In today's episode, we talk about Ten Capital Network. With over a decade of experience, we specialize in running investor relations and introduction campaigns. We range from angel investors to family offices and actively engage with early-stage startups.

We also talk about the importance of building relationships and trust with investors, which often requires more than just a pitch deck. We emphasize the value of in-person events, such as private dinners, to facilitate meaningful connections between entrepreneurs and potential backers.

Additionally, we discuss the concept of breaking down fundraising into multiple rounds and running deadline campaigns to keep investors engaged and committed.

Whether you're an entrepreneur seeking funding or an investor looking for opportunities, you won't want to miss this informative discussion.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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When To Send an Investor Email

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

Timing is important in sending an email to an investor.

Consider these points in scheduling the send of your investor email:

Your email should come at a time when there’s little competition for the investor's attention.

Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays are the best days to send.

Mondays and Fridays can be crowded with preparing for the week or closing out for the weekend.

Avoid early morning and early afternoon as the investor receives many emails at that time.

Target 10 am to 11 am and 2 pm to 3 pm.

This drops the email into their inbox with the lowest number of other emails.

There are some investors who check email late Sunday afternoon to prepare for the week.

Friday afternoon and Saturday are almost completely dead as investors are elsewhere.

In setting up an email make sure you know how the schedule send function works.

In emailing the investor take into account the investor's schedule and attention.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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How To Capture the Investor's Attention in an Email

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

In emailing an investor it’s important to capture their attention.

The subject line and the first line in the email are the two best opportunities.

Here are some techniques to consider:

Key off a past investment made by the investor and call it out as a proxy for your deal.

This connects your deal to their portfolio.

Tie your deal into the investor’s industry focus whether it be medical device, software, healthcare, or other.

This connects your deal to their investment thesis.

Mention a referral source that is familiar to the investor.

This connects your deal to their network.

Find an article or blog post the investor wrote and highlight what you found interesting.  

This connects you to their work.

Once you have the investor’s attention follow up with key points about your startup to generate further interest.

You’re looking to connect your deal to the investor and their world.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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The Investor Update Email

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

After you have pitched an investor it’s important to update them on the progress of your startup.

Investors look for momentum and traction in the startup before investing.

Forecasting high revenue is not the same as actually demonstrating a growth story in progress.

The update should go out no less than once a month.

The email should be short and to the point.

In the subject line put the name of your company and the word update with the month and year. 

Remind the investor that they heard your pitch and list in short, bullet points updates about sales, team, product, and fundraising.

Investors look for the progress you are making and not market news or competition updates as they want to know what you are doing.

In most cases, they will not reply.

It’s not the depth of information that counts but rather the consistency of the updates that matters.

It takes seven touches to close a sale so it takes seven touches to close an investor.

Each email lets the investor peel back another layer of the onion and become more familiar with you and the startup.

It’s not the pitch that motivates the investor, but rather it’s the follow-up.

Focus on key points about the business such as sales pipeline, team activities, product development status, and planned fundraising amounts with valuations.

Ask for advice and feedback as well to engage the investor.

Finally, an investor email campaign will be far more effective if you’ve built a list of investors who know your deal.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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Building Your Network for the Fundraise

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

Before launching your email campaign, build out your network of investors.

As you meet investors it’s important to collect their emails into a list to provide updates.

Sort the list by type of investor -- angel, venture capitalist, family office, etc.

Note their investment interest -- consumer, enterprise software, healthcare, or other.

Capture names of connectors -- those who know investors and can connect you to them.

Six months before launching your fundraising campaign go out to your network with the message 

‘We’re not raising funding now but in six months we’ll do so.  May I keep you informed of our progress.’

This requires no commitment from the investor so most will say yes as many want to see what you have.

Over the following months, send updates to the investors educating them about your deal.

Focus on key points about the business such as sales pipeline, team activities, product development status, and planned fundraising amounts with valuations.

Ask for advice and feedback as well to engage the investor.

An investor email campaign will be far more effective if you’ve built a list of investors who know your deal.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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Generating Investor Interest in Your Email

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

Most investor emails are filled with stories, details, and other extraneous information in an effort to inform the investor.

This typically creates long winding emails with big blocks of text.

Instead of informing, you should intrigue the investor.

In writing an investor email the key goal is generating interest by the investor to learn more.

To generate interest consider these points:

Research the investor so you know what they are looking for and use that information in your email.

Start your email with intriguing facts about your startup such as the current traction or problem you are solving.

State in five words or less what you do as this provides context.

Once you have their attention, you must keep it.

Provide key points showing validation of your business idea and traction.

Use numbers such as metrics, market sizing, and growth rates to make your case.

Use short, concise wording.

The goal is to provide compelling information that keeps the investor reading. 

When presented with a long, rambling email most investors skim the email to find out what it’s about before committing to read it.

Make it easy for the investor to figure out what it is about.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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Embarking on the funding journey for your startup can be a formidable task, filled with uncertainties. Questions about the right amount to raise, where to find investors, and how to deliver a compelling pitch often loom large. 

In this engaging segment, we've gathered live insights from startup founders who've successfully navigated these very challenges. We share practical strategies and firsthand accounts to guide you on your own path to financial success. 

How much should you raise? Where do you find investors? And how do you pitch them? In this segment, how to raise funding for your startup, we'll answer those questions and more. Here are live outtakes with startup founders on how to raise funding. 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   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

An Example Investor Email Format

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

For writing the investor email here is an example email format to follow:

Start with why you are sending this email.

This could be seeking investment, asking for advice, or requesting a referral.

If raising funding, write about the current status of the business and the fundraise that is currently open.

Follow up with validation points including current traction, status of the product development, and the activities of the team.

Include some metrics around the business as numbers show specificity and make the business traction concrete.

Highlight the current customers and what they are saying about the product.

Give more detail about the team by mentioning their past experience including company and project names.

Provide more detail about the current fundraise including funds sought, raised, and the valuation.

Ask for the opportunity to provide more information in a call or meeting.

Keep each point to two or three sentences.

Avoid long winding stories and big blocks of text.

Investors want to know the core details about your business upfront before deciding to spend more time on it.

The core four areas of interest are sales, team, product, and fundraise.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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What the Investor Looks for in the Email

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

In writing an email to an investor keep in mind the investor’s viewpoint.

Here’s what investors ask themselves when opening an email:

In looking at the email sent name, the investor asks how do I know this person?

When reading the subject line,  the investor asks should I open it?

In opening the email,  the investor asks what do they do and is it relevant to me?

In reading the email, the investor asks do they have any momentum?

In reading about the team, the investor asks what can they do?

In reading about the business, the investor asks do they have any validation that the product works and someone will buy it?

In reading the ask, the investor asks what do they want me to do?

In writing your email, make sure you answer these questions in a concise manner.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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How To Write the Subject Line

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

In emailing an investor the most important line is the subject line.

This gets read by every recipient even if they don’t open the email.

To make the best subject line consider the following:

Draw from your research of the investor and include key points that are relevant.

Include the name of your company and what it does such as ‘Merexis launches first to market a medical device.’

If the investor funds recurring revenue startups, then include recurring revenue in the subject line.

Demonstrate a milestone in the subject line such as ‘Hit $10K MRR revenue.’

Focus on key wins that resonate with investors such as increasing revenue, hiring a team member, or closing a lead investor.

Investors scan subject lines for what may be familiar or relevant to them.

If you have a referral call out the name of that contact.

Keep it short and to the point.  Long subject lines may not get read.

Avoid the funny and cute as this is a business email and not ad clickbait.

Keep the subject line descriptive and avoid filler words.

Avoid generic phrases and make each word descriptive.

The goal is not to tell the investor everything but rather pique their interest so they open the email to find out more.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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Investor Email Best Practices

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

Fundraising requires contacting many potential investors through email.

Here are some best practices to consider:

Keep the email short and to the point with no more than 200 words. The shorter the email the more likely it will be read.

Start the email with the why.   Why are you reaching out to the investor?

Narrow the target list of investors. The more narrow, the more you can customize the email.

Research the investor and call out the key points that are important to that investor. Show how your email is relevant to them.

Include the pitch deck.  If the investor is interested they can learn more.

Call out one or two key metrics that put your business in the best light. Numbers show specificity.

Email only one person at the firm.   Emailing too many people reduces the value of the email to that contact.

Don’t ask for NDAs upfront.   Investors are not going to sign an NDA to find out what you have to offer.

Don’t use doc-sharing programs.   It comes across as stalking.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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How To Personalize the Investor Email

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

In emailing an investor consider using the following to personalize it for the investor:

Start with common connections and indicate any referrals made.

Mention the names of mutual contacts who you’ve recently spoken with and give an update about them.

Indicate a common range of interests and expertise such as a common position, skill, or experience.

This could be holding a similar position at a company or an interest in the same technology or business sector.

Demonstrate that you researched the contact and what you learned from it.

This shows you did your homework and found it informative.

Include information about the investor that you found interesting.

Show how your deal fits into the investment thesis of the investor by pointing out the salient features.

This demonstrates you understand what is potentially interesting to the investor and your deal is relevant.

Show how other investors in the same industry and stage are looking at the deal.

This shows the investor will be in good company if they engage.

The goal is to personalize the email so the investor feels comfortable with reaching out to learn more about it.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Jacob Kehoe, Associate Director of the Baylor Angel Network.

Located in Waco, TX, USA, Baylor Angel Network (BAN) is an investment network that provides early-stage capital to entrepreneurial companies. As an active investment network, BAN provides a collaborative platform for experiential learning by students of Baylor University, creating a mutually beneficial experience for investors, students, and entrepreneurs.

Jacob Kehoe is the Associate Director of the Baylor Angel Network (BAN). In this role, Jacob assists with the operations of the network, deal sourcing and assessment, investment and communications strategies, and operational oversight of BAN’s student analysts.

Before this role, Jacob gained experience in various industries, including technology, finance, and automotive, by working with multiple startups. During his collegiate years, he founded a machine-learning startup that utilized drones for roofing damage assessments. This venture ended with a successful acquisition shortly after his graduation from Baylor University in 2019. Additionally, Jacob possesses Series 63 and SIE licenses.

Jacob discusses various aspects of angel investing and startups. He talks about BAN's investment approach, focusing on strong teams with market validation. Jacob emphasizes the importance of authentic representation for startups seeking funding, cautioning against exaggerations. Jacob also expressed interest in white-labeled technology and discussed the need for meaningful AI applications. 

Visit Baylor Angel Network at www.baylorangelnetwork.com, and on linkedin.com/company/baylorangelnetwork.

Reach out to Jacob at jacob_kehoe@baylor.edu, and on www.linkedin.com/in/jacobkehoe. 

_______________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

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Outline for the Investor Email

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

In emailing an investor consider using the following layout:

In the subject line include the name of your company, what you do in 5 words or less, and a recent milestone.

In the body of the email expand on what your startup does in just a sentence.

This could focus on achieving a recent milestone such as closing a big sale.

Follow it with a sentence on what is great about the company.

This could be about how great the team is, or how effective the technology is.

Tell the investor why you are writing and what you want.

This could be about seeking advice, an introduction, or funding. 

The entire email should be no more than five or six sentences.

The investor wants to know what the email is about before reading it all.  

The faster you get to the point of the email, the more likely the investor will engage.

Emails that are graciously short and to the point will get read.

Emails with long,  rambling stories will most likely be skimmed or not read at all. 

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.

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Challenge in Cold Emailing an Investor

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

In raising funding a founder will need to contact investors.

For those contacts the founder knows, this is a simple process.

For the rest of the potential investors the founder does not know, this presents a challenge.

Cold emailing an investor is difficult for the following reasons:

Investors receive many emails and proposals every day.

Their time is short and must be spent on high-quality outcomes so they budget little time for digging into a deal without some indication of promise.

Many founders overpromise or over-hyped their deal so the investor is skeptical from the get-go.

Investors don’t understand your market space to a great extent and cannot appreciate what value you bring until you can demonstrate it.

They are looking to bucket your deal into the pass, follow, or engage category at first.

Many investors use warm introductions to filter the deals using their network as a screening tool.

They know most deals are too early for them and have a mindset to avoid wasting time.

Keep these issues in mind when preparing a cold email outreach to 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.

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

How Not To Email an Investor

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

Founders raising funding can use cold email outreach to find investors.

In emailing an investor for your fundraise avoid the following mistakes:

Start the email by telling your entire story in one go.

Investors want to know what it’s about before committing to hearing your whole story.

Skip the research and send a deal to an investor that doesn’t fit. 

Research the investor to see if it meets their criteria.

Mention what your startup does at the end of the email.

This requires the investor to scan through the entire email to figure out what you do.  

Investors need to know this upfront as it provides context.

Fail to personalize the email by starting with Hi there.

This shows the investor it’s a mass email and not meant for them personally.

Use a generic subject line such as “New Deal”

This doesn’t tell the investor anything and indicates a lack of effort in crafting the email.

Leave out the call to action.

You need to tell the investor what you want them to do.

This could be to set up a call, log in to an upcoming investor briefing, or make a referral.

Make the overall email lengthy with big blocks of text.

This signals to the investor a substantial time commitment to figure out what it’s all about.

Investors want to know there’s a high probability that this will be a good fit for them so it’s best to indicate that up front.

Avoid these mistakes in your email outreach.

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.

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Email an Investor

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

Founders raising funding can use cold email outreach to find investors.

In emailing an investor for your fundraise consider the following:

Research the investor and include key details in the email to show you have done so.

Make the subject line informative so that even if the investor doesn’t open and read the email, they at least read the subject line.

Start the email with the reason for the email in a short and to-the-point format.

In the body of the email show the problem you are solving and the solution you offer.

Articulate the value proposition of your solution.

Show the current status of the company with key traction points.

Call out the fundraiser you have underway and the current status including interest, committed, and invested funds.

Show the use of the funds at a high level -- building products, generating leads, closing sales, etc.

Attach your pitch deck to the email so the investor can learn more.

Focus on accomplishments and recent milestones and avoid spending too much time forecasting the future.

Include your contact information and offer to set up a call or meeting to provide more information.

The goal of the email is to set up a call -- not to get a check.

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.

_______________________________________________________

Thank you for joining your host Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing.

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group   

Please follow, share, and leave a review.

Music courtesy of Bensound.

Price Elasticity

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

Price elasticity measures how much a price increase will decrease overall revenue.

If an increase in price results in no reduction in revenue then the price is considered inelastic.

Test your product’s price elasticity by increasing the price by 10% then measure the overall revenue after a month.

If the overall revenue has gone down then the price is elastic which means the market is sensitive to price changes.

On the other hand, if the overall revenue goes up, the price is inelastic.

To calculate the price elasticity metric consider the following:

Price elasticity is calculated as the percentage of overall revenue increase divided by the price increase.

If in our example our overall revenue goes up by 15% from a 10% price increase then the price elasticity is 1.5.  

This means the price is inelastic.

If in our example our overall revenue goes up by 5% from a 10% price increase then the price elasticity is 0.5.

This means the price is elastic

This indicates how sensitive customers are to price increases and what latitude you have in moving the price to account for inflation and other factors.

It’s important to understand the price elasticity of your product as it shows how a price increase will impact overall revenue.

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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On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Michael Cardamone, CEO and General Partner at Forum Ventures.

Located in New York, NY, USA, Forum Ventures is the leading early-stage fund, program, and community for B2B SaaS startups. Founded in 2014 as Acceleprise, they are on a mission to make the B2B SaaS journey easier, more accessible, and successful for early-stage founders, through pre-seed and seed-stage funding, high-touch programming, corporate perks and introductions, and an active SaaS community. 

With over 250 portfolio companies, Forum founders have gone on to raise from NEA, Andreessen Horowitz, Uncork Capital, 8VC, Founders Fund, Menlo Ventures, Canaan, Bowery Capital, Susa Ventures, Salesforce Ventures, SV Angel, True Ventures and many more.

Michael Cardamone focuses on developing our investment strategy with the mission to make the B2B SaaS journey easier, more accessible, and more successful for early-stage founders. As one of the first 30 employees at Box, as well as leading partnerships at AcedemixDirect, Michael has had direct experience growing SaaS companies from small startups to large-scale enterprises. He is also an angel investor in a dozen companies including a seed investment in Flexport.

Michael shares insights about his background in tech, the evolution of Foreign Ventures, and their unique approach to investing in startups. He discusses the challenges of raising pre-seed capital in the current market and outlines the criteria they look for in founders and startups. Michael also explains the differences between Foreign Ventures and other venture funds, emphasizing their hands-on approach and extensive resources. 

Visit Forum Ventures at www.forumvc.com/, and on www.linkedin.com/company/forumvc/.

Reach out to Michael at mike@forumvc.com, and on www.linkedin.com/in/michaelcardamone.

_______________________________________________________

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

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Per Seat vs per Use Pricing

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

Many SaaS businesses use either per-seat or per-use pricing.

Per seat pricing offers a fixed price for the customer making it easy to budget.

It also provides a consistent revenue stream for the provider especially when applied with annual contracts.

Per-use pricing works best for the provider whose cost scales with the product usage.

Usage pricing is often used in a ‘land and expand’ strategy in which customers can start with a low price but limited use.

As the customer uses more of the product, the price increases. 

It also works well when customers don’t use the product consistently.

This type of customer will consider the product to be too expensive if paying per seat.

Combining the per-seat and per usage price could create a new pricing model.

In this case, the provider could charge a base price for the platform and then charge a variable amount based on the usage.

Consider combining pricing strategies into new revenue models for your business.

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

Let’s go startup something today.

_______________________________________________________

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

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Premium Pricing

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

Premium pricing sets the price well above the competition for a product.

Use this pricing model to signal luxury.

It's the counter strategy to value pricing which offers the most product features for the least amount of money.

Premium pricing positions the product as the best on the market to be used by the elite.

To use this pricing you must create a brand that exudes luxury, exclusivity, and prestige.

The price must have a high quality factor although it doesn’t have to be the best.

This strategy works when products can be differentiated with features and is not a commodity product where all the products have the same features.

The higher price burnishes the brand and provides higher margins for the company.

The target audience is a segment of the overall market.  

Typically the premium brand attracts higher end customers who have the money to pay for the product and don’t need financing or other support to buy it.

The premium price reinforces the customer perception of the product and their position.

Premium pricing is similar to skimming pricing which sets the price high and then lowers it to skim customers at each pricing level.

Skimming captures the most revenue from the market. 

Premium is different in that it doesn’t lower the price to capture non-premium customers.

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 

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Volume Pricing

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

Volume pricing offers a discount for products or services bought in volume.

Traditionally a discount was justified if a customer bought ten or more units of a product because the cost of sales was lower.

Sellers used it as an incentive to encourage larger order sizes.

Traditionally, a discount price would be set on unit sales from 10 to 50, and a higher one for 50-100, and so forth.

The discount would increase as the user bought more products.

The advantage of volume pricing is that it encourages higher purchases.

Often competitors offer volume discounts requiring you to do the same.

It can be used as part of the promotion of the product as well.

The disadvantage to volume pricing is that it cheapens the value of the brand as it treats the product as a commodity.

Also, it reduces the revenue.

To set your volume pricing first consider your core pricing model and maintain it.

Review the competition to see what is offered and how customers will compare you to.

Know your cost to build and deliver the product and don’t go below that price in discounting.

Identify typical purchase volumes and set up discounts for each tier.

Set your discounts to last a limited amount of time so if the market conditions change you can modify your discount pricing.

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 

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Bundle Pricing

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

Bundle pricing sets the price on a package of services that is lower than if you bought each service individually.

This generates more demand for the product since the price is lower.

It can increase sales because the product bundle has more features and usability than an individual product.

It can also be used to create a higher perceived value at a lower cost.

Bundling works with products that are complementary such as a game console and a game.

To set a bundle pricing consider the following:

Select the main product that customers want and then add complementary products to the bundle. 

Choose complementary products that increase the usability of the main product. 

Set the price of the individual items at a price that encourages the customer to buy the bundle.

Know your cost of products and don’t set the price below cost.

The downside to bundles is that if the bundle doesn’t achieve higher sales, then it reduces the profit.

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 

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Dynamic Pricing

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

Dynamic pricing varies the price based on the current supply and demand.

This pricing can be used to increase the price when demand is high and then lower it when supply catches up.

This is often used in ride-sharing services which charge more during the rush hour.

To use this pricing model consider the following:

Calculate the cost of delivering the product or service.

Never drop the price below the cost.

Determine your pricing strategy -- market share, revenue generation, or growth.

This aligns your dynamic pricing with your overall pricing strategy.

Choose a pricing model such as competitive pricing or cost-plus pricing.

This determines how to set the price based on the conditions.

Capture your pricing model into a set of rules to implement.

Test the pricing rules to see how well they work.

Look for overpriced and underpriced situations.

Estimate the demand for your product or service based on forecasted location, time, or event to set your sales forecast.

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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Freemium Pricing

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

The freemium pricing model is used to expedite customer adoption of the product.

Many companies use this as part of a tiered pricing model.

The freemium model gives users some experience with the product.

These are the advantages of a freemium model:

It’s easy to implement as the price is zero for a period of time or usage.

Customer usage shows the company which ones to pursue for upgrades and paid services.

Freemium models can generate virality.

There are disadvantages to the freemium model, as follows:

There is a cost to supporting free users including support and technical costs.

Customers often don’t value what they don’t pay for.

It can be difficult to move customers off the free service into the paid service.

To use the freemium model effectively you must have a set of features that customers will pay for.

If you give those compelling features away for free, then it will be hard to upsell them to paid customers.

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 

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On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes José Luis Silva, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Dux Capital.

Located in Austin, Texas, USA, Dux Capital is a standout in American venture capital, prioritizing early-stage Latinx-led startups to counter the disproportionate funding gap they face. Committed to fostering diversity, equity, and inclusion, Dux Capital empowers underrepresented voices in investments, nurturing portfolio companies with an eye on both financial and societal gains. 

Their 2018 fund of $8 million, backed by Institutional LPs and high net worth individuals, cemented their role as vital supporters of Latinx entrepreneurs, making them a natural choice for those seeking seed funding. Dux Capital's influence illuminates a path of positive change through finance, spotlighting the potential for transformation, one investment at a time.

José Luis Silva, the visionary co-founder of Dux Capital, is celebrated for his fervent pursuit of growth, financial expertise, and startup innovation, alongside a passion for golf and tennis. At the helm of the fund, he orchestrates a symphony of roles, shaping investment strategies, curating portfolios, nurturing emerging startups, and sculpting pivotal portfolio investments, including Refly, aTexto, Trato, Epica, Mozper, Koomkin, and Boundless Robotics. 

Beyond Dux Capital, José Luis's dynamic entrepreneurial journey spans Insurtech, Foodtech, Consultancy, and Advertising, marked by inventive business models, successful fundraising campaigns, and a global perspective enriched by academic laurels from IE Business School in Madrid and Singapore Management University. Jose holds a BA in Finance from Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey

Jose shares his investment thesis, the value of active and non-invasive investment, leading rounds, and fostering relationships. He also highlights resourceful platforms like PitchBook, Crunchbase, and Quaida for venture capital insights. Silva envisions combining blockchain, crypto, and FinTech to revolutionize remittance services for Latinos, closing the funding gap while creating a sustainable impact.

Visit Dux Capital at https://www.duxcapital.vc/, https://www.linkedin.com/company/duxcapital/about/, and on @DUX_Capital. 

Reach out to Jose at jl@duxcapital.vc, www.linkedin.com/in/jlsdux, and on @jl_silvav. 

_______________________________________________________

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

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