Investor Connect Podcast

In this episode, Hall welcomes Doug Smith, CEO and Lead Investor at Hawthorne Funds.

Hawthorne Funds is a Houston-based private equity firm that couples Doug Smith’s funds with those of other investors to purchase, subdivide and sell large rural tracts of land in Texas. Their unique approach to adding value during the holding and disposition process gives them a competitive advantage that generates outsized returns for our investors.

Doug was previously a software developer for ExxonMobil, and he has gone on to buy and sell over 100 houses. More recently, he has bought and sold over 3,000 acres of rural Texas land from within Hawthorne Funds and his other business entities. Apart from his real estate investments, he serves as founder and partner of REI Network, which regularly lands on the lists of Inc. 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies and Best Places to Work. He was recently named to Houston's 40 Under 40 list and became bilingual after spending a year living in Spain and Chile. Doug received a B.B.A. in M.I.S. from Texas Tech University, finishing as the highest-ranking graduate.

Doug tells Hall what excites him right now in the real-estate sector, and he advises investors in the space. He explains how COVID-19 has affected the industry and the changes he sees coming up.

You can visit Hawthorne Funds at www.hawthornefunds.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/hawthorne-funds-jds-holdings/.

Doug can be contacted via email at doug@hawthornefunds.com

Direct download: Doug_Smith_of_Hawthorne_Funds.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:43am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Terms sheets can be founder-friendly or investor-friendly. The terms sheet provides terms in favor of the founder over the investor or vice versa. 

Here’s how you can tell which one you have.

In a founder-friendly terms sheet:

There is no expiration date on the investment offer

The option pool comes out of both the investor’s portion, as well as the founder’s portion.

There is no confidentiality agreement. The founders are free to talk about the deal.

There is no liquidation preference for the investors.

The startup does not pay investors legal fees.

In an investor-friendly terms sheet, these terms go the other way.


T
hank 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

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Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Founder_vs_Investor-Friendly_Terms_Sheets.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In negotiating a terms sheet, there are several key elements to keep in mind.

Valuation is the biggest hurdle as it sets equity ownership. 

Key terms that often come into play include the following:

Liquidation preferences - if the investors feel the pre-money valuation is too high, they may ask for a 1 or 2x liquidation preference.

Investing founders share - investors want to know the team will remain in place for the first few years and will require them to re-earn their shares.

Redemption rights - if the business goes sideways, some investors will look to prepare for an early exit.

Consider convertible debt for an initial terms sheet and move to equity when you find the right lead investor. 

There are many investors who want to be in the deal but aren’t going to do the work for leading the round.

A key criterion for a lead investor is an interest in equity and a willingness to invest greater than $100K. This generates enough motivation to properly develop the terms sheet.


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/
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Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Negotiating_a_Terms_Sheet.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Greg Thomas, Managing Director of 375 Park Associates.

Headquartered in New York with affiliates in Asia, Europe, and the U.S., 375 Park Associates is a strategic growth advisory firm which helps private equity firms overcome challenges in their portfolio. Their partners and associates have closed transactions in the U.S. and abroad, ranging from US$10 million to US$150 million in value.

Named as one of the Top 100 in Finance for 2020, Greg specializes in business development, structured finance, and LBOs with a focus on disruptive companies. He has nearly 20-years' experience in Asia, helping many U.S.-based firms to expand their presence in the region; results include reducing costs by more than 20% and increasing profits by millions of dollars. 

Before joining 375 Park Associates, Greg was the Regional Director and Managing Partner of IMC International Asia-Pacific. At IMC, he worked on several LBO teams, led a joint venture with a New York-based hedge fund, and started a ship finance operation. Greg spent four years as the Managing Director & President of Foundation Consulting, a company that was acquired by IMC in 2013.

He has held management positions with Fortune 500 companies in the U.S., and has led business units of ultra-growth companies in Asia-Pacific with P&Ls in excess of US$30 million, and had previously served on the advisory council for CX@Rutgers, a judge for the 16th Annual M&A Advisor Awards, and as a director of financial advisory for Mazars.​

Besides acting as an advisor to several startups in the U.S. and Asia, Greg is an advisor to the digital ecosystem - Dreamr, a member of the advisory councils of the Harvard Business Review, McKinsey Quarterly, the Gerson Lehrman Group, and Expert Coin. He is also a regular guest on Dukascopy TV. 

Greg studied Organizational Communications, Learning, and Design at Ithaca College and has a BSc in Communications from Almeda University as well as an MBA Administration from Edinburgh Business School at Herriot Watt University.

Greg shares with Hall the company's investment thesis pre and post-COVID-19 and how he sees the early-stage funding world evolving. 

You can visit 375 Park Associates at www.375parkllc.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/375-park-associates, and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/375ParkAssoc  

Greg can be contacted via email at greg@375parkllc.com.

Direct download: Greg_Thomas_--_375_Park_Associates.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:38pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

When I ask startups how much they are raising for investment, they often quote their total raise for the life of the startup.

We then talk about breaking the raise into smaller rounds so the founder doesn’t have to spend too much time on the fundraise process.

Here’s some guidance on how to breakdown your startup fundraise into tranches or what some call rounds.

Family and Friends funding:  $10K to $100K
This helps set up your legal entity, intellectual property, and basic prototype.

Pre-seed:  $250K
This raise is for the initial research and beta product development.

Seed:  $500K to $750K
This raise is for building out the product and closing initial customers.

Seed +:  $500K to $750K
This raise is for growing the sales and establishing repeatable sales and marketing processes.

Series A: $1.5M to $3M
This raise is for growing your sales up past the $1M annual revenue.

Series B: $5M to $15M
This raise is for growing your sales up past the $3M annual revenue.

If you raise too much money too early in the life of your startup, you will find yourself giving away too much equity so it’s important to raise in stages.


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/
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Direct download: EG_Aug_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Standard_Raises_by_Stage.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Ellen Weber, Executive Director at Robin Hood Ventures.

Robin Hood Ventures is a group of angel investors, focused on early-stage, high-growth companies in the Greater Philadelphia region. They help entrepreneurs build great companies, providing capital, mentoring, expertise, and connections, to help companies reach their potential. Robin Hood generally invests $250k to $500k and collaborates with angels, institutions, and VCs in their network. Since 1999, they have invested in over 45 companies in industries including software, medical devices, biotech, internet, and financial technology.

Ellen is passionate about innovation and about helping build great companies in Philadelphia. She serves as the Executive Director of Temple University’s Fox School of Business Innovation and Entrepreneurship Institute, and an Assistant Professor of Entrepreneurship. Ellen is very active in the Philadelphia startup community, supporting Philly Startup Leaders, Philly Tech Meetup, and the Alliance of Women Entrepreneurs. 

Previously, Ellen was the COO and co-founder of VisionMine (www.visionmine.com), which provides a specialized Open Innovation portal to large corporations.

Ellen has more than 25 years of experience creating strong teams and building strong leaders for emerging companies as well as Fortune 500 clients. She has been a Managing Director and Founder of Antiphony Partners, LLC, a strategic consulting firm that specializes in helping companies create sustainable value through innovation. She was involved in the growth of Investor Force, a provider of technology-based solutions for institutional investment professionals, where she created the company’s initial human resources department, facilitated strategic planning, and managed the organizational aspects of the company’s mergers and acquisitions. Additionally, she spent twelve years at Shared Medical Systems where she was responsible for initiatives encompassing organizational development, customer support, and corporate communications.  She was also a senior consultant for Andersen Consulting.

Ellen graduated from The Wharton School with a B.S. in economics.

Ellen discusses with Hall the current state of angel investing, how she thinks the industry is evolving, what challenges the group is experiencing, and she goes into detail about their investment thesis. Ellen shares what excites her in the space and how COVID-19 has impacted the group. 

You can visit Robin Hood Ventures at www.robinhoodventures.com, on Twitter at https://twitter.com/RobinHoodVent, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/robin-hood-ventures.  

Ellen can be contacted via email at eweber@antiphony.com

Direct download: Ellen_Weber_of_Robin_Hood_Ventures.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:21pm CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In determining your raise amount, consider what you need for the next 18-24 months and focus on that window rather than the entire life of the company.

Raise enough to accomplish the goals for that timeframe.

Consider any revenue you currently have coming in and by how much it will grow.

Estimate the amount of money you will burn through each month so you know how much runway funding will buy you.

Set an ideal raise amount and a fallback plan in case the fundraise comes up short of the ideal.

For every $1M of funding you need, it will take you one calendar year to raise it.

Based on this information, you can determine how much you need to raise and when you should start the campaign.


T
hank 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/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Know_your_burn_rate.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Brendan Nugent, CEO of Adrenaline.

Adrenaline is the leading online supplier of awesome and unique gifts and they have sought out life-defining experiences for their clients for over 8 years. Adrenaline connects experience seekers and gift-givers with over 1,300 heart-pumping things to do across the United States.  The company enables real-time booking of experiences and gift options with a fully integrated CRM and support team. 

Adrenaline U.S. was an expansion from the proven Adrenaline.com.au platform, Australia’s leading activity aggregator. Since 2012, the business has built a product portfolio of experiences from land adventures, flying experiences, water sports, and driving experiences.​

Brendan is based in Austin, Texas, and he is the figurative head of Adrenaline’s online travel agency and gift marketplace. Prior to Adrenaline, Brendan spent 6 years at iFLY Indoor Skydiving Support Center and joined the company at the cusp of major growth; the company grew from 8 retail locations to 80 locations during those 6 years. Initially building sales training, teams, and procedures, Brendan built large-scale distribution and ticketing programs in the tourism, retail, and gifting sectors. He enjoys travel, watching Formula One Racing, and real estate.  

Brendan shares his thoughts on the rise of the travel-venture segment and explains what it takes for a company in this segment to be successful. He also describes some of the changes he expects to see in this segment in the coming 12 months.

You can visit Adrenaline at www.adrenaline.com, and on Twitter at https://twitter.com/AdrenalineIncUS.    

Brendan can be contacted via email at brendan.nugent@adrenaline.com.

Direct download: Brendan_Nugent_of_Adrenaline.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:03am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

I often hear investors say if the company just had revenue then the risk would be gone. But once the startup achieves revenue, the next stage of risk comes up - will they be able to grow that revenue?

There’s a risk for the investor at each stage of startup funding.  

At the seed stage, the question is, can you sell the product?

At the Series-A stage, the question is, can you grow the product revenue?

At the Series B-stage, the question is, can you scale the product revenue?

At the Series-C/D stage, the question is, can you become a market leader?

Each stage brings a new risk.

For investing, the old risk is replaced with a new risk.


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/
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Direct download: EG_Aug_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_-_The_Risk_at_Each_Stage.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Startups raising funding should keep track of their cap table which shows who has ownership in the business.

If you have one, make sure to keep it up to date.  

If you don’t have one, then here are the steps to set up your cap table.

Identify all the founders and equity owners in the company.

Include anyone who has stock options or warrants.

Keep track of any special agreements you have with the founders, partners, or investors.

For each person or entity on the cap table,  list the class of stock, price paid for it, and how much of that stock they own.

Calculate the total amount of shares and the money paid for it. 

To create a fully diluted cap table, include all options and warrants even if they are not yet vested.

Also, track all convertible notes and SAFE notes that could convert into equity in the future.

During the fundraise, investors will want to see your cap table so they know who owns what and who they are investing with.


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/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_July_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_How_to_setup_the_cap_table.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Depreciation represents the reduced value of assets.

Each asset in your business has its own useful lifetime.  

Based on that useful lifetime, one can expense a portion of the value each year over the life of that asset.  

Depreciation goes on the profit and loss statement and also impacts the value of the asset listed on the balance sheet.

Computers for example are often depreciated over a four-year timeframe. If you spent $16,000 on computers and they last four years, then a straight-line depreciation will expense $4,000 per year. 

You’ll need to set up a separate worksheet for each asset to calculate and track the depreciation.  

You then place the expense on the profit and loss statement and show the reduced value of the asset on the balance sheet.

Based on the type of asset, you may be able to use other depreciation methods aside from straight-line depreciation.  

You’ll need to check the IRS rules for each asset as they have stated requirements for how you depreciate each type.


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/
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In today's show, you'll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the chronic pain market.

This is Investor Perspectives, I'm the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding.

It's the time of COVID-19. The healthcare industry is overwhelmed with patients from the pandemic. Medical conditions such as chronic pain continue to grow due to the opioid crisis.

We recently held an interview with experts and investors in the area of chronic pain. Our host is Ashley Matthysse.

Our featured guests are:

Brian Carrico, CEO with Innovative Health Solutions: https://i-h-s.com
Michio Painter, Pain Specialist, Investor with Joyance Partners:
www.bluetherapeutics.com; www.joyancepartners.com
Steve Shapiro, Partner eHealthVentures: www.ehealthventures.com

I hope you enjoy this episode.

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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


Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Your financial projections will be important for your fundraise.

Banks will want to see your projections when you apply for a loan. 

And investors will want to see them as well when you raise equity funding. 

There are two basic forms of capital:  debt and equity.

Debt is in the form of a loan with specific terms, including interest rate and payback plans. 

Debt has some advantages:

  • You maintain ownership over your business.
  • Interest is tax-deductible.
  • Debt can keep management focused on the core business, in particular cash flow and profits.

Equity has advantages:

  • You don’t have to pay it back immediately, only when you sell the business or go public.

Your financial projections will help you decide how much funding you should take from debt and equity.


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/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group


Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Operating expenses are the day to day expenses a business incurs. They support the operational side of the business covering sales, marketing, product development, and administration.

These expenses include legal, digital marketing, payroll for employees, accounting, rent, insurance, IT costs, office supplies, bookkeeping services, phones, computers, and more. 

Recurring expenses, such as sales and marketing expenses, are often defined as a percent of revenue.  These include software subscriptions, advertisements, promotional material, and dues.

Build an operating expense budget with a bottoms-up approach by costing out the individual components such as employee cost, administration, and IT, as each expense will be specific to your business. 

Over time, these costs will grow at a lesser rate than sales, which will increase the profit of 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/
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Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

For later-stage startups with revenue, one can use the financial projections to estimate the company’s valuation for fundraising purposes. 

Discounted cash flows, called the DCF method, values the company based on future cash flow projections. 

This weights the value of the company on future revenues rather than today’s revenues.

The DCF method is purely a financial valuation method and does not take into account other factors such as the team, intellectual property, or sales activities that have not yet been realized with cash flows.

Your financial projections should have the key elements including projected cash flows, a chosen discount factor, and a net present valuation of the free cash flows to generate the DCF valuation.

It’s just one more valuation tool. Predicting cash flows in the future can be difficult given the sales process is not fully in your control.


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/
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In this episode, Hall welcomes Shawn Singh, Chief Executive Officer & Director at VistaGen Therapeutics, Inc.

Located in South San Francisco, California, known as the “Birthplace of Biotech”, VistaGen Therapeutics is a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company developing new-generation medications for anxiety, depression, and other central nervous system, or “CNS,” diseases and disorders where current treatments are inadequate to address high, unmet needs. Their CNS portfolio includes three differentiated CNS drug candidates, PH94B, PH10, and AV-101, each with a novel mechanism of action, an exceptional safety profile, and therapeutic potential for multiple indications. 

Shawn has over 25 years of experience working with private and public biotechnology, medical device, and pharmaceutical companies, a venture capital firm, and a profitable contract research and development organization (CRO), serving in numerous senior management roles. Prior to joining VistaGen, he served as President of Artemis Neuroscience, and prior to VistaGen’s acquisition of that company, Managing Principal of Cato BioVentures, a healthcare-focused venture capital firm.  

Earlier, Shawn assisted with the IPO of SciClone Pharmaceuticals, a revenue-generating, China-focused specialty pharmaceutical company, and served as its Chief Business Officer before departing to form Cato BioVentures with the founders of Cato Research. He began his career as a corporate finance attorney in the Silicon Valley offices of Morrison & Foerster LLP, with a transaction-focused practice involving both emerging biotechnology and high technology companies. Shawn earned a B.A. degree, with honors, from the University of California, Berkeley, and a J.D. degree from the University of Maryland School of Law. He is a member of the State Bar of California.

Shawn explains this domain in great detail and the work he and his team do, which is focusing on medications that address both neuropsychiatric and neurological disorders. He describes the current standard of care in this industry and how it can be improved. Shawn also shares with Hall a benefit of the COVID-19 pandemic, in that it has helped lessen the stigma attached to mental health illnesses.

You can visit VistaGen Therapeutics at www.vistagen.com/, or via their LinkedIn page at www.linkedin.com/company/vistagen-therapeutics, or on Twitter at https://twitter.com/vistagen.  

Shawn can be contacted via LinkedIn at https://in/shawnsingh/, and via email at ir@vistagen.com or ssingh@vistagen.com.

Direct download: Shawn_Singh_of_VistaGen_Therapeutics_Inc.__guests.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Shawn Flynn, Head of Incubation and Managing Director of Business Development at TechCode Accelerator - U.S. Shawn is also the host of The Silicon Valley Podcast.

Located in Sunnyvale, California, TechCode Accelerator - U.S. is a global innovation service operator focusing on helping technology startups scale up, and integrating global innovation resources.

Shawn spent over 4 years living and conducting business in Beijing, China. After successfully founding and growing a profitable education company, he has since moved back to San Francisco to invest his experience, connections, and resources back into the startup ecosystem. He regularly works with incubators, accelerators, angel groups, VCs, local governments, and institutions to promote economic growth. Shawn has helped several companies through his work with TechCode Accelerator and has set up operations in Silicon Valley. He has also set up offices, partnerships, and funding relationships overseas. Shawn is the founder of Silicon Valley Successes a television show that features entrepreneurs and the people that work with them and is the host of The Silicon Valley Podcast where he has interviewed some of the biggest names in tech. He is passionate about building a bridge that connects Silicon Valley and the rest of the world. Shawn lives in San Francisco and practices Brazilian Jujitsu, Salsa Dancing, and has a passion for learning about languages and cultures.

Shawn updates Hall on what he’s been doing since they last spoke. He shares his thoughts on the impact of COVID-19 on healthcare and EdTech, what the future of manufacturing looks like, new opportunities for entrepreneurs, and the multiple facets of the growing cannabis market.

You can visit TechCode Accelerator - U.S. at https://us.techcode.com/

Check out The Silicon Valley Podcast at www.theinvestorspodcast.com/silicon-valley/

Shawn can be contacted via LinkedIn at https://in/shawnpflynn/, via Twitter at https://twitter.com/shawnflynnsv, and via email at shawnpflynn@gmail.com.


Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Your financial statements will generate a wealth of metrics on your business.

Investors want to know these metrics - also called KPIs - which stands for Key Performance Indicators.

You can use the metrics to also manage the business and identify new opportunities for growing your sales and reducing costs.

Metrics also help you focus your efforts on the important things. 

Key metrics for the overall health of the business include sales growth, gross margin, and profitability.

For cash flow, you’ll find burn rate, runway, and fundraise requirements will be useful.

For recurring revenue, businesses measure cost of customer acquisition and track lifetime value of a customer, as well as churn rate. 


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

Direct download: EG_July_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Key_metrics_to_capture.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:31am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

In preparing your financial projections, you’ll need to account for investments into assets, also called capital expenditures.

These include real estate, intellectual property, equipment, facilities, and buildings. 

Assets also include computers, servers, and office equipment.

Assets are listed separately, as you depreciate the cost over a period of time in the profit and loss statement.

The IRS has specific rules as to how you can depreciate each type of asset so you’ll need to check to see how to list the equipment in your financial projections. 


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.
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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/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group


In this episode, Hall welcomes back Jef Sharp, CEO of Qnect.

Located in Hadley, Massachusetts, Qnect is an intelligent, cloud-based connection app that gives fabricators, detailers, and engineers fast and flexible connections with significant cost and schedule savings. In minutes, users can connect most steel buildings without capital cost and with minimal initial training. Two important benefits of Qnect include Preference Optimization and Bolt Optimization.

Jef has over 35 years of experience leading and growing tech companies. He has a passion for value creation. Jef is a serial entrepreneur and has co-founded and led many innovative businesses: Qnect (SAAS), Panève (Big Data), Qteros (bio-fuels), Xfinit, (intrusion detection software), XSCapacity (online exchange for excess capacity), TechCavalry (IT service), and Gravity Graphics (Inc. 500 co) Jef served on the Qteros Board for 5 years, the Panève BoD for 4 years, and is an advisor to PeopleHedge and 5 yr. advisor to Oakridge National Lab.

Jef updates Hall on the company's growth since they last spoke to include a few of their new projects. He explains Qnect’s technology and some of the exciting plans in the pipeline. 

You can visit Qnect at www.qnect.com.  

Qnect currently has financing that is closing soon and Jef welcomes persons to contact him via LinkedIn at https://in/jef-sharp-721b7/, via email at jsharp@qnect.com, and via telephone at (413) 896-1367.  

Direct download: Jeffrey_Sharp_of_Qnect_follow_up.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:06am CDT

Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

Working capital is the capital you need to run the daily operations of the business and includes anything that can be converted to cash.  

This includes cash, accounts receivables, and inventory.  

Accounts payable reduces your working capital as you must pay it out each month.

Payment terms and timing of cash inflows and outflows impact your working capital.

There’s typically a delay between the time you build and deliver a product/service and when payment of funds arrive.

As we discussed before, cash is king, and running out of cash can shut down a business. It’s important to know your working capital position at all times.

Working capital is calculated as the number of days your sales and payables are outstanding.  

To calculate your current working capital, take your annual revenue and divide by your payment terms.

Place this on the balance sheet. 

Also include the number of days you hold inventory before using it. 

If your working capital is insufficient, there are numerous financing options to fill the gap.


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.
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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


In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the chronic pain market.

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding.

It’s the time of COVID-19. The healthcare industry is overwhelmed with patients from the pandemic. Medical conditions such as chronic pain continue to grow due to the opioid crisis.

We recently held an interview with experts and investors in the area of chronic pain. Our host is Ashley Matthysse.

Our featured guests are:

Brett Lanuti, CEO & President of Nocimed: www.nocimed.com
Michio Painter, Pain Specialist, Investor with Joyance Partners: www.bluetherapeutics.com; www.joyancepartners.com 
Steve Shapiro, Partner eHealthVentures: www.ehealthventures.com

I hope you enjoy this episode.

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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


In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Amit Mehta, Partner at Builders VC.

With headquarters in both the U.S.A. and Canada, Builders VC believes it takes more than great technology to fix an antiquated industry. To truly make lasting and impactful change, Builders VC backs entrepreneurs who combine courage, technical acumen, and operational expertise. Builders VC is looking to work with founders focused on the intersection of great technology, antiquated industries, and operational excellence.

Amit strives to modernize the world around him by guiding founders of antiquated industries through growth challenges and seed to series B funding opportunities. He combines practical knowledge across the value-chain with entrepreneurial experience to lead the health-IT investment practice as Partner at Builders VC. Additionally, he has led Intrinsic Imaging to operate clinical trials in 64 countries globally for both pharma and biotech sponsors as Founder and Chief Medical Officer.

Amit’s successful strategies in go-to-market launches and interest in market validation of new technologies have led to his global influence in areas of venture capitalism, clinical trials, imaging, device development, artificial intelligence, real estate, and sports marketing.

His passion for leadership excellence has led to his service to various start-up boards and non-profits. Amit is the previous recipient of the George Brown Radiological Society of North America award, the Joseph E Whitley award, and was named on the “40 under 40” list by the San Antonio Business Journal. 

Amit shares with Hall how he sees the healthcare industry evolving in these COVID times. He discusses Builder’s investment thesis and their $200-million fund, and also identifies some of the challenges entrepreneurs and investors face.

You can visit Builders VC at www.builders.vc and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/BuildersVC.   

Amit can be reached via LinkedIn at https://in/dramehta/ and via email at amit@builders.vc.  

Direct download: Amit_Mehta_of_Builders.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 10:21am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Nathan Beckord, Founder & CEO of Foundersuite.

Foundersuite is a collection of tools, wizards, and templates that help startup founders execute more efficiently and effectively. Their goal is to streamline corporate housekeeping, finance, hiring, planning, and investor tasks so persons can focus more on product, sales, and team activities.

Their core product line includes: i) a searchable database of 120k+ investors for building your funnel; ii) a "kanban style"​ CRM for managing your investor pipeline; iii) pitch deck hosting with view tracking; iv) a collection of templates such as pitch decks, models, cap tables, term sheets, etc;  and, v) an Investor Update tool for reporting and relations.

Foundersuite also contains over 80 docs and templates and over 25 deals and discounts on other great products. Since launching in 2016, users have raised over $2 Bln in seed and venture capital.

Prior to starting Foundersuite, Nathan spent ten years working with over 150 startups as interim CFO, Business Developer, and Advisor. Nathan has an MBA in Entrepreneurship, a BSC in Finance, and is a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA). In his free time, he enjoys sailing, traveling, and riding motorcycles.

Nathan shares with Hall what excites him, how he sees the industry evolving, and some of the challenges startups and investors face.

You can visit Foundersuite at www.Foundersuite.com.  

Nathan can be reached via LinkedIn at  https://in/nathanbeckord/ and via email at nathan@foundersuite.com.  

Direct download: Nathan_Beckord_of_Foundersuite.com.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Ziad Moukheiber, President & CEO of Boston Harbor Angels.

Founded around 2005, Boston Harbor Angels, like a lighthouse, helps entrepreneurs navigate and grow their startup businesses through the treacherous waters of an increasingly competitive environment in our global economy.

Boston Harbor Angels is a group of proven business leaders interested in investing a portion of their assets in high-growth, early-stage companies. Since 2004, they have made investments in companies in medical devices, IT, consumer products, business products, specialty materials, Internet, aviation, etc. They believe they contribute more than money to the companies they fund and welcome the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs who are open to taking advice, yet have the smarts and determination to make their company successful.

Ziad is the President and CEO of Boston Harbor Angels and is also Managing Partner at EQX Fund LLC, an angel and early-stage investment fund based in Boston, Massachusetts, focusing on Life Sciences and IT.

A business leader with over two decades of experience in building scalable organizations and advising companies in sales, marketing, operations, IT, service delivery, and customer service, Ziad founded SilverSword in 1998. He and his team built SilverSword into a leading IT consulting company that provides an outstanding customer service experience for their New England area clients. Silversword was acquired in 2015 by NSK Inc.

Ziad is an active angel investor and is on the board of businesses and nonprofit organizations with a special interest in technology. Ziad is also a mentor with BUILD, a nonprofit organization using entrepreneurship to help at-risk students in the Boston area.

Ziad earned his BA at the American University of Beirut (1992) and his Master's degree at the Interactive Telecommunications Program at the Tisch School of the Arts at New York University (1996). Founded in 1979 as the first graduate education program in alternative media, ITP is internationally recognized as a unique and vital contributor of new ideas and talented individuals to the professional world of multimedia and interactivity.

Ziad speaks with Hall about how he sees the industry evolving for angel groups and angel networks, the biggest challenge he faces, and he shares some beneficial criteria for entrepreneurs. He explains the investment thesis of Boston Harbor Angels and cites some companies which fit their thesis.

You can visit Boston Harbor Angels at www.bostonharborangels.com/.  

Ziad can be reached via LinkedIn at https://in/ziad-henry-moukheiber-5b27b7/ and via email at ziad@bostonharborangels.com

Direct download: Ziad_Moukheiber_of_Boston_Harbor_Angels.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:00am CDT

In today’s show you’ll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the Future of Work.

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. 

COVID-19 has changed the landscape for startups giving us a new normal. We have joining us today, Mireya Manigault of Foundation LLC/WeDemption, an investor in the future-of-work space talking about the impact.

Mireya is an innovation and brand strategist who is passionate about corporate culture and executive team development. She has helped large organizations, nonprofits and start-ups define their strategic goals and optimize their people, processes and infrastructure for relevancy.

You can visit Foundation LLC at https://bethefoundation.com/ and WeDemption at https://www.wedemption.co/

Mireya can be reached via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/mireyamanigault/ and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/mireyasunshine

For VCs wanting to identify and mitigate cultural risk in their portfolios, they can reach Mireya or her team at contact@bethefoundation.com.  

For angels, would-be angels and those preparing for funding, they can reach Mireya or her team at hello@wedemption.co.

Direct download: IP_July_2020_-_Mireya_Manigault_of_Foundation_LLC__WeDemption.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Robert Tushinsky, Founder and CEO of 2XL Swagger Brands.

Founded in 2012, 2XL Swagger Brands is a spirit and lifestyle brand that produces herb-infused spirits for him and her with highly-differentiated branding. 2XL’s vodka-based liqueurs are infused with a blend of herbs with known benefits in the libido and mood-boosting department. 

Robert is an innovative, high performance, serial entrepreneur with exceptional marketing, management, and communication skills. He has 30+ years of experience in marketing and executive management.

Robert shares with Hall the rather amusing story of how, as a child, he used to steal sips of his father’s alcoholic “Fruitka” concoction, not knowing at the time what is was infused with, nor why his father was taking it. Fast forward to 2012, when Robert had his “a-ha” moment! He details how 2XL was born and the huge part his late father played. He advises fellow entrepreneurs and investors interested in the space and shares some of the challenges he has faced in the sector.

You can visit 2XL Swagger Brands at www.2xlswagger.com/.

Robert can be reached via LinkedIn at /in/robert-tushinsky-19a952109/ and via email at robert@2xlswagger.com.

Direct download: Robert_Tushinsky_of_2XL_Swagger_Brands.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:08am CDT

In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on the COVID-19 impact on the cannabis market.

This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. 

It’s the time of COVID-19. Cannabis is currently gaining regulatory approval across the U.S. and is gaining rapid adoption. The lockdown has declared certain sectors, including cannabis, to be an essential service. Cannabis investors and startup founders describe their outlook on the cannabis market.

Our featured guests are:

Tiby Erdely - 0:42 - https://in/tiby-erdely-iii-ba4ab332/
Scott Greiper - 6:19 - https://in/scott-greiper-12614014/
Ryan Hoggan - 15:00 - www.motaventuresco.com/
Ford Smith - 19:57 - https://in/ford-smith-6b4ba6132/

I hope you enjoy this episode.

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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

Direct download: Show_12_--_July_IP_Shows_--_Future_outlook_on_the_Cannabis_Market.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:09am CDT

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