In this episode, Hall welcomes John-Mark Collins, Co-Founder, Owner, and Operator of Electric Playhouse.

Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Electric Playhouse is an experiential platform company building easily replicable distributable content and operational facilities for families and adults to enjoy. Electric Playhouse has one open location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and two more in the works in Dallas and Houston. Electric Playhouse produces creative worlds for immersive and interactive experiences including games, dining & special events for all ages.

John-Mark started his educational career in art and architecture (completing two years), before taking a break from college. His earned education consists of a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, and an MBA (managed to do all three of those in 6 years). However, his real education came in the form of 15 years in the hospitality industry before returning to his education. He managed restaurants and bars across the US, from Chicago to New Mexico. This experience, coupled with his education, has led him to where he is now - the owner and operator of Electric Playhouse.

Prior to launching Electric Playhouse, he started a B2B business in exhibit and experience design, Storylab Interactive, in 2016. Before that, he worked at Ideum doing exhibit design and software development, and at Sandia National Labs as a software engineer.

John-Mark is from Cleveland, Ohio originally and now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife and two young girls - Lola (7) and Mila (5).

John-Mark advises both investors and entrepreneurs, shares how he sees the immersive experiential industry evolving, and discusses some of the challenges startups face.

You can visit Electric Playhouse at www.electricplayhouse.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/playelectric.  

John-Mark can be contacted via email at johnmark@electricplayhouse.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/johnmarkcollins, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/jmcjedi. 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

In working with an advisor for your startup, look for these characteristics:

• The advisor has first-hand experience in the industry, running a business, closing sales, and more.
• They listen and can relate your problems to actionable solutions.
• They have been through the same challenges and experiences as you are going through.
• They ask meaningful questions and probe to get to the bottom of things.
• They understand you and can motivate you.
• They have opinions and share them even if those opinions are not popular.
• They devote the time to the advisory work.
• They are effective communicators. They are articulate and can persuade.
• They can help set goals with actionable steps.
• They bring a network of investors, other advisors, and collaborators.
• They respect the opinions of others.
• They have passion for their work.

If you don’t see these things in a potential advisor, you may want to reconsider.

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Matthew Sullivan, CEO and Founder of QuantmRE.  

Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, QuantmRE is a real estate finance platform that originates and funds Home Equity Agreements. This new financial tool enables qualifying homeowners to get a cash lump sum from their home equity with no monthly payments, no interest and no added debt. A Home Equity Agreement is an equity based solution - it's not a reverse mortgage, it's not a loan and it's not a line of credit. Instead of charging interest, they take a share of the current equity together with a share of the appreciation if the value of the home goes up. They also share in the potential downside risk if the home decreases in value

The QuantmRE platform has also been designed to enable a wide range of investors to fund these Home Equity Agreements, including retail investors. Their platform has been designed to be a secondary market exchange where investors can build, model, manage and trade individual portfolios of fractionalized Home Equity Agreements.

Matthew is the founder of real estate crowdfunding platform Crowdventure.com and is a manager of two real estate funds. He worked with Richard Branson and his corporate finance team and was appointed a director and Trustee of Virgin’s London Air Ambulance service. Matthew went to Westminster School in London, UK and studied Law at Birmingham University before pursuing a career in finance and stockbroking, specializing in the South East Asian markets. He was an early internet pioneer and has founded companies in the United Kingdom, India, Australia and the United States in the finance, telecommunications, technology and real estate sectors.

Matthew shares where he sees the real estate industry going post-COVID-19, and what excites him now in the sector. He also updates Hall on the evolution of the company since his last interview some three years ago. 

You can visit QuantmRE at www.quantmre.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/quantm-one, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/quantmre.  

Matthew can be contacted via email at msullivan@quantmre.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mattsullivanco, and via Twitter at  www.twitter.com/mattsullivanco. 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

In choosing a startup to advise, it’s important to find the right fit.

Here are some key points to make sure you are a good advisor to the startup.

Spend time with the startup to really understand if you can add value and if they are ready for an advisor.

Make sure you communicate well with each other and ensure the personal style fits.

Spend as much time on selecting a startup as you would an investment.

If they have other advisors, check with them about their experience.

Find out where they need the help the most.  

Ask what’s slowing them down and where they avoid engaging. That’s an indication they need help.

Avoid the day-to-day minutiae and focus on strategic objectives.

For the day-to-day work, make introductions to people who can solve those issues.

Make clear you will play the role of devil’s advocate and that you will ask a lot of difficult questions as part of your job.

Spend the majority of your time with the startup listening and only talk when you have something important to say.

Get to know the founder and others in the startup outside of work. 

Come to an agreement about the time commitment for your work with the startup.

Give the founder the hard answers as in the end, they will appreciate that more than the kudos.

If the founder seems to be scattered, help them focus on a few key priorities.

If it turns out not to be a good fit, then help the founder close it out.

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hall welcomes Igor Khmel, Founder and CEO of Brik.exchange.

Brik.exchange is a platform where you can trade stablecoins. BRIK is liquidity protocol for real estate that they are working on. They want to implement the power of the DeFi market and stable coins to automate the biggest asset class in the world - real estate. They have got multifamily properties confirmed for $15m, and are in the process of onboarding other $20m properties.

Brik.exchange has secured relationships with 5 leading real estate data providers, including CoreLogic. Two leading Wall Street investment banks expressed interest to provide them with 3% leverage financing as soon as they reach the $100m portfolio. They plan to reach a $1bn+ portfolio of real estate within 3 years and are looking for real estate partners and financial institutions to work with. 

Igor created and launched the Innovation Lab for Sberbank, the biggest bank in Russia and Eastern Europe. He hired and managed a team of 15 engineers and managers to create new innovative solutions for the bank and the bank's ecosystem. He got the idea when he met with alumni from the Capital One Lab at Stanford and used that Lab and their best practices as a model.

Among 20+ pilots, he developed card retargeting, an innovative banking product that uses real-time bidding technology to target online merchants when customers buy something offline. To realize this, he led the acquisition of a company that enabled this technology for Sberbank and led the integration. He initiated the sale of a 50% stake in this company to the leading Russian telecom, enabling joint use of data and technology by Sberbank and the telecom. They closed the deal based on 2x valuation - doubling the company's valuation in a single year.

Igor shares what led him to start working in the industry. He also discusses the growth rate of the sector, and some of the challenges he has faced.

You can visit Brik.exchange at www.f6s.com/daoreit.

Igor can be contacted via email at team@brik.exchange, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ikhmel, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/igorkhmel.  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

Advisors take many roles in their work with startups.

You can use advisors to fill gaps in the early stage of the startup.

Some advisors provide support as informal advisors. 

There’s no set goals, meetings, or formal advisor agreement.

This is the most common way startups work with advisors.

Those advisors signed up with an agreement and a set of objectives to take on a formal advisor role.

Some advisors take the role of a mentor in providing guidance.

Mentors focus on the founder, while advisors focus on the company.

Some advisors take the role of consultant in performing very specific tasks for the company while others take on general responsibilities.

Some advisors take on the role of a board of directors.  

This can be helpful in early-stage companies that are not yet ready to form a board.

Advisors here can provide oversight to the company and help the founder keep the broader picture in mind.

Advisors bring experience, contacts, and networking.

In choosing an advisor, know what role you want the advisor to play.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

There are several types of advisors you can choose to help your startup.

Here’s a list to consider:

The Brand Name. This type of advisor offers their name to your company.  

This can be helpful to attract investors, employees, and customers. 

They typically bring some value in the form of advice, but it’s primarily their name.

The Domain Expert. This type of advisor knows the industry well, both in technology and business.

They can be helpful if you are moving into a new domain or the industry is changing rapidly.

The Networker. This type of advisor knows everyone in the industry or region.

Those with a Rolodex and the ability to make connections can be very helpful.

This can be helpful in fundraising and growing sales.

The Business Modeler. This type of advisor may come from other industries but knows business models and can bring new monetization tools to your business.

The Confidant. This type of advisor can coach on the emotional side of running a startup.

Startups have highs and lows that take the founder through the full range of emotions.

This advisor can help the founder navigate through the ups and downs.

Decide what type of advisor you need before looking for one.

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  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled “COVID’s Impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about changes expected in the coming 12 months and our guests’ final thoughts.

As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up.

Our guests are:

Greg Fitzgerald, Co-Founder, Sevco Security, 00:56
Merrick Andlinger, Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Option3Ventures, 07:23
Ariel Evans, CEO/Founder, Cyber Innovative Tech, 11:53
Christian Kameir, Managing Partner, Sustany Capital, 17:10
Andrew Morris, Founder, GreyNoise Intelligence, 28:41

I hope you enjoy this episode.
_______________________________

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hall welcomes Berthold Baurek-Karlic, Founder and Managing Partner at Venionaire Capital.

Headquartered in Vienna, Austria, Venionaire Capital is an independent private equity and venture capital firm that offers a wide range of services in a variety of tech-related sectors and industries. Since its foundation in 2012, the company successfully advised more than 50 startups and closed transactions with an overall volume of about 350 million Euros. Throughout the past years, Venionaire Capital made early-stage leads and co-investments and managed to build a strong portfolio of holdings.

Since 2015 the Venionaire Investment GmbH (a majority owned subsidiary of Venionaire Capital) is the first registered European Alternative Investment Fund Manager (AIFM) by the Austrian Financial Markets Authority, with a licence for transnational management of EuVECA funds. Venionaire aims to raise a 100 million Euro Venture Capital Fund, which will support substantial growth for European and especially Austrian and German headquartered startups.

In addition to being the founder of Venionaire Capital, Berthold is the driving force behind dealmatrix.com an innovative valuation software for startups. He is also founder and secretary general of the Business Angel Institute (businessangelinstitute.org), President of the European Super Angels Club (superangels.club) and an expert partner of various accelerators and various venture funds. Shaping the venture scene in Europe and particularly in Austria matters to him a lot. He served several years as board member of the Austrian Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (avco.at), as well as external consultant in the EU programme Horizon2020 and Innovation Radar. 

He recently published the book “100 Startups Made in Austria” and writes on a regular basis for tech media.

Berthold advises both investors and entrepreneurs, discusses his investment thesis, and how he sees the industry evolving post-COVID-19. 

You can visit Venionaire Capital at www.venionaire.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/venionaire. 

Berthold can be contacted via email at berthold.karlic@venionaire.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/berthold-baurek-karlic, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/berthold_karlic. 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

Good advisors bring good value to your startup. Great advisors bring great value.

Spend time identifying the right advisor.

In recruiting an advisor, pose specific questions and gauge the response.

How does it rank compared to feedback from other sources?

It should be the best or near best of responses.

If they advise other startups, then ask those startups for their experience.

Advisors bring experience, contacts, and domain knowledge.

Define the help you need on these and set goals.

Set up regular meeting times by phone or in-person to review the progress.

Plan for quarterly reviews to discuss the progress and next steps.

If compensating the advisor with equity, then vest the equity over the timeframe of the engagement.

Set the engagement for one year with the option to renew for another year.

Set the bar high and look for advisors who bring a great deal to your company.

Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hall welcomes Jonathan DeYoe, President & CEO at Mindful Money and author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend”.

Mindful Money is a comprehensive financial education and wealth management firm that brings mindfulness to personal finance.

Mindful Money practices a behavioral approach to personal finance. In a world that is market-focused and performance-driven, they are goal-focused and planning-driven. If you are just starting out, they have courses, digital planning tools, and evidence-based portfolios. If you are nearing retirement or selling your business, they have personal services to support you as you move forward into this exciting new time in your life.

Jonathan is a Seminarian, turned Buddhist academic, turned financial advisor. He has written for publications including The Huffington Post, Business Insider, NerdWallet, and MindBodyGreen. He has been featured in USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, and the New York Times.

He is also the author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend”. Jonathan has been meditating for 25 years. He lives in Berkeley, CA with his wife, two kids, and their cat Posey.

Jonathan discusses investing in seed deals and some of the challenges to expect. He also shares the inspiration behind writing his book and explains - what he calls - the pillars of human happiness.

You can visit Mindful Money at www.mindful.money, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/mindful-money-plan, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/mindfulmoney. 

Jonathan can be contacted via email at jonathan@mindful.money. His book can be purchased at www.Amazon.com. 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

As an investor in a startup, you may want to provide additional value and sign up as an advisor.

Here are some key points to consider:

• Choose startups that you can help.
• Make clear the work you plan to do such as introductions, networking, advising on the domain, or just sharing business experience.
• Define the duration of the advisor work - one to two years is a common timeframe.
• Determine the frequency and type of meetings - by phone, in person, or in a group meeting.
• Set aside time to do the work. 
• Negotiate compensation based on the work to be done.
• Compensation consists of a half percent to one percent of equity vested over time. 
• Be prepared to sign a non-disclosure and non-compete agreement.
• Have informal reviews with the company throughout the process to make sure you are meeting expectations.
• Add your name to the team as an advisor to help with fundraising activities.
• Join sales meetings where you can add value.

Advising can be rewarding but comes at a cost in time and effort.

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 

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hall welcomes Donatas Keras, Founding Partner at Practica Capital.

Founded in 2011, Practica Capital is a dedicated Baltic VC focusing on investments in the Baltic (Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia) and Baltic-origin ventures in Europe. Selectively, they also invest in neighboring Europe (Nordics, Germany, Poland).

They invest from €200k to €2m+ in seed and early-stage ventures as a cross-industrial investor focused on backing great teams behind the tech-driven businesses from the region.

Donatas is an entrepreneur and investor with 15+ years experience of in business development, company management, and investments. He is also one of the leading early-stage investors in the Baltics. Donatas has been involved in more than 50 investment deals during recent years.

Donatas shares with Hall what excites him right now in the venture capital industry. He advises entrepreneurs and investors and discusses how he sees the industry evolving.

You can visit Practica Capital at www.practica.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/practica-capital, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/practicacapital. 

Donatas can be contacted via email at donatas@practica.vc, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/donatas-keras.  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

Advisors can be very helpful to startup founders. 

Here are steps to consider in selecting an advisor:

1. Check your company needs for the coming two years and determine what is missing.
2. Look for advisors who add value to the team by bringing the necessary skills and experience the team doesn’t already have.
3. Look for those with skills, experience, and contacts needed for the company goals.
4. Focus on people with time available to spend with the company as many advisors come up short on their time allocation with startups.
5. Document the engagement so the work to be done is clear to all.
6. Include the frequency of the meetings and what is expected of the advisor at those meetings.
7. Define what you expect them to bring to the meetings such as research, contacts, or their experience.
8. Make sure you compensate the advisor appropriately.

If you want real work done you’ll need to pay something for it.

Compensation is typically equity in the range of half of one percent to one percent per year.

Vest the equity over time so there’s a clear endpoint.

If the engagement went well, you can sign them up for another round if the company needs 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  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hall welcomes Robert Davidson, CEO of CURE Pharmaceutical.

CURE Pharmaceutical is an innovative drug delivery and development company committed to improving drug efficacy, safety and the patient experience through its proprietary drug dosage forms and delivery systems. CURE has an industry-leading full-service cGMP manufacturing facility and is a preeminent developer and manufacturer of a patented and proprietary delivery system (CureFilm™), the most advanced oral thin film on the market today. CURE has developed an array of products in cutting-edge delivery platforms and partners with leading pharmaceutical companies. CURE has positioned itself to advance numerous therapeutic categories, including the pharmaceutical cannabis sector with partnerships in the U.S., Canada, Israel and Germany, among other markets.

Prior to his role at CURE Pharmaceutical, Robert served as President and Chief Executive Officer of InnoZen Inc., Chief Executive Officer of Gel Tech LLC, Chief Executive Officer of Bio Delivery Technologies Inc., and has served on multiple corporate boards. Robert was responsible for the development of several drug delivery technologies and commercial brand extensions including the popular zinc product Zicam. He has worked with brands such as Chloraseptic™, Suppress™, as well as Pediastrip™, a private label electrolyte oral thin film sold in major drug store chains. He received his B.S. degree with a concentration in Biological Life Sciences and has a Masters Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University, a Masters of Public Health from American Military University, Virginia, and a Masters in Health and Wellness from Liberty University, Virginia. Robert also completed his Post Graduate Studies at the University of Cambridge. 

Robert discusses the growth rate of the sector, the future of drug delivery, and some of the challenges he has faced. 

You can visit CURE Pharmaceutical at www.curepharmaceutical.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/cure-pharmaceutical, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cure_pharma_. 

Robert can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/rob-davidson-a6baa06/.  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

Just as you have an ideal customer profile, so you should have an ideal advisor profile.

Start with your industry and growth strategy and look for founders who have experience in the same.

Look for someone who has already gone through what you are going through now.

Start with those who are local and reach further out if necessary.

Once you’ve identified someone who meets the criteria, make contact with them.

Many founders will have some empathy for you since they know well the challenges you face.

Some will offer advice on the first call.

Parlay this budding relationship into a long-term advisor relationship.

In proposing the advisor role, minimize the time commitment and maximize the result.

Make clear to them their importance to you and your company.

Be prepared to pay something for it - most likely equity.

If the potential advisor doesn’t ask, then it’s best to bring it up for discussion.

Identify what the advisor thinks is most important and pursue that first.

Grow the relationship over time.

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  

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled “COVID’s Impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about participation in the cybersecurity segment and what investors look for.

As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up.

Our guests are:

Greg Fitzgerald, Co-Founder, Sevco Security, 00:59
Merrick Andlinger, Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Option3Ventures, 08:04
Christian Kameir, Managing Partner, Sustany Capital, 13:58
Andrew Morris, Founder, GreyNoise Intelligence, 21:26

I hope you enjoy this episode.
________________________________
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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

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

Advisors can help startups achieve higher growth, avoid problems along the way, and give the founder confidence.

Here are some key points in choosing an advisor for your startup:

• Avoid the “dabbler”. These advisors want to dabble with startups but don’t have any substantial experience to share.
• Avoid “Yes” men. These advisors confirm everything you say because they don’t want to go through the heavy lifting of explaining better ways of doing things.
• Avoid generalists. These advisors have general business experience but know little about your specific industry or growth strategy.
• Look for advisors who know your industry and space very well. They often bring both experiences.
• Look for advisors who are well connected. They know the right people and can network you with them.
• Look for advisors who challenge you and remind you of the goals you have set.
• You may want to recruit a group of advisors and have them meet both individually and as a group to discuss key issues.
• Remember the time commitment that comes with advisors and set aside time for 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

Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hall welcomes Andrew Bilinsky, Co-founder & CEO of Lensabl. 

Five years ago Lensabl pioneered the concept of “lens replacement”. Before that, when someone with prescription glasses needed to replace their lenses, they typically had to visit a store and spend hundreds of dollars to buy new frames with their new lenses. 

Lensabl gave them a new option: keep your frames and they will just replace your lenses. To date, they have helped over 100,000 customers streamline their vision care and save over $5 million dollars. Lensabl sells replacement vision plans, lenses, frames, contacts, and a vision test, all online. 

Previously, Andy was the co-founder of ivory + mason Eyewear, a direct-to-consumer online glasses brand. He had also founded ChirpAds, a mobile advertising platform, and held business development roles at eCommerce companies HauteLook and BeachMint. Andy, a native of Los Angeles, received his BBA from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan, where he double majored in Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies.

Andy discusses how he sees the eye care industry evolving and the growth rate of the sector. He advises investors and shares some of the challenges he has faced.

You can visit Lensabl at www.lensabl.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/lensabl/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/lensabl?lang=en. 

Andy can be contacted via email at andy@lensabl.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbilinsky, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/andybilinsky?lang=en. 

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

Advisors can be helpful to your startup.

Here are some key points to consider to determine if you need one:

• If you haven’t run a startup before you’ll most likely need an advisor.
• If you plan to raise funding, you’ll find advisors add gravitas to the team as well as potential contacts.
• If you have holes in your team, then advisors can help you close them.
• If you are in a domain you have not worked in before, then an advisor can be helpful.
• If the business technology has changed dramatically, then an advisor can be useful to guide in the implementation of the latest tech.
• If you find yourself asking anyone and everyone questions about your business decisions, then an advisor may be the answer.
• If you have a team that always agrees with you, then you may benefit from an advisor who will be more honest with you.
• If you need help for your own growth, then look for a mentor. 

Mentors are different from advisors. They typically help the individual grow, while advisors help grow the business.

When you know what you need the advisor to do, then it’s time to look for one.

It’s important to compensate the advisor and make clear the expectations in a written advisor agreement. 

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  

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Chester J. Jachimiec, President of Down Hole Water Management.

Down Hole Water Management has developed and patented a downhole separation system for disposing of produced water from natural gas wells (the “DGWS” – Downhole Gas/Water Separator) and from oil wells (the “DOWS” – Downhole Oil/Water Separator) in the same wellbore, eliminating the need (and significant operating expense and environmental risks) of lifting the contaminated produced water to the surface and hauling it to a separate disposal well. The DGWS system has been demonstrated in numerous live wells and is ready for commercialization.

Chester has 40 years of professional, entrepreneurial, and large company business experience, and has developed several companies from concept stage to full public company status. In the last twenty years, he has founded three companies that have gone public, including one of which grew to Fortune 1000 size.

Chester has been a close advisor to the Finley companies since early 2017, acting as the CFO of the enterprises and involved in their various operations and investments. Prior to that, from 2012 to 2016, he was a founder and board member, CFO, and ultimately President of Vivione Biosciences Inc., a medical device company taken public on the TSX-Venture Exchange.

From 2005 to 2008, he was a founder, director, and EVP of Production Enhancement Group, Inc., an upstream energy services company involved in coiled tubing, pressure pumping, and wireline services, and rental tools, and taken public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. From 2001 to 2005, he was President of SPI Petroleum, LLC, a private equity-backed consolidation of fuels and lubricants distribution companies that ultimately grew to over $4 billion in revenue and became the largest company in its industry. From 1996 to 2001, he served as a founder, director, and EVP of Encompass Services Corporation, a public company and national provider of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and janitorial services, with over $4.5 billion in revenue and 35,000 employees. From 1994 to 1996, Chester served as Director of Acquisitions and Investments for Tenneco Energy, where he created and led a group to diversify the company away from regulated assets (pipelines) and redeploy capital in a higher return, non-regulated businesses (independent power plants; pipeline services). From 1990 to 1994, he served as a consultant to a number of companies, assisting them to secure capital or engage in acquisitions, MBOs, or other transactions, and managed his personal investments in oil & gas and technology commercializations.

Prior to 1990, Chester practiced law in the areas of Securities and M&A in Houston and Dallas and was a partner in two large national law firms. He was also licensed as a CPA in the State of Illinois and practiced public accounting with Price Waterhouse prior to attending law school. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in public accounting (1976, with honors) from Loyola University of Chicago and a Juris Doctorate (1979, with honors) from Northwestern University of Chicago School of Law, where he served on and was published in the Northwestern University Law Review.

Chester shares what excites him right now in the oil and gas space. He advises investors, shares some of the technology behind his product, and discusses challenges for the oil and gas operator in today's market.

You can visit Down Hole Water Management at www.downholeinjection.com. 

Chester can be contacted via email at cjachimiec@att.net, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/chester-jachimiec, and via phone at (713)628-6582.

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

The Convertible Note is a commonly used investment structure for funding startups. It’s a short-term debt instrument that converts into equity later. If the issuer wants a debt instrument without conversion to equity, a promissory note would be a better option.

With a Convertible Note, the investor receives accruing interest while holding the note. It works well for seed-stage startups as it does not set a valuation, removes the burden of a complex equity-based term sheet, and avoids issues of dilution and taxes. It’s easy to set up compared to most equity term sheets.

A Convertible Note has three components which are the interest rate, discount rate, and cap rate:

1. The interest rate determines the annual interest that will accrue. The interest is not meant to be paid out monthly or quarterly like a bank loan but will convert to equity later along with the principal.
2. The discount rate is the amount of additional equity the investor will receive when the note converts to equity as compensation for investing early.
3. The cap rate determines how much equity the investor will receive upon conversion.

The conversion from debt to equity is usually based on a future financing round. If there is no follow-on financing round, then the note often sets a time limit (say 3 to 5 years), at which point it will convert at the cap rate.

The Convertible Note works well for investors who want to invest relatively small amounts.  Investors seeking to make large investments typically want a valuation set, board seats determined, and control provisions set which often requires an equity term 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/ 
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  

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

Equity is used for investment purposes to give the investor an ownership stake in the company.

To calculate your ownership percentage you take the number of shares you are purchasing and divide it by the total number of outstanding shares. Another way to calculate your ownership is to use the pre-money-plus-investment-equal-post-money valuation equation.

Each share is priced so you know how much you’ll pay for that equity stake. 

Be forewarned that startups on the venture track will continue to raise funding and add more shares to the outstanding share pool thus diluting your percent ownership.  

In most cases, the valuation will go up with each successive round of funding so the total valuation of your equity stake will increase even though your percent ownership declines.

It’s not unusual for CEOs exiting their company to have less than 10% ownership of the company.

Also, there are different types of equity. There are common shares and preferred shares. Preferred shares carry additional advantages over common shareholders. 


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

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Gary Boomershine, Founder & CEO of RealEstateInvestor.com.

RealEstateInvestor.com is a vertical solution provider in the real estate niche, servicing real estate investors, agents, and private lenders. Their flagship service, REIvault.com, provides managed marketing, shared systems, and proven results. They have a proven direct response marketing formula offering both direct mail and online PPC/SEO services to their members. They’ve sent out over 14,000,000 pieces of direct mail and are averaging about 500,000 pieces a month currently. They are a "membership" model looking for like-minded investors who believe in shared resources to get altitude in their business faster, cheaper, better. They have been on the Inc5000 Fastest Growing Company List for 2016 and 2017. 

Gary founded RealEstateInvestor.com in 2005 out of the need to scale and grow his own real estate investing and home-buying business.

With a family legacy in the real estate niche and a long successful career in enterprise and emerging technology markets, Gary saw the vision for RealEstateInvestor.com. He noticed the glaring opportunity to leverage people, processes, and technology to gain a leg up in a changing and competitive marketplace. As he worked to develop and use the initial product and service, he saw his real estate business flourish by allowing him to work smarter – not harder, and focusing on the one thing that makes money – talking to sellers and making offers.

Gary currently resides in Northern California with his wife and two daughters where he continues to be a visionary for RealEstateInvestor.com. He is actively involved in real estate investing and private lending. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and traveling with family.

Gary shares what excites him right now in the real estate industry. He discusses how he sees the industry evolving, and the best opportunity for investors to pursue today.

You can visit RealEstateInvestor.com at www.Realestateinvestor.com.

Gary can be contacted via email at gary@realestateinvestor.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/garyboomershine/. You can also listen to his podcast by clicking here Real Estate Investor Huddl‪e‬.

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Chris J. Younger, Managing Director at Class VI Partners.

Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Class VI Partners provides investment banking and financial advisory services to middle-market businesses and entrepreneurs in Colorado and across the United States. The principals of Class VI Partners have completed hundreds of middle-market transactions and strategic advisory engagements, and by using a disciplined process and extensive research, Class VI Partners is able to provide you with the experience and judgment necessary to complete your transaction. 

Chris has over 30 years of deal experience. He started as an attorney in Silicon Valley, then led acquisitions (27 of them) and was the president for a $1B consolidation in the communications sector, and founded his investment bank Class VI Partners in 2005. He has personally worked on over 100 transactions representing over $2B in value, and has seen most of the bad movies that can occur with an acquisition. He loves working with entrepreneurs and believes their success is the foundation for the health of our communities.

Chris shares what excites him right now in the sector. He discusses the state of investing in startups, how he sees the industry evolving, and his investment thesis.

You can visit Class VI Partners at www.classvipartners.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/classvipartners. 

Chris can be contacted via email at chris@classvipartners.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/chris-younger-2a51486.  

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

SAFE stands for Simple Agreement for Future Equity. SAFE notes were created to provide a convertible note-like structure for startup funding but without interest rates or maturity dates. 

The SAFE note operates like a warrant which gives the investor the right to buy shares in a future-priced round. SAFEs are similar to convertible notes as they eventually convert to equity, but are different as they are not debt instruments.

There are many flavors of SAFE notes. Some come with valuation caps and some do not. Some come with discount rates and some do not. 

Startups use them because they are simple, although the cap table treatment later may require more work.

Technically, you should have a C-Corp if using a SAFE note as it must be noted on the cap table. 

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  

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

The traditional method of going public with an IPO is being challenged by a new model called Direct Listing.  

The IPO is typically run by an investment bank which hypes the new offering to investors to create a market. This oversubscription creates artificial demand for the stock.  

After launching the IPO, the issuing company’s stock price often fluctuates which meant the round was mispriced.

This provides significant wealth to the investment banker but does little for the company which issues it.

In a Direct Listing, the issuer lists their proposed price to investors cutting out the middleman investment banker.

This reduces the pump and dump scenario of the IPO and reduces the cost of bringing a new issuer to the market. The issuer uses data analytics to set the price so there’s less chance of mispricing.

Today the private market is much more mature with many more investors who understand the value of startups and want to invest in them.

In the IPO, the investment bank provided research to select clients that guided the investor. In the Direct Listing, the company information is available to everyone. 

Direct Listing has no lockup period as the IPO does. The investor can sell whenever they want. Larger institutions can buy as much as they want. The issuance is promoted online giving many more investors access to the offering. 

In conclusion, the Direct Listing is another example of the internet disintermediating the middle man.


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  

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

In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled “COVID’s Impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about the primary trends and what makes for a successful company in the cybersecurity segment.

As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up.

Our guests are:

Greg Fitzgerald, Co-Founder, Sevco Security, 1:01
Merrick Andlinger, Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Option3Ventures, 7:44
Ariel Evans, CEO/Founder, Cyber Innovative Tech, 10:20
Christian Kameir, Managing Partner, Sustany Capital, 14:41
Andrew Morris, Founder, GreyNoise Intelligence, 21:11

I hope you enjoy this episode.

_______________________________

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

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Daniel McCarthy, Co-Founder of Theta Equity Partners and Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University.

Founded in 2018, Theta Equity Partners is a Seattle, Washington-based valuation services firm. The firm specializes in customer-based corporate valuation that prefers valuing firms by forecasting their current and future customer's behavior and predicting their future financials. Theta Equity Partners caters to private equity and venture capital firms, corporations, and public equities.

Daniel is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business. His research specialty is the application of leading-edge statistical methodology to contemporary empirical marketing problems. He popularized “customer-based corporate valuation” (CBCV), a methodology that drives any traditional valuation model off of the underlying behaviors of the target company's customers. His work has been featured in major media outlets such as the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, FT, Fortune, Barron’s, Inc Magazine, the Economist, and CNBC. His research has been accepted and published in top-tier academic journals and has won numerous research awards. 

In addition to his roles and responsibilities at Emory, Dan co-founded and was Chief Statistician for Zodiac, a predictive customer analytics SaaS firm. (Nike acquired Zodiac in March 2018). 

Daniel advises investors and entrepreneurs, shares how he sees the industry evolving, and discusses some of the challenges startups face.

You can visit Theta Equity Partners at www.thetaequity.com/, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/theta-equity-partners/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ThetaEquity. 

Daniel can be contacted via email at daniel.mccarthy@emory.edu, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/danielmcc/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/d_mccar. 

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

In raising funding or selling your business you may consider using an investment banker. 

Here are some key points to consider in making the decision:

They can build out the dataroom and do the appropriate research of competitors and comps. 

An investment banker can create competition for your acquisition thus raising the buyout value. 

Fees range from 3%-5% of the enterprise value along with some retainers.

In general, most investment bankers are worth the price if you bring them in at the beginning.

If you build the dataroom and find the buyer, then the value of the investment banker is reduced.

The investment banker can remove the burden of negotiating the terms including the valuation, as well as the follow-on employment.

They can free up the CEO to continue working on the business.

Choose an investment banker that has a track record in your sector and size of company.


Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding.

Let’s go startup something today.
___________________________________

For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org 

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ 
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ 
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ 
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ 
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ 

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group 

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Vernon Howard, CEO & Co-Founder at Hallo.

Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Hallo is an online events platform that builds authentic relationships with diverse candidates. Hallo’s versatile platform helps teams and passionate employers connect with candidates in natural ways. 

Vernon was a math prodigy, who graduated high school at 16 years old, when he tested into Virginia Commonwealth University to study Computer Science and Math. He paid his way through school by teaching math and serving as a janitor on campus.

He went on to sell men’s suits, which taught him the art of selling. After joining Capital One – whose signing bonus he used to rebuild an Alpha Romeo – he built Capital One’s first mobile banking application. He also built out the Application Security Team at Capital One, before, naturally, becoming a securities trader.

Vernon then transitioned over to being a white hat hacker and eventually ended his career sitting on the derivatives trading floor at Capital One. 

Vernon shares what led him to start working in this sector. He also discusses some of the challenges startups face and advises both entrepreneurs and investors.

You can visit Hallo at www.hallothere.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halloapp. 

Vernon can be contacted via email at vh@hallothere.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/vdhjr/. 

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

In negotiating the exit with an acquirer, you’ll need to know the following:

1. Key metrics about your business, both those that show the company in a positive light as well as a negative one.
2. The total addressable market for your company.
3. The top three opportunities your company can attack.
4. The company’s competition and competitive advantage.
5. The company’s track record in meeting forecasts and accomplishing milestones. 

Also, acquirers will ask why you are selling the company and why now?

Why is the acquiring company a good fit for your company?

How closely aligned in operations is the company to the acquiring company’s operations?

How much integration work will need to be done?

What role will the CEO play after the acquisition?

Think through the answers to these questions as most of them will come up. 


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

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Charles Sunnucks, investor and author of “The Company Valuation Playbook”.

“Apple, Amazon, Tesla, Microsoft – great companies perhaps, but are they great investments? While there are a variety of investment styles an investor might apply, investing over any reasonable period ultimately boils down to a simple reality – if you overpay for a stock you are likely to get stung, and if you underpay then odds are you will profit. Therefore, to stack the deck in your favour when investing, the ability to value a company is vital.

The Company Valuation Playbook introduces you to the industry-standard tools used by professionals globally to value companies and their shares. These valuation tools can be applied by anyone, no matter their experience. All you need is a computer, the internet, and a bit of common sense.”

Charles is a  successful professional investor. Formerly a fund manager at Jupiter Asset Management, he has lectured at Cambridge University, made multiple TV appearances commenting on markets, and actively co-managed a London stock exchange-listed investment fund. University educated in China, he speaks fluent Chinese, and is both a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. 

Charles shares the inspiration behind writing his book and gives Hall a breakdown of the core areas. He discusses who may benefit the most from reading it and what surprised him the most while writing.

You can purchase Charles’s book at www.companyvaluationplaybook.com. 

Charles can be contacted via email at charliesunnucks@hotmail.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/charles-sunnucks.   

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

Most startups are launched with the idea of selling the business for a substantial gain in five to seven years.

Many companies reach that stage and find they can’t sell the business, at least not for the price they want.

Here are some options:

• Reduce your burn rate to zero and keep running the business.
• You can split up the business into its component parts - team, inventory, technology, and sell IT to multiple buyers.
• You can sell the business to the other founders and take a revenue share for your equity portion of the business.
• You can sell the business to the investors and do the same thing.
• You can line up a manager of the business to take your place and then dividend back to the investors a portion of the revenue ‘til they receive a payback amount. 

While you may not reach a full acquisition as planned, there are several ways to exit the business and pay back the 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

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In this episode, Hall welcomes David J. Neff of Neon Syndicate.

Neon Syndicate is a privately held real estate and investment company run by Chelle and David J. Neff in Austin, TX, with investments in Veritas Beauty, Peace Love and Betty as well as real estate holdings. 

David has 20 years of creating experiences that impact people's lives, from his work in eCommerce, marketing, and digital strategy with the American Cancer Society, to his work with consulting companies like Southwest Airlines, Pepsi, Lululemon, Dell, Office Depot, Build.com, Wolverine Worldwide, Discover Card, Jack-in-the-Box, Kingfisher, Tesco, Gatehouse Media, and tech companies like Hulu. He is also supporting/leading another recent startup acquisition as a go-to-market lead inside of Accenture for Creative Drive.

David currently works as the VP of the data-driven consulting practice at Clearhead (acquired by Accenture Interactive), and also works with Fortune 500 brands on their eCommerce, organizational strategy, and building culture. He is the author of three books, and in 2014 he was named the top person in Austin by the Austin Under 40 Awards for the Community Service and Nonprofit category.

A much-in-demand speaker and trainer, he has spoken at places like TEDx, SXSW (6x), The University of Texas, St. Edward's University, Texas State University, Social Media Club, Social Media Breakfast, The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Planned Practical Giving Conference and NTEN's national technology conference.

Outside of work you can find him gardening, advising, investing in startups, planning an amazing Halloween party, and experimenting with single-board computers and computer vision. 

David shares with Hall how he sees the industry evolving and discusses some of the challenges startups face. 

David can be contacted via email at dneff22@gmail.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/david-j-neff/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/daveiam?lang=en. 

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

In setting the exit, most investors look to maximize the exit value.

It’s important to remember that the metric investors use, IRR or Internal Rate of Return has a time component to it.

The faster the exit, the higher the IRR.

As an investor, consider pursuing the highest IRR and not just the biggest dollar exit as bigger exits take longer.

While the news highlights the biggest exits, the vast majority of exits are under $20M.

Selling a business for under $20M is not that hard.

Growing a business and selling it over $100M is very hard.

Most acquirers don’t need the business to be large, they just need to know the business model is defined and is profitable.

Staying in the deal longer opens up the investor for dilution and other events that reduce the return on investment.

A startup should be proving their business model and turning it into a repeatable, predictable process.

With funding and time, it will scale.

As an angel investor, you should look for early exits and structure your investments accordingly.


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

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

In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled “COVID’s impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about growth in the cybersecurity segment.

As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up.

Our guests are:

Greg Fitzgerald, Co-Founder, Sevco Security, 00:53
Merrick Andlinger, Partner & Chief Investment Officer, Option3Ventures, 04:04
Christian Kameir, Managing Partner, Sustany Capital, 07:20
Andrew Morris, Founder, GreyNoise Intelligence, 10:00

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

Most exits come from another company buying the startup. 

It takes six months to a year to complete a buyout.

Delays often come from the startup not being prepared or ready for the M&A process.

Also, setting valuation and final terms can take substantial time for research and negotiations.

To shorten the time consider the following:

1. Identify and contact the likely buyers and build a relationship before starting the process. 
2. Position the startup leadership as a thought leader with published articles and keynote speeches to provide credibility.
3. Build a dataroom of key documents that will be used in a transaction process.

This is basically a gathering process but does take some time. 

Beware of competitors in the diligence process as they will have access to your detailed financials and other information.

Understand the interest level from the buyer and what other activities may delay their work on your deal.

Set realistic expectations for how fast things will go.


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

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Bruce Wayne Meleski, Ph.D., Executive Director at Neuroception360.

Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Neuroception360 helps individuals achieve their prime brain performance through mind integration. They aim to be the premiere Light, Color, and Vibration (LCV) system for mental well-being. LCV is a broad set of measurable embodied techniques that can create quick shifts in one’s state of mind. The techniques use neuroplasticity to train new neural pathways that result in calmer emotions, greater awareness, and new perceptions of one’s environment. Their signature technique, Mind Alive Experience, creates a state of “ultra-relaxation”. A series of these sessions quickly emerges a new state of resilience and a novel mind integration pathway.

Dr. Meleski began research into the role of sleep in a modern wellness lifestyle. He quickly identified the need for an integrated systems approach. After several years of experimentation, he developed the Neuroception 360 model for mind integration. 

Bruce received an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, he earned an MA and Ph.D. in Human Biology and Sports Science from the University of Texas at Austin. His career at IBM and healthcare providers has blended information systems, healthcare delivery, and human performance.

Bruce discusses with Hall the state of investing in the neuroscience space and some of the challenges startups face.

You can visit Neuroception360 at www.neuroception360.com and at www.mindalivenow.com.  

Bruce can be contacted at drmel@neuroception360.com. 

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

In selling a business there are two types of buyers: strategic buyers and financial buyers.

Strategic buyers look for companies that can enhance their current business.

Financial buyers look for companies that generate cash.

Their motivations and careabouts are different.

The strategic buyer will look to see how closely the acquisition is to the buyer’s business and how much work it will take to integrate it.

The financial buyer will look at the financials to determine the cash flow and how long it may sustain.

A company seeking a buyer will need to develop a relationship with CEO and VP-level contacts in the industry. This can be done through introductions, conferences, and other events. 

The company may also find an avenue through the corporate development team in some cases.

Bankers are also potential conduits to potential acquirers. 

The board of directors of the acquiring company may also provide an entry into the company.

Finding the buyer takes time and building a rapport takes even more time. 

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  

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In this episode, Hall welcomes Emmie Chang, CEO and Founder of Hoo Inc.

Hoo.live is a livestream platform intended for interactive content designed like a tv show. They are a new way for performers to interact with their audiences and for audiences to interact with their friends. More importantly, performers can monetize directly on the platform by charging whatever they want for content that they own!

They do this by combining a scalable livestream with unlimited small group video chats to create your online presence amongst friends. Discuss Wes Anderson films with top film influencers and your friends and come on 'stage' to showcase your knowledge or broadcast a YouTube concert with your friends.

The team is comprised of a YC alum and an experienced tech team that has built multiple streaming platforms in the past.

Emmie is a serial tech entrepreneur currently building Hoo. Prior to working on Hoo, she spent time building innovative products for financial firms including a US stock exchange and a hedge fund. She is a Y-Combinator alum and scaled a consumer marketplace in her first venture-backed business. Prior to startups, Emmie spent time working at NASA and building products for education technology. Emmie holds a BSEE from Rice University and an MBA From the University of Texas-Austin. She currently resides between Los Angeles and Miami.

Emmie shares with Hall what led her to start working in this space and discusses how she sees the industry evolving.

You can visit Hoo Inc. at www.hoo.live.

Emmie can be contacted at e@hoo.live and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/emmie/. 

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

Startups should start planning for an exit after they achieve product-market fit. 

Here are some key points to consider when planning your approach to an acquirer:

• What are the key metrics the acquirer will look for?
• What are the company’s metrics and how do they currently look?
• How big is the market for the company’s product?
• What initiatives are underway that will produce value for the company?
• How differentiated is your product compared to the competition?
• What is your primary competitive advantage?
• How consistent is your growth rate?
• What is your forecast for the coming three years?

These questions show how your company will be perceived by the potential buyer.

You can use this to guide your funding, hiring, and strategic plans.


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

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

There are several ways to exit a business.

You can sell the business to another company or investor.

This provides liquidity to the owners.   

The downside is, it’s not clear what happens to the employees and the direction of the company.

You can develop an employee stock ownership plan.

This transfers ownership to the employees and brings tax benefits plus rewarding the employees who now have control.  

The downside is that the valuation will most likely be lower than an outright sale.

You can use a management buyout. This provides liquidity to the owners.  

The downside is the process can take some time to complete, even years.

You can transfer the business to a family member.

This provides the family member an income and potentially a career.

The downside is there are estate tax consequences that must be considered.

In exiting your business, consider the impact not only on yourself, but also on the employees, customers, and others associated 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 

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

In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled “How to Solve the Fintech Problem”, you’ll hear about changes expected in the coming 12 months and our guests’ final thoughts.

As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The fintech space is now undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. Every business is now a fintech business. We have investors and startup founders describe the shift from a centralized to a decentralized fintech market.

Our guests are:

Marc Michel, Partner & Founder, Runway Venture Partners, 1:03
Matt Oguz, Chief Investment Officer, Iris Family Office and Founding Partner at Venture Science, 6:29
Joshua B. Siegel, General Partner, Acronym Venture Capital, 14:18
Victor Orlovskiy, General Partner, Fort Ross Ventures, 17:04 
Matt Murphy, General Partner, Montage Ventures, 24:55

I hope you enjoy this episode.
________________________________

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

Music courtesy of Bensound.