Mon, 13 December 2021
Assessing Your Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In building your startup ecosystem, take time to assess its effectiveness. Here are some key points to look for: Do entrepreneurs connect and learn from each other? If not, set up events to increase the interactions and foster interactions. Do the entrepreneur groups share resources? If not, foster collaboration among the groups and help set up resource sharing such as job boards, funding sources, and other tools. Do experienced entrepreneurs provide coaching and mentorship? If not, engage the serial entrepreneurs to capture their experience and share with others. Does the community have leaders with entrepreneur experience? If not, help recruit experienced entrepreneurs into the leadership roles. Do the investment groups provide financial support to a range of companies or only a select few? If only a select number receive funding, help set up pitch competitions to bring funding to a broader number of startups. Do the coworking spaces support the startups beyond providing a place to work? If not, then integrate support organizations with the coworking spaces by having their offices at the coworking space to provide more support. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. |
Mon, 13 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Redg Snodgrass, Founder, Chairman, and CEO of 5of5.vc. With over 15 years of experience in early-stage technology for startups and large corporations, Redg has leveraged an appetite for business development around large distribution technology. His early successes focused on building strong senior collaborative teams for large new technology ecosystems around mutually respectful business models - first with Squaretrade, then with Skout, Alcatel-Lucent/Bell Labs Global Telecom API business, Taploid, Wearable World IOT / ReadWrite, and Sheeva.AI. Redg is best known for working with founders on their business tech stack, helping them identify the right people/partners to make their business work, and helping them identify the right sources of capital to successfully grow their business. Redg discusses crowdfunding as an investment option and fundraising tool, how crowdfunding cooperates/competes with angel and venture capital funding, and much more. You can visit 5of5.vc at https://5of5.vc/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/5of5/. Redg can be contacted via email at redg@5of5.vc, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/redgiesnodgrass/#. _________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 10 December 2021
How to Get the Most From Your Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. For those who want to engage with the startup ecosystem, here are some key points to consider: Know why you want to engage with the community and what you want to take away from your experience. The best way to meet people is to join groups and engage with their activities. Many groups have volunteer and other positions available. Reach out to group leaders and offer support. If asked for advice or mentorship, provide it as well. These roles provide opportunities to learn the space and identify resources that can be helpful later. It’s important to stay engaged in order to progress with the community. After you have some experience with the startup ecosystem you may want to set up your own group. Look at other startup ecosystems for ideas that would apply to your area. Look for gaps to fill rather than copying what others are already doing. Before launching it, check with the other groups for feedback. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: How_to_get_the_most_from_your_startup_ecosystem.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 10 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Gary Nacht, Co-founder at Sterling Advisory Services, dba CAFÉ Central. Gary has been acquiring and advising companies for over 30 years, specializing in helping companies improve profitability, cash flow, and liquidity. His acquisitions included Kmart Canada ($1.2 billion Canadian big-box retailer), Gemini Industries ($160 million Philips-branded consumer electronics distributor), GPX Inc. ($180 million private label CE company), AmerTac ($60 million distributor of lighting accessories), and Northern Reflections ($100 million, 150-store Canadian womenswear retail chain). In most cases, the companies acquired were either 1) “pre-bankruptcy” corporate orphans no longer wanted by their owners (private equity, corporate parents, etc.) looking for a fast-track, off-the-radar exit with high certainty of closing, or 2) companies in private equity portfolios at the end of the fund’s life that were never sold. Gary discusses his new investment structure - Continuous Agreement for Future Equity (CAFE) - what inspired him to create it, who the primary user is, and who else can benefit from it. You can visit Sterling Advisory Services, dba CAFÉ Central, at www.cafecentral.us, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/sterling-advisory-services. Gary can be contacted via email at gary@cafecentral.us and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/garynacht/. _________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Gary_Nacht_of__Sterling_Advisory_Services_dba_CAF_Central.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 9 December 2021
Building Your Startup Ecosystem Resource List Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In building out your startup ecosystem, start by identifying the resources in your area. Search for the groups that foster and support startups. This includes the following:
Capture this information in one place and promote it to the community. Encourage contributions from the community to grow the resource site. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Building_your_startup_ecosystem_resource_list.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 9 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Gerardo Legorreta, CEO at Altum Capital. Founded in 2014, Altum Capital is a senior secured private debt fund manager (managing three funds, one private fund in Mexican pesos, another private fund in USD, and an ALTUMCK-19 public fund in Mexican pesos) focused on structuring and managing credit investments while giving investors access to the direct lending sector in Mexico. The company designs and tailors each loan and investment to meet the particular needs of the borrower or counterparty in question. Gerardo has a law degree with honors from Instituto Tecnologico Autonomo de Mexico (ITAM). Finishing his degree in 1989, Gerardo started his career as an associate in Creel, Garcia-Cuellar y Muggenburg S.C. in corporate finance and banking. Later, he worked in the capital markets area in Skardden Arps Slate Meagher & Flom in New York, advising Latin American companies to access the global capital markets. As a lawyer, Gerardo gained relevant experience in credit transactions, capital markets, due diligence process, structured financing, among others. Gerardo has a master’s in finance from London Business School, terminating his master’s degree in 1995. From that moment he has worked for more than 25 years in the financial sector, working in Oppenheimer & Co. in New York from 1995 to 1997 as an associate in the investment banking area. In 1997, Gerardo joined UBS in the investment banking area. Between 1997 and 2001, he worked in a numerous set of transactions, including the privatization of the main airports in Mexico as well as M&A advisory for Latin American companies. In 2002, Gerardo was designated to lead the Corporate Debt team in UBS, where he advised some of the most important companies in Mexico and Latin America in their debt issuances. Finally, from 2008 to 2013, he was Managing Director in UBS for Latin America, supervising more than USD 18 billion in AuM and a team of 180 employees. Gerardo discusses his investment thesis and some of the challenges investors and entrepreneurs face. You can visit Altum Capital at www.altumcapital.mx, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/altumcapital/. Gerardo can be contacted via email at glegorreta@altumcapital.mx, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/gerardo-legorreta. _______________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 8 December 2021
Organizations of a Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Take inventory of your startup ecosystem for what currently exists and what does not. Here’s a list of organizations to look for:
In building your startup ecosystem, seek to recruit or build these organizations. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 8 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Bill Reichert, General Partner at Pegasus Tech Ventures. Pegasus Tech Ventures is a global venture capital firm based in Silicon Valley with over $1.5 billion in assets under management. Pegasus offers intellectual and financial capital to emerging technology companies around the world. In addition to offering institutional investors a top-tier venture capital investment approach, Pegasus also offers a unique Venture Capital-as-a-Service (VCaaS) model for large, global corporations that wish to partner with cutting-edge technology startups. Some of the 35+ corporate partners that have partnered with Pegasus include ASUS, Aisin, SEGA, Sojitz, and Omron. These corporations are able to have access to over 200 Pegasus portfolio companies such as SpaceX, 23andMe, SoFi, Bird, Color, Carbon, Vicarious, and many more. Bill has led Pegasus investments in AI, robotics, quantum computing, neuromorphics, space, life science, and other sectors. He is also the Chief Evangelist for Startup World Cup, a platform that connects and supports startup ecosystems all over the world. Bill started his investment career as the co-founder and Managing Director of Garage Technology Ventures and has served on the boards of many startups. He also has several years of experience as a serial entrepreneur and operating executive. Prior to Garage, Bill was a co-founder or senior executive in several venture-backed technology companies, including Trademark Software, The Learning Company, and Academic Systems. Earlier in his career, Bill worked at McKinsey & Company, Brown Brothers Harriman & Co., and the World Bank. He has authored many articles and delivered many speeches on entrepreneurship, venture capital, innovation, and other topics. Most recently, he co-authored a book for entrepreneurs called, “Getting to Wow! Silicon Valley Pitch Secrets for Entrepreneurs.” The book premiered as “#1 New Release in Venture Capital” in 2020. Bill holds a B.A. degree from Harvard College and an M.B.A. from Stanford University. He has been a member of the faculty at the University of California, Berkeley, where he taught Venture Finance. He is a member of the Council on Foreign Relations in New York and is a former Chairman of the Churchill Club in Silicon Valley. He is a Beachheads Advisor for New Zealand Trade & Enterprise and is also an Advisor to the Women’s Startup Lab, Nordic Innovation House, and the Korea Innovation Center. Bill advises investors and startups and discusses the state of startup investing. You can visit Pegasus Tech Ventures at www.pegasustechventures.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/pegasus-tech-ventures/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/PegasusTech_V. Bill can be contacted via email at bill@pegasusventures.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/billreichert/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/billreichert. ________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Bill_Reichert_of_Pegasus_Tech_Ventures.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 7 December 2021
How to Attract Startups to Your Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In building your startup ecosystem, recruit startups to move to your area. Here are some best practices to attract them: It takes technical and business talent to build and grow startups. Highlight the talent available in the area, both experienced and those fresh out of university. Set up programs to foster virtual access to developers and others as work increasingly goes online. It takes someone building the business as well as someone selling it to create a complete founder team. Foster founder and co-founder connections through special events. Attract venture capital to the area and foster a local angel network to fund the startups. Set up coworking spaces to give the startups a place to work and connect with others. Set up events to celebrate startup successes such as companies raising funding or going public. Connect your startup ecosystem to the larger startup ecosystems around the country to foster an exchange of ideas. Create a branding and promote it to the rest of the world about the value of your startup ecosystem. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: How_to_attract_startups_to_your_startup_ecosystem.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 7 December 2021
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 “Impact Investing in a post-COVID World”, you’ll hear about the primary trends and what makes for a successful company. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new era. The impact space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift to a post-COVID world. Impact investing in the areas of sustainability and the environment takes precedence in the financial industry. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. Our guests are:
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Mon, 6 December 2021
Where to Focus Your Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In building your startup ecosystem, focus on the strengths of the community. Interview the local economic development group to find out what startups already exist. Talk with investors to find out their interest in startups to fund. Review the local businesses in the community to see what skills their employees have. Based on those interviews, determine the strengths of the community, the types of businesses, skill availability, and past successes. Focus your startup ecosystem on these strengths. Successful serial entrepreneurs should be at the foundation of your activities. Invite those entrepreneurs to share their experiences with others. Interview them to find out what additional opportunities in their industry are open for innovation. Foster that strategy with the investors and other companies for growing the ecosystem. There are many hot topic areas in the startup world. Those topics change yearly. Don’t chase the latest hot topic but instead focus on the founders, investors, and successful startups in your area to build your ecosystem. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound
Direct download: Where_to_focus_your_startup_ecosystem.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 6 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes SC Moatti, Managing Partner at Mighty Capital. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Mighty Capital is an early-growth Silicon Valley venture capital firm. They deliver exceptional returns by investing in great products that are also great businesses, like Airbnb, MissionBio, and Amplitude. SC is the Founding Managing Partner of Mighty Capital, the Founding CEO of Products That Count, the most influential product acceleration platform, and a lecturer at Stanford and Columbia Universities. Prior, SC built products that billions of people use at Facebook and Nokia. Andrew Chen, General Partner at Andreessen Horowitz, called SC “a genius at making products people love.” SC serves on the boards of public and private companies, earned a master’s in electrical engineering, a Stanford MBA, and is a Kauffman Fellow. SC shares with Hall what excites her now and discusses the disruption of the Silicon Valley startup ecosystem. She advises investors and startups and explains some of the challenges they face. You can visit Mighty Capital at www.mighty.capital, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/mighty-capital. SC can be contacted via email at sc@mighty.capital, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/scmoatti, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/scmoatti. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 3 December 2021
How to Build Out a Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In building out your startup ecosystem, consider these points: Start with five successful serial entrepreneurs. Identify their sector and type of business. Interview them on how to multiply those businesses. Target their sector for growing new businesses. Figure out what additional resources are needed. Set up leadership resources to carry the program over a sustained period of time, such as two five-year programs. Recruit other startups to join through meetups, events, and communications. Bring in programs and speakers from outside the area to foster the community. Cater to the non-technical skills as well as the technical ones. Identify sponsorship support from the local service providers and engage them in the programming. Showcase the core serial entrepreneurs throughout the program but take care of the administrative and tactical support. Grow your startup community on those strengths and resources. Put the entrepreneurs at the foundation of your program.
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 3 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Zacary Sherman, Director of Strategy and Business Development at cielo24. Headquartered in Santa Barbara, California, cielo24 has blended the best of human intelligence with AI technology to create caption, transcription, and intelligence data at scale to make video and audio accessible, searchable, and more engaging. They are one of the leading providers of scalable compliance and professional-grade video accessibility solutions (captions, subtitles, transcription, translation, audio description, data tagging, video exploration, and more) for mostly mid-to-large organizations within the education, enterprise, and entertainment verticals. Zac has been an investment and business strategist for his entire professional career. Prior to cielo24, Zac spent four years on the investments team at Pereg Ventures, a Manhattan and Israel-based venture capital firm investing in early-stage tech startups focused on AI/ML and big data solutions disrupting consumer-driven industries. At Pereg, he led sourcing, research, and due diligence efforts for potential new investments, as well as participated heavily in the active management of the existing portfolio as a board observer on five companies. Zac began his career by spending three years at a special situations hedge fund doing equity and credit research. He graduated from Rutgers University with bachelor’s degrees in Finance and Economics, and is a CFA charterholder. Zac advises startups and investors and shares some of the challenges they face. He also discusses the state of startup investing and its evolution. You can visit cielo24 at www.cielo24.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/cielo24/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cielo24. Zac can be contacted via email at zacary.sherman@cielo24.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/zacary-sherman-cfa-. ___________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Thu, 2 December 2021
Steps to Building a Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In building the startup ecosystem, the entrepreneurs drive it. The role of the ecosystem builders is to create connections and networks. Here are some tools for building connections in your startup ecosystem: Robust set of meetings, happy hours and coffees, and activities that bring the founders, investors, and providers together. Meetings foster education and awareness about the topics relevant to startups. Happy hours and coffees foster networking and making new connections. Activities such as hackathons attract creatives and developers who want to build new things. Capture the history behind the startup community. Tell the stories about entrepreneurs including their successes and failures. Provide support through the local university and government programs. This includes coworking spaces, coding schools, Chamber of Commerce programs, and more to support startups. Finally, keep startups in the community dialog through blog posts, PR announcements, and economic updates. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review.
Direct download: steps_to_building_a_startup_ecosystem.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 2 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Ashmeet Sidana, Founder and Chief Engineer at Engineering Capital. Founded in 2015, Engineering Capital partners with great entrepreneurs driven by technical insights and boldly invest before traditional venture firms are willing. They lead and anchor the seed round in companies with the ambition to shape the future of information technology and define new categories. Ashmeet’s experience includes running venture capital funds and leadership positions helping build industry-leading products VMware ESX Server and Silicon Graphics WebFORCE. Ashmeet came to venture capital from VMware, where he ran product management for their flagship product - ESX Server. His successful investments include Azure and SignalFx, recently acquired by Splunk for $1 billion, Tubi.tv (acq: FOX). He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Concentric, Evinced, and ShiftRight. His active investments include Asimily, Baffle, Kentik, Menlo Security, Nexla, Prismo Systems, Robust Intelligence, vFunction, and YotaScale – in all of which he was the seed investor. Ashmeet received an MBA from Wharton with Honors, MS in Computer Science from Stanford University, and a BS in Computer Science summa cum laude from USC. In his spare time, he can be found planning his second trip to Mt. Everest. Ashmeet shares with Hall what excites him now as an investor and explains his investment thesis. He discusses the state of startup investing and what he thinks will be the biggest change we will see in the next 12-24 months. You can visit Engineering Capital at www.engineeringcapital.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/engineering-capital, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/engineeringcap. Ashmeet can be contacted via email at sidana@engineeringcapital.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/sidana, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ashmeetsidana. ____________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Ashmeet_Sidana_of_Engineering_Capital.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 1 December 2021
Components of a Startup Ecosystem Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A startup ecosystem is a network of startups, investors, and others who come together to foster startup formation and growth. It is fueled by talent, funding, and customers. In building your startup community, tap successful serial entrepreneurs to lead. Use their star power to capture attention and draw investors and startups to your area. Focus your efforts on the strengths of the local community and build startups in those domains. Develop clusters of startup activity to create density as it’s the interactions between the startups, investors and providers that count. Foster collaboration with other startup ecosystems to share resources. Generate publicity for your ecosystem through events and articles. Metric your results by capturing the number of startups formed, funded, and exited. Building a robust startup ecosystem takes a decade, but the results will last many more years. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 1 December 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Joe Tonnos, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Ketch Ventures. Headquartered in West Palm Beach, Florida, Ketch Ventures partners with early-stage entrepreneurs and management teams to add value and grow businesses to the next level. Ketch focuses on emerging consumer-facing businesses that have established a foundation, are differentiated, and/or solve a problem and engage with customers and followers. While they will consider all kinds of investments, Ketch Ventures primarily invests in post-revenue seed and pre-series capital raises, with a quality over quantity approach. They focus on ambitious and authentic companies that are already proving out a thesis. Joe has over ten years of experience investing in and advising companies across a number of different sectors. He previously worked at Mistral Equity Partners, a consumer and retail-focused investment platform including growth equity and middle-market buyouts. While at Mistral, Joe was also a Senior Vice President of three consumer-focused SPACs under the Haymaker Acquisition Corp. banner. He also worked in consumer and retail investment banking at Lazard and Bank of America Merrill Lynch and started his career as a foreign exchange trader at CIBC Capital Markets. In addition to Ketch Ventures, Joe also serves as a Principal and Associate Portfolio Manager at Meteora Capital and a Venture Partner at Natureza Growth Partners. Joe details his background before investing in early-stage companies, and shares what excites him now in the consumer industry. He explains some of the challenges startups and investors face and discusses his investment thesis. You can visit Ketch Ventures at www.ketchventures.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/ketch-ventures. Joe can be contacted via email at jt@ketchventures.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/joetonnos/. ___________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 30 November 2021
What Is a Startup Ecosystem? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A startup ecosystem is a network of startups, investors, and others who come together to foster startup formation and growth. The network fosters innovation through shared resources such as capital, talent, and mentorship. At the core of the network are startups led by founders who launch high-growth businesses. Accelerators and incubators provide education around the initial launch of the business. Investors, including angels, venture capitalists, online crowdfunding sites, and grant providers, provide capital. Universities provide the talent for launching and supporting startups. Freelancers provide additional talent in the form of labor. Providers offer support for legal, financial, marketing, and other services. Mentors provide coaching and guidance on how to grow the business. Events, newsletters, and blogs foster the community through communication. Local corporations may also participate through sponsorship and other support. Look for these elements in building your startup ecosystem. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 30 November 2021
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 “Impact Investing in a post-COVID World”, you’ll hear about growth in the impact investing industry. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new era. The impact space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift to a post-COVID world. Impact investing in the areas of sustainability and the environment takes precedence in the financial industry. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. Our guests are: For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 29 November 2021
University Angel Network vs. Traditional Angel Network Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The university angel network has similarities and differences to a traditional angel network. They both consist of a group of investors interested in funding startups. They both want to make a return on their investment. They both want to socialize with others. They differ in several ways: The university angel network puts the give back to the university as their first priority. Providing a student experience and job placement for the student is primary. The university angel network has a built-in target audience of anyone associated with the university. Traditional angel networks come together because they live in the same city. The university angel network can tap into the university entrepreneurship and finance programs and startups accelerators for support. Traditional angel networks must look for local programs to partner with. The university angel network must work within the rules and regulations of the university. The traditional angel network has no restraints beyond SEC regulations. It’s important to understand the differences before joining either a university angel group or a traditional one. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: University_angel_network_vs_traditional_angel_network.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 29 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Denise Dunlap, Founder and Managing Partner at Sage Growth Capital. Founded in 2019 and headquartered in Boise, Idaho, Sage Growth Capital makes revenue-based investments in companies that need growth capital. It is their mission to provide a more flexible funding option to growing companies that do not fit traditional equity or lending models. Denise has a record of successfully building and operating companies as well as coaching startups and entrepreneurs. Two of her former roles include CEO of an IT services company and Director of Boise State University’s business incubator. She has been an active angel investor and leader in the angel investment community since 2008 and travels the country teaching angel investing courses as an Instructor for the Angel Capital Association’s Education program. (Post-COVID update: she now teaches courses via Zoom….) Denise co-founded Loon Creek Capital Group in 2010 and has grown the company to provide consulting and administrative services to hundreds of angel investors across the country. Denise discusses her investment thesis and some of her investments that fit that thesis. She also advises startups and investors and shares some of the challenges they face. You can visit Sage Growth Capital at www.sagegrowthcapital.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/sage-growth-capital/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/sagegrowthcap. Denise can be contacted via email at denise@sagegrowthcapital.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/denisedunlap55, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/sassydd55. ____________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 24 November 2021
Finding the Champion Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In launching an angel network at a university, it takes a champion to see it to fruition. In addition to a business school sponsor and five check-writing angels, you’ll need someone who will be the champion for the group. The champion needs to be well connected with the university, the alumni, and the investor community. The university angel network lives at the intersection of those three groups. The champion must have a solid reputation in the community and be recognized for their contributions to the university. The champion needs to be good at crafting the message and effective at delivering it to faculty, university administrators, alumni, investors, and students. The champion must show how the university angel network benefits all of the groups and not just one or two. It takes time to build momentum in launching the group, so anyone signing up for the champion role needs to commit at least three years to getting the group launched. The alumni have a strong affinity for their alma mater and want to support it. The university angel network provides an ideal platform for connecting the alumni back to the university. Before taking on a university angel network, make sure you’ve identified the champion. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 24 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Barbara Clarke, Angel Investor, and Founder and President at The Impact Seat. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, The Impact Seat invests in ideas that solve the world’s biggest problems – focusing on the most innovative, diverse, early-stage startups. Their approach combines advocacy, philanthropy, and investment to build a new and more equitable economy. Investor, economist and entrepreneur, Barbara enjoys interacting with professionals who believe in creating diverse teams to drive innovation and business success. Called ‘The Force’, Barbara fuels change in the entrepreneurial ecosystem, stimulates growth in early-stage tech startups, and boosts organizational excellence with her investment expertise and global insights. Barbara has been investing in emerging technologies, including medical devices, for almost a decade. To date, she has invested in more than 60 companies and 12 funds in North America and Europe. Barbara has been creating opportunities for under-represented entrepreneurs by investing in companies that are either led by women of color, or have women on their funding teams – even before it became fashionable to do so. As a key member of the investment community, she also advises entrepreneurs and innovators on launching companies, accessing capital, and leveraging the international network of investors. Barbara serves on several boards, including Portfolia, Founders First Capital Partners, and Boost. Prior to launching The Impact Seat, Barbara spent more than a decade in management consulting firms, including KPMG and PwC, and launched a nationwide nonprofit to support grieving children. She holds a bachelor’s degree in quantitative economics from Tufts University, and a master’s in international economics and finance from Brandeis University. A polyglot, she speaks several languages, including German, French and Italian. When she is not scoping out promising startups to invest in, Barbara enjoys exploring new cities, supporting local artists, and listening to alternative/indie rock. Barbara speaks about the state of angel investing and its evolution, her biggest challenge as an angel group leader, and some of the companies she has invested in. You can visit The Impact Seat at www.impactseat.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-impact-seat, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/impactseat?lang=en. Barbara can be contacted via email at barbara@impactseat.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/barbaraeclarke/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/beclarke?lang=en. ____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 23 November 2021
Retaining Members Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a university angel network, the attrition rate is often lower than for non-university angel networks. The university group has a great answer for “Why invest in startups?”. Many members join to support the university. The group’s primary purpose is to provide the student an educational experience and help prepare them for their first job after graduation. An effective tool for retaining members is to have the graduating students send a “Thank You” note to the investors they worked with. Another tool is bringing the students who have graduated from the program back to the university angel meetings to update the investors on their job placement and career progress. Showing the investors the results of their work in this way inspires the angels’ continued service to the investor group and the students. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 23 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Erwin Jager, Chairman, and CEO at Barrows Hotel Enterprises. The hotel company focuses on the development and sale of internationally oriented hotel real estate with locations in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Seychelles, and the USA. In addition to the development and sale of hotel real estate, the company also focuses on management consultancy for hotel operators. Barrows' retail business focuses on the development and sale of supermarket real estate in strategically located locations. Related to supermarket real estate came the demand for logistics-oriented real estate. An area that the company has been focusing on since 2020 following the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the massive increase in online purchases by consumers and businesses. With the residential department, Barrows mainly focuses on new vacant locations on which communities are developed. Together with the other business elements, many elements come together here, which increases sustainability. In the Middle East and Seychelles in particular, there is an enormous increase in demand-oriented real estate within residential real estate. Erwin is married to Dyane with whom he has two children. In his spare time, Erwin likes to travel to foreign countries such as Africa, India, Indonesia, New Sealand, Australia, and French Polynesia. He loves to read books, sail at sea, and swim in the ocean with turtles and dolphins. To stay, fit Erwin runs 12 kilometers every day combined with fitness and kickboxing. In the presence of family and friends, Erwin loves to cook and drink a good glass of quality wine. Fashion and design are as well a great interest of his. He loves Italian suits and Italian and French fashion and likes to do business with a tie. Erwin discusses how he sees the hotel industry evolving and some of the changes he thinks we will see in the next 1-2 years. He also shares some of the challenges investors and entrepreneurs face. You can visit Barrows Hotel Enterprises at www.barrowshotels.com/, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/barrowshotelinvestments/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/barrows_hotels. Erwin can be contacted via email at management@barrowshotels.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/barrowshotels/#. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Erwin_Jager_of_Barrows_Hotel_Enterprises.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 22 November 2021
Offline vs. Online Meetings Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running a university angel network, consider both offline and online meetings for the members. Online meetings allow you to run education sessions, screening meetings, and pitch sessions along with diligence follow-up. Since the members need not travel to campus, these can be short half-hour calls or longer ones. These meetings can be set up during the workweek and recorded as well for those who can’t attend the live session. Offline meetings provide face-to-face interaction with the students. One of the main benefits of an angel network is the education experience the student receives. Face-to-face meetings provide better opportunities for this experience. You can run social events around athletic events, business plan competitions, entrepreneurship days, and more. Consider two major offline events per year, one in the fall and one in the spring. Align with other activities on campus to drive a larger turnout. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 22 November 2021
Thank you for joining us today for our TEN Capital Fundraise Launch Program. In this program, we help startups prepare for a fundraise. We provide templates, tools, eGuides, and advice to founders who are working towards raising funding. We’ll kick off the session with a short overview on a fundraising topic, then we’ll answer questions from the founders. I hope you enjoy this episode. |
Fri, 19 November 2021
Fund Documents Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up a university angel network, you’ll need fund documents for the prospective members to review. You’ll need to establish a legal entity for the fund, typically an LLC. After that, you’ll need to write the company agreement documents. This includes the formation of the fund, its term, purpose, and more. You’ll need a subscription agreement for members to sign indicating their investment commitment to the fund. Venture capital funds use a General Partner and Limited Partner structure. Angel group funds often use the Investment Club model. Everyone is a member of the group with specific persons assigned roles such as manager, screening committee, etc. This simplifies the reporting to the members and the tax authorities. Members must be accredited investors as the investments are made under Section 501, Regulation D. For setting up your fund, start with a core group of angel members to understand the size of the fund, purpose, and type of deals you intend to pursue. With their support, continue to build out the documents. After you set up a legal entity, launch the fund to the wider university community. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 19 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes James Pringle, Managing Partner at Goldsmith Ventures. Goldsmith Ventures invests in and provides support to early-stage UK companies developing innovative technology across fintech and insurtech. The Goldsmith Ventures Fund I is targeted exclusively at investors who understand the risks of investing in early-stage businesses and can make their own investment decisions. James' story is fascinating and one of determination and resilience. Starting out at VC-backed MatchChat, he eventually worked his way up to become Commercial Director. Whilst there, James recognised the inefficiency of the manual selection of videos by editors and as a result, decided to launch Suggestv, a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) video recommendation and machine learning company, for which James was able to secure over £1.2m in total funding from angel and VC investors. In 2019, Suggestv’s technology and assets were acquired by a US video advertising company. Following this experience, James decided to launch Pringle Capital, which has quickly grown into one of the largest and most active angel networks in the UK with over 435 members combining to invest over £1m already in 2021. The Pringle Capital network has led angel rounds in fintech, proptech, insurtech, and augmented reality, connected fitness, and eCommerce startups. As a venture capitalist, James was a co-founder and partner at Love Ventures before leaving to launch his own fund Goldsmith Ventures in 2021. Goldsmith Ventures is a new specialist fund investing in fintech, proptech, and insurtech companies in the UK. The fund is backed by top limited partner investors from around the world. His latest project, launched in September of 2020, is Riding Unicorns, a podcast he co-hosts with Hector Mason from Episode 1 Ventures. The podcast is looking to educate fellow founders on what it takes to make a startup a success and has already debuted in the top 100 UK Business podcasts and is set for further growth this year. James details his investment thesis, advises startups and investors, and shares some good opportunities for investors to pursue. You can visit Goldsmith Ventures at www.goldsmithventures.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/goldsmith-ventures, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/goldsmithvc. James can be contacted via email at james@pringlecapital.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/thejamespringle/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/TheJWPringle. ___________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: James_Pringle_of_Goldsmith_Ventures_only_audio.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 18 November 2021
Why Set Up a Fund? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Consider setting up a fund early on for your university angel group. For every one alumni who joins the angel group, there will be three who will join the fund. Angel investing takes time and many will not be able to participate in pitch meetings and diligence. The fund gives them the opportunity to join the group without having to review specific deals. The fund also provides diversification to the members and gives exposure to a variety of sectors. The fund concentrates the deals together for reporting and follow-up. The group can recruit experienced angels to join the screening committee and so members get the benefit of the knowledge of those investors. Finally, the fund can pool their investment dollars, gaining them access to the bigger deals. The fund provides a consistent re-engagement of the members. In setting up an angel group at a university, consider launching a fund at the same time and setting up a screening process to manage the deal flow. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Thu, 18 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Wesley King, Co-Founder of Coherent Capital. Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Coherent Capital is focused on supporting successful late Seed and Series A fundraises ($4m to $20m raises) with a health and wellness technology focus. The company exists to support early-stage entrepreneurs in raising capital and forming commercial partnerships. Over the years of helping great companies grow, these two items have proven to be clear factors in successful growth. The right partnerships create the right ecosystem. The right ecosystem supports the entrepreneur through its first niche markets. The right investors provide strategic capital. The right capital helps pay for the right talent and helps create the success spiral needed to escape the rear-drag, momentum-eating sprint from Seed to Series B. Wesley is a licensed investment banker; he co-founded Coherent Capital to assist promising technology companies with strategic investor relations. In addition, Wesley is an award-winning innovation ecosystem designer, having developed five novel internal technologies as an Innovation Architect at Cisco Systems. Wesley is a Partner at IGC Fund and has advised a series of successful early-stage startups, utilizing his expertise in innovation, technical operations, commercial partnerships, and fundraising to accelerate business growth. He has sourced promising startups for deep tech and health technology-focused venture funds. In addition, Wesley was hired to build co-investor and private equity investor databases for several boutique investment banks, giving him a unique and proprietary perspective on the international early-stage investment market. Wesley discusses his investment thesis and shares some of the challenges investors and entrepreneurs face in the health and wellness industry. You can visit Coherent Capital at www.coherentcap.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/coherent-capital/. Wesley can be contacted via email at wesley@coherentcap.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/wesleygking. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 17 November 2021
Student Participation Is Important Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up a university angel group, the student experience is the primary objective. To ensure the success of the group, set up a program for the students to provide investor and startup engagement. Finance students can leverage their education by analyzing the startups applying to the group and performing diligence work. Entrepreneurship students can bring their education to bear by diligencing the operations of the startup. Both provide invaluable experience to the students as they work with real deals and discuss the results with investors who will make investment decisions. Finance students can take the results of their work and use it in their search for a job after graduation. Entrepreneurship students can take the lessons learned and use it in their efforts to start their own business. Set up a program to track the students through the process and invite them to return to future angel group meetings to reconnect with their peers and the investors. Also, track the job placement and startups those students achieve to share with others. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 17 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Adrian Mendoza, Founder and General Partner at Mendoza Ventures. After having two VC-funded startups in Boston, Adrian started Mendoza Ventures to address the funding gap in the pre-seed investment stage for underrepresented founders. Born in Los Angeles to parents who immigrated from Mexico, Adrian moved to Boston for graduate school at Harvard. He has spent the last 20 years leading technology teams and building products for financial services and fintechs. He is the author of "Mobile User Experience", a book on mobile user experience published by Elsevier in 2013, adapted industry-wide as the standard for mobile user experience education, and of the video series “CSS for designers” published by O’Reilly in 2015. Adrian earned his Bachelors from the University of Southern California and his Masters from Harvard University. Adrian advises investors and startups in the fintech space, discusses the evolution of the industry, his criteria for investing, and more. You can visit Mendoza Ventures at www.mendoza-ventures.com/, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/mendoza-ventures, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/mendozaventures. Adrian can be contacted via email at adrian@mendoza-ventures.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/adrianmendozavc/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/AdrianMendozaVC. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 16 November 2021
Where Does Making a Return Fit In? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Many angel investors want to support their university group, local entrepreneur ecosystem, and more. The primary goal is building up their local community or network. In addition to supporting the community, the investor needs to make a return on the investment. Investors will want to see a return so they can continue funding startups. If there are no returns, then the community-building effort comes to a close. Returns provide the means by which the investors can continue supporting the university group. Leaders of the group should make sure the deal flow can provide returns to the investors. It is helpful to structure deals so that there is a return in a timely manner of, say, five years. The university angel network is not the place for donations as those are typically one and done. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 16 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes AJ Shepard, Co-owner of Uptown Properties. They offer to fill vacancies, advertise your rental, handle tenant inquiries, perform background and credit investigations, and more. There are also optional services such as the Certified Pet Program, eviction insurance, and the preventative maintenance program. AJ is a licensed contractor in Oregon. His experience in real estate started more than 12 years ago in the contracting business. AJ graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelor's degree in Mechanical Engineering and has a Master's of Engineering Systems Management at Texas A&M University. Finding his passion in real estate and construction management has created an avenue for this company to help provide all services necessary to its clients. Knowing the trade and the ability to manage many allows for streamlined maintenance for the investor’s property at a reduced cost. AJ volunteers at ULI and FRESH to give back to the Real Estate Community. He is an active member of NARPM, the recipient of the Darryl Kazen Scholarship, the current Regional Vice President of the Pacific Division, and the recipient of RMP and MPM designation. AJ is also the co-host of the Westside Investors Network podcast (WIN). WIN strives to bring knowledge and education to the real estate professional that is seeking to gain more freedom in their life. AJ discusses how to maximize investment property profits, and advises investors and startups in the real estate space. You can visit Uptown Properties at www.uptownpm.com/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/3741570/admin/. You can listen to the Westside Investors Network podcast (WIN) at www.westsideinvestorsnetwork.com/podcast and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/WIN_pdx. AJ can be contacted via email at aj@uptownpm.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/aj-shepard-uptownproperties. ____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 15 November 2021
What Is the Mission of the Group? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In starting an angel group at a university, the key mission of the group is not to make money. Supporting the university by providing students with a quality academic experience and job placement is the primary goal. Alumni who join the angel group will see that mission as primary while making money as secondary. Angel groups with a strong “Why?” will last longer and see less turnover in members. Those groups who only want to make money will have higher turnover. They will run the usual course of find a few deals, deploy the available funds, and then wait for the result. In startup funding, the waiting for the result takes several years. Most members of those groups will drop out. It’s important to build the “Why?” into your angel group and make clear through your time and priorities what is important. Choose a “Why?” that is compelling to your members. For university angel networks, it’s the student experience that counts. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 15 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Nick Spiller, Podcast Host and Fundraising Coach at Beta Business. Nick moved to Texas in 2009 to attend UT Austin. As an undergraduate, Nick founded the Longhorn Entrepreneurship Agency (LEA) in Student Government. As an alumni today, Nick stays involved in UT’s Director of Deal Flow for Genesis which is an on-campus fund for entrepreneurs. After graduation, Nick worked as a Market Launcher for Favor Delivery. He also created the Investor Relations program at Capital Factory where he worked up until the end of 2020. Nick discusses the state of investing in startups, and the biggest change he expects to see in the next 1-2 years. He speaks about his investment thesis and mentions some good opportunities for investors to pursue. You can listen to Nick’s podcast at https://www.betayourbusiness.com/. Nick can be contacted via email at nick@fundingcamps.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nickspiller/ and www.linkedin.com/company/betabusiness/, and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/Nick_Spiller. _________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 12 November 2021
Providing Mentorship to Startups Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel groups are often asked to provide mentorship to startups. Here are some best practices for engaging your angel investors into mentorships with startups. Start by matching the investor with the startup based on the business model, sector, and stage of business. Identify a specific challenge the company is facing and look for members who have experience in that area. Introduce the investor and the startup and check to see if it’s a good match. Is the startup ready for a mentor and interested in solving the problem? Is the mentor able to help the startup? Help define the mentor/mentee engagement, so it’s well defined and has an endpoint. Identify a schedule and format. Is it a weekly call on Tuesday or a monthly lunch on the first Friday? Track progress to make sure it’s working. Relationship building is a key step to achieving progress. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 12 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Elizabeth Edwards, Managing Partner at H Venture Partners. Elizabeth has been a VC for over 17 years. Before launching H Venture Partners, she invested in over 30 companies including Peloton (unicorn IPO), Freshly ($1.5Bn acquisition), Bill.com (unicorn IPO), CardioInsight (acquired: Medtronic), Roots (IPO), and Paydiant (acquired: PayPal), creating top quartile and top decile venture returns. Elizabeth shares with Hall what excites her now, advises startups and investors and speaks about her investment thesis. She discusses the state of investing in consumer product goods and how she sees the industry evolving. You can visit H Venture Partners at www.h.ventures, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/h-venture-partners. Elizabeth can be contacted via email at e.edwards@h.ventures, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/elizabethannedwards/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/eedwards. _____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Elizabeth_Edwards_of_H_Venture_Partners.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 11 November 2021
Who Else Should You Involve? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In launching a university angel network there are legal considerations specific to the university to keep in mind. A university is a non-profit and therefore cannot participate in startup investing. The first step in launching a group is to contact the university legal counsel about how to separate the mentorship for students from the investing by the angels. In most cases, you’ll need to set up a separate legal entity for the angel members’ investments. The legal counsel of the university can help set the boundaries of what is done inside the university and what is done outside. Angels participating at university events need to make clear what role they play in the event -- providing mentorship or making investment decisions. If the group decides to set up a fund, this will be placed in the outside legal entity. Also, deep-dive diligence and investment decisions should be placed in the outside entity. Students who participate as paid interns can work for the outside legal entity and engage in the investment process. Before launching, check with the legal counsel of the university regarding the functions of the angel group. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Thu, 11 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes David A. Rosen, President and CEO at Acrelic Group. As player/coaches, Acrelic’s team delivers significant value by removing people and business process blockers found in solving short-term problems or causes, achieving incremental and stepwise lift and growth, and evolving client’s business and people maturity in governance, strategy, leadership, market dominance, and value creation. Acrelic’s clients range from startups to the global 500 in technology, manufacturing, electronics, transportation, and automation industries, along with the spectrum of B2B middle-market companies. David is a successful board director, CEO, serial entrepreneur, executive business leader, and strategic advisor. In 2020, he founded and became President of the Boston/New England Chapter of the Private Directors Association which now has more than 150 chapter members. He also mentors, judges, and guest lectures at Boston University, Questrom School of Business, and Northwestern University at both the Business (Kellogg) and Engineering (McCormick) Schools. David’s accomplishments include leading roles in 40+ successful M&A transactions in companies ranging from $500K to $2.75 Billion, CEO/Managing Director of three businesses achieving high double-digit growth (Revenue of $.5M to $150M+), Founder/CEO of an enterprise SaaS software company, Acrelic Interactive (WarpSales), launched new business efforts on four continents outside North America, commercialized defense technologies in semiconductors, microwave systems, amplifiers, and software algorithms and solutions including a company that achieved 80% market share in the TV broadcast industry. David currently lives in Boston, Massachusetts, with his wife, family, and Golden Doodle (Stan Lee) and relocated from Chicago (his wife is a proud Chicagoan). Prior to that, David and his family lived in the New York Metro area for 20+ years. David details some of the challenges startups face, and how to prepare for them. He also discusses must-dos for the growth company. You can visit Acrelic Group at https://acrelicgroup.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/acrelicgroup, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/acrelicgroup, and via telephone at (617) 865-4770. David can be contacted via email at drosen@acrelicgroup.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/davidarosen, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/DavidARose. _____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 10 November 2021
The Two Keys to Success Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A university angel network is a group of investors formed around the affinity to a university. The primary goal of it is to provide student experience and job placement. Making money from the investments is secondary. There are two keys to successfully launching an angel network at a university. The first is a dedicated faculty member focused on running the student education program. The faculty member sets the curriculum, runs the course, and works with the angel group on the students' participation in analyzing the deals. This makes for a strong educational experience as the students work with real investors, real investment opportunities, and real dollars invested. The second key to success is five check-writing angel investors. Investors who participate regularly to view the deals, diligence them, and invest. The investors provide key mentorship roles to the students. Before launching an angel network at your university, line these two up first. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Wed, 10 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Brett Brohl, Managing Partner at Bread & Butter Ventures. They lead rounds in some cases, and in all cases, they look to help syndicate and bring strong co-investors who can add additional value. Bread & Butter Ventures works hard alongside their teams after investment and support through their platform efforts to connect you with the people, resources, and partners you need to scale globally. Brett is the Managing Partner at Bread & Butter Ventures and also the Managing Director of the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, partnered with Cargill and Ecolab. An experienced entrepreneur, investor, and mentor, Brett is driven by making a difference in the world through helping entrepreneurs succeed. Prior to the Techstars Farm to Fork Accelerator, Brett served as Director of the inaugural Techstars Startup Next Food & Ag in Partnership with Land O’Lakes and as the Entrepreneur in Residence at Techstars Retail Accelerator in Partnership with Target. Brett honed his start-up skills as the CEO of multiple companies including ScrubSquared and BoomBoom Prints. He led 3 of his teams to exit but also went through a company failure, experiences he draws on when working with founders. Passionately committed to growing the Minnesota startup ecosystem, Brett is a founding member of the Forge North coalition and sits on their leadership council as well as an initial member of the Launch MN advisory board. He earned his BA from Wake Forest, and his MBA from the University of Virginia, Darden School of Business. When he’s not engaging the world’s startup scene, Brett can be found hanging with his wife and kids, driving a lobster boat, or pretending to be a tennis pro. Brett’s bread and butter is building teams, identifying talent, and diving for lobster. Brett advises startups and investors in the food tech space. He discusses the state of investing, the evolution of, and the biggest change he thinks we will see in the next 12-24 months in the sector. You can visit Bread & Butter Ventures at www.breadandbutterventures.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bread-and-butter-ventures/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/bread_buttervc?lang=en. Check out their podcast at fullstackfood.io. Brett can be contacted via email at brett@breadandbutterventures.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brett-brohl, and via Twitter at www.https://twitter.com/brettbrohl?lang=en. ________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Brett_Brohl_of_Bread__Butter_Ventures.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 9 November 2021
Why Start a University Angel Network? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A university angel network is a group of investors formed around the affinity to a university. It typically consists of alumni and supporters of the university. So why start an angel network at a university? It’s a great way for alumni to connect back to their alma mater. The members are like-minded business people who connect with each other. The primary purpose of the group is to provide a better education experience for the students as well as job placement. The angel group can focus on startups related to the university or look for startups more broadly. The students participate by helping with the process of funding startups such as providing analysis of the deal flow. The university can extend the student education program through the group by offering course credit and internships. Students who participate find invaluable experience and often receive job opportunities that further their career. Finance students can learn diligence and apply their venture finance education to the startups the angel investors review. Entrepreneurship students learn how startups work by applying their entrepreneurship knowledge to the screening process. The angel group can also draw on resources from the university for analyzing the deals. The university is a non-profit so there’s no investing inside the university. An LLC must be set up for any investments the angel group makes. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Tue, 9 November 2021
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 Real Estate 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 real estate space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift to a new normal way of life. Work from home and the shift to work from anywhere is changing the real estate market. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up.
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Mon, 8 November 2021
Why You Should Move Your Angel Group Online Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. As the world moves online, so you should move your angel network online as well. This includes your screening process, presentation meetings, diligence process, and education sessions. The screening process can be made more efficient by capturing 1-3 minute pitch videos from those applying to pitch to your group. These videos can be viewed individually or as a group, such as your screening committee. Investor members can join an online meeting to discuss and vote, or they could vote individually. You can source deals from a wider network as you’re no longer limited to those in your geographic area. Move your presentation online so more members can access them live or by recording. Investors can use online tools for formulating their questions. The online format can also facilitate investors sharing their thoughts, concerns, and questions about the deals with other investors in the group. For diligence, you can use tools such as a Slack channel for your group to share information and follow the diligence process. Through Slack, you can capture questions and feedback. You can create a separate channel for communications with the startup raising funding. Online tools can help run a standardized process for diligence. Use recorded calls to capture the results and make them available to others. Online tools can facilitate education courses about angel investing you can provide your members. You can create a library of content for your members, both present and future. An online education format lets you source content from other groups. Online meetings can augment your group rather than replace the physical meetings entirely. Social and networking events can continue for members to meet each other. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound
Direct download: Why_you_Should_Move_your_Angel_Group_Online.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 8 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Matteo Scarabelli, Director of Insight at L Marks. Matteo has 10 years of experience working with and investing in early-stage B2B and B2B2C digital businesses. He has broad experience as an operator in small scaling organisations, in portfolio companies’ management at board level, helping with strategy skillset, and a broad network in the European investment ecosystem. As Director of Insight, Matteo currently leads the investment and intelligence work at L Marks. He manages both the Scouting team, as well as the Insights team, interacting and gaining insights from external mentors, investors, and startup support partners. Previously as Head of Investment at L Marks, Matteo ensured the smartest investments across all the programmes and also supported the startup portfolio in their growth, where he leveraged his broad experience of the startup world, drawing on past operational roles at VC-backed startups, and support for numerous startups from due diligence to further investment. Matteo discusses how he helps startup and growth companies, some of the challenges they face, and what their focus should be. He speaks about under and over investing, and more. You can visit L Marks at www.lmarks.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/l-marks/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/lmarks. Matteo can be contacted via email at matteo@lmarks.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/matteoscarabelli. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 5 November 2021
Meeting Considerations Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up your angel network you’ll need to set up the meetings. Here are some key points to consider:
Consider these points in setting up the meetings as it’s a key decision set for the group. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 5 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Matt McGraw, Co-Founder and Managing Partner at Anthropocene Ventures. Matt is a successful leader, CEO, entrepreneur, and investor. He finds great talent, helps uncover and activate a fun, positive culture and mission, and designs high-performance, high-growth operations. Matt has taken multiple companies from $0 to $10M+ with no outside funding, led mergers in the $100M range, advised startups to successful exits, and grew teams in the hundreds. He’s best at setting the right course, getting the nucleus perfect, and scaling quickly. Matt invested early and often in the most successful technology companies in the 2000-2015 bull run. Matt shares some of the challenges investors and entrepreneurs face in the climate sector, how he sees the industry evolving, the biggest change we might see in the next 12 months, and his investment thesis. You can visit Anthropocene Ventures at www.anthro.ventures, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/anthropocene-ventures/. Matt can be contacted via email at matt@anthro.ventures, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mjm11/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/mjm11?lang=en. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Thu, 4 November 2021
Working With Other Angel Groups Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up an angel network, it’s important to build relationships with other angel groups. Here are some key points to consider:
Your angel network received help from other groups during the formation stage, so you should pay it forward by helping other groups. Reach out to the angel groups in your sector or area and form a relationship with them. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Thu, 4 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Carlos Gutierrez, Managing Partner at Simma Capital. Simma Capital has invested in 16 startups and several other small companies. Together they have built experience, methodologies, connections, and a deeper passion for investing in high-growth companies. Carlos has 11+ years of experience investing and working in startups, from being the CFO in several startups, to working at the Telefonica corporate venture capital fund in Colombia and investing with his first fund INVX. Carlos has a 360º view based on his experience as an entrepreneur and investor. His education includes a business degree from Universidad de los Andes and a Master’s in Digital Business Management from Universitat de Barcelona. Carlos is excited about the fintech and edtech sectors. He advises investors and entrepreneurs, shares some of the challenges they face, and discusses the state of investing in the LATAM region. You can visit Simma Capital at www.simmacapital.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/simma-capital/. Carlos can be contacted via email at carlos@simmacapital.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/carlos-felipe-gutierrez-camacho. ____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 3 November 2021
Sponsorship Issues Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Sponsors bring needed financial support to the angel network. Here are some key points for managing sponsors:
Sponsors add not only financial support, but also domain expertise to the angel funding process. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Wed, 3 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Fred Walti, CEO of the Network for Global Innovation (NGIN). The Network for Global Innovation is an international network of entrepreneurial support agents. Its mission is to accelerate the expansion of new sustainable technologies while simultaneously generating significant economic growth in both developed and emerging markets. NGIN currently has 26 members in 20 countries with partners or program experience in Armenia, Brazil, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Morocco, Pakistan, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Thailand, Turkey, and the U.S. Fred is an expert in creating innovation ecosystems that drive economic development. Prior to joining NGIN, Fred was the Co-Founder and, for a period of six years, served as the Founding CEO of the Los Angeles Cleantech Incubator (LACI), combining experience as an entrepreneur with his passion for clean technology. Fred built LACI from a start-up in a bus repair garage into a statewide commercialization ecosystem with an international footprint. LACI is now recognized as one of the premier cleantech commercialization programs in the world. Under Fred’s leadership, LACI has helped 120+ companies raise $228 million in funding, thus creating 1,700 jobs and delivering more than $400 million in long-term economic value for the City of Los Angeles. Fred has been involved — either as a founder, consultant, principal, or investor — in the startup of several-dozen technology companies. He was named in Techweek100 as one of the most impactful technology leaders in 2014. In October 2018, Fred was invited to join the Renewable Energy and Energy Efficiency Advisory Committee by the US Secretary of Commerce, Wilbur Ross. Fred often speaks on subjects that include creating high-performance innovation ecosystems that drive economic development; the new mega-city revitalization concept “The StartUp City”; leveraging a region’s strengths to build a large green economy, entrepreneurship, the role of innovation in creating jobs, and public/private partnerships. Fred discusses the state of investing in the sustainability space and how he sees the industry evolving. He advises startups and investors and shares some of the challenges they face. You can visit the Network for Global Innovation at www.ngin.org, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-network-for-global-innovation, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/NGINnews. You can contact Fred via email at fred@ngin.org, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/fredwalti/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/fwalti ____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Fred_Walti_of_Network_for_Global_Innovation.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 2 November 2021
Consider Service Providers Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up an angel network, it’s important to have support from services providers such as lawyers, accountants, and financial advisors. Startups will need legal, accounting, and financial support. Review your community for current service providers who are already helping the startups. Assess the skills of the providers to see if they are a fit for early-stage companies. Some providers only work with more mature companies, but the angel network will be dealing with very early ones. Discuss with local entrepreneur groups and professional organizations about their experience with the providers. Identify the ones who provide the best experience for their clients. Reach out and develop a relationship with them as potential speakers, sponsors, or even members. For those services missing from the community, reach out online to other organizations that can provide the support virtually. If the demand is big enough, providers will move to the area to support the community. This often occurs in entrepreneur hubs that are growing fast. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Tue, 2 November 2021
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 Real Estate Problem”, you’ll hear about participation in the real estate segment and what investors look for. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The real estate space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift to a new normal way of life. Work from home and the shift to work from anywhere is changing the real estate market. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. Our guests are: For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 1 November 2021
Educating the Members Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running an angel group, it’s important to educate the new members on how to invest in startups. Most new members will not have experience with startup funding. It’s important to set up an education program for the members. The members will receive education through the process of screening the deals, negotiating the terms, and diligencing the startups. In addition, there should be formal training on key issues such as how to assess potential investment opportunities. The training should cover the basics of angel investing as well as the following topics:
While there is a great deal of information on the web, there should be an organized approach to covering these topics and allowing members to ask questions. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 1 November 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Giuseppe Liberati, Executive Director at Bridging Value, Board Member of the Houston Angel Network, and Author of “Next: How to Innovate From Within”. Fluent in five languages, Giuseppe is a global visionary change agent, offering more than 20 years of expertise in driving business into new markets internationally and swelling market share. He is a board member of the Argentina Texas Chamber of Commerce and the Colorado School of Mines Materials Department. Giuseppe opened new market channels in the USA, Europe, and Latin America from Hydrogen FCEV, to advanced water treatment, to industrial retail solutions, to O&G engineering and management, expanding clients business by three times the average. He established relevant strategic partnerships between Fortune 500 companies, created four international brands, earned nine patents, and co-authored six international papers. Giuseppe shares with Hall what excites him now, advises startups and investors, discusses the state of startup investing, and what he thinks will be the biggest change we will see in the next year or two. You can visit Bridging Value at www.bridgingvalue.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bridging-value/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/bridging_value. Giuseppe can be contacted via email at giuseppe@bridgingvalue.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/liberati/. You can purchase his book from www.amazon.com, www.barnesandnoble.com, and other digital platforms. __________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Giuseppe_Liberati_of_Bridging_ValueHAN.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 29 October 2021
Communicating With Members Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running an angel group, it’s important to communicate your membership criteria and organizational structure to prospective members. The website and associated documents should make clear not only the membership criteria, but also the process to become a member, and how the group is structured. It also should make clear the process for membership application, acceptance, onboarding, and annual renewal. The website and documents should include the following:
In addition to the website, members should have the opportunity to attend a meeting to learn more about the group. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 29 October 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Philip Webb, Managing Director at Investors In Community Limited (IIC). Phil started his career working for IBM UK as a hardware specialist. He established a hardware/services business in 1990, growing to over £6.7M and selling on in 1996. Since set up, he has merged and sold 5 SME businesses in the areas of software development, training, and business consultancy. In 1996, Phil was elected Chamber President, and in the same year, represented SME businesses in the CBI Regional Council. Phil has published three business books, leading to university lecturing about rapid change management, and is the legal custodian of the research from the Stanford University of the SWOT Analysis. Phil discusses how he sees the industry evolving and its growth rate, some of the challenges in starting a business in this space, and he explains community credits. You can visit Investors In Community Limited at www.investorsincommunity.org, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/investors-in-community/, and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/IICTweets. Phil can be contacted via email at philip.webb@investorsincommunity.org, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/philipwebbtam/. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Philip_Webb_of_Investors_In_Community_Limited.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 28 October 2021
Setting Membership Criteria Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up an angel network, you need to determine the membership criteria. Here are some points to consider: The Securities and Exchange Commission or SEC sets the investor criteria to allow for investments into startups. Members must meet the SEC criteria for accredited investors. Make clear the goals of the group, whether supporting the local entrepreneur ecosystem, fostering a new technology, or educating the community. The “why” of the group is as important as the “what to invest in” question. In the university angel group setting, the “why” is typically focused on student experience and job placement. Making a return on investment is also important but typically not the number one goal. Also, connecting investors to one another is a goal many angel groups have. Consider the “why” of your group and communicate that to prospective members. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Wed, 27 October 2021
Funding the Angel Network Program Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up an angel network, you need to fund the program. Here are some funding sources to consider: Most angel networks charge a membership fee to cover the expenses for running the program. For those groups using the fund structure, a management fee or carry can be taken from the fund to cover the cost. Special purpose vehicles can also be used for each deal to pool investors’ funds and then take a carry or fee from it. Other sources of funding include sponsorships from providers related to the startup space, such as legal and financial work. Some angel groups qualify for grants in their area and can use the grant to cover expenses. Finally, some groups charge an administration fee to the funded companies. Members can only volunteer so many hours to the group, so make sure you are funding the program properly with these sources. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Wed, 27 October 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes back Brian Parks, Founder & CEO of Bigfoot Capital. Brian founded Bigfoot after having been an operator in early-stage software companies since 2010. During that time, Brian was Co-Founder & CEO of Brandfolder (acquired by Smartsheet), an executive team member at a marketplace lending business, and employee #1 at an online travel distribution company. Prior to that, he was an M&A investment banker and a commercial banker. Over the course of his career, Brian has been involved in multiple financings and acquisitions totaling north of $500M. Brian gives an update on what he has been doing since the last interview, discusses what he is passionate about and shares some of the challenges startups and investors face. You can visit Bigfoot Capital at www.bigfootcap.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/bigfoot-capital, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/bigfootcapital. Brian can be contacted via email at bparks@bigfootcap.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/parksbrian, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/parkstweet. ____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Brian_Parks_of_Bigfoot_Capital_follow_up_1.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 26 October 2021
Choosing the Investment Structure Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting up an angel network, you need to choose an investment structure. Here are some structures to consider: Individual investments -- the members can each decide if they want to invest and how much to invest in each deal. This allows for maximum flexibility for the members to invest in the deals they want. The drawback is the administration is high, as you must work with each investor in determining their amount of investment and signing of the documents. Group investments -- the members invest as a group. In this structure, the investors can create a pledge fund so the group decides which deals to pursue. The members have some decision-making control over the investment decisions. This reduces the administrative overhead. The group can also choose to create a fund in which a screening committee or manager determines which investments are made. This requires the least amount of administration as the manager or committee makes the decisions on their own. The group can also choose to create a sidecar fund that invests from a fund into deals the members have funded individually. The sidecar fund provides members diversification on top of their individual investments. This is also a low-cost administrative structure as the sidecar investment is typically a calculation based on the members’ investment and does not require a manager to run it. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Tue, 26 October 2021
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 Real Estate Problem”, you’ll hear about the primary trends and what makes for a successful company in this space. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The real estate space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift to a new normal way of life. Work from home and the shift to work from anywhere is changing the real estate market. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. Our guests are:
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Mon, 25 October 2021
Thank you for joining us today for our TEN Capital Fundraise Launch Program. In this program, we help startups prepare for a fundraise. We provide templates, tools, eGuides, and advice to founders who are working towards raising funding. We’ll kick off the session with a short overview on a fundraising topic, then we’ll answer questions from the founders. I hope you enjoy this episode. Thank you for joining us for the TEN Capital Fundraise Launch Program where we help startups prepare for a fundraise. For more episodes, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 25 October 2021
Choosing the Regulatory Environment Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. As angel networks expand across the globe, those groups outside the U.S. should also consider their local regulatory environment before launching an angel network. Here are some points to consider:
While these issues are clear in the U.S. and for the most part foster angel investing, other countries have not yet built out their regulatory environment to foster it. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 25 October 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Eric Stegemann, Managing Partner at TRIBUS Capital. Eric brings over 20 years of brokerage and proptech experience and expertise to his role as Managing Partner of TRIBUS Capital. Having become a realtor before reaching the age of 20, Eric grew passionate about an industry where responsibility and hard work were rewarded. After selling for a large brand brokerage, he started his own brokerage which quickly grew to the largest independent in St. Louis within 20 months. Within six years, he received an offer to purchase the brokerage while retaining all of the technology developed. Using this technology, he started TRIBUS. Eric is regarded as one of the brightest minds in the real estate technology realm and has spoken at a variety of real estate events, such as Inman Connect in New York and San Francisco, the NAR Annual Conference, and numerous state and local board meetings. Eric advises entrepreneurs and investors, discusses some of the challenges they face, and mentions some of the companies he has invested in. You can visit TRIBUS Capital at https://tribus.com/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/tribus/. Eric can be contacted via email at eric.stegemann@tribusgroup.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ericstegemann/, and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/ericstegemann?lang=en. ____________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 22 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several legal structures to use when setting up your angel network. Most angel networks form a Limited Liability Company or LLC. This gives the angel network a legal entity with which it can conduct business. The members often pay an annual fee to fund the operational activities of the company. Some angel networks form in association with a university. Since the university is a non-profit organization, the angel group can work inside the university for its mentoring, networking, and other non-financial activities. For running a fund or making investments, the angel network inside the university must set up an entity outside the university, since non-profit organizations cannot engage in investment activities. Some angel networks form a not-for-profit LLC and then apply for non-profit status 501(c)3 with the IRS. Again, the mentoring, education, and other non-financial aspects can be done within the organization, but the financial aspects such as investing must be done outside. Finally, some angel networks form a not-for-profit LLC and then apply for trade organization status or 501(c)6. This structure allows the organization to engage in political activities. Those angel networks choosing a non-profit or trade organization structure must set up a separate legal entity for any funds they want to raise and deploy. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 22 October 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes David Goldberg, General Partner at Alpaca VC. Headquartered in New York, New York, Alpaca VC is a seed-stage venture capital firm that believes that layering technology over daily life transforms how the real world works so they invest in the people, products, and processes that power commerce in the physical world. Led by a diverse team of company builders, operators, and analytical thinkers, Alpaca develops a repeatable playbook to help its entrepreneurs most efficiently progress from Seed to Series A. After coming off his own entrepreneurial journey as Founder/CEO of FreshNeck, David joined Alpaca in 2014. He relies on empathy and personal experience to form deep bonds with founders and add value where it matters most. David enjoys partnering with startups on high-level strategy and building scalable ‘operating systems’ consisting of structured priorities and OKRs. Some of David's past investments on behalf of Alpaca include Latch, Transfix, Imperfect Foods, Minibar, FirstBase, and Monument. Before getting the startup bug, David spent his early career in finance and law at the University of Miami and Fordham University. He spent three years as an Assistant District Attorney, representing the people of New York, and following that, spent three years across Merrill Lynch and Jefferies & Co. David discusses his investment thesis and some of the challenges entrepreneurs and investors face. You can visit Alpaca VC at www.alpaca.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/alpacavc/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/alpacavc/. David can be contacted via email at david@alpaca.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/david-goldberg-056a973/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/davidrgoldberg. _____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Thu, 21 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are two ways to organize your angel network: member-led or manager-led. Member-led groups let the members source deals, lead the investments, and recruit the members. They hire staff members to handle the administrative tasks. Manager-led groups hire experienced professionals to perform key functions such as determining which startups to fund. Managers also work on screening the deals so only the fundable ones go through to the members. They also prepare the founders so their documents and presentations are ready. They maintain communication with the startup throughout the process. They lead the diligence process and produce the diligence report. Some angel groups partner with incubators, accelerators, universities, and other groups. The partner provides meeting space and shares the operational cost of the group. Some partners provide administrative support. The choice of member-led versus manager-led often comes down to the availability of someone to take the role of the manager. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Thu, 21 October 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Allison Piper Kimball, Managing Partner at Wave 27 Ventures. Allison, MSPH, MBA is also the founder of the Blue Catalyst Group. Angel investing is Allison's third career, after first working as an environmental and occupational health consultant and then spending almost two decades as an executive in the retail electricity industry. Allison served in a variety of roles including as Chief Operating Officer of Texas electricity retailer StarTex Power before and through its sale and transition to Constellation Energy; and then as Chief Operating Officer at Spark Energy, a nationwide retail electricity and natural gas company which she helped take public in 2014. Throughout her career, Allison worked closely with multiple entrepreneurs at all stages of company growth and development, from start up to taking companies in their early years from start up to sale or IPO. Allison leverages this experience to mentor and invest in entrepreneurs and early-stage companies. Allison is a member of the Houston Angel Network and serves on its board of directors, is an LP in Golden Section Ventures and The Artemis Fund, and serves on the board of Montucky Cold Snacks. Allison is active in regional startup, business model and pitch competitions, and mentoring entrepreneurs. Allison holds an MBA in Finance and Information Systems from Tulane University, a Master of Science in Public Health from The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, and a Bachelor of Science from Clarkson University in New York. Allison shares what excites her now, advises startups and investors, discusses how she sees the angel industry evolving, and mentions some of the startups she has invested in. You can contact Allison via email at allison@bluecatalystgroup.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/allisonpiper/. __________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Allison_Piper_Kimball_of_Wave_27_Ventures.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 20 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel investing can be fun and financially rewarding to the investor as well as helpful to the startup. It can also be challenging. Here are some challenges to consider: Angel investing requires hands-on work with the startups not only in funding but also in supporting them after the investment. Angels often fill in the gaps left by the local incubators and accelerator programs in coaching them into a place where they can raise funding. First-time angels can find it time-consuming and expensive to learn the process. New market segments require the angel investor to continually learn new industries and business models. There’s no collateral for the investment and it can all go to zero as it’s a risky investment class. One out of ten investments will be a home run. Two or three will provide a small return on investment. And the rest will fail. Angel investing can be a rewarding endeavor but it’s not without its challenges. 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 Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Wed, 20 October 2021
On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Michael Nogen, Managing Partner at Overton Venture Capital. Overton Venture Capital is a woman-led fund that invests in seed and early-stage, revenue-generating companies whose entrepreneurs break the world’s confines and reimagine it with transformational solutions for next-generation businesses. They partner with ambitious entrepreneurs who are meeting the challenges and opportunities of today’s rapidly evolving consumer landscape. Before his career in retail, and before earning an MBA at NYU, Michael launched a premium contemporary maternity apparel design and manufacturing business, growing distribution to 200+ global specialty and department store retailers and launching the maternity category for Zappos.com. Michael holds a BA from Wabash College in history, a MA in Public Policy from Middlebury’s Institute of International Studies at Monterey, and received his MBA from the NYU Stern School of Business. Michael discusses the state of startup investing and some of the challenges startups and investors face. You can visit Overton Venture Capital at www.overtonvc.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/overton-venture-capital/, and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/OvertonVc. You can contact Michael via email at michael@overtonvc.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/michaelnogen, and via Twitter at https://twitter.com/Michael_Nogen. ____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Michael_Nogen_of_Overton_Venture_Capital.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 19 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. An angel investor will find many benefits in joining an angel network. The angel network can build resources to share with the angel such as due diligence. This is time-intensive work, so it helps to share the load. Angel networks provide more and better deal flow than individual investors can find. The bigger the angel network, the more likely there will be knowledgeable investors about the market segments and startup business models. This lets the angel investor pursue deals outside their core expertise. Angel groups can write bigger checks than individual angels and thus command better terms with the startup. Experienced angel investors can share their knowledge with new angels. This is particularly helpful in setting valuations, defining term sheets, and supporting the company. Angel investors can find diversification through the angel network and its deal flow. An angel network will have more influence over its startup scene than an individual investor. Consider joining an angel network. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Tue, 19 October 2021
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 Real Estate Problem”, you’ll hear about growth in the real estate space. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The real estate space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift to a new normal way of life. Work from home and the shift to working from anywhere is changing the real estate market. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. Our guests are: We hope you enjoy the show. |
Mon, 18 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Should you start an angel network? Before launching an angel network, assess your community as follows:
Research your community to see what currently exists and what must be built. Check with the local entrepreneur groups to make this assessment and get their potential support for starting an angel group. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 18 October 2021
In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Heeten Doshi, Founder and Managing Partner at Doshi Capital Management. Headquartered in Cedar Knolls, New Jersey, Doshi Capital Management, LLC ('DCM') is a private investment management firm, that was incorporated in 2011. DCM relies on its decades of extensive research in understanding different market cycles and the cause-and-effect relationships that drive asset prices. Their strategies seek to capture returns in both up and down markets while minimizing portfolio volatility and downside risk. DCM accomplishes this by creating strategies that provide true diversification—an uncorrelated strategy that diversifies away risk—and downside protection, giving their investors the opportunity to stay invested and generate absolute returns in any market cycle. DCM draws on a strong, multidisciplinary skillset, proprietary quantitative models, and decades of experience investing across a broad range of asset classes and multiple market cycles. Their ultimate goal is to generate alpha, however, their focus is to preserve their clients’ capital in any market environment through a distinctive and systematic approach to investing. Heeten manages the firm’s equity marketing timing strategy, the Doshi Systematic Strategy Fund and was formerly a senior equity strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman, where he focused on the US economy, equity market and provided investment recommendations to global institutional clients including hedge fund, asset management, and pension funds. Prior to that, Heeten worked at Morgan Stanley as an equity research analyst where he conducted deep-dive fundamental company analysis, and at Lehman Brothers where he was a derivatives trader and hedged the firm’s $14bn fixed income portfolio. Heeten has received two graduate degrees – an MS in Accounting from the University of Illinois GEIS Business School, and an MS in Management from Babson F.W. Olin Graduate School of Business. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Finance from Rutgers University and has obtained the CFA designation. Heeten shares with Hall what excites him now, advises entrepreneurs and investors, discusses how he sees the startup industry evolving, and explains his investment philosophy. You can visit Doshi Capital Management at www.doshicapm.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/2276082/admin/, and via telephone at 973-898-3702. You can contact Heeten via email at heeten.doshi@doshicapm.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/heetendoshi/. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Heeten_Doshi_of_Doshi_Capital_Management.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 15 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running an angel group, it’s important to provide regular reports to the investors about the investments as well as the state of the group. For individual investments, negotiate regular updates from the startups to include the following:
For groups with a fund, provide the following information on a quarterly basis:
It’s important to set up a reporting structure so the members can keep track of the progress of both individual investments and funds. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 15 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes John Zic, Partner and Founding Team Member at EQUIAM. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, EQUIAM is a non-traditional, systematic VC firm. They use deeply researched, proprietary, data-driven algorithms to make their investment decisions. EQUIAM focuses on finding great firms and capturing the high returns associated with these bets, but they are equally invested in bringing world-class portfolio engineering practices to the private markets, mitigating risk, and increasing long-term performance. This focus, along with their proven execution capability, allows them to offer their investors diversified portfolios of private firms designed to outperform in even the most challenging environments. EQUIAM is deal-structure agnostic, tapping both primary and secondary markets for private firms. They leverage a variety of private and publicly available data streams to create a book of signals that identifies private firms positioned for outperformance. Their visibility on both historical and live-price data, combined with their logic-driven models, allows them to identify and unlock the most attractive entry and exit points for their investors. John leads several functions at EQUIAM overseeing the investment execution process, driving investment model optimization efforts, and leading core strategic initiatives. Prior to EQUIAM, John was the 6th non-founder hire at Forge. While there, he facilitated $500 Million+ of private equity secondary transactions helping to grow company revenues 300% Y-o-Y. John executed hundreds of transactions across dozens of issuers, gaining best-in-class knowledge of private secondary transaction mechanics, issuer-specific idiosyncrasies, and general private equity market dynamics. In addition to market-related activities at Forge, John led multiple data-centric initiatives including the formulation and development of the Tech30 Index, a market-cap weighted index of the 30 largest VC-backed private companies in the U.S. based upon proprietary secondary-trading marks. Prior to Forge, John spent several years in management consulting with a heavy focus on data science and big data analytics. John discusses how he sees the VC industry evolving, the biggest change he thinks we will see in the next 12 months, his investment thesis, and some of the companies he has invested in. You can visit EQUIAM at www.equiam.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/equiam/. You can contact John via email at john@equiam.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/johnzic/. __________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Thu, 14 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. A key part of angel investing is negotiating terms with the startup. It’s important to take time to negotiate good terms for the investors in your group. Key areas to focus your negotiations include the following: Valuation - this is the most important term as it determines equity ownership and is the primary determinant of returns. Option pools and who pays for them - the options pool is important to the growth of the company as it incentivizes the team. The investors could pay for a portion of it as part of the overall negotiation. Board composition - for most companies raising a Series A, the board consists of two investors: two from the company, and one as an independent. Vesting founders’ shares - requiring a portion of the founders’ shares to vest over time ensures there will be shares available to pay for a replacement if needed. Liquidation preference - it can compensate for what the investors consider too high a valuation. Minimum amount of funding required - it’s important for the team to raise enough to achieve a meaningful milestone before the next raise. In addition to negotiating good terms, the process should maintain a good relationship with the startup. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Thu, 14 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Sarah Jennings, Director at Beyond Angel Network and Fund. As a national community for faith-driven investment and entrepreneurship, Beyond provides increased access to faith-aligned capital for founders of faith-based companies as they seek to invest in scalable, for-profit companies. Beyond's investment thesis is to invest in companies with developed products or services and early customer traction that will provide market returns to investors in addition to making a kingdom impact on culture and the marketplace. Sarah previously served as the Assistant Director for Beyond, focusing on managing investor relationships and scouting for potential deal flow. Prior to joining the network, Sarah worked for JP Morgan Chase as an Internal Auditor. Sarah gives an update since her last interview and describes some of her experiences with startups. She shares some of her challenges and suggests some good options for investors to pursue. You can visit Beyond Angel Network and Fund at www.beyondangels.org, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/showcase/beyondangels. You can contact Sarah via email at sgjennings@beyondangels.org, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/sarahgjennings/. ______________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Sarah_Jennings_of_Beyond_Angel_Network_and_Fund.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 13 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running an angel network, it’s important to drive the funded startups toward an exit. Investors funded the companies with an expectation of a return typically in the 5 to 7-year timeframe. While some startups will fail and shut down completely, most startups continue as ongoing businesses. It’s important to review the status of those startups to see what exit can be achieved. For those companies that continue to grow, the angel network can help the startup raise the next round of funding from venture capitalists. If the company has built value but not enough to raise additional funding, the angel group can help find a buyer for the assets of the company. The development team, technology, and product lines could find a home within another company. The secondary markets continue to thrive, and so there may be an option to sell the shares of the company to other investors. Many times the founders want to maintain the business as is and not sell it. The angel network could negotiate a buyout by the founders. If the company is generating a regular stream of revenue, they can set up a revenue share agreement to pay out the investors from revenue. It takes an active effort to pursue startup exits and there’s more than one solution. Consider setting up an exit committee with the goal of examining each investment to find a path out of the deal. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Wed, 13 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Thomas Madden, CEO at TransMedia Group. Headquartered in Boca Raton, Florida, TransMedia Group is a full-service public relations and marketing firm serving clients worldwide since 1981. TransMedia has conducted highly successful PR campaigns for many of the largest companies and organizations in the country, including for The City of New York for which it won a Bronze Anvil Award from the Public Relations Society of America. Other major clients over the years include giants AT&T, Rexall Sundown, and many startups across all fields. Tom is the quintessential “PR man.” Telling him to stop publicizing, inventing products like his Knife and Forklift™ that helps you to exercise while eating, and writing articles, blogs and books, are like telling the government to stop spending money—pointless. His popular blog is called MaddenMischief. Tom’s rise in the world of media was meteoric, evolving from news reporter at The Philadelphia Inquirer, to speechwriter for the CEOs of AT&T, Kellogg’s, and other companies. He became a highly ranked executive at NBC, serving as Vice President, Assistant to the President under then-CEO Fred Silverman, for whom Tom also wrote speeches when he was Director of PR at American Broadcasting Companies. When television wunderkind Silverman became CEO of NBC, Tom was the only ABC executive he took with him. Tom has won many awards and owns Madden Talent, a licensed talent agency representing actors, artists, and models. He lives in Boca Raton, Florida, with his wife Rita. He is the author of several best-selling books including Spin Man, King of the Condo, Is There Enough BRADY in TRUMP to Win the inSUPERable Bowl?, and his latest book, Love Boat 78, available on Amazon and recently nominated for 2020 Reader's Choice Awards. Tom shares what led him to start working in the public relations space. He advises entrepreneurs and discusses how he sees the industry evolving. You can visit TransMedia Group at www.transmediagroup.com, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/TransMediaGroup. You can contact Tom via email at tmadden@transmediagroup.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/tom-madden-83b3919/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/search?q=%23MaddenMischief _____________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 12 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After investing in a startup, it’s important for the angel investor to determine their role with the startup. There are several roles to consider: The investor can take an advisory board seat and provide coaching to the startup on an informal basis. The investor can take a board seat and help guide the founders through a formal board seat with regularly scheduled meetings and reports. The investor could forego the board seat, but stay in touch with the founders to provide support and advice. It’s important to define with the founders the information rights including what content and how often it should be delivered. The frequency of updates should match the needs of the company. When the company is in a steady-state mode, this is often quarterly. If the company is in crisis mode such as running out of cash, then this should move to weekly. Regardless of the state of the startup, the investor should check in at least once per quarter with a call to the founder. Finally, the investor should track the investment in their portfolio and maintain the most recent valuations and ownership levels. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Tue, 12 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Adam Haber, angel investor and CEO and Co-Founder of Trellus. Adam is dedicated to serving his community. As a Roslyn School Board Trustee from 2009-2018, Adam fought for residents and children, and helped bring the Roslyn School district back from the brink of financial ruin from an $11.2 million theft. After Hurricane Sandy, he personally initiated Project Long Island to repair over 200 damaged homes in Long Beach, through All Hands and Hearts, a disaster relief organization where he is currently a board member. Adam is exceptionally proud to be a board member of the Hagedorn Little Village School since April 2017. As a small business owner and entrepreneur, he has real experience creating jobs, attracting capital, and managing complex budgets. He had a 22-year career as a commodity options trader, has owned three restaurants (one of which had a Michelin Star), and is a non-operating principal of ScanlanKemperBard, a Portland- Oregon-based commercial real estate merchant bank. Adam is also an avid angel investor, a member of the Long Island Angel Network, and has sat on the boards of several start-up companies. Adam was a Director at the Nassau County Interim Finance Authority (NIFA) from July 2015-April 2016 and was Deputy Chief of Economic Development and Government Efficiency for the Town of Hempstead, from January 2018 to December 2019. He also writes a column for the Island Now called “All Things Political.” He resides in Roslyn with his wife Renée, and has two children Stephanie and Ethan, whom he is proud of. Adam discusses his angel network, how the industry is evolving, the biggest change he expects in the next 12-24 months, some of the challenges he faces, and he mentions some of the companies he has invested in. You can visit Trellus at https://bytrellus.com/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/trellus/. You can contact Adam via email at adam@bytrellus.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/adamhaber1/. __________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Adam_Haber_of_Trellus_Same_Day_Delivery_and_Marketplace_2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 11 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There’s risk in startup investing as most investments don’t pay a return to the investor. In running an angel network one must take steps to mitigate liability. It’s a best practice to have all members sign liability waivers stating they understand the risk of startup investing and take responsibility for it. The waiver should indicate that each member makes their own investment decisions and the angel group is not recommending any startup for investment. Members in the group should provide full disclosure. If the member has any relationship with a proposed startup such as advising, consulting, or otherwise, the member should disclose this to the other members. Each member can decide for themselves how that impacts their investment decision. In syndicating deals to other groups, an angel network should have those groups sign liability waivers indicating that each investor is responsible for their own due diligence. Finally, most startups are raising capital from angel investors who are doing so under an SEC exemption. The angel group should have written confirmation from the members indicating that they are accredited investors. Take care to cover these areas of liability for your angel network. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 11 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes John McEvoy, Managing Partner at Tribeca Early Stage Partners (ESP). His first venture, Creditex – a hybrid electronic and voice brokerage trading platform for the credit derivatives market – was acquired by IntercontinentalExchange (ICE) in 2008 for over $600 M. He was also a founder and operating partner of eBond Advisors, which brought financial technology to the product level of a corporate bond – creating a more liquid financial instrument for investors while lowering financing costs for issuers. Finally, John founded a Bermuda-based reinsurance company backed by Wachovia Corp. Prior to his entrepreneurial pursuits, John spent 13 years on Wall Street at PaineWebber, Bankers Trust, and Deutsche Bank in derivative structuring and sales. He has been an active angel investor, board member, and advisor to many young companies. He loves the entrepreneurial environment and process and is always willing to lend a hand or give advice when asked. John advises entrepreneurs and investors in the fintech industry and discusses his investment thesis and some of the startups that fit his thesis. You can visit Tribeca Early Stage Partners at www.tribecaesp.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/5384379/admin/. You can contact John via email at john@tribecaesp.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/john-mcevoy-6ab7425/. __________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: John_McEvoy_of_Tribeca_Early_Stage_Partners.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 8 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running an angel network, it’s important to set up a due diligence process. Diligence can take a substantial amount of time, so there needs to be a prescribed process for the members to follow. The process needs to be led by those with experience in diligence and startup investing. It starts with gathering core documents such as historical financial statements, patent filings, entity filings, and other relevant documents. There’s a quantitative aspect to diligence to verify what you think you know about the business. For example, if the company claims to have a Delaware Corporation, then there should be documentation confirming that. There’s also a qualitative aspect to diligence such as assessing the skills of the team. This requires interviewing the team members, the business goals, and then making a judgement call about the skills required. Someone needs to lead the diligence. It could be the manager of the group or a member who is particularly knowledgeable about the sector. Some groups use university students for the analysis phase of the process. Members often tap contacts who are domain experts to review the technology or the business model. The diligence team compiles a report with the findings and recommendations to provide to the rest of the group. Findings from the diligence process often impact the valuation and terms used in the term sheet. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 8 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Tom Wisniewski, Co-founder and Managing Partner at Newark Venture Partners. Tom is an active member of the NY Angles, the Black and Latino Angel Investment Fund, and a Board Member of the New Jersey Innovation Institute. Across Tom's many roles, he works to deepen collaboration within the Newark/NYC tech ecosystem, create opportunities for founders, and mentor diverse entrepreneurs and investors. Tom has an MBA from Dartmouth and a BA in Physics and Philosophy from Clark University. Tom advises entrepreneurs and investors, discusses the state of startup investing and how he sees it evolving, and shares his investment philosophy. You can visit Newark Venture Partners at www.NewarkVenturePartners.com and www.newark.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/newark-venture-partners, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/NewarkVc. You can contact Tom via email at tw@newark.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/thomaswis/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/thomaswis. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Tom_Wisniewski_of_Newark_Venture_Partners.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 7 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running an angel network, it’s important to set up several sources of startups seeking funding called deal flow. The best source is the angel group members. Continually check with your members to see what deals they’ve seen or heard about. Other sources include the following: Incubators and accelerators often have deals, although most of the startups tend to be a little early for most angel investors. Venture capital investors in your area see many startups that are not an exact match for their fund but are good venture investments. Local universities may be a source of startups out of their development programs. Service providers see startups looking for funding and can provide a referral to the group. Online funding portals are also a source of deal flow. Finally, the angel network’s website may attract startups looking for funding. Set up a number of deal flow sources and track which ones provide the best startups for your group. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Thu, 7 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Kareem Elsirafy, Managing Partner at Modus Capital. Founded in 2016, they have offices in New York, Cairo, Dubai, and Abu Dhabi. Their team consists of international experts spanning across six countries and four continents, bringing together marketers, developers, designers, and operators. Kareem is a seasoned entrepreneur and investor with extensive strategic and operating experience in early-stage tech. Having dedicated almost two decades of his career toward technological solutions for business and social complications, Kareem believes in the power of technology to drive positive returns for social impact and business initiatives. Kareem is a United States Marine Corps veteran and holds multiple degrees from Columbia University including BAs in Political Science, Economics, and Middle Eastern Studies, and an Executive MBA in Technology Management from Columbia as well. Most recently, Kareem held executive roles at various NYC-based companies providing strategic advisory and execution for various public institutions including the U.S. Departments of Veterans Affairs and U.S. Departments of State, in addition to notable private corporations such as Google, MetLife, IMG, Ally Bank, Pepsi, and Citibank. In 2011, Kareem co-founded and built Uniteus.com, a network care coordination SaaS platform that initially helped military veterans transition to civilian life and expanded to the entire U.S. Health and Human Services industry raising over $195.3 M in total capital at a $1.65 BN valuation. Kareem also founded M1 Marketing Firm in 2007 which exited for 22x in 2009. Kareem discusses his investment thesis and how the VC industry is evolving in the Middle East and North Africa. He advises startups and investors and shares some of the challenges they face. You can visit Modus Capital at www.modus.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/modus-capital, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/moduscapital. You can contact Kareem via email at kareem@modus.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kareemelsirafy/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/kareemelsirafy. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 6 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The deal screening process is a key program for an angel group. The process needs to capture all available deals in one place for review. For each deal, sufficient information must be provided by the startup including their revenue, sector, product stage, and fundraise sought. The screening process can be done by the group as a whole, by a select number of members, or by the director. The first step is to filter out all deals that do not meet the group's basic criteria. This typically cuts the number of submitted applications in half. The second step is to filter based on the quality of the deal such as traction, strength of the team, and size and growth of the target market. This typically cuts the number of applications in half again. The third step is to talk with the startups to gather additional information about fundraise status and valuation. This cuts the number of applications in half yet again. The fourth step is to choose the top 5 to 7 deals to go through the presentation process inviting the rest to apply on the next deal flow cycle. After the presentation process, the fifth step is the due diligence and funding process which pursues two to three deals for investment. The deal screening process is important as it provides an efficient method for identifying the deals to present and fund. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. |
Wed, 6 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Ryon Anderson, CEO and Founder of Ryon Esquire. Ryon wants to change the world by leading, inspiring, and challenging the status quo! After losing his vision from a random illness at age 11, he was lost. Up until then, his dream and vision were to be an NFL quarterback. Losing his vision not only took his dream from him, but it also stole his identity. Unknown at the time, he had this drive to be great! He thrives on challenges and ultimately turned what most consider a disability into his greatest challenge because challenges can be beaten, while disabilities cannot. Ryon channeled his competitiveness into the only thing he felt he could be great at - his education. He went on to obtain an MS in Counseling Psychology and a law degree from Texas Tech School of Law; he is a member of the Texas Bar. But it all felt so empty. Ryon obtained these degrees because they made him employable as a blind person - they were just credibility checks. It was during this period of empty pursuit of societal excellence that he started on his journey of self-improvement. He discovered he still maintained the identity of an NFL quarterback. It has now shifted from physical skills to intangible traits, three of which are in his mission statement: inspire, lead, and serve along with unite, motivate, care for, and help achieve desired goals. Ryon is still quarterbacking. Ryon starts with “why?” when coaching individuals and consulting companies. Once an individual and/or company understands their true “why?”, their true beliefs, they can work together to implement creative strategies to not only achieve but blow beyond those desired results. Ryon discusses his background, some of the challenges he has faced, and how the coaching industry is evolving. __________________________________________________________________ You can contact Ryon at www.ryonesquire.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ryon-anderson-esquire-64919330/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ryonesquire?lang=en, and via email at ryon@ryonesquire.com. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 5 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In running an angel network, consider using online events for the program. Here are some key tools for creating successful online events: A website. This keeps track of scheduled events with information about each one including name of the event, description, who should attend, and associated documents. Event registration. This page gives information about the event, registration capability, and a payment page if required. Streaming software. Software tools for capturing the speakers. Digital video equipment. Digital camera, lighting, microphones, and associated equipment for capturing the presenter. Webinar software. Software tools for setting up breakout sessions, recording the event, and managing the flow. Capable WiFi. You’ll need wireless connectivity in the room. Event planning tools. This keeps track of everything that needs to be done for each event including pre-show, show, and post-show action items. Consider these tools for setting up your online events. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Tue, 5 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Sam Silvershein, Associate at Alpha Partners. Alpha Partners partners with early-stage VCs to double down in their leading companies. Small, specialist VCs are the first funders of 80% of unicorns and tech IPOs, but 90% of the time, these first funders lack the capital to follow on in their growth stage winners. Alpha is purpose-built to solve this capital gap for early-stage VCs. As a result, Alpha invests in top-tier growth equity rounds led by the world’s best investors. Some of their recent exits include Coupang, Coursera, Rover, Vroom, and Wish. Before turning to venture, Sam spent time working in both the hospitality and CPG industries. During his tenure in hospitality, he managed a restaurant in Manhattan where he built a private-label beer brand and started a speakeasy inside of the main establishment. While working at the restaurant, he also went back to school to study for his Masters in Business Administration. Prior to joining the restaurant, he professionally brewed beer for three different breweries on the East Coast where he planned and executed expansion plans for output production and growing their distribution range. Sam obtained his Master’s degree from The University of Kansas where he had a finance concentration. He received his Bachelors from Dickinson College where he graduated with a Biology degree. Sam currently lives in New York City and is originally from New Jersey. When he’s not busy working with founders and fellow investors, he keeps busy playing hockey and hanging out with his rescue dog. Sam shares with Hall what excites him now in the industry, and how he sees it evolving post-COVID-19. You can visit Alpha Partners at www.alphapartners.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/alpha-venture-partners/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/alphaptrs. Sam can be contacted via email at sam@alphapartners.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/sam-silvershein. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 4 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Warrants give the holder a number of shares to be exercised over a specified period to buy the company’s stock. Warrants play a key part in venture debt. Companies offer warrants in exchange for a lower interest rate on the debt. Investors offering venture debt use warrants to gain access to the equity upside of the business. As long as the company is solvent, the warrant will have some value. Warrants are often offered at levels below the current market price. There are challenges with warrants. They are tied to the performance of the company’s stock price which fluctuates. They don’t last forever as they have an expiration date. They don’t give the investor any control rights in the company. They don’t offer any dividends. Venture debt providers typically offer debt at 10-20% warrant coverage. Warrant coverage is that portion of the loan taken in the form of warrants. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 4 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Carolyn Lowe, Founder of ROI Swift, and Author of “Business Growth Do's and Absolute Don'ts”. What is “Business Growth Do's and Absolute Don'ts”? Markets fluctuate and trends come and go, but some principles of the business world are here to stay. Founders and leaders need to know—and cannot ignore—the vital differences between success and failure. Carolyn has worked with hundreds of companies, from startups to Fortune 500s, in identifying their unique path to sustainable success. She’s seen her share of costly mistakes and understands the principles that endure, no matter the business size or industry. This book shares her most valuable takeaways from nearly three decades of experience. She wants to help you bridge the gap between brand and customer by showing you how to define your core values and ensure the right people are representing your company. With imperative insight on growing your Amazon or online business, you’ll learn the eCommerce metrics that truly matter to maximize profit and fast-track your way to unrivaled growth. Carolyn founded ROI Swift in 2015 to help emerging consumer brands get expert help in Amazon, Paid Ads for Facebook/Instagram, and Paid Search. So many smaller businesses were being taken advantage of by paying agencies big dollars for no results, and Carolyn thought that was wrong. Her team grew an apparel and footwear company from $0-12M in 18 months through paid Facebook and Instagram ads. Carolyn’s goal is to help 1000 brands grow profitably. So far, they have helped nearly 200, so she is 800 away from retirement! She lives in Austin, Texas, and is married with two children. Carolyn has her pilot’s license, though no time to actually fly anymore. Carolyn discusses her inspiration for writing the book, the primary audience, the most important takeaway, and more. You can purchase Carolyn’s book at https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1544522444. Carolyn can be contacted via email at carolyn@roiswift.com, and via LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/carolynbyronlowe/. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 1 October 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Litigation funding provides investments to businesses seeking to litigate a lawsuit. Lawsuits come from businesses suing other businesses, tenants suing landlords, startups defending their intellectual property claims, and more. The one pressing the lawsuit needs funds to carry it through the courts. Investors receive a return when the business wins the lawsuit and pays the investor back from the settlement. Private equity raises funds from investors and then applies them to various lawsuit cases. These funds charge a management fee and carry to the fund. The fund follows the venture capital model. They only pay the investors in the event they win the case. The fund sees hundreds of lawsuits, but only backs a small percentage of them. Each lawsuit must payout at least five times the original investment. To join these funds, the investor must be accredited. Crowdfunding could also be used to source funds for litigation funding. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Fri, 1 October 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Dr. Raymond Levitt, Operating Partner at Blackhorn Ventures LP. |
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