Mon, 10 May 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Cap Table stands for Capitalization Table and tracks the equity ownership in the company. This includes the number of shares each one owns and what percentage of the company it represents. It also lists the total number of shares issued as well as the number of authorized shares by the board. Your number of shares divided by the total number of shares issued shows your ownership stake. Each one is listed with a pre-money valuation, what it’s worth before the investment on that round, and post-money valuation, what it’s worth after the investment. Finally, there’s a price per share. The Cap Table should list all options, warrants, and convertible notes. Listing all forms of ownership as exercised shows a “fully diluted” Cap Table. From the Cap Table, the investor can model out the impact of dilution from future funding rounds. 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 |
Mon, 10 May 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Isidoros Sideridis, CEO and co-Founder at Pobuca. Pobuca offers a go-to-market platform for brands and retailers that helps them boost their customer experiences. With Pobuca you can engage your customers and empower your people in sales, marketing, and customer service. Pobuca offers a state of the art AI-based software and a broad range of services like consulting, technical integration, and after-sales support aimed at the digital transformation of their clients. Isidoros is a technology entrepreneur who has been working nearly all of his life. He started his company at the age of 26. He received the Microsoft Partner of the Year Award in 2011 and 2016 for Pobuca, and participated as a keynote speaker in many technology events & conferences. Isidoros was born in Athens and studied Mechanical Engineering at the University of Patras, where he was also a member of BEST’s (Board of European Students of Technology) management board. He loves rationalizing nature’s wonders and won the Science Communication contest of FameLab in Greece. Isidoros shares his plans for Pobuca, advises investors and entrepreneurs and discusses some of the challenges companies face in the industry. You can visit Pobuca at www.pobuca.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/pobuca, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/PobucaHQ. Isidoros can be contacted via email at i.sideridis@pobuca.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/sideridis, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/isideridis. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 7 May 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. An advisory board is a group of three to five people who provide advice on how to grow your startup. They bring experience, contacts, and domain expertise. Advisory boards help the company grow and succeed. In recruiting for your advisory board, consider the following: Recruit diverse skills, networks, and experiences so they don’t overlap. Use the advisors to fill in the gaps of the startup team which is most often a skeletal group. Use advisors to raise the profile of the startup with their reputations. They can give the startup branding to help position the company with clients. You can highlight the advisory board for recruiting the team, investors, and customers. They are different from a board of directors in that they don’t have any fiduciary roles and work informally with you on growing your business. An advisory board can improve your odds at success.
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 7 May 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Bradford Shepherd, Managing Partner at Sugarhouse Investments. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Sugarhouse Investments is a real estate private equity firm that provides investors with passive investment opportunities in institutional-quality commercial real estate and they help fund cash-flowing commercial real estate projects to move them forward. Together they build long-term wealth and passive income streams. The deals they fund preserve capital investments, collect consistent cash flow and build equity through future capital appreciation of the assets. Real estate investing has been part of Brad’s life since his college days. He earned his undergraduate degree in Finance with an eye towards commercial real estate, interning with one of the premier large commercial property portfolio companies in the Northwest. He purchased his first rental property within months of graduating college and quickly added several more. His experience includes management of hotel and vacation properties, development of retail and hospitality space, and raising capital from both domestic and international investors. He's been exclusively focused on capital raising for commercial syndications since 2017. Brad and his young family have called Austin home since 2011. Brad discusses the state of real estate investing and how he sees the industry evolving. He also shares his investment thesis and some of the challenges investors face. You can visit Sugarhouse Investments at www.sugarhouseinvestments.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/sugarhouseinvestments/. Brad can be contacted via email at brad@sugarhouseinvestments.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/bradshep/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/bradshep. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Brad_Shepherd_of_Sugarhouse_Investments.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 6 May 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Once you’ve found an advisor you want to bring on board, consider the compensation. It’s important to pay the advisor something for their time and experience. Real work requires real pay. Not all advisors bring the same level of support to the startup. Also consider that equity increases in value as the company grows. Later-stage company equity is worth a great deal more than an early-stage company. With this in mind, consider the following: There are standard advisors who share their experience. For early-stage companies consider 0.25% of equity vested over one year. For growth-stage companies consider 0.15% of equity vested over a year. Then there are premium advisors who not only share their experience but also make introductions to investors, customers, and partners. For early-stage companies, consider 1% of equity vested over one year. For growth-stage companies consider 0.5% of equity vested over a year. Set the compensation based on the stage of the company and the contribution of the advisor.
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 |
Thu, 6 May 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Donna Hamlin, CEO, & Nola Masterson, Partner at Boardwise. Boardwise provides companies and executives with the highest quality solutions, tools, education, independent evaluations, research, breaking news, and advisory support in corporate governance and management available for governance needs around the globe. They work with all forms of companies and organizations, including private and public corporations and associations, non-profit organizations and executives, and teams with a passion for better governance practices. Donna is the founder and board chair of Hamlin Harkins, Ltd., a 39-year-old global management consultancy providing services in strategy, business development and performance improvement to executive teams across diverse industries. Donna helps board directors and executives discover and develop personal competencies which ensure sustainable success for themselves and their organizations. She is certified in global governance by Harvard University. A published author, she writes articles about human performance and change management. Donna currently serves on the private company boards of Daily Pay, Inc., AussieWeb, Inc., the Themyscira Institute, and on the advisory boards for Fresh Bellies Inc., Joylux Inc., and Lead Women in Malaysia. She previously served on the board of Interhealth USA, and the compensation committees for publicly-listed companies, Trident Microsystems and Asyst Technologies. Nola has had a long career in venture capital investments and board of directors’ work. She sits on early-stage company boards and publicly traded company boards. Nola coaches aspirational board candidates and is passionate about getting diverse representation around the board table. As a lead investor in Portfolia Femtech Fund, she helps educate and support women investors to be comfortable investing at the angel level in companies that have products and services for women's health and wellness, from birth to menopause. She was a trailblazer for women in corporate sales management at Millipore and Ames Company, and the first biotechnology analyst on Wall Street. She is the co-founder of a DNA analysis company, Sequenom, which went public in 2000. Nola also teaches at the graduate level at the University of San Francisco and is the co-chair of the Women Corporate Directors chapter in SF. Her work with Boardwise includes coaching and consulting with boards and individual board members. She has been honored as a pioneer by Fordham University and is a published author and dynamic public speaker. Donna and Nola discuss their investment theses, advise startups and investors, and share some of the challenges they face. You can visit Boardwise at https://boardwise.biz/, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/global-board-services, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/sciencefutures. Donna can be contacted via email at donna.hamlin@boardwise.biz. Nola can be contacted via email at masterson@sciencefuturesinc.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/nola-e-masterson. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Donna_M_Hamlin__Nola_Masterson_of_Boardwise.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 5 May 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In recruiting an advisor, check to see if they have what it takes to be a good one: Have they been through the wringer? Those who have been tested, such as nearing bankruptcy or going bankrupt will have a deeper understanding of the challenges in running a startup. Will their work with you put them in conflict with their current or past employer? Those who want to compete against their previous employer may not be the best. Are they all show and tell but haven’t built a company before? They may not have created a unicorn but did they stand up a business and grow it? Ask for something that they put together. Are they invested in your business with their money in addition to their time? Where they put their money says a great deal about their interest. Will they learn something from the engagement just as you are learning from them? This will make the project that much more interesting to the prospective advisor. Can they relate to your situation directly? Those who can only rehash past experiences may not appreciate the differences between their past and your needs.
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 |
Wed, 5 May 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Don Rainey, General Partner at Grotech Ventures. Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, Grotech Ventures is a team committed to helping creative and driven entrepreneurs build technology companies that last. Their strategy is simple: early investors in high-potential technology companies. They initially invest from $500,000 to $5 million and look to continue investing and building value throughout the growth of your enterprise. Grotech Ventures is committed to advancing a more diverse, equitable & inclusive venture capital ecosystem. As part of this commitment, they have signed the #VCHumanCapital Pledge to submit their firm’s demographic and talent management details to support the industry’s data collection and tracking efforts. Don currently serves or has served on the boards of Grotech portfolio companies Booker Software, Ceterus, Clarabridge, Contactually, HelloWallet (acquired by Morningstar), ICX Media, Intellinote, LivingSocial, Passport, Payzer, Personal, PetScreening, Rent Ready, The Royalty Exchange, WiserTogether, and Zenoss. Don is a strong proponent of technology transfer and education and devotes much time to both areas. In 2010, he was appointed to a third term as an emerging technology consultant to the Chief Information Officer of the US Department of Defense through the DeVenCi Program, which is tasked with researching and nominating companies to solve the DoD’s unmet technology needs. In 2011, Don was appointed to the JMU Board of Visitors by Virginia Governor Robert McDonnell. During this four year appointment, he and other board members are responsible for overseeing the effective governance of the university. He also serves on the Board of Directors of James Madison Innovations, Inc., a non-profit corporation which helps commercialize intellectual property produced at JMU. In 2012, he was named to the Board of Directors of the Innovation and Entrepreneurship Investment Authority, which is the parent authority for The Center for Innovative Technology. Don earned a Bachelor of Business Administration from James Madison University and a Master of Science in Bioscience Management from George Mason University. Click here to read Don’s complete bio. Don discusses what excites him now in venture capital. He also advises investors and entrepreneurs and shares what he thinks are some good investment opportunities. You can visit Grotech Ventures at www.grotech.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/grotech-capital-group, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/grotechventure. Don can be contacted via email at drainey@grotech.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/don-rainey. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 4 May 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Here are some warning signs you may be talking to the wrong advisor: Their primary business-building experience came two tech generations ago. They have business experience but only in one area such as sales or marketing. They can relate their experience but have difficulty understanding your situation. They have a strong ego and center most of the discussion around themselves. They seem to be busy with other projects and take some time to get back to you. They treat the advisory work as a joyless task. They don’t want to write down anything but rather just chat across the coffee table. They can’t make the company meetings, so they have little knowledge of the rest of the team and company dynamics. They don’t follow through on their action items and it takes several reminders to get something done. They often confirm what you already know and don’t add much value. Their experience and contribution overlap with other advisors. If you have the wrong advisor, it’s best to bring it up and close out the relationship amicably.
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 Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 4 May 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Christian Czernich, CEO/Founder/Managing Partner at Round2 Capital Partners. Round2 Capital Partners is a financing partner for European scale-ups with digital and sustainable business models. In the scale-up phase, outstanding entrepreneurs manage to transform their business from a successful venture into a real company. Round2 offers the innovative funding instruments and insights needed to master this transformation process. Founded in 2017, Round2 has pioneered revenue-based finance in Europe: a flexible, non-dilutive funding instrument. When Christian together with Jan started to develop revenue-based finance in Europe back in 2015, Christian was driven by the vision to find better ways of backing great entrepreneurs than by diluting ownership through equity. Also, neither bank loans nor traditional rigid venture debt loans were a viable solution for funding asset-light and digital business models. Instead – he thought – by linking the funding to revenue one can offer a non-dilutive, yet at the same time highly flexible and simple funding instrument and thus solve the problem. Round2 was born. Before founding Round2, Christian was working almost 15 years in European investment banking and Private Equity out of Vienna and Munich. He was responsible for more than 30 cross-border equity transactions with transaction sizes up to EUR 600m in various sectors and has built a leading Vienna-based investment boutique. Christian developed his passion for entrepreneur-led young technology companies when working on his Ph.D. thesis at the Stockholm School of Economics and at Stanford University. In his research, he worked with close to 100 Founders of high-technology spin-offs from Swedish Corporations. His research won the Best Paper Award at the Academy of Management for the worldwide best research paper of a Ph.D. student in his field. Besides entrepreneurship, Christian has a passion for education. During the last 20 years he has been educating hundreds of students on topics in finance, strategy and entrepreneurship at the Stockholm School of Economics, Stockholm University, and the Vienna University of Economics and Business at the Bachelor, Master and Executive level. This passion also led to the establishment of the Round2 Lab. An Austrian national, Christian lives in Stockholm and Vienna with his Swedish wife and their three sons. He holds a Ph.D. from the Stockholm School of Economics and a Master in Business and Finance (with distinction) from Innsbruck University. Christian discusses his investment thesis, advises startups and investors, and shares how he sees the industry evolving. You can visit Round2 Capital Partners at www.round2cap.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/round2-capital-partners/. Christian can be contacted via email at cc@round2cap.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/christian-czernich. Music courtesy of Bensound |
Mon, 3 May 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Once you decide you need an advisor, you’ll need to find and select one. Here are some key points to consider: Start with your network and expand out from there. Hold several conversations with the candidate advisor before making a decision. If you need to raise awareness for your startup, consider a thought leader in the industry. Find a mutual connection who can make an introduction. Look for someone who compliments your skills. If the candidate does not come from a trusted source, consider running a background check. Focus on those who understand your strategic vision and at some level, support it. Discuss their time availability to see if they can commit to your company. See if they can take their experience and apply it to your business. Avoid the war stories advisor who tells about his experience but relates nothing to your company. Finally, look for an advisor who has some empathy for your work.
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 Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 3 May 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Elio Assuncao, Founder and Director at Venture Capital World Summit. Venture Capital World Summit is a global community for investors and investees where they help businesses get more capital and expertise as they need to scale up and grow internationally with the support, if required, from their trusted network. Their message to international businesses and entrepreneurs is simple: attend their international conferences and get in touch well before. Elio has an exquisite vision of life and continuous development focused on quality as a driven entrepreneur, combining a multitude of science tech with an academic background. He has over 15+ years of experience in technology analysis and artificial intelligence. Elio has been organizing events and conferences since 2012 and thus helped many businesses and entrepreneurs to develop and grow both local, national and international markets. Elio discusses the state of startup investing and shares what he thinks, in five years, will be the most significant change. He discusses some of the challenges entrepreneurs and investors face and also advises them. You can visit Venture Capital World Summit at www.vcworldsummit.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/venture-capital-world-summit, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/vcworldsummit. Elio can be contacted via email at hello@vcworldsummit.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/elioassuncao, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/eaentrepreneur. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Elio_Assuncao_of_Venture_Capital_World_Summit_Inc.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 30 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes John-Mark Collins, Co-Founder, Owner, and Operator of Electric Playhouse. Headquartered in Albuquerque, New Mexico, Electric Playhouse is an experiential platform company building easily replicable distributable content and operational facilities for families and adults to enjoy. Electric Playhouse has one open location in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and two more in the works in Dallas and Houston. Electric Playhouse produces creative worlds for immersive and interactive experiences including games, dining & special events for all ages. John-Mark started his educational career in art and architecture (completing two years), before taking a break from college. His earned education consists of a Bachelor of Science in Computer Science, a Bachelor of Arts in Fine Arts, and an MBA (managed to do all three of those in 6 years). However, his real education came in the form of 15 years in the hospitality industry before returning to his education. He managed restaurants and bars across the US, from Chicago to New Mexico. This experience, coupled with his education, has led him to where he is now - the owner and operator of Electric Playhouse. Prior to launching Electric Playhouse, he started a B2B business in exhibit and experience design, Storylab Interactive, in 2016. Before that, he worked at Ideum doing exhibit design and software development, and at Sandia National Labs as a software engineer. John-Mark is from Cleveland, Ohio originally and now resides in Albuquerque, New Mexico with his wife and two young girls - Lola (7) and Mila (5). John-Mark advises both investors and entrepreneurs, shares how he sees the immersive experiential industry evolving, and discusses some of the challenges startups face. You can visit Electric Playhouse at www.electricplayhouse.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/playelectric. John-Mark can be contacted via email at johnmark@electricplayhouse.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/johnmarkcollins, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/jmcjedi. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: John-Mark_Collins_of_Electric_Playhouse.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 10:18am CDT |
Fri, 30 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In working with an advisor for your startup, look for these characteristics:
If you don’t see these things in a potential advisor, you may want to reconsider.
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. |
Thu, 29 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In choosing a startup to advise, it’s important to find the right fit. Here are some key points to make sure you are a good advisor to the startup. Spend time with the startup to really understand if you can add value and if they are ready for an advisor. Make sure you communicate well with each other and ensure the personal style fits. Spend as much time on selecting a startup as you would an investment. If they have other advisors, check with them about their experience. Find out where they need the help the most. Ask what’s slowing them down and where they avoid engaging. That’s an indication they need help. Avoid the day-to-day minutiae and focus on strategic objectives. For the day-to-day work, make introductions to people who can solve those issues. Make clear you will play the role of devil’s advocate and that you will ask a lot of difficult questions as part of your job. Spend the majority of your time with the startup listening and only talk when you have something important to say. Get to know the founder and others in the startup outside of work. Come to an agreement about the time commitment for your work with the startup. Give the founder the hard answers as in the end, they will appreciate that more than the kudos. If the founder seems to be scattered, help them focus on a few key priorities. If it turns out not to be a good fit, then help the founder close it out.
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. |
Thu, 29 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Matthew Sullivan, CEO and Founder of QuantmRE. Headquartered in Newport Beach, California, QuantmRE is a real estate finance platform that originates and funds Home Equity Agreements. This new financial tool enables qualifying homeowners to get a cash lump sum from their home equity with no monthly payments, no interest and no added debt. A Home Equity Agreement is an equity based solution - it's not a reverse mortgage, it's not a loan and it's not a line of credit. Instead of charging interest, they take a share of the current equity together with a share of the appreciation if the value of the home goes up. They also share in the potential downside risk if the home decreases in value The QuantmRE platform has also been designed to enable a wide range of investors to fund these Home Equity Agreements, including retail investors. Their platform has been designed to be a secondary market exchange where investors can build, model, manage and trade individual portfolios of fractionalized Home Equity Agreements. Matthew is the founder of real estate crowdfunding platform Crowdventure.com and is a manager of two real estate funds. He worked with Richard Branson and his corporate finance team and was appointed a director and Trustee of Virgin’s London Air Ambulance service. Matthew went to Westminster School in London, UK and studied Law at Birmingham University before pursuing a career in finance and stockbroking, specializing in the South East Asian markets. He was an early internet pioneer and has founded companies in the United Kingdom, India, Australia and the United States in the finance, telecommunications, technology and real estate sectors. Matthew shares where he sees the real estate industry going post-COVID-19, and what excites him now in the sector. He also updates Hall on the evolution of the company since his last interview some three years ago. You can visit QuantmRE at www.quantmre.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/quantm-one, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/quantmre. Matthew can be contacted via email at msullivan@quantmre.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mattsullivanco, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/mattsullivanco. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Matthew_Sullivan_of_QuantmRE_follow_up.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 28 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Advisors take many roles in their work with startups. You can use advisors to fill gaps in the early stage of the startup. Some advisors provide support as informal advisors. There’s no set goals, meetings, or formal advisor agreement. This is the most common way startups work with advisors. Those advisors signed up with an agreement and a set of objectives to take on a formal advisor role. Some advisors take the role of a mentor in providing guidance. Mentors focus on the founder, while advisors focus on the company. Some advisors take the role of consultant in performing very specific tasks for the company while others take on general responsibilities. Some advisors take on the role of a board of directors. This can be helpful in early-stage companies that are not yet ready to form a board. Advisors here can provide oversight to the company and help the founder keep the broader picture in mind. Advisors bring experience, contacts, and networking. In choosing an advisor, know what role you want the advisor to play. 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 |
Wed, 28 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Igor Khmel, Founder and CEO of Brik.exchange. Brik.exchange is a platform where you can trade stablecoins. BRIK is liquidity protocol for real estate that they are working on. They want to implement the power of the DeFi market and stable coins to automate the biggest asset class in the world - real estate. They have got multifamily properties confirmed for $15m, and are in the process of onboarding other $20m properties. Igor created and launched the Innovation Lab for Sberbank, the biggest bank in Russia and Eastern Europe. He hired and managed a team of 15 engineers and managers to create new innovative solutions for the bank and the bank's ecosystem. He got the idea when he met with alumni from the Capital One Lab at Stanford and used that Lab and their best practices as a model. Among 20+ pilots, he developed card retargeting, an innovative banking product that uses real-time bidding technology to target online merchants when customers buy something offline. To realize this, he led the acquisition of a company that enabled this technology for Sberbank and led the integration. He initiated the sale of a 50% stake in this company to the leading Russian telecom, enabling joint use of data and technology by Sberbank and the telecom. They closed the deal based on 2x valuation - doubling the company's valuation in a single year. Igor shares what led him to start working in the industry. He also discusses the growth rate of the sector, and some of the challenges he has faced. You can visit Brik.exchange at www.f6s.com/daoreit. Igor can be contacted via email at team@brik.exchange, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ikhmel, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/igorkhmel. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 27 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several types of advisors you can choose to help your startup. Here’s a list to consider: The Brand Name. This type of advisor offers their name to your company. This can be helpful to attract investors, employees, and customers. They typically bring some value in the form of advice, but it’s primarily their name. The Domain Expert. This type of advisor knows the industry well, both in technology and business. They can be helpful if you are moving into a new domain or the industry is changing rapidly. The Networker. This type of advisor knows everyone in the industry or region. Those with a Rolodex and the ability to make connections can be very helpful. This can be helpful in fundraising and growing sales. The Business Modeler. This type of advisor may come from other industries but knows business models and can bring new monetization tools to your business. The Confidant. This type of advisor can coach on the emotional side of running a startup. Startups have highs and lows that take the founder through the full range of emotions. This advisor can help the founder navigate through the ups and downs. Decide what type of advisor you need before looking for one.
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 |
Tue, 27 April 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 “COVID’s Impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about changes expected in the coming 12 months and our guests’ final thoughts. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. Our guests are: 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
Direct download: IP_Cybersecurity_Show_4_Changes_Expected_in_the_Coming_12_Months.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 26 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Good advisors bring good value to your startup. Great advisors bring great value. Spend time identifying the right advisor. In recruiting an advisor, pose specific questions and gauge the response. How does it rank compared to feedback from other sources? It should be the best or near best of responses. If they advise other startups, then ask those startups for their experience. Advisors bring experience, contacts, and domain knowledge. Define the help you need on these and set goals. Set up regular meeting times by phone or in-person to review the progress. Plan for quarterly reviews to discuss the progress and next steps. If compensating the advisor with equity, then vest the equity over the timeframe of the engagement. Set the engagement for one year with the option to renew for another year. Set the bar high and look for advisors who bring a great deal to your company.
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, 26 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Berthold Baurek-Karlic, Founder and Managing Partner at Venionaire Capital. He recently published the book “100 Startups Made in Austria” and writes on a regular basis for tech media. Berthold advises both investors and entrepreneurs, discusses his investment thesis, and how he sees the industry evolving post-COVID-19. You can visit Venionaire Capital at www.venionaire.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/venionaire. Berthold can be contacted via email at berthold.karlic@venionaire.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/berthold-baurek-karlic, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/berthold_karlic. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Berthold_Baurek-Karlic_of_Venionaire_Capital_V2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 23 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. As an investor in a startup, you may want to provide additional value and sign up as an advisor. Here are some key points to consider:
Advising can be rewarding but comes at a cost in time and effort.
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.
Direct download: How_to_Find_the_Right_Startup_to_Advise.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 23 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Jonathan DeYoe, President & CEO at Mindful Money and author of the Amazon Bestseller, “Mindful Money: Simple Practices for Reaching Your Financial Goals and Increasing Your Happiness Dividend”. Jonathan discusses investing in seed deals and some of the challenges to expect. He also shares the inspiration behind writing his book and explains - what he calls - the pillars of human happiness. You can visit Mindful Money at www.mindful.money, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/mindful-money-plan, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/mindfulmoney. Jonathan can be contacted via email at jonathan@mindful.money. His book can be purchased at www.Amazon.com. |
Thu, 22 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Advisors can be very helpful to startup founders. Here are steps to consider in selecting an advisor:
If you want real work done you’ll need to pay something for it. Compensation is typically equity in the range of half of one percent to one percent per year. Vest the equity over time so there’s a clear endpoint. If the engagement went well, you can sign them up for another round if the company needs it.
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.
Direct download: Achieving_a_Good_Advisor_Fit_with_a_Startup.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 22 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Donatas Keras, Founding Partner at Practica Capital. Donatas shares with Hall what excites him right now in the venture capital industry. He advises entrepreneurs and investors and discusses how he sees the industry evolving. You can visit Practica Capital at www.practica.vc, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/practica-capital, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/practicacapital. Donatas can be contacted via email at donatas@practica.vc, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/donatas-keras. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 21 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Just as you have an ideal customer profile, so you should have an ideal advisor profile. Start with your industry and growth strategy and look for founders who have experience in the same. Look for someone who has already gone through what you are going through now. Start with those who are local and reach further out if necessary. Once you’ve identified someone who meets the criteria, make contact with them. Many founders will have some empathy for you since they know well the challenges you face. Some will offer advice on the first call. Parlay this budding relationship into a long-term advisor relationship. In proposing the advisor role, minimize the time commitment and maximize the result. Make clear to them their importance to you and your company. Be prepared to pay something for it - most likely equity. If the potential advisor doesn’t ask, then it’s best to bring it up for discussion. Identify what the advisor thinks is most important and pursue that first. Grow the relationship over time.
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. |
Wed, 21 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Robert Davidson, CEO of CURE Pharmaceutical. CURE Pharmaceutical is an innovative drug delivery and development company committed to improving drug efficacy, safety and the patient experience through its proprietary drug dosage forms and delivery systems. CURE has an industry-leading full-service cGMP manufacturing facility and is a preeminent developer and manufacturer of a patented and proprietary delivery system (CureFilm™), the most advanced oral thin film on the market today. CURE has developed an array of products in cutting-edge delivery platforms and partners with leading pharmaceutical companies. CURE has positioned itself to advance numerous therapeutic categories, including the pharmaceutical cannabis sector with partnerships in the U.S., Canada, Israel and Germany, among other markets. Prior to his role at CURE Pharmaceutical, Robert served as President and Chief Executive Officer of InnoZen Inc., Chief Executive Officer of Gel Tech LLC, Chief Executive Officer of Bio Delivery Technologies Inc., and has served on multiple corporate boards. Robert was responsible for the development of several drug delivery technologies and commercial brand extensions including the popular zinc product Zicam. He has worked with brands such as Chloraseptic™, Suppress™, as well as Pediastrip™, a private label electrolyte oral thin film sold in major drug store chains. He received his B.S. degree with a concentration in Biological Life Sciences and has a Masters Certificate in Applied Project Management from Villanova University, a Masters of Public Health from American Military University, Virginia, and a Masters in Health and Wellness from Liberty University, Virginia. Robert also completed his Post Graduate Studies at the University of Cambridge. Robert discusses the growth rate of the sector, the future of drug delivery, and some of the challenges he has faced. You can visit CURE Pharmaceutical at www.curepharmaceutical.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/cure-pharmaceutical, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cure_pharma_. Robert can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/rob-davidson-a6baa06/. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Robert_Davidson_of_CURE_Pharmaceutical.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 20 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Advisors can help startups achieve higher growth, avoid problems along the way, and give the founder confidence. Here are some key points in choosing an advisor for your startup:
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. |
Tue, 20 April 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 “COVID’s Impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about participation in the cybersecurity segment and what investors look for. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. Our guests are:
Direct download: IP_Cybersecurity_Show_3_Participation_in_the_Cybersecurity_Segment_and_What_Investors_Look_For.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 19 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Andrew Bilinsky, Co-founder & CEO of Lensabl. Five years ago Lensabl pioneered the concept of “lens replacement”. Before that, when someone with prescription glasses needed to replace their lenses, they typically had to visit a store and spend hundreds of dollars to buy new frames with their new lenses. Lensabl gave them a new option: keep your frames and they will just replace your lenses. To date, they have helped over 100,000 customers streamline their vision care and save over $5 million dollars. Lensabl sells replacement vision plans, lenses, frames, contacts, and a vision test, all online. Previously, Andy was the co-founder of ivory + mason Eyewear, a direct-to-consumer online glasses brand. He had also founded ChirpAds, a mobile advertising platform, and held business development roles at eCommerce companies HauteLook and BeachMint. Andy, a native of Los Angeles, received his BBA from the Ross School of Business at The University of Michigan, where he double majored in Finance and Entrepreneurial Studies. Andy discusses how he sees the eye care industry evolving and the growth rate of the sector. He advises investors and shares some of the challenges he has faced. You can visit Lensabl at www.lensabl.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/lensabl/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/lensabl?lang=en. Andy can be contacted via email at andy@lensabl.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/andrewbilinsky, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/andybilinsky?lang=en. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 19 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Advisors can be helpful to your startup. Here are some key points to consider to determine if you need one:
Mentors are different from advisors. They typically help the individual grow, while advisors help grow the business. When you know what you need the advisor to do, then it’s time to look for one. It’s important to compensate the advisor and make clear the expectations in a written advisor agreement.
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 16 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Chester J. Jachimiec, President of Down Hole Water Management. Down Hole Water Management has developed and patented a downhole separation system for disposing of produced water from natural gas wells (the “DGWS” – Downhole Gas/Water Separator) and from oil wells (the “DOWS” – Downhole Oil/Water Separator) in the same wellbore, eliminating the need (and significant operating expense and environmental risks) of lifting the contaminated produced water to the surface and hauling it to a separate disposal well. The DGWS system has been demonstrated in numerous live wells and is ready for commercialization. Chester has 40 years of professional, entrepreneurial, and large company business experience, and has developed several companies from concept stage to full public company status. In the last twenty years, he has founded three companies that have gone public, including one of which grew to Fortune 1000 size. Chester has been a close advisor to the Finley companies since early 2017, acting as the CFO of the enterprises and involved in their various operations and investments. Prior to that, from 2012 to 2016, he was a founder and board member, CFO, and ultimately President of Vivione Biosciences Inc., a medical device company taken public on the TSX-Venture Exchange. From 2005 to 2008, he was a founder, director, and EVP of Production Enhancement Group, Inc., an upstream energy services company involved in coiled tubing, pressure pumping, and wireline services, and rental tools, and taken public on the Toronto Stock Exchange. From 2001 to 2005, he was President of SPI Petroleum, LLC, a private equity-backed consolidation of fuels and lubricants distribution companies that ultimately grew to over $4 billion in revenue and became the largest company in its industry. From 1996 to 2001, he served as a founder, director, and EVP of Encompass Services Corporation, a public company and national provider of mechanical, electrical, plumbing, and janitorial services, with over $4.5 billion in revenue and 35,000 employees. From 1994 to 1996, Chester served as Director of Acquisitions and Investments for Tenneco Energy, where he created and led a group to diversify the company away from regulated assets (pipelines) and redeploy capital in a higher return, non-regulated businesses (independent power plants; pipeline services). From 1990 to 1994, he served as a consultant to a number of companies, assisting them to secure capital or engage in acquisitions, MBOs, or other transactions, and managed his personal investments in oil & gas and technology commercializations. Prior to 1990, Chester practiced law in the areas of Securities and M&A in Houston and Dallas and was a partner in two large national law firms. He was also licensed as a CPA in the State of Illinois and practiced public accounting with Price Waterhouse prior to attending law school. He received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in public accounting (1976, with honors) from Loyola University of Chicago and a Juris Doctorate (1979, with honors) from Northwestern University of Chicago School of Law, where he served on and was published in the Northwestern University Law Review. Chester shares what excites him right now in the oil and gas space. He advises investors, shares some of the technology behind his product, and discusses challenges for the oil and gas operator in today's market. You can visit Down Hole Water Management at www.downholeinjection.com. Chester can be contacted via email at cjachimiec@att.net, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/chester-jachimiec, and via phone at (713)628-6582. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Chester_J_Jachimiec_of_Down_Hole_Water_Management.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:27am CDT |
Fri, 16 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The Convertible Note is a commonly used investment structure for funding startups. It’s a short-term debt instrument that converts into equity later. If the issuer wants a debt instrument without conversion to equity, a promissory note would be a better option. A Convertible Note has three components which are the interest rate, discount rate, and cap rate:
The conversion from debt to equity is usually based on a future financing round. If there is no follow-on financing round, then the note often sets a time limit (say 3 to 5 years), at which point it will convert at the cap rate. The Convertible Note works well for investors who want to invest relatively small amounts. Investors seeking to make large investments typically want a valuation set, board seats determined, and control provisions set which often requires an equity term sheet. 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. |
Thu, 15 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Equity is used for investment purposes to give the investor an ownership stake in the company. To calculate your ownership percentage you take the number of shares you are purchasing and divide it by the total number of outstanding shares. Another way to calculate your ownership is to use the pre-money-plus-investment-equal-post-money valuation equation. Each share is priced so you know how much you’ll pay for that equity stake. Be forewarned that startups on the venture track will continue to raise funding and add more shares to the outstanding share pool thus diluting your percent ownership. In most cases, the valuation will go up with each successive round of funding so the total valuation of your equity stake will increase even though your percent ownership declines. It’s not unusual for CEOs exiting their company to have less than 10% ownership of the company. Also, there are different types of equity. There are common shares and preferred shares. Preferred shares carry additional advantages over common shareholders. 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. |
Thu, 15 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Gary Boomershine, Founder & CEO of RealEstateInvestor.com. RealEstateInvestor.com is a vertical solution provider in the real estate niche, servicing real estate investors, agents, and private lenders. Their flagship service, REIvault.com, provides managed marketing, shared systems, and proven results. They have a proven direct response marketing formula offering both direct mail and online PPC/SEO services to their members. They’ve sent out over 14,000,000 pieces of direct mail and are averaging about 500,000 pieces a month currently. They are a "membership" model looking for like-minded investors who believe in shared resources to get altitude in their business faster, cheaper, better. They have been on the Inc5000 Fastest Growing Company List for 2016 and 2017. Gary founded RealEstateInvestor.com in 2005 out of the need to scale and grow his own real estate investing and home-buying business. With a family legacy in the real estate niche and a long successful career in enterprise and emerging technology markets, Gary saw the vision for RealEstateInvestor.com. He noticed the glaring opportunity to leverage people, processes, and technology to gain a leg up in a changing and competitive marketplace. As he worked to develop and use the initial product and service, he saw his real estate business flourish by allowing him to work smarter – not harder, and focusing on the one thing that makes money – talking to sellers and making offers. Gary currently resides in Northern California with his wife and two daughters where he continues to be a visionary for RealEstateInvestor.com. He is actively involved in real estate investing and private lending. In his free time, he enjoys fly fishing, skiing, hiking, mountain biking, and traveling with family. Gary shares what excites him right now in the real estate industry. He discusses how he sees the industry evolving, and the best opportunity for investors to pursue today. You can visit RealEstateInvestor.com at www.Realestateinvestor.com. Gary can be contacted via email at gary@realestateinvestor.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/garyboomershine/. You can also listen to his podcast by clicking here Real Estate Investor Huddle. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Gary_Boomershine_of_Realestateinvestor.com.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 14 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. SAFE stands for Simple Agreement for Future Equity. SAFE notes were created to provide a convertible note-like structure for startup funding but without interest rates or maturity dates. The SAFE note operates like a warrant which gives the investor the right to buy shares in a future-priced round. SAFEs are similar to convertible notes as they eventually convert to equity, but are different as they are not debt instruments. There are many flavors of SAFE notes. Some come with valuation caps and some do not. Some come with discount rates and some do not. Startups use them because they are simple, although the cap table treatment later may require more work. Technically, you should have a C-Corp if using a SAFE note as it must be noted on the cap table. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. 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. |
Wed, 14 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Chris J. Younger, Managing Director at Class VI Partners. Headquartered in Denver, Colorado, Class VI Partners provides investment banking and financial advisory services to middle-market businesses and entrepreneurs in Colorado and across the United States. The principals of Class VI Partners have completed hundreds of middle-market transactions and strategic advisory engagements, and by using a disciplined process and extensive research, Class VI Partners is able to provide you with the experience and judgment necessary to complete your transaction. Chris has over 30 years of deal experience. He started as an attorney in Silicon Valley, then led acquisitions (27 of them) and was the president for a $1B consolidation in the communications sector, and founded his investment bank Class VI Partners in 2005. He has personally worked on over 100 transactions representing over $2B in value, and has seen most of the bad movies that can occur with an acquisition. He loves working with entrepreneurs and believes their success is the foundation for the health of our communities. Chris shares what excites him right now in the sector. He discusses the state of investing in startups, how he sees the industry evolving, and his investment thesis. You can visit Class VI Partners at www.classvipartners.com, and on LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/classvipartners. Chris can be contacted via email at chris@classvipartners.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/chris-younger-2a51486. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 13 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The traditional method of going public with an IPO is being challenged by a new model called Direct Listing. The IPO is typically run by an investment bank which hypes the new offering to investors to create a market. This oversubscription creates artificial demand for the stock. After launching the IPO, the issuing company’s stock price often fluctuates which meant the round was mispriced. This provides significant wealth to the investment banker but does little for the company which issues it. In a Direct Listing, the issuer lists their proposed price to investors cutting out the middleman investment banker. This reduces the pump and dump scenario of the IPO and reduces the cost of bringing a new issuer to the market. The issuer uses data analytics to set the price so there’s less chance of mispricing. Today the private market is much more mature with many more investors who understand the value of startups and want to invest in them. In the IPO, the investment bank provided research to select clients that guided the investor. In the Direct Listing, the company information is available to everyone. Direct Listing has no lockup period as the IPO does. The investor can sell whenever they want. Larger institutions can buy as much as they want. The issuance is promoted online giving many more investors access to the offering. In conclusion, the Direct Listing is another example of the internet disintermediating the middle man. 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. |
Tue, 13 April 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 “COVID’s Impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about the primary trends and what makes for a successful company in the cybersecurity segment. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. _______________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Music courtesy of Bensound.
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Mon, 12 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding or selling your business you may consider using an investment banker. Here are some key points to consider in making the decision: They can build out the dataroom and do the appropriate research of competitors and comps. An investment banker can create competition for your acquisition thus raising the buyout value. Fees range from 3%-5% of the enterprise value along with some retainers. In general, most investment bankers are worth the price if you bring them in at the beginning. If you build the dataroom and find the buyer, then the value of the investment banker is reduced. The investment banker can remove the burden of negotiating the terms including the valuation, as well as the follow-on employment. They can free up the CEO to continue working on the business. Choose an investment banker that has a track record in your sector and size of company. 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, 12 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Daniel McCarthy, Co-Founder of Theta Equity Partners and Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University. Founded in 2018, Theta Equity Partners is a Seattle, Washington-based valuation services firm. The firm specializes in customer-based corporate valuation that prefers valuing firms by forecasting their current and future customer's behavior and predicting their future financials. Theta Equity Partners caters to private equity and venture capital firms, corporations, and public equities. Daniel is an Assistant Professor of Marketing at Emory University's Goizueta School of Business. His research specialty is the application of leading-edge statistical methodology to contemporary empirical marketing problems. He popularized “customer-based corporate valuation” (CBCV), a methodology that drives any traditional valuation model off of the underlying behaviors of the target company's customers. His work has been featured in major media outlets such as the Harvard Business Review, Wall Street Journal, FT, Fortune, Barron’s, Inc Magazine, the Economist, and CNBC. His research has been accepted and published in top-tier academic journals and has won numerous research awards. In addition to his roles and responsibilities at Emory, Dan co-founded and was Chief Statistician for Zodiac, a predictive customer analytics SaaS firm. (Nike acquired Zodiac in March 2018). Daniel advises investors and entrepreneurs, shares how he sees the industry evolving, and discusses some of the challenges startups face. You can visit Theta Equity Partners at www.thetaequity.com/, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/theta-equity-partners/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ThetaEquity. Daniel can be contacted via email at daniel.mccarthy@emory.edu, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/danielmcc/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/d_mccar. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Daniel_McCarthy_of_Theta_Equity_Partners.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 9 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Vernon Howard, CEO & Co-Founder at Hallo. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, Hallo is an online events platform that builds authentic relationships with diverse candidates. Hallo’s versatile platform helps teams and passionate employers connect with candidates in natural ways. Vernon was a math prodigy, who graduated high school at 16 years old, when he tested into Virginia Commonwealth University to study Computer Science and Math. He paid his way through school by teaching math and serving as a janitor on campus. He went on to sell men’s suits, which taught him the art of selling. After joining Capital One – whose signing bonus he used to rebuild an Alpha Romeo – he built Capital One’s first mobile banking application. He also built out the Application Security Team at Capital One, before, naturally, becoming a securities trader. Vernon then transitioned over to being a white hat hacker and eventually ended his career sitting on the derivatives trading floor at Capital One. Vernon shares what led him to start working in this sector. He also discusses some of the challenges startups face and advises both entrepreneurs and investors. You can visit Hallo at www.hallothere.com and on Twitter at www.twitter.com/halloapp. Vernon can be contacted via email at vh@hallothere.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/vdhjr/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Fri, 9 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In negotiating the exit with an acquirer, you’ll need to know the following:
Also, acquirers will ask why you are selling the company and why now? Why is the acquiring company a good fit for your company? How closely aligned in operations is the company to the acquiring company’s operations? How much integration work will need to be done? What role will the CEO play after the acquisition? Think through the answers to these questions as most of them will come up. 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. |
Thu, 8 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most startups are launched with the idea of selling the business for a substantial gain in five to seven years. Many companies reach that stage and find they can’t sell the business, at least not for the price they want. Here are some options:
While you may not reach a full acquisition as planned, there are several ways to exit the business and pay back the investors. 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. |
Thu, 8 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Charles Sunnucks, investor and author of “The Company Valuation Playbook”. “Apple, Amazon, Tesla, Microsoft – great companies perhaps, but are they great investments? While there are a variety of investment styles an investor might apply, investing over any reasonable period ultimately boils down to a simple reality – if you overpay for a stock you are likely to get stung, and if you underpay then odds are you will profit. Therefore, to stack the deck in your favour when investing, the ability to value a company is vital. The Company Valuation Playbook introduces you to the industry-standard tools used by professionals globally to value companies and their shares. These valuation tools can be applied by anyone, no matter their experience. All you need is a computer, the internet, and a bit of common sense.” Charles is a successful professional investor. Formerly a fund manager at Jupiter Asset Management, he has lectured at Cambridge University, made multiple TV appearances commenting on markets, and actively co-managed a London stock exchange-listed investment fund. University educated in China, he speaks fluent Chinese, and is both a Chartered Financial Analyst, and a Chartered Alternative Investment Analyst. Charles shares the inspiration behind writing his book and gives Hall a breakdown of the core areas. He discusses who may benefit the most from reading it and what surprised him the most while writing. You can purchase Charles’s book at www.companyvaluationplaybook.com. Charles can be contacted via email at charliesunnucks@hotmail.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/charles-sunnucks. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 7 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In setting the exit, most investors look to maximize the exit value. It’s important to remember that the metric investors use, IRR or Internal Rate of Return has a time component to it. The faster the exit, the higher the IRR. As an investor, consider pursuing the highest IRR and not just the biggest dollar exit as bigger exits take longer. While the news highlights the biggest exits, the vast majority of exits are under $20M. Selling a business for under $20M is not that hard. Growing a business and selling it over $100M is very hard. Most acquirers don’t need the business to be large, they just need to know the business model is defined and is profitable. Staying in the deal longer opens up the investor for dilution and other events that reduce the return on investment. A startup should be proving their business model and turning it into a repeatable, predictable process. With funding and time, it will scale. As an angel investor, you should look for early exits and structure your investments accordingly. 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. |
Wed, 7 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes David J. Neff of Neon Syndicate. Neon Syndicate is a privately held real estate and investment company run by Chelle and David J. Neff in Austin, TX, with investments in Veritas Beauty, Peace Love and Betty as well as real estate holdings. David has 20 years of creating experiences that impact people's lives, from his work in eCommerce, marketing, and digital strategy with the American Cancer Society, to his work with consulting companies like Southwest Airlines, Pepsi, Lululemon, Dell, Office Depot, Build.com, Wolverine Worldwide, Discover Card, Jack-in-the-Box, Kingfisher, Tesco, Gatehouse Media, and tech companies like Hulu. He is also supporting/leading another recent startup acquisition as a go-to-market lead inside of Accenture for Creative Drive. David currently works as the VP of the data-driven consulting practice at Clearhead (acquired by Accenture Interactive), and also works with Fortune 500 brands on their eCommerce, organizational strategy, and building culture. He is the author of three books, and in 2014 he was named the top person in Austin by the Austin Under 40 Awards for the Community Service and Nonprofit category. A much-in-demand speaker and trainer, he has spoken at places like TEDx, SXSW (6x), The University of Texas, St. Edward's University, Texas State University, Social Media Club, Social Media Breakfast, The Association of Fundraising Professionals, Planned Practical Giving Conference and NTEN's national technology conference. Outside of work you can find him gardening, advising, investing in startups, planning an amazing Halloween party, and experimenting with single-board computers and computer vision. David shares with Hall how he sees the industry evolving and discusses some of the challenges startups face. David can be contacted via email at dneff22@gmail.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/david-j-neff/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/daveiam?lang=en. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 6 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most exits come from another company buying the startup. It takes six months to a year to complete a buyout. Delays often come from the startup not being prepared or ready for the M&A process. Also, setting valuation and final terms can take substantial time for research and negotiations. To shorten the time consider the following:
This is basically a gathering process but does take some time. Beware of competitors in the diligence process as they will have access to your detailed financials and other information. Understand the interest level from the buyer and what other activities may delay their work on your deal. Set realistic expectations for how fast things will go. 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. |
Tue, 6 April 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 “COVID’s impact on Cybersecurity”, you’ll hear about growth in the cybersecurity segment. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The cybersecurity space is now undergoing tremendous change as we shift from a centralized to a decentralized workforce. Every business is impacted by cybersecurity. We have investors and startup founders describe the changes coming up. 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
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Mon, 5 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In selling a business there are two types of buyers: strategic buyers and financial buyers. Strategic buyers look for companies that can enhance their current business. Financial buyers look for companies that generate cash. Their motivations and careabouts are different. The strategic buyer will look to see how closely the acquisition is to the buyer’s business and how much work it will take to integrate it. The financial buyer will look at the financials to determine the cash flow and how long it may sustain. A company seeking a buyer will need to develop a relationship with CEO and VP-level contacts in the industry. This can be done through introductions, conferences, and other events. The company may also find an avenue through the corporate development team in some cases. Bankers are also potential conduits to potential acquirers. The board of directors of the acquiring company may also provide an entry into the company. Finding the buyer takes time and building a rapport takes even more time.
Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. 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, 5 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Bruce Wayne Meleski, Ph.D., Executive Director at Neuroception360. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Neuroception360 helps individuals achieve their prime brain performance through mind integration. They aim to be the premiere Light, Color, and Vibration (LCV) system for mental well-being. LCV is a broad set of measurable embodied techniques that can create quick shifts in one’s state of mind. The techniques use neuroplasticity to train new neural pathways that result in calmer emotions, greater awareness, and new perceptions of one’s environment. Their signature technique, Mind Alive Experience, creates a state of “ultra-relaxation”. A series of these sessions quickly emerges a new state of resilience and a novel mind integration pathway. Dr. Meleski began research into the role of sleep in a modern wellness lifestyle. He quickly identified the need for an integrated systems approach. After several years of experimentation, he developed the Neuroception 360 model for mind integration. Bruce received an undergraduate degree from the University of Pennsylvania, he earned an MA and Ph.D. in Human Biology and Sports Science from the University of Texas at Austin. His career at IBM and healthcare providers has blended information systems, healthcare delivery, and human performance. Bruce discusses with Hall the state of investing in the neuroscience space and some of the challenges startups face. You can visit Neuroception360 at www.neuroception360.com and at www.mindalivenow.com. Bruce can be contacted at drmel@neuroception360.com. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Bruce_Wayne_Meleski_of_Neuroception360.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 2 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups should start planning for an exit after they achieve product-market fit. Here are some key points to consider when planning your approach to an acquirer:
These questions show how your company will be perceived by the potential buyer. You can use this to guide your funding, hiring, and strategic plans. 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 |
Fri, 2 April 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Emmie Chang, CEO and Founder of Hoo Inc. Hoo.live is a livestream platform intended for interactive content designed like a tv show. They are a new way for performers to interact with their audiences and for audiences to interact with their friends. More importantly, performers can monetize directly on the platform by charging whatever they want for content that they own! They do this by combining a scalable livestream with unlimited small group video chats to create your online presence amongst friends. Discuss Wes Anderson films with top film influencers and your friends and come on 'stage' to showcase your knowledge or broadcast a YouTube concert with your friends. The team is comprised of a YC alum and an experienced tech team that has built multiple streaming platforms in the past. Emmie is a serial tech entrepreneur currently building Hoo. Prior to working on Hoo, she spent time building innovative products for financial firms including a US stock exchange and a hedge fund. She is a Y-Combinator alum and scaled a consumer marketplace in her first venture-backed business. Prior to startups, Emmie spent time working at NASA and building products for education technology. Emmie holds a BSEE from Rice University and an MBA From the University of Texas-Austin. She currently resides between Los Angeles and Miami. Emmie shares with Hall what led her to start working in this space and discusses how she sees the industry evolving. You can visit Hoo Inc. at www.hoo.live. Emmie can be contacted at e@hoo.live and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/emmie/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Thu, 1 April 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several ways to exit a business. You can sell the business to another company or investor. This provides liquidity to the owners. The downside is, it’s not clear what happens to the employees and the direction of the company. You can develop an employee stock ownership plan. This transfers ownership to the employees and brings tax benefits plus rewarding the employees who now have control. The downside is that the valuation will most likely be lower than an outright sale. You can use a management buyout. This provides liquidity to the owners. The downside is the process can take some time to complete, even years. You can transfer the business to a family member. This provides the family member an income and potentially a career. The downside is there are estate tax consequences that must be considered. In exiting your business, consider the impact not only on yourself, but also on the employees, customers, and others associated with the business. 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. |
Thu, 1 April 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 Fintech Problem”, you’ll hear about changes expected in the coming 12 months and our guests’ final thoughts. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The fintech space is now undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. Every business is now a fintech business. We have investors and startup founders describe the shift from a centralized to a decentralized fintech market.
Direct download: Show_4_-_Changes_Expected_in_the_Coming_12_Months.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 31 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Raleigh Melancon, Founder & CEO of StylizeNOW. Located in Austin, Texas, Raleigh’s company owns and operates a platform (available on iOS Apple Store, Google Play Store, and a website www.stylizenow.com.) StylizeNOW, their platform provides on-demand mobile hair and nail salon services that cater to customers’ residences. For now, the platform is focused on the central Texas markets but hopes to expand soon. StylizeNow contracts with licensed professionals that agree to provide these services to customers that use the StylizeNow mobile application. Similar to other on-demand service providers, the company does not employ these professionals but contracts with individual professionals that provide these services and send them to customers that use the platform. Customers simply go on the platform and select what service, or services, they desire, and the platform will immediately begin to set them up with a stylist and send them to the client’s location. Raleigh graduated from UT Austin, with a BS in computer science, in 2019 and worked in government for one year. COVID-19 affected him in so many ways. While he was fortunate to avoid the worst fate of the pandemic, the entrepreneur in him kept trying to find ways to help people through lockdowns, shutdowns, and stay-at-home orders. He noticed that many women kept complaining about their hair, nails, and other beauty maintenance issues while realizing that at the same time many of these workers had been without any work or working in a limited capacity. Realizing the potential of bringing these two communities together in a way that both satisfied the pandemic restrictions (avoiding indoor public spaces with dozens or hundreds of people) and allowing for the greatest possible convenience to clients of these and other services, were the initial inspiration for StylizeNOW. Since organizing his idea, he has been leading the work on a platform that is providing on-demand salon services to clients' homes. Raleigh leads all aspects of founding and launching the platform to include incorporating, registering, searching, shopping insurance plans, developing the marketing strategy and product rollout. Raleigh discusses what led him to start working in this space and some of the challenges he has faced. He also advises investors and entrepreneurs. You can visit StylizeNOW at www.stylizenow.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/stylizenow/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/NowStylize. Raleigh can be contacted at raleighmelancon@nowtechnologiesinc.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/raleigh-melancon-18289b200/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 31 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most startup exits come through acquisition by another company. In planning for an exit, you need to develop a strategic plan that prepares your business for the target acquirer. Here are some key steps: Identify the target acquirer and make contact with the CEO and VPs of the company to discuss a potential acquisition in the future. Discuss the acquirer’s needs from your company. This could be revenue, cash flow, talent, or other. Typically, the acquirer will look for targets on one or more of these categories. With this in mind, draw up a strategic plan for the company to hit these targets and use it to set the goals of the company. This process often takes up to 3 years to complete. At the same time, you can start moving the startup’s organizational structure to match the acquiring company’s structure. 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. |
Tue, 30 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Eyal Amir, Founder and CEO of Parknav. Headquartered in San Francisco, California, and founded in 2015, Parknav revolutionizes real-time on-street parking with a highly accurate and scalable solution. Using big data and AI, Parknav brings the most advanced precise parking availability information for mobility, smart city, transportation, and automotive. They provide on-street parking, free, metered, permit, curbside restrictions, traffic control data as well as data acquisition from city sensors. Parknav is available for over 1000+ cities across North America & Europe and has over 5.5 billion recorded parking events! Eyal is an AI leader with 20 years of artificial intelligence excellence, winning the best-Ph.D. award at Stanford University computer science and the Top-10 Young AI award from IEEE. He has helped successful startups 6Sense, Reflektion, and Fraud Science, and was tenured Associate Professor of Computer Science (now Adjunct Professor) at UIUC. Among others, he was a gold medalist (Israel) in Olympic Rifle Shooting at age 20 and is a black-belt in karate (Shotokan JKA). Eyal shares with Hall what led him to start working in this space. He discusses some of the challenges he has faced and advises investors and entrepreneurs. You can visit Parknav at www.parknav.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/parknav, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/parknav. Eyal can be contacted at eyal@aiincube.com and eyal@parknav.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/eyalamir1. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 30 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors should gain alignment with the startup about the exit before making the investment. This includes the size and timing of the exit. There needs to be some clear thinking and research about who will buy the company and how much they will pay. The investors and the startup need to work together to achieve the exit. One of the biggest impacts on the exit for early-stage investors is follow-on funding. It’s important to gain alignment on the subsequent financing rounds required and the impact it will have on the early investors. It’s often the case the startup is overly optimistic and comes back later asking for additional funding. Also, discuss the path to achieve the exit - will the company grow organically or will it push aggressively for growth? It’s important to maintain communication about the exit strategy and discuss how the company is on track for it or not. Follow-on funding brings terms and valuations that can diminish the early investor’s position and ultimate exit. 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 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are several options for selling your business. Here are some of them: Strategic - This is a buyer that buys your business as it provides strategic value for their company. Financial - This buyer looks solely at the financials, in particular, the cash flow, and buys the company without consideration to the strategic implications of their business. Management team/Employee - This buyer works in the company and wants to own the business or continue to run it. Competitor - This buyer is a competitor and wants to take your business off the market by merging it into their own. Private equity - This is a buyer who plans to take over the business with a new management team and business plan. Generational transfer - This is typically a family member who wants to take over the business. 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 Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: The_Various_Options_to_Sell_Your_Business.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 29 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Willie James Mandrell III, Owner & Broker at The Mandrell Company. Headquartered in Boston, Massachusetts, The Mandrell Company is a residential & commercial real estate brokerage firm that prides itself on its knowledgeable agents, friendly personal service, and up-to-the-minute knowledge of the latest market data. They specialize in multi-family homes ranging from 2-100 plus units as well as single-unit investment real estate. The Mandrell family has been investing and managing real estate in the Boston area since the 1950s and has a proven track record of success. Willie J. Mandrell, III, is a self-made multi-millionaire real estate investor, broker, coach, lecturer & author. As a buyer, seller, and broker he's been involved with well over 200 million in real estate transactions. He has been featured in numerous trade magazines and he is a frequent guest on real estate and wealth-related podcasts, television, & radio shows across the U.S. Willie is the author of "Cash Flow Secrets", a book on real estate investing & finance tips most people are never taught but need to know. Willie is also a member of the Forbes Real Estate Council. Willie discusses his investment thesis, how he sees the real estate sector evolving, and some of the challenges investors face. You can visit The Mandrell Company at www.mandrellco.com/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/the-mandrell-company/about/. Willie can be contacted at wmandrell@gmail.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/wjmandrell/, and via his YouTube channel at www.youtube.com/wmandrell. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Willie_James_Mandrell_of_The_Mandrell_Company.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 26 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Even in the early days of the startup, the CEO must keep in mind the exit. The investors funded with the anticipation of a return. While the vision of an exit may seem like a distant future, the decisions taken at the beginning often impact the exit at the end. Selection of business model and monetization will be key factors for the exit valuation. Recurring revenue and platform-based businesses will bring a much higher return. Targeting a larger market will also bring a greater return. Consulting services are difficult to scale and are often set up with partner firms. As you start making choices, consider the exit as well as the initial starting point. Realize the importance of those decisions. 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. |
Thu, 25 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup investors look for an exit in the 5-7 year range. As a startup, you need to consider the exit from the beginning as the exit strategy can inform your decisions around funding, hiring, and more. Here are several exit options to consider:
As you launch and grow your business, keep a list of potential exit options and consider what you would need to do to achieve 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 Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Thu, 25 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Professor Ariel Evans, CEO and Founder of Cyber Innovative Technologies. Cyber Innovative Technologies is a technology innovator that provides an integrated cyber risk management platform that allows organizations, governments, regulators and their third-parties to become more cyber resilient. 85% of a business is a digital asset. The VRisk platform quantifies digital asset cyber exposures and scores the risk of the digital assets on-premise and in cloud environments. The core technology is a digital asset risk engine that is surrounded by an ecosystem of role-based modules that allow communication, reporting, analysis, and workflows between all the stakeholders in cybersecurity, cyber risk, compliance, and privacy. Ariel is a serial entrepreneur with two successful exits in technology. She is a cybersecurity expert, an educator, and author of ‘Managing Cyber Risk’ and ‘Enterprise Cybersecurity in Digital Business’. Cyber Innovative’s technology is based on the digital asset approach which Ariel pioneered. Ariel lives in Israel and the U.S. She has her M.B.A. from NYU Stern. Ariel discusses the recent cybersecurity breach at SolarWinds, the primary trend in cybersecurity risk, what changes we should expect to see in the coming 12 months, and more. You can visit Cyber Innovative Technologies at www.cyberinnovativetech.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/cyberinnovativetechnologies, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cyberinnovative?lang=en. Ariel can be contacted at ariel@cyberinnovativetech.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/marielevans/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 24 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes back Steven Hoffman, Chairman and CEO of Founders Space, and author of several award-winning books to include “Surviving a Startup”. Located in the San Francisco Bay Area, Founders Space has created an international network of incubators, entrepreneurs, and investors, with over 50 partners in 22 countries. They offer corporate innovation programs, an online startup incubator, tours, and seminars. Steve is an angel investor, a limited partner at August Capital, and a serial entrepreneur. He was the Founder and Chairman of the Producers Guild Silicon Valley Chapter, Board of Governors of the New Media Council, and founding member of the Academy of Television's Interactive Media Group. While in Hollywood, Steve worked as a TV development executive and went on to pioneer interactive television with his venture-funded startup Spiderdance, which produced interactive TV shows with NBC, MTV, Turner, Warner Brothers, History Channel, Game Show Network, and others. In Silicon Valley, Steve founded two more venture-backed startups, in the areas of games and entertainment, and worked as Mobile Studio Head for Infospace. Steve has a BS from the University of California in Computer Engineering and an MFA from the University of Southern California in Cinema Television. He currently resides in San Francisco but spends most of his time in the air, visiting startups, investors, and innovators all over the world. You can purchase Steven’s books at www.foundersspace.com/books/. You can visit Founders Space at www.foundersspace.com/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/foundersspace. Steven can be contacted via email at steven.s.hoffman@gmail.com or foundersspace@gmail.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/captainhoff/. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Steven_S_Hoffman_of_Founders_Space_book_review.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 12:47pm CDT |
Wed, 24 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Here are some key steps to take in planning the exit for your company: - Understand why you are exiting the business. This list becomes your strategic plan. Work on achieving it and keep the acquirer up-to-date on your progress. Just as investors watch your progress, so acquirers will do the same. 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. |
Wed, 24 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes best-selling author Arie Brish, Founder & CEO of cxo360, and author of “Lay an Egg and Make Chicken Soup”. cxo360™ is a leadership advisory firm with an unparalleled network and numerous measurable success stories. The main purpose of “Lay an Egg and Make Chicken Soup” is to introduce the multifaceted new products or services process to those executives who need a broader look at business innovation and how all the moving parts are supposed to work together. The people that will benefit the most from this book are founders of start-ups, CEOs, general managers, CFOs, venture capitalists, corporate directors, product managers, and new business owners. Arie is a cross-functional expert in growth strategies, commercializing innovation, change leadership, and turn-around. Arie teaches and speaks frequently about commercializing innovation. Arie brings to the table lessons learned and best practices from a wide variety of projects in different industries and across diverse business disciplines. His business acumen includes board of directors and advisory boards, CEO & GM roles, M&A, business development, turnarounds and change leadership, working with Fortune 500 corporations, startups, venture capitalists, and private equity, consulting engagements, as well as non-profits. Arie tells us what inspired him to write the book, what surprised him the most, the most important takeaway he got out of it, and more. You can visit cxo360 at www.cxo360.net. Arie can be contacted at cxo360@hotmail.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ariebrish/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 23 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many reasons to exit the business. Here are some key ones to consider:
For these reasons owners can exit the business in the following ways:
Consider your options before making a final decision. 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. |
Tue, 23 March 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 Fintech Problem”, you’ll hear about participation in the segment and what investors look for when investing. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The fintech space is now undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. Every business is now a fintech business. We have investors and startup founders describe the shift from a centralized to a decentralized fintech market. Our guests are: Marc Michel, Partner & Founder, Runway Venture Partners, 00:58 I hope you enjoy this episode.
Direct download: Show_3_participation_in_the_segment_and_what_investors_look_for_when_investing.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 22 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Anupama Pansare, founder of Volyx Consulting. Located in Sugar Land, Texas, Volyx is a consulting firm focused on digital transformation using cutting-edge technologies from their portfolio of service providers and startups. Their solutions focus on leveraging operations data to optimizing business processes. They help build data models and analytics to enable data correlation, and build predictive capabilities and provide cost-efficient solutions in a time-boxed manner. Volyx consulting works with Digital & Energy transition, Circular Economy and ESG-focused companies to expand markets. Anu is an accomplished business leader with digital, consulting and energy expertise. She has over 25 years of multi-industry experience, with diverse companies ranging from Chevron, Schlumberger, Ernst & Young to startups. She is an innovator and passionate about startups as game-changers for corporate innovation. Her venture focus is disruptors in energy transition, DeFi & digital. Anu is a venture investor and serves on the Advisory Board of the Indiana University Angel Network. She is working on an upcoming talk series podcast/webinar on Venture – Anu Venture. Anu also serves as a judge at the Rice Business Plan Competition, is the past Chair of the Houston Angel Network Screening Committees, and is a speaker at conferences including the Angel Capital Association (ACA). Anu shares her investment thesis and what excites her now in the industry. She discusses how the industry is evolving and advises entrepreneurs and investors. You can visit Volyx Consulting at www.volyx.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/volyx. Anu can be contacted at anu@volyx.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/anupansare/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/anupansare/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 22 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. For every business, there comes a time to sell it. Ask these questions to find if now is the right time to sell your business. Do you still want to run the business? You may want to move on to new projects and opportunities and the current business may no longer be fulfilling. Do you still believe in the business and what it can do for you? Sometimes the market changes and the business opportunity is no longer there. What can you get from the business today versus two years from now? Now may be the right time to sell, or waiting a few years may give you a better exit. You may be able to sell it for more if you stay with it a little longer. Do you need more funding and can you raise it? If your business needs funding to continue and you can raise it, then do so. If you cannot, then consider exiting. What do the other team members want to do? Aside from your own interests, what do the other stakeholders want? It takes a team to run a business. If they want an exit, that should be part of the consideration. 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, 19 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups have a high failure rate. What percentage fails? -25 will remain on the venture track after 2 years Of those 25: -half will die or turn into a lifestyle business between years 2-4 -15 will remain on the venture track for the long haul Of those 15: -10 will fade out For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_What_percent_of_startups_fail.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 19 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Lane Kawaoka, real estate investor and creator of SimplePassiveCashflow.com. Lane’s passion project SimplePassiveCashflow.com, is a Top-50 Investing podcast and free resource for passive real estate investing. Working as a high-paid professional in corporate America and frustrated by the traditional wealth-building dogma, Lane was compelled to inspire and mentor other working professionals on how to do real estate investing and build their own portfolios. Lane urges other working professionals to just get started by utilizing their highest and best use (their day job) to save down payment money to acquire single-family home rentals. The Simple Passive Cashflow method is to only buy investments with a healthy cash flow buffer that can withstand a market downturn. He currently owns 4,200+ units across the U.S. He lives in Hawaii and recently quit his day job as a Professional Engineer with a MS in Civil Engineering & Construction Management and a BS in Industrial Engineering. Lane partners with investors who want to build their portfolio, but are too busy to mess with “tenants, toilets, and termites” by curating opportunities in his “Hui Deal Pipeline Club” where his investors have personal access to him and know that Lane is personally putting his money on the line too. The Hui Deal Pipeline Club has acquired over $350 Million dollars of real estate acquired by syndicating over $40 Million Dollars of private equity since 2016. Lane’s mission is to help hard-working professionals out of the rat race, one free strategy call at a time. Lane discusses how he began investing in appreciation markets, counter-intuitive wealth rules that the rich follow, passive investing for working professionals, passive cash flow investing, and more. You can visit SimplePassiveCashflow.com at www.simplepassivecashflow.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/simplepassivecashflow-com/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/SimplepassiveCF/. Lane can be contacted at lane@simplepassivecashflow.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/lanekawaoka/. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Lane_Kawaoka_of_SimplePassiveCashflow.com.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 18 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Art Smith, CEO of Digerati Technologies, Inc. Headquartered in San Antonio, Texas, Digerati Technologies, Inc. (OTCQB: DTGI) is a provider of cloud services specializing in Unified Communications as a Service (UCaaS) solutions for the business market. Through its subsidiaries T3 Communications (www.T3com.com) and Nexogy, Inc. (www.nexogy.com), the Company is meeting the global needs of businesses seeking simple, flexible, reliable, and cost-effective communication and network solutions, including cloud PBX, cloud mobile, Internet broadband, SD-WAN, SIP trunking, and customized VoIP services, all delivered on its carrier-grade network and Only in the Cloud™. Art has over 25 years of public company experience with a comprehensive background in technology and global telecommunications. Over the years, he has developed expertise in broad-based management including corporate finance, financial operations, business development, mergers and acquisitions, strategic and tactical planning, sales and operational management, and international business. As founder of Digerati Technologies, Inc., Art has held various positions within the Company, including Chairman, CEO, and President of the Company’s international subsidiary. Art is also co-founder and former Chairman of GlobalSCAPE, Inc. (NYSE: GSB), a leading provider of Internet-based information exchange solutions and former wholly-owned subsidiary of Digerati. GlobalSCAPE was spun-off to the Company’s shareholders as a separate publicly-traded entity. Art discusses the growth rate and evolution of the sector, and some of the challenges companies face. You can visit Digerati Technologies, Inc. at https://digerati-inc.com/, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/digerati-technologies-inc-/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/DIGERATI_IR. Art can be contacted at ir@digerati-inc.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/art-smith-86838624/. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Art_Smith_of_Digerati_Technologies_Inc_v2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:28am CDT |
Thu, 18 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Running a fundraise with investors is similar to running a sales funnel with prospects. You must take the investor through the stages of awareness, interest, desire, and commitment. Here are the steps you need to take: Stage 1: Awareness – identify and contact an initial list of investors. Start with an ideal investor profile. Categorize them by type, revenue, and sector. Create a list of investors and set up your task list to add ten investors per week to the list when contacted. Continually add to this list and consistently reach out to potential investors daily. Stage 2: Interest – build interest in the investor by providing updates showing a growth story. You must do more than forecast a growth story, you must demonstrate it happening now. Set up a mailer template and distribution list and schedule a date on the calendar to send out two mailers per month. Stage 3: Desire – demonstrate momentum in your fundraise and create some desire on the part of the investor. Continue adding investors to the funnel and sending mailers 2 times per month. Show how other investors are in the deal. If you have a lead, then highlight the lead investor and how they set it up. Make clear why that investor invested in your deal. Include in your bi-monthly updates to investors, the interest committed and invested amounts showing steady progress to the fundraise goal. Stage 4: Commitment – open the dialog about investing interest and get specific. Ask what is interesting, what diligence is required, what commitment, etc. Once they commit, ask them to sign the term sheet as funding is contingent on passing due diligence. Use DocuSign so it’s easy to fill out the forms, sign, and return. After signing the term sheet, ask for the investors’ diligence process, and provide the appropriate documentation. Fundraising goes in steps and stages just like sales. 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. |
Wed, 17 March 2021
In this our 500th episode, Hall welcomes back Christian Kameir, Managing Partner at Sustany Capital. Sustany Capital is a venture capital firm investing in blockchain and decentralized finance solutions. In this in-depth interview, Christian speaks about Central Bank Digital Currencies (CBDCs) and answers many questions to include the stated objectives, different concepts that are being discussed around its development, business sectors most likely to be influenced, who stands to benefit the most, CBDCs vs. physical cash and much more. Christian studied classical literature, is certified in neuro-linguistic programming, and is a graduate of Muenster's School of Law. He writes and speaks on topics ranging from high-tech investing to decentralized finance, and blockchain for Harvard, Forbes, Hackernoon, and other schools and publications. You can visit Sustany Capital at www.sustany.co, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/sustany-capital/. Christian can be contacted via email at chris@sustany.co, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kameir/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/kameir. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Christian_Kameir_of_Sustany_Capital_on_Central_Bank_Digital_Currencies_V2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:45am CDT |
Wed, 17 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After you’ve had an introduction and talked with the investor either in person or on the phone, it’s important to follow up with the investor to answer questions, update about progress, and walk through diligence. Investors are not interested in spending time to hear about your forecast, they are looking for updates about your progress with sales, team, product, and fundraise. In short, the things you are in control of and not the things over which you have no control such as market growth and competitor actions. You need to have a growth story and your calls need to update the investor on those points. Investors only know what you tell them. If you don’t mention key progress, then it doesn’t exist in the minds of the investors. If the investor is not responsive to your emails, then try texting and calling them. When you call and they say they are not available, then ask for a better time to talk. Not all investors hang out on email. Some only check it once or twice a day. Investors have many other things on their plate and your email may not get top priority every time. When asking for a call make sure you’re bringing new information about the business, especially information the investor asked about such as revenue, team, board, product, etc. Before you end a call with an investor, set up the next call (say one week later). Put it on the calendar with an invite. This avoids the chase around in contacting 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 Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: How_to_Follow_Up_and_Investor_Prospect.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Tue, 16 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startups, cash is king. It’s the key financial metric to watch. Growth may be going straight up. Customer traction may be better than ever, but if cash runs out then it all comes crashing down. Cash management is a daily exercise. The first step is to understand every inflow and outflow of cash. Set up tools to alert for cash disbursements over a certain amount. Watch incoming cash from customers and follow-up when it goes off-track. Set up a daily cash management plan. Identify the biggest cash hits during the month. This is usually payroll. Investigate how to move around other expenses to match your incoming revenue. A recurring revenue model helps as it brings in cash on a regular basis throughout the year in most companies and helps with the cash flow. With some revenue, you can go to the bank and set up a line of credit. This lets you draw down some bank debt and pay it off in the following weeks. 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 |
Tue, 16 March 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 Fintech Problem”, today you’ll hear about the primary trends and what makes for a successful company in this segment. As the COVID pandemic passes, we emerge into a new world. The fintech space is now undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. Every business is now a fintech business. We have investors and startup founders describe the shift from a centralized to a decentralized fintech market. Our guests are: I hope you enjoy this episode. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: IP_Show_2_Primary_trends_in_fintech_and_What_makes_for_a_successful_company_in_this_segment.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 15 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes JR Guerrieri, CEO & Co-Founder at NYNJA. Headquartered in Lavallette, New Jersey, NYNJA is a unified communications platform for remote work (Enterprises and SMBs) that solves the problem of fragmented communications, combining the best features of Zoom (voice and video conferencing), Slack (team collaboration), and YouSendIt/Hightail (large file transfers). NYNJA is the fastest way to make an automatic conference call with a large number of participants. Just click and join! It's that simple with no software download required. NYNJA's mission is integrity in data and Absolute Business Continuity. The NYNJA platform features secure encryption of cloud data storage for saving messages, images, and files. It features a beautifully designed and intuitive interface highlighted by the app's patent and patent-pending concentric wheel navigation system. The concentric wheel enables quick and easy navigation of the app using only one thumb and eliminates the need for back buttons. Salvatore (‘JR’) has over 30 years of experience building and growing startup companies with more than US$50M in successful exits. He has served as a director on a diverse range of boards, including a former board position for the New Jersey Institute of Technology. He founded Acolyte Industries Inc. in 1996 and grew the company into an award-winning global manufacturer of LED lighting solutions. He is also an avid angel investor, seed investor, and advisor for tech, finance, and e-commerce startups around the world. JR was also awarded Entrepreneur of the year in 1988 for the state of New Jersey. JR discusses his background and how NYNJA fits in the landscape. He also advises investors and shares how he sees the industry evolving. You can visit NYNJA at www.nynja.work, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/nynjawork, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/NynjaW. JR can be contacted via email at jr@nynja.biz, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jr-guerrieri-814354159/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 15 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Platform products facilitate two-sided marketplaces that match buyers to sellers. The most common metrics used in platform products are buyer/seller metrics, inventory metrics, and transaction metrics. Buyer/seller metrics include the number of buyers and sellers on the platform. Also, the growth of buyers/sellers and the number of repeat buyers/sellers should be measured. For inventory, metrics should track the total number of products listed and the average number of listings per seller. Finally, transaction metrics track the percentage of sellers who make a sale and the percentage of listings that turn into a sale. 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.
Direct download: Most_Common_Metrics_for_Platform_Products.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Fri, 12 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Christopher Ladd, Partner at NewRoad Capital Partners. NewRoad Capital Partners, LLC, headquartered in Northwest Arkansas, is an SEC-registered investment firm investing in growth equity and growth buyout opportunities in select U.S. supply chain & logistics and retail & consumer packaged goods sectors in the lower middle market. As experienced entrepreneurs and operators themselves, the NewRoad team prides itself on the high level of collaboration they bring to each of their investments. They have learned the journey is most fruitful when partnered with like-minded people that share an obsession to improve their business. NewRoad Capital Partners love to bring together people fueled by an entrepreneurial spirit, innovative thinking, and a drive for success. Chris is a partner at NewRoad Capital Partners, LLC, where he is responsible for all aspects of the investment process and post-investment operations of portfolio companies for the firm’s venture capital fund (New Road Ventures) and its growth equity fund in partnership with Los-Angeles-based Kayne Anderson (Kayne NewRoad Ventures Fund II). Prior to joining NewRoad Capital Partners, he was part of Walmart’s Corporate Development and Strategy teams, focusing on e-commerce acquisitions and strategic initiatives and the CFO/CIO of a Walmart-led investment fund. Before Walmart, he was an Associate at TPG Capital focusing on post-acquisition operations of its portfolio companies and an Associate at KSL Capital on the buyside. Chris holds a B.A. in Economics from Cornell University and an M.B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin’s McCombs School of Business. Chris shares what excites him now in the industry. He also advises entrepreneurs and investors and discusses his investment thesis. You can visit NewRoad Capital Partners at www.newroadcp.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/newroad-ventures/. Chris can be contacted via email at cladd@newroadcp.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-ladd-6950a414/. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Christopher_Ladd_of_NewRoad_Capital_Partners.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 7:30am CDT |
Fri, 12 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Many startups use SAFE notes and Convertible Notes for their early-stage investments. So what’s the difference? A convertible note is a debt instrument that converts into equity later upon an event such as raising an equity round or reaching a maturity date. A SAFE is a Simple Agreement for Future Equity which is a warrant to purchase stock in a future priced round. The SAFE can convert when you raise any amount of equity investment and does not give the entrepreneur control of when to convert. Convertible notes are considered to be legal debt, while SAFEs are warrants. Neither a SAFE nor a Convertible Note set the valuation, but rather takes the valuation from the equity round. Convertible Notes include an interest rate while SAFE’s do not. Most convertible notes have a maturity date while SAFEs do not. Convertible notes contain a discount rate which provides additional shares to the investor for investing early. SAFEs have no discount rate. SAFEs are often considered the simpler option compared to a convertible note, but as you can see the convertible note provides more options. 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.
Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Safe_Notes_vs_Convertible_Debt.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 11 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Storytelling is a key skill for any startup raising funding. In the early days of a startup, the product and team aren’t fully developed and customers are typically not fully engaged. The investors look to the founders to understand the potential of the business. The founder who can articulate a clear vision of the company and fill in the gaps can win over the investor. Such a skill demonstrates to investors the ability to win over potential employees, future customers, and critical partners to make the business successful. If you can’t convince an investor of your story, how will you convince a customer to buy from you? When talking to investors, the story comes into play when you are defining the problem you are solving. After that, the pitch goes to the specifics of the company - product, team, market - where the story form is less relevant. Overuse of the storytelling technique throughout the pitch can drag out the process. When an investor asks how many people are on the team, it’s best to give a straight-up number rather than a story that explains the history of hiring each team member. If the investor is interested to learn more, then they will ask. 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.
Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_The_Importance_of_Storytelling_for_your_startup.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 11 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Julien Coulon, Directeur Général at Crédit Mutuel Innovation. Headquartered in Paris, Ile-de-France, Crédit Mutuel Innovation is the evergreen venture capital entity of Crédit Mutuel Equity (€3.5 billion in capital). They invest €1-20M in life science, digital and deeptech companies from seed to growth stages. Today, the 350 companies in which they have invested generate a cumulative annual turnover of €50bn and create more than 250,000 jobs. In 1996, Julien created a strategic analysis for 2 years at France Telecom in New York. He was in charge of the Internet and Minitel site for the football World Cup France ‘98, then he developed the hosting business. In 2000, he participated in the création of Virtual Languages, a web conferencing start-up bought by Genesys Conferencing. He joined Akamai in 2002 to launch the e-Commerce, media, telecom, social networking business and managed to position the company as the key leader in content delivery and application acceleration on the market. In mid-2009, Julien founded Cedexis, "The Waze of the Internet", a community monitoring solution that can be combined with a patented fully configurable real-time flow routing service. After raising more than $33 million and deploying services worldwide, setting up 9 offices in Europe, the USA, and Asia, Cedexis was sold to Citrix in early 2018. In 2019, Julien took over the general management of Crédit Mutuel Equity and has 250 million to invest in digital start-ups, disruptive technology, life science, electronics. Julien is also a member of the boards of Recommerce, Stimio, ABTasty, Antidot, Training Orchestra, Little Big Job, and is a regular speaker in telecom schools & HEC. He is self-taught and recently graduated from Exec MBA at HEC. Julien shares how he sees the industry evolving, and advises startups and investors. You can visit Crédit Mutuel Innovation at www.creditmutuel-equity.eu/fr/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/creditmutuelinnovation/. Julien can be contacted via email at couloncoulon@gmail.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/juliencoulon/?originalSubdomain=fr, and viaTwitter at https://twitter.com/juliencoulon?lang=en. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Julien_Coulon_of_Credit_Mutuel_Equity_FINAL.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Wed, 10 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In seeking a buyer for the company, there are two basic choices: a strategic buyer or a financial buyer. The strategic buyer is typically a company in your industry that is seeking to acquire technology, teams, a customer base, or brands. They will look at those aspects of your business for a potential fit with their growth plans. If your company has built value in any of these areas, you can open discussions with potential acquirers. Financial buyers look at cash flow, cash reserves, return on capital, and other financial indicators for a potential fit. These buyers are agnostic to your industry or market positioning but look at it purely as a financial play. There’s also the possibility of splitting up the company so the strategic buyer finds the value relevant to them while the financial buyer finds the part that works for them as well. 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. |
Wed, 10 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Carolyn Jenkins, CSO & Head of the Product Division at EPSoft Technologies. EPSoft Technologies is a global software company founded in 2015 and headquartered in Dallas, Texas. They are the creators behind the EPSoft Intelligent Automation Platform, an end-to-end solution for business process management and intelligent automation. The platform supports both front office and back-office operations with powerful natively developed tools that help businesses make better decisions all with a single-pane view for seamless management. Carolyn has more than 20 years of strategic leadership experience, serving in various executive roles throughout her career, including COO, CEO, strategic advisor and board contributor for several companies within the tech sector. As the co-founder of four technology startups—with three successful exits and one still in operation—Carolyn’s experience runs deep and wide. Carolyn advises entrepreneurs and investors, shares how she sees the industry evolving, and discusses some of the challenges startups face. You can visit EPSoft Technologies at www.epsoftinc.com/ and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/epsofttechnologies/. Carolyn can be contacted via email at carolyn.jenkins@EPSoftinc.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/carolyntrevinojenkins/, and viaTwitter at www.twitter.com/carolynajenkins?lang=en. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 9 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After you complete your fundraise and thanked those who helped you, take time to prepare for the next fundraise. Take the investor prospects, the ones who did not invest, and add them to a list to update every 3 to 6 months about your progress. Investors are often curious about how the business turned out, even if they did not invest. Updating them keeps them on the journey with you for the next fundraise round. If you maintain the relationship, then you will have a ready group of investors for the next raise. You can also lean on some of them for startup advice or even introductions. This goes a long way toward building the relationship with the investor which is important to do before the campaign begins if possible. 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 |
Tue, 9 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Brian Burkinshaw, Founder/Owner of Clearpat Services, LLC. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Clearpat Services is a technology commercialization firm specializing in concept research evaluation, patent novelty, clearance, and accelerated searches, drafting and prosecution of patent applications involving mechanical, medical, and biotech devices, technologies, and processes. Among their specialties is the ability to help you protect your valuable ideas (Intellectual Property) and help guide you to market commercialization. Their niche is in helping small to mid-size businesses and individual inventors in the Austin and Central Texas area obtain patent protection for your ideas while keeping your costs to a minimum. They can perform the research necessary for patent planning to determine how best to protect your ideas; whether it’s through trade secrets or the generation of patent applications that stand the best chance for patent allowance and issue. Implementing the right strategies can place your company in the best possible position to be favorably considered for growth, venture funding, or acquisition. Brian Burkinshaw is an inventor and registered US Patent Agent with over 10 years of experience practicing patent law. To his credit, Brian spent nearly six years practicing patent law with Wilson, Sonsini, Goodrich, and Rosati PC, a National Tier 1 firm in Patent law, with global reach in the US, Europe, and Asia. WSGR is consistently recognized as the top biotech IP firm in the country with over 180 experienced patent attorneys, patent agents, and scientific advisors, most of whom possess Ph.D. or other advanced degrees in such areas as biology, chemistry, immunology, biomedical sciences, engineering, or other scientific fields. As a member of the Patents and Innovations team with WSGR, Brian routinely performed patentability searches and landscape analyses, but more importantly, developed a keen focus on drafting and prosecution of patent applications, primarily involving mechanical, medical, and biotech devices, technologies, and processes, personally drafting nearly 300 applications and helping his clients acquire over 150 high-quality patents. Some of the patented technologies acquired for his clients include next-generation automotive variator transmissions, Lidar (light detection and ranging) sensor technologies, high-tech sports gear and training equipment, advanced, high volume, indoor and hydroponic farming technologies, downhole drilling and fluid recovery technologies, fermentation technologies, programmable technologies, and a virtual plethora of medical implants, instruments and medical device technologies. For a complete bio, click here. Brian discusses when, what and how to file a patent. You can visit Clearpat Services, LLC. at www.clearpat.com. Brian can be contacted via email at clearpat@outlook.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/brianburkinshaw/, and via phone at (512) 657-6843. Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Brian_Burkinshaw_of_Clearpat_Services_LLC.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Mon, 8 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Caroline Goodner, Founder & CEO at OrganiCare. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, OrganiCare’s mission is to create all-natural and organic over-the-counter (OTC) healthcare products that are safe, effective, and simply better than the petrochemical-based, drug-laden products used by most consumers today. OrganiCare offers a range of all-natural and organic first aid, oral care, and feminine care products under two brands, CUROXEN® and FemiClear®. All OrganiCare products are made from a unique process that combines the antibacterial, healing effects of pure olive oil with life-giving oxygen. This formula has been found to be extremely effective at healing anything from minor cuts to mouth sores to vaginal yeast infections. Prior to OrganiCare, Caroline was the CEO of UpSpring Baby, a consumer products company focused on new mothers. Prior to that, Caroline founded Identigene, a DNA identification laboratory focused on paternity and forensic DNA testing. Caroline serves on several boards: the Entrepreneur’s Organization (EO), Beyond Batten Disease Foundation and Philanthropitch. She has been a Mentor with SKU for several cycles, and is on the Steering Committee for the Austin Chapter of the Rice Alliance. Caroline earned her BA from Duke and her MBA from Rice. Caroline advises entrepreneurs and investors, explains how she thinks the industry is evolving and lists some of the challenges startups face. You can visit OrganiCare at www.organicare.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/organicare-llc/. Caroline can be contacted via email at caroline@organicare.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/caroline-goodner-98b32/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Mon, 8 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. After the fundraise is complete, wrap up the current raise by doing the following:
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, 5 March 2021
In our new Investor Perspectives series entitled “How to Solve the Fintech Problem”, today you’ll hear about the growth in the segment. This is Investor Perspectives, I’m the host of Investor Connect, Hall T Martin, where we connect startups and investors for funding. As the COVID pandemic passes we emerge into a new world. The fintech space is now undergoing tremendous change across the U.S. Every business is now a fintech business. We have investors and startup founders describe the shift from a centralized to a decentralized fintech market. Our guests are:
I hope you enjoy this episode. For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group Music courtesy of Bensound.
Direct download: Show_1_Growth_in_the_Fintech_Segment_V2.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 8:39am CDT |
Fri, 5 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. I’m often asked what return angels and venture capital investors seek in their startup investments. 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.
Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_What_return_to_Angels_and_VCs_look_for.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 4 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors calculate their returns using metrics ROI and IRR. So what’s the difference? ROI is the return on investment without respect to time. IRR is the internal rate of return which is the return on investment with respect to time. If I invest $100K and 5 years later I receive a return of $300,000, then my ROI is 3x. If I receive my return 10 years later, my ROI is still 3x. The same scenario with IRR gives a different result for each case as it takes into account the time of return. In this case, the 5-year return yields a 25% IRR, while a 10-year return yields a 12% IRR. So how do you calculate IRR? We can use an Excel spreadsheet for that.
To understand your investment results better, you’ll find IRR is a better metric as it takes into account the time factor. 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.
Direct download: Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_IRR_vs_ROI.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 6:00am CDT |
Thu, 4 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Stephen Collins, Founder of Luca Partners LLC. Luca Partners provides strategy, finance, operating, and transactional advisory services to C-level leadership teams at venture and private equity-funded technology businesses. Luca Partners are a team of highly-experienced technology industry professionals who are career operators that understand the challenges facing leadership teams. Their core competencies include strategic planning, investor and board management and communications, corporate finance/M&A including diligence and acquisition integration, go-to-market, and general business operations. Stephen is a decisive and energetic high-growth-oriented business leader with extensive management expertise and experience particularly in developing disruptive and rapidly-growing markets. His experience ranges from Big 4 audit, to consumer products in emerging markets in Eastern Europe, and to the early days of online advertising. For the last twenty years, Stephen has been a C-level leader and board member in the software industry. During this period, Stephen’s pursuits included experience with on-premise enterprise software, SaaS, social media, e-commerce, programmatic advertising, and healthcare technology. During his career, Stephen has held the titles of Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Financial Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Innovation Officer reflecting his diverse skills as a leader and operator. Also, Stephen has extensive international experience having lived abroad and worked in more than 20 different countries. As a career operator, Stephen’s core functional competencies include strategic and operational leadership, management, finance and accounting, strategic finance, investor relations, mergers and acquisitions, talent acquisition, personnel development, and board responsibilities. Stephen shares what excites him now in the sector. He advises entrepreneurs and investors and shares his investment thesis. You can visit Luca Partners LLC at https://lucapartners.com/, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/d4d2/about/. Stephen can be contacted via email at collins@lucapartners.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/srcollins/. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Wed, 3 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. I’ve seen CEOs pitch and when asked about their numbers they defer to a CFO or someone else for the answers. This is not a good look for the CEO. Investors want to know you are on top of it, and knowing your numbers is one indication of it. As a startup, you should know your numbers inside and out. Investors will always ask for some numbers usually related to revenue, growth rates, and costs. Before engaging an investor, review your numbers and be able to cite them if asked. Numbers that seem out of range from the standard will elicit questions, so for those numbers, you’ll need to be able to explain them as well as what you are planning to do to improve them. If you have compelling numbers such as high-growth rates, be sure to bring this up in the pitch or follow-on discussion. Remember, it’s up to you to articulate the values in the business. 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 |
Wed, 3 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Kevin R. Jacques, General Partner at Cota Capital. Cota Capital is a San Francisco-based, SEC-registered, multi-stage investment firm focused on private and public enterprise technology companies. Cota has invested in more than 100 private and public technology companies since inception. Cota’s overall mission is to deliver impactful outcomes through principle-guided investment in modern enterprise technologies. Kevin joined Cota in 2021 as a General Partner. Prior to Cota, Kevin was Head of Corporate Ventures at Visa, where he executed over 30 investments into leading fintech companies including Plaid, Railsbank, Paidy, and Paystack. Before Visa, Kevin spent 6 years at Intuit directing Corporate Development. At Intuit, Kevin and his team completed over 30 acquisitions, five investments, and 11 FinTech venture fund investments. Earlier, Kevin spent nearly 12 years as an investing partner with Sevin Rosen Funds and Palomar Ventures. Kevin was also the CEO of Globeranger, an RFID middleware provider, and a consultant at The Boston Consulting Group. Kevin received a B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Stanford University and an M.B.A. from the Wharton School at the University of Pennsylvania. Kevin speaks about the growth rate, primary trends, evolution of the fintech sector, and much more. You can visit Cota Capital at www.cotacapital.com, and via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/cota-capital/. Kevin can be contacted via email at kevin@cotacapital.com. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 2 March 2021
In this episode, Hall welcomes Will Ciolino, Founder and CEO of Anthology Corp. Headquartered in Union City, New Jersey, Anthology is a brand new portfolio management system that provides powerful organization for all of your photos. Anthology provides a fully customizable profile UI, which allows artists to extend their creativity beyond just their photos and maximizes given real estate on small devices to bring the viewer’s focus on the photos. Keyword tagging allows users to easily find new profiles, photos, and portfolios. Additionally, Anthology introduces beginners and hobbyists to consumers looking to purchase physical prints. It also allows artists to set their own royalty rates, terms and conditions for licensing. Businesses pay less for stock photos while artists keep more of the revenue. This gives Professionals and Amateurs the ability to sell and market their skills to consumers seeking private or event photoshoots. Will is the CEO of Anthology Corp. and ImagiNations LLC. Will graduated with honors in his engineering program at the New Jersey Institute of Technology, and worked his way into multiple industries. His creative passions began a decade ago as an artist and hobbyist photographer. These passions carried into his career as he spent time in a small-scale pharmaceutical venture and in project management at a manufacturing plant before finding his way to a 3D printing career at a Fortune 500 company. While there, he served as project manager, designer, and engineer for over 1000 unique projects. Will started ImagiNations LLC as a startup venture for his entrepreneurial goals, with the vision of fostering ideas into business solutions – from which Anthology came about. Will discusses the growth rate and evolution of the sector and how Anthology fits into the landscape. You can visit Anthology Corp. at https://anthology-us.com, via their platform at Anthology iOS Platform, via their blog at Anthology Blog, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/company/anthology-corp, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/anthologyus. Will can be contacted via email at william.ciolino@anthology-us.com, via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/will-ciolino/, and via Twitter at www.twitter.com/willciolino. Music courtesy of Bensound. |
Tue, 2 March 2021
Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, you’ll need to propose a value for the equity in your startup. This is called valuation. One way to determine it is to use the liquidation method. Here’s how it works. The exit value is set to the value of the business at liquidation, which means the value of all assets minus liabilities. Assets include equipment, computers, servers, branding, and data such as customer lists. Liabilities include debts, cost to let go employees, contracts and leases terminated, and taxes to be paid. This values the business primarily for physical assets and branding. It’s possible your computer code or prospect list would be of value as well. When you sell the business for assets only, it’s often about 10% of what you could have sold it for if it were an ongoing business. 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. |
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