company is cash flow positive or nearing it. Talk about the break-even point and how soon your startup will reach it. Show the burn rate is low and shrinking. Highlight the path to profitability. Show reasonable valuations and fundraising goals. Focus on the core business and avoid extraneous products and markets. Show the strength of the core team and the competitive product they are building. Talk about how founders have launched and grown startups in down markets before. Point out the market opportunities in the current down market. Pitching the startup in an upmarket focuses on the potential growth. Pitching in a down market focuses on the solidity of the business and its efficiency.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Prepping Your Website and Social Media for Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Before launching a fundraiser campaign, make sure your website and social media are prepped. The first place an investor goes after hearing your pitch is your website. They are primarily looking to learn more about the product and the team. Pitch Decks are designed to pique interest and do not give the full story. Interested investors will use your website to ‘fill in' the gaps left by the pitch. Make sure your website is up to date with your current business. A website that is two steps behind will undersell your startup. Consider adding an “Investor relations” button to your website to capture their questions.  Make sure the team's profiles on LinkedIn are up to date, as that is the primary social media channel they will use. Investors are looking to learn more about the team members and their experience. They also want to see if the team members' titles on the pitch deck and the titles listed on LinkedIn match. Are you formally engaged with the company or are you tangentially connected to the startup? Make sure your website and social media enhance and engage the investor during your fundraiser.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Startup Metrics in a Down Market Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In an upmarket, startup metrics focus on growth rates, cost of customer acquisition, and scalability factors. In a down market, the startup metrics focus on efficiency. Here's a list of key startup metrics to use in a down market: Burn multiple. This measures the startup's efficiency in growth. It's the net annual burn rate divided by the net new ARR. Rule of 40. This is another efficiency metric. The growth rate and profitability added together should reach 40. Customer payback period. This calculates the number of months to pay back the cost of acquiring a customer. It's calculated by taking the cost of customer acquisition and dividing it by the monthly revenue from that customer. Revenue per employee. This measures productivity by showing how much growth can be sustained by the employees. It's calculated by taking the annual revenue for the company and dividing it by the number of employees. These metrics shift the focus from raw growth to efficiency. Consider these metrics 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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .  

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin engages with Joe Perino, a seasoned industrial strategist, consultant, and engineer with over four decades of experience. Joe shares insights on industrial transformation, emphasizing the importance of technology-enabled business model changes that yield significant improvements. He discusses the impact of predictive analytics and edge computing in the energy process and manufacturing sectors, highlighting their role in predictive maintenance and operational efficiency. Joe also touches on the challenges of scaling AI applications, the necessity of robust cybersecurity measures, and the importance of interoperability standards in industrial tech. Additionally, Joe shares his experience with mentoring startups and the role of industry consortia and accelerators in fostering innovation and business growth. This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the industrial tech landscape, offering valuable advice for both operators and investors.   Reach out to at   or       _________________________________________________________For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:    Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

How To Tell When the Startup Doesn't Have Anything Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups raising funding should bring customer engagement, if not traction, to the pitch. Founders raising funding often compensate for the lack of customer engagement through distractions. Here's how to tell when the startup doesn't have anything: Revenue is only listed as a forecast with pipeline sales. Key metrics are based on forecast sales, not actual sales.  There are no actual customers in discussion, and no names of any partners. The focus is on technology and how it works. The product is a high-level vision of what will be, but nothing is under development. The team has a handful of potentials but no actual results from their work. The pitch is primarily how big the market is and the size of the opportunity. The discussion focuses on how the competition is failing but never mentions how the startup is succeeding. The deck shows huge returns to the investor, but there are no actual revenue figures listed. In short, it's all vision and no execution. Look for these signs that the startup doesn't have anything before pursuing 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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

LP Investing Mistakes Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Limited partners are referred to as LPs.  They invest in venture capital funds. Just as angel investors make mistakes, so do LPs Here's a list of LP investing mistakes: Not investing consistently. It's easy to invest when the market is up and difficult to do so when the market is down. One of the best times to invest is after the market has dropped. Investing based on track record alone. While it's a good reference point, the returns of a manager can be manipulated. Treating a venture as an index fund. While an index fund model can be applied to venture capital, it yields limited returns. Focusing solely on fees. The LP receives the return minus the fees. In some cases, the return may justify the fees. Ignoring portfolio structure. LPs should build a diversified portfolio of funds and startups and avoid over-concentration in a sector. Direct startup investment. While there may be opportunities that come along, it's very rare that solo investments will prove out. Avoid these mistakes in your VC investments.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Tips for the Startup Financial Pro Forma Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Part of the fundraising documentation is the financial pro forma. Investors want to know what the founder proposes will happen if they raise the target fundraising amount. The financial pro forma shows this projection. Here are some tips on building your startup financial pro forma. The pro forma should be a bottom-up analysis, not a top-down. This means each revenue and expense comes from history. Use historical dates such as 2024, 2025, rather than year 1, year 2, etc. This helps the investor understand what will happen and when. For hires, include the full overhead that comes with each one. For revenue, start with a realistic amount and then apply a growth rate to it. This will give a steady ramp to the revenue and can be changed easily when the assumptions change. Model the sales funnel in the pro forma by showing the cost to generate the lead, qualify it, set up a pilot, and close the sale. Include churn as a part of the financial pro forma. Build the pro forma with each month listed, but be able to roll it up into quarters for use in the pitch deck. The investor understands the entire forecast is based on receiving funding, and that is a moving target.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Mistakes VCs Make Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Venture capitalists make mistakes just like every other investor. Here's a list of mistakes VCs make: Not investing consistently through the market's ups and downs. Valuations are better in down markets, and good deals are hard to find in up markets. Treating venture capital funding as a one-size-fits-all. There are some sectors of the market that do well with VC funding, while other sectors only waste it. Quoting returns without taking into account the management and carry fees. Fees are a cost of investing and should be counted in the return metrics. Not taking into account the overall portfolio structure. Time to exit, sector position, and other factors can help build a solid portfolio. Investing in overvalued startups. During frothy markets, one can get carried away by stellar startups even though they have outsized valuations. Not scanning the overall industry for the best deal. Some VCs choose startups because they are accessible, but this may fail to find the best startup in the industry. Funding too many deals in a specific application. Diversification is still a key factor in successful startup funding. Consider these mistakes VCs make.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

From orbit to arbitration—this week we're talking with Laura Yvonne Zielinski, co-founder of the Space Arbitration Association. Laura is part of a new generation of arbitration professionals redefining what the field can be—linking law, technology, developing a brand, and even outer space. From Germany to France to Mexico, her journey is as international as it gets. In this episode, Laura and I talk about: How she discovered her passion for space law and arbitration What inspired the founding of the Space Arbitration Association How Technology, and AI are changing the way disputes are resolved The importance of curiosity and interdisciplinary thinking in arbitration What it means to build a career across borders (and maybe across planets!)

The Dark Side of Venture Capital Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. While venture capital brings many benefits to the startup ecosystem, it also has drawbacks. Here's a list to consider: The venture model generates a high number of startup failures. By pushing the business to the extreme, many fail. The standard for venture-backed businesses is very high. The cost of venture funding is expensive, so losses to the investor are also high. The pressure to succeed at all costs drives some founders into mental and physical health problems. Venture capital is still a long way from being an inclusive and diverse group. Women and minorities are still woefully underrepresented. The pressure to find and join successful startups can drive investors to overvalue startups. The emergence of new technologies can turn into market bubbles driven by irrational exuberance. Venture capital brings many benefits to the startup ecosystem, including capital, innovation, and expertise. It's important to keep these challenges 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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

The Introductory Version of the Pitch Deck Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. For the first pitch to an investor, build an introductory pitch deck. The introductory version of the pitch deck simplifies your deal into its most basic presentation. The pitch deck should focus on one problem, one solution, and one application.  It should have one product, one channel, and one monetization model. It should have one fundraise, one outcome, and one exit. The introductory version avoids the many things your business can do. Investors have a difficult time managing multiple scenarios and outcomes. Your pitch deck should not go into the many markets and applications it can cover. Instead, keep it simple and focus on the core elements of the deal. There will be time later to discuss the options. Keep it to one thing on each element of the pitch deck. The goal of the introduction is to convince the investor that this is a fundable deal worth digging into.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .