Investor Connect Podcast

In this episode, Hall welcomes Stephen Rice, President and CEO of Upskill Enterprise.

Located in Belfast, United Kingdom, Upskill Enterprise helps companies overcome the inertia of traditional HR processes with TalentSensus, an online, intuitive and multidimensional talent management tool for visualizing current and future skills beyond the conventional organizational chart.

Stephen is a pioneer and innovator of unique and modern workforce solutions. He is the inventor of TalentSensus and has been working in workforce and skills development for over 10 years in challenging commercial business environments internationally. Stephen has extensive experience in design, development, sales and delivery of various restructuring solutions. With a global outlook on life, he is constantly learning about new ways to use skills and slowly support the education and skills revolution from the grass roots up. 

Stephen shares with Hall what led him to start working in this space, how important it is for equality and fairness to exist in the workplace, some effects COVID-19 has had on the sector, how he sees the industry evolving, and how Upskill Enterprise fits into the landscape of the sector. 

You can visit Upskill Enterprise at www.upskillenterprise.com and TalentSensus at www.talentsensus.com.    

Stephen can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/stephenupskill/, and via email at stephen@upskillenterprise.com.

Direct download: Stephen_Rice_of_Upskill_Enterprise.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 3:35pm CDT

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

In launching your startup you must consider your intellectual property strategy.

Intellectual property or IP includes patents, trademarks, copyrights, and trade secrets. 

You should trademark your company name.

For your technology, you can either file patents or keep it as a trade secret.

If you file patents, you first file a provisional patent which gives you one year to decide if you want to file a full patent.

Half the value of a patent is in raising funding, as investors give you credit for having technology that is substantial enough to protect.

It’s common to file multiple provisional patents and then for the following twelve months consider which patents are going to provide protection against competitors.  

Before the patents expire, you then file for a full patent on the ones you want to keep and you let the others go.

The alternative to patents is keeping trade secrets, in which case there’s no filing required.

If you have trade secrets make clear to prospective investors what value those trade secrets bring to your business.

Those who want to know the trade secrets must sign an NDA or non-disclosure agreement to learn more.

In discussing with prospective investors who have not signed an NDA, talk about the benefits of your trade secrets rather than how they work.  

For example, our trade secrets reduce the cost of product build by 3X. That way you receive credit without having to reveal them.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
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Direct download: CEG_May_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Legal_--_Intellectual_Property.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:15pm CDT

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

In raising equity funding, you can only raise from investors who are accredited. The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) establishes the criteria for those who are accredited.

You can see the specific requirements on the SEC website. Just search online for ‘sec accredited investor’ and it will come up.

The rules were set in 1968 and have changed only once since then.

In short, it’s anyone who has a net worth of $1M dollars, not counting the house they live in.

There’s also an exemption that allows up to 35 non-accredited investors to invest in your startup. This allows for family and friends funding. 

There’s no formal process for achieving accreditation, as most angel groups and startups raising funding require you to ‘self-declare’ accreditation.

There are two ways non-accredited investors can invest in startups: Title III crowdfunding platforms and Reg A+ offerings.

These require specific requirements such as licensing for the crowdfunding platform, and registration for Reg A+ fundraise.

They provide compliance work to allow for anyone to invest in a startup.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: C_EG_May_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Legal_--_Investor_Accreditation.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:06pm CDT

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

In launching your startup you must consider employment law. 

You should check to see what contracts your prospective employee may have signed with a former employer around non-competes, non-solicitation agreements, and assignment of inventions. 

A non-compete means the employee cannot work for another company that competes with their former employer. If they signed one with a previous employer who is a competitor, then this may be an issue. 

A non-solicitation agreement prevents an employer from approaching your employees to hire them away. 

Assignment of inventions means the prospective employee must sign over their right to inventions during their work at your company.  

All employees should sign a non-disclosure agreement regarding their work at the company.  

All employees should have a contract that defines they are working ‘at will’, which means either the employer or the employee can terminate the relationship at any time.

Also, if offering stock options, this should be documented as well. 

Classification of employees is a key issue as the taxing authorities will see if you have misclassified an employee as a contractor to avoid paying payroll taxes, and meeting minimum wage requirements.

There are also wage payment laws that require payment for hourly workers at a certain frequency such as biweekly.


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 Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: C_EG_May_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Legal_--_Employment_Law.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:00pm CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Jake Moilanen, Austin General Partner at Seraph Group.

Located in Austin, Texas, Seraph Group brings together successful individuals who share a passion for investing in technology startups. Opportunists join Seraph for a managed and curated portfolio of 20+ companies, for the ability to co-invest on a deal-by-deal basis, and for the opportunity to work with entrepreneurs. 

Seraph Group is an established investment firm providing qualified investors with an effective and economically efficient model to access a strategically-curated portfolio of early-stage companies in high-growth sectors in the U.S. They are currently fundraising and are focused on the Austin environment.

Jake is a serial technology entrepreneur turned investor. A technologist at heart, he has decades of experience from low-level hardware, to machine learning, to scaling super computers. He has used this experience to run all of product at multiple organizations. Additionally, he is a quantitative trader of the public markets, writing fully automated trading algorithms.

Jake completed a BS from the University of Michigan in Computer Science as well as a Masters in Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Texas where he specialized in New Venture Creation.

Since his last interview with Hall, Jake explains that the company has been spending a lot of time on quant. He also goes into some detail about the exciting discovery the company has recently made. Jake shares what he is passionate about and on the flip side, the sectors he avoids. 

You can visit Seraph Group at www.seraphgroup.net.   

Jake can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jakemoilanen/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/moilanen?lang=en, and via email at jake@seraphgroup.net.

Direct download: Jake_Moilanen_of_Seraph_Group-_FOLLOW_UP.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:11am CDT

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

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

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

Our featured guests are:

Matthew Nordgren - 0:44
Davis Hess - 4:40
Marcus Estes - 7:18
Narbe Alexandrian - 10:17

I hope you enjoy this episode.

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Show_2_--_July_IP_Shows_--_Sectors_in_the_Cannabis_Market.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:05am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Mark Peter Davis, Founder and Managing Partner of Interplay. 

Interplay co-founds, incubates and invests in companies. The firm is sector, geo and stage agnostic focusing on disrupting industries through the use of technology and design. Interplay is located in New York City with offices across the U.S., the Philippines and South America.

Mark is a venture capitalist, serial entrepreneur, author and community organizer. Through Interplay Mark has built a platform of service companies that support thousands of venture-backed companies. These companies include Chelsea Capital, Firon Marketing, Founder Shield, Greenparc, Spark Digital, Spoke, Truman James and Venwise.

He is also the author of  The Fundraising Rules, a handbook designed to help entrepreneurs raise capital, and the founder of both the Columbia Venture Community and the New York Venture Community.  Mark also serves as a mentor to numerous accelerators in NYC.

Mark updates Hall on what he has been doing since the last time they spoke. He shares what he is currently excited about and which companies he has had good experiences with. Mark explains some of the challenges startups face and how he evaluates a team in the very early stages.

You can visit Interplay at www.interplay.vc.  

Mark can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/markpeterdavis, via Twitter at http://twitter.com/mpd, and via email at m@interplay.vc.

Check out his blog at www.mpd.me, and his book, “The Fundraising Rules” at http://fundraisingrules.com

Direct download: Mark_Peter_Davis_of_Interplay_-_FOLLOW_UP.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:02am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Graham Forman, Managing Director and Founder of Edovate Capital.

Edovate Capital is a seed and early-stage venture capital company investing in early-stage companies that are innovating in K12 education. They look for outstanding people to partner with for the long term who have products or services that will transform education.

Graham spent his career in education, entrepreneurship, and investing. The first phase of his career was in education policy where he worked for U.S. Senator Paul Simon and former California State Assemblyman, Senator, and Community College Chancellor Jack Scott. He worked with school leaders addressing some of their biggest challenges in leading large school systems.

The second phase of his career was as a startup operator serving as head of sales, marketing, business development, and customer success in impact-focused SaaS companies serving education. His last role included leading sales and business development for Netchemia. During his tenure the company grew to serve more than 2,400 school districts and 20,000 schools in the U.S. with a best-in-class talent management suite. Netchemia was acquired by People Admin (backed by Vista Equity Partners) in 2015, which kicked off Graham’s third career phase where he founded Edovate. In this role, he backs impact-focused seed stage K12 companies with investment and advisory support.

Graham updates Hall on new happenings at Edovate Capital since his last interview. He shares his thoughts on what new investment theses - if any - may arise due to COVID-19, regulatory changes, and the teacher shortage and how technology can help with this widespread problem.

You can visit Edovate Capital at www.edovatecapital.com/.  

Graham can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/grahamforman/, via Twitter at https://twitter.com/grahamforman?lang=en, and via email at graham@edovatecapital.com.

Direct download: Graham_Forman_of_Edovate_Capital.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 7:05pm CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Eric Bielke, Investment Director at GE Ventures.

GE Ventures is committed to identifying, scaling and accelerating ideas that will make the world work better. Focused on the areas of software and analytics, advanced manufacturing, energy and healthcare, GE Ventures helps entrepreneurs and start-ups succeed by providing access to GE's technical expertise, capital and opportunities for commercialization through GE's global network of business, customers and partners.

Eric is an investment partner with GE Ventures and leads investments at the intersection of digital and physical systems. His technology interests include marketplaces, robotics, computer vision, geospatial intelligence, and the internet of things (IoT). Prior to GE Ventures, Eric was an investor at Next47 focused on cybersecurity and enterprise infrastructure where he was responsible for the firm’s investments in CounterTack, TOA Technologies, Electric Cloud, and PowerIT Solutions. Eric is also a co-founder of SoCore Energy, a software-enabled solar energy developer later acquired by Edison International. Early in his career, Eric worked with McKinsey & Co. as a management consultant. He holds a BA from Dartmouth College and an MBA from the Booth School of Business where he was a George Schultz Fellow.

Eric updates Hall on what’s happened since his last interview, the sector he is passionate about and why, his best experience with a startup, and he suggests some possible long-term effects COVID will have on startups.

You can visit GE Ventures at www.ge.com/licensing

Eric can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/ericbielke/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ericbielke?lang=en, and via email at eric.bielke@ge.com.

Direct download: Eric_Bielke_of_GE_Ventures_fwup.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 8:31am CDT

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

In launching your startup you must have a legal entity to raise funding.

Start with an LLC or Limited Liability Company. This can be filed with your Secretary of State at your state government. 

The cost is low and it will serve well for the early days of the business.  

For family and friends funding this is sufficient.

In the early days, you can use an S-Corp designation with an LLC to defer taxes to your personal filing.

As you move to raise funding from angel investors and venture capital, some will want to invest in a Delaware Corp.  

It’s easy to move from an LLC to a C-Corporation. It’s more difficult to move from a C-Corp. back to an LLC. 

In most cases, investors will ask for a Delaware Corporation as it’s the gold standard for legal entities in the U.S. as it provides the best protection for investors.

Most venture capital funds have set up their investment documents to invest in a Delaware Corporation entity and they are not going to change it for your business.

When you are ready to raise funding beyond family and friends, make clear to investors you will convert to a Delaware Corporation.

Entity conversion does come at a cost, so make the conversion contingent on fund closing.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: C_EG_May_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Legal_--_Legal_Entity.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:27am CDT

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

All startups need to have a legal entity.

Before you launch your fundraise make sure you have a legal entity filed as you’ll need it for accepting investment funds. 

Start with an LLC which is a Limited Liability Corporation.

It’s low-cost and easy to file with your Secretary of State.

This should be sufficient for family and friends funding. 

Continue with the LLC till later rounds of funding, in which case the investors may want to see a  Delaware C-Corporation entity.

Venture Capital and other investors want this structure as their investment documents are set up for such and they are not going to change it.

Tell your investors you will convert to a Delaware C-Corporation and then do so, contingent on the funding.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_May_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Entity_filing.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:21am CDT

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

If you want to raise venture capital funding, then check these points to see if you are venture fundable:

Do you have the following:

  • Recurring revenue - Do you have recurring revenue in your model?
  • Platform-based approach - Are you taking a platform-based approach to the product/service delivery, or do you sell one-off products?
  • Data-centric - Are you capturing key data elements that improve your process and product?
  • Strong Team - Do you have a strong team? Does each member bring expertise about their field to your business?
  • Fast Growth (>50% YoY) - Are you growing at least 50% YoY?
  • Large Target Market - Are you targeting a market over $1B?

The more check marks you have on this list the more fundable you are with VCs.


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


Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group


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

Raising funding requires document and business preparation as well as pitching and extensive followup.

Throughout the process there’s one thing you need to do before you can raise the funding. 

You need to build a relationship with the investor.

If you are raising funding through a crowdfunding portal you can call that interaction a relationship, but only if you’re raising $500.

If you’re raising $50,000, then you’ll need to build a deeper relationship.

As you go through the process of gaining introductions, contacting investors, setting up meetings, pitching, and so forth, remember the fundamental goal is to come away with a deeper relationship.

From each interaction, the investor knows more about you and you know more about the investor. 

Even if the pitch doesn’t go as planned and the meeting didn’t stay on track, you still grew the relationship.

 

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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group


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

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

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

Our featured guests are:

Matthew Nordgren - 0:42
Ben Larson - 5:52
David Hess -7:55
Marcus Estes - 10:25
Narbe Alexandrian -15:27

I hope you enjoy this episode.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Show_1_--_July_IP_Shows_--_Impact_of_Covid_on_Cannabis_Market.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:16am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes back Christian Kameir, Managing Partner at Sustany Capital.

Sustany Capital is a blockchain venture fund headquartered in Newport Beach, CA. Aside from investing in blockchain-related projects, the firm lends its expertise to existing companies interested in 'security token offerings'​.

Christian has been a technology investor for the past 20+ years. He was a software engineer in the 1980s, and then studied and became a lawyer some years later. In the 1990s, he was Counsel to the first web-based unified messaging software startup (Callas). He then moved on to Tiscali where he lead the merger of Germany's first private Internet Service Provider with Europe’s largest telecom company. In the early 2000s, he was managing partner at a venture fund focused on gaming platforms and voice over IP solutions. In the late 2000s, he founded Clizer Inc, the first decentralized web-based rating system, and pay-per-call solution. Between 2010 and 2017, Christian was an adjunct professor at California International Business University and guest lecturer at University of California, San Diego, Rady School of Management. Between 2018 to the present, he has been a freelancer for the Forbes Finance Council writing on the impact of technology on finance and society.

Christian gives Hall an update on the investments the company has made since they last spoke, the sectors he sees growing well and those which are not, one of the startups he had a very good experience with, an update on the blockchain space and much more.

You can visit Sustany Capital at www.Sustany.co.   

Christian can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/kameir/, and via email at chris@sustany.co

See his Forbes page at https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesfinancecouncil/people/christiankameir1/#10e934265b08

Direct download: Christian_Kameir_of_Sustany_Capital_-_FOLLOW_UP.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 10:00am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Deepak Gupta, Managing Partner at Blue Bear Ventures.

Blue Bear Ventures (BBV) engages founders working on the frontiers of science and technology with the potential to solve some of the most pressing challenges we face in the world today. Their founders are scientists and engineers from the top research institutions in the world. They have founded some of the most promising deep technology startups in deep software & AI, synthetic biology, energy and gene therapy.

BBV is comprised of a team of investors, entrepreneurs and technologists, who are driven to help entrepreneurs build world-changing companies from their ground-breaking discoveries. Building on their success from operating the CITRIS Foundry startup accelerator at UC Berkeley since 2013, they’ve moved to found BBV because of the incredible technology and talent they have seen in the UC Berkeley community. Through their unique relationship with the University, they’re excited to provide a smoother startup path and expert guidance to deep tech entrepreneurs.

Deepak advises entrepreneurs at the UC Berkeley Haas Business school and is a mentor at various accelerators in Silicon Valley. He has 10 years of venture investing experience across 3 institutional funds. Prior to investing, he was part of 4 medical startups as either an entrepreneur or in management roles, having an exit with Cepheid (NASDAQ:CHPD), a molecular diagnostic company.

Deepak discusses some of the challenges startups face and the company’s investment thesis. He speaks about the state of investing, particularly during this COVID era, and mentions some current opportunities in the sector.

You can visit Blue Bear Ventures at www.bbv.io/.     

Deepak can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/deepaksgupta/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/DGuptaSF, and via email at info@bbv.io.

Direct download: Deepak_Gupta_of_Blue_Bear_Ventures.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 1:12pm CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Jens Lapinski, angel investor and Co-Founder of Angel Invest Ventures.

Based in Berlin, Germany, Angel Invest Ventures is one of Europe's most active angel investors, making 10-20 investments per year. Their initial check size is €50k, and they can make follow-on investments in later rounds. Angel Invest Ventures has made investments in 50+ startups that have raised in excess of €200m in follow-on funding. They actively coach the founders they back and give them access to their networks.

Jens was a Managing Director at Techstars, where he managed four programs and invested in 40 companies, which have raised $200m+ in funding. In 2015 he launched the Berlin office, which in 2017 became the most active location of the global Techstars Network.

Before Techstars, Jens was a partner at Forward Labs (now Forward Partners), which he co-founded in January 2012. Forward Labs built profitable startups at high speed using lean startup principles. Out of over 100 businesses tested, four businesses were built/invested in during his tenure, raising over $25m in aggregate.

Before Labs, Jens co-founded and was CEO of aiHit, a provider of automated company data to the business information industry. aiHit was backed by Amadeus and VTB Capital and sold to some of the world's largest information players including Dun & Bradstreet, Experian, and Equifax. The company was acquired by MatchDeck.

Prior to this, he was the VP Analysis & Consulting at Library House (now Dow Jones), a business information and research company, which he helped grow from seven to over 50 employees within four years.

During his PhD at Cambridge University, he developed, patented and licensed new water technology. 

Jens speaks with Hall about his background, what excites him, and he advises investors what to do before writing that first check. He explains the company’s investment thesis and advises entrepreneurs on what to do before launching their startup.

You can visit Angel Invest Ventures at www.angelinvest.ventures/.    

Jens can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/jenslapinski/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/jenslapinski, and via email at jl@angelinvest.ventures.

Direct download: Jens_Lapinski_of_Angel_Invest.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:37am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Joel Brightfield, Principal at SixThirty Ventures.

Located in St. Louis, Missouri, SixThirty Ventures is a venture fund that invests in early-stage enterprise technology companies from around the world building FinTech, InsurTech, and Cybersecurity solutions, and connects them with corporate incumbents through its Go-To-Market Program.

SixThirty has built a deep and curated network of leaders across financial services, reinsurance, insurance, information security, and enterprise technology standing ready to engage with startups in the SixThirty portfolio. SixThirty initially invests up to $250k in a handful of early-stage FinTech, InsurTech, and Cybersecurity startups each year.

Joel has over 8 years of financial services experience. Prior to joining the SixThirty team 4 years ago, he worked for Aon Hewitt Investment Consulting where he advised institutional investors on a wide range of topics. 

Joel speaks about what excites him, the state of investing in startups - particularly in this COVID-19 era - how he sees the industry evolving, and what changes he sees coming up. He also gives insight into the company’s investment thesis and advises entrepreneurs and investors.

You can visit SixThirty Ventures at www.sixthirty.co/.  

Joel can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/joel-brightfield-69b84724/, and via email at joel@sixthirty.co.

Direct download: Joel_Brightfield_of_SixThirty_Ventures.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 1:05pm CDT

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

Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others such as anchor clients.

Anchor clients are those who prepay for a custom version of your product. They are typically larger companies who have special needs.

If you are building an enterprise or consumer software product, consider looking for an anchor client to pay you to build a custom version of it.  

Anchor clients provide not only funding but also a clear specification of what they want.

They are often in a hurry and want the solution yesterday, which means they will pay the best price.

Anchor clients also give you information about the market as they have researched it and not found the solution they want. They often share such information with you.

Also, anchor clients become good references to use when you launch your standard product into the market.

To fully fund a version, one of your platforms may require more than one anchor client. Take the funding you need to build your platform and divide it by three and look for three anchor clients to cover it.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
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For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_Apr_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Anchor_Clients.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 10:04am CDT

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

Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others such as consultation funding.

Consultation funding is using consultation work to pay the bills and salaries while you are building out your product. 

Many customers need additional help and will pay consulting fees for it in addition to the basic product. 

Consider looking for consultation work in addition to selling the product as some customers want more assistance in installing and using the product than in just buying the product itself. 

Consultation also brings new insight into how the customer intends to use the product and what problem they are trying to solve. 

This is useful information to guide your product roadmap.

Consulting work also gives you more information about the market and the competition as you’ll encounter competitive solutions.

Finally, consulting work for clients generates good references to use when you launch your standard product into the market.

While consulting may not be your ultimate goal, it can be a useful way to fund a portion of your product development.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_Apr_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Consultation_Funding.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:56am CDT

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

Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others.

In general, equity funding is for launching and growing a business and is the most expensive form of funding. 

Each source of funding brings a specific support to the business and can reduce the amount of funding taken through equity.

In reviewing your fundraise plan, consider how these may fit in:

Grants - mostly government-based grants that are one-time offerings and need not be paid back. 

Loans - debt funding which must be repaid at some point in time.

Factoring/AR Funding - selling your invoices and accounts receivable in return for cash.

Equipment Leasing - leasing equipment instead of buying it reduces cash burn and spreads out the payments.

Line of credit - short-term debt used for smoothing out the cash-flow cycles.

Crowdfunding - prepayment for products.

Accelerators and incubators - mentorship programs that provide grant funding.

Bootstrapping - keeping costs low and using revenue to fund the business.

Barter - exchanging services with another company instead of paying cash.

Anchor clients - a client who pays for a custom version of your product.

Consultation funding - extending your product to include consultation services.

Supplier funding - contract manufacturing or software developers who provide upfront cash injections in return for a contract to build or design your product. 


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


Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group


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

Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others such as grants.

Grants are typically provided by government organizations to spur research and make a small contribution to the business.

Commonly used grants include SBIR, Small Business Innovation Research, which provides phase 1, 2, and 3 grants that add up to $1M.

You can search for grants at www.grants.gov.

Grant funding is mostly one-time offerings and need not be paid back.

They are non-dilutive which means they don’t take any space on the cap table.

Use grants to cover costs that customers will not. For example, customers will not pay for basic research but only for finished products.

Grants often come with rules on how it can be spent.  

Be careful in spending too much time with grants. I once worked with a company that had raised over $4M from grants over a five-year period.

The team became experts at writing grant proposals but no one could sell, market, or do much of anything for a customer because for five years they focused on writing and winning government grants.

 

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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_Apr_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Grants.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:38am CDT

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

Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others such as crowdfunding.

There are several forms of crowdfunding such as crowdfunding with prepayment, crowdfunding from non-accredited investors, and crowdfunding from accredited investors.

Crowdfunding prepayment lets you pre-sell your product before you build it.

This works best for physical products that require funding for the design and manufacturing of the product.

It’s a great way to test the market for a new product as it provides customer feedback on the product, price, and promotion.

There are several platforms available for showcasing your product.

There’s also crowdfunding from non-accredited investors. On these platforms, anyone can invest in your startup. It is for equity, so you need to understand the implications of it on your cap table.

Finally, there’s crowdfunding from accredited investors which is no different than raising funding through angel investors and venture capitalists. The only difference is using a crowdfunding platform to find and engage the investors.

There are a growing number of crowdfunding portals offering both general and specialized sites.

Crowdfunding works well for startups with a product that is clear to grasp and easy to understand.  

 

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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_Apr_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_-_Crowdfunding.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:32am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Minnie Ingersoll, Partner at TenOneTen Ventures.

Located in the Greater Los Angeles Area, TenOneTen Ventures is an early-stage venture capital firm. They invest in entrepreneurs that apply data and technology to disrupt existing industries, or create new categories entirely.

Prior to joining TenOneTen, Minnie was the COO and co-founder of $100M+ Shift.com, an online marketplace for used cars. She started her career as an early product manager at Google. Minnie studied Computer Science at Stanford and has an MBA from HBS. She is also a host of the LA Venture podcast. 

Minnie speaks about the state of investing in startups, how the industry is evolving, the investment thesis for TenOneTen Ventures’ fund, and some of the challenges startups and investors face.

You can visit TenOneTen Ventures at www.Tenoneten.net and listen to their podcast at www.tenoneten.net/podcast/.     

Minnie can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mingersoll/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/himinnie?lang=en, and via email at minnie@tenoneten.net.

Direct download: Minnie_Ingersoll_of_TenOneTen_Ventures.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:16pm CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Chelsea Burns, angel investor, Founder of Escaladora Ventures, a member of Pipeline Angels, and an avid rock climber.

Chelsea was left with an inheritance following the passing of her father. She decided to use her wealth to become a sustainable angel investor, investing in impactful early-stage companies. She is currently part-owner of Pura Roca, an indoor climbing gym in San Pedro, Costa Rica. In addition to climbing, Chelsea’s main passion focuses on natural resource management. She has a decade of experience working in the water and energy efficiency space. Previously she was the COO of Urban Energy Group, an ESCO that finances and installs LED lighting projects across Washington State. Chelsea holds dual BAs in International Relations and Anthropology and dual MAs in International Relations and Natural Resources & Sustainable Development. 

Chelsea speaks about the state of angel investing, two of the companies she has invested in, the challenges startups face, and what excites her.

You can visit Pipeline Angels here: www.pipelineangels.com/ 

Chelsea can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/chelsea-burns1987/, and via email at chelseatburns@gmail.com. You can also check out her blog at www.Accreditedovernight.com.  

Direct download: Chelsea_Burns_of_Escaladora_Ventures.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 1:00pm CDT

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

In today’s show, you’ll hear investor perspectives on automation and robotics and its impact on startups.

COVID-19 has changed the landscape for startups giving us a new normal. During the pandemic, it became clear the need for automation and robotics to deliver necessary goods and services -- especially when workers are in lockdown. 

We have joining us Drew Tulchin of Upspring Associates - an investor in the robotics space.

Drew is an experienced C-Suite Manager with a demonstrated history of working with others. He is skilled with startups, especially in New Mexico. Drew’s expertise includes capital raising, business development, building relationships, sales, setting up systems, and government funding. Drew has his eyes on social enterprise, corporate social responsibility, B corps and sustainable businesses. His MBA is focused on Marketing and Finance and he graduated from the University of Washington and Michael G. Foster School of Business.

You can visit UpSpring at www.upspringassociates.com/.  

Drew can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/drewtulchin/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/drewtulchin, and via email at drew@socialenterprise.net.


I hope you enjoy this episode.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group 

Direct download: June_2020_IP_-_Drew_Tulchin_of_UpSpring.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 9:34am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Heidi Ellenberger Jones, Founder and Principal Broker of ModernJones.

Located in North Arlington, Virginia, and established in 2018, ModernJones breaks boundaries to offer clients a partnership that goes well beyond a traditional realtor relationship. Instead, ModernJones stays by your side when navigating all the ups and downs, what-ifs, and whirlwinds when selling or buying and owning a home. This creates a unique experience that is “home made, for you”– perfectly crafted to each individual and the home they are looking to buy or sell.

ModernJones, the brand, started while Heidi was an agent at Keller Williams Real Estate (KW). Heidi dreamed of creating something larger than herself. Although the new name carried her married surname Jones, she felt like it was an alias (especially being an Ellenberger all her life). Plus with references like ‘keeping up with the Joneses,’ she thought it would resonate with those looking for their dream home. Prior to becoming a real estate agent, Heidi served as Vice President at Citibank in their e-citi division. She leveraged her work in technology at Citibank to transition to Reciprocal, a cloud-based content encryption start up in New York. When the company wasn’t able to stay afloat during the technology downturn in 2001, Heidi leveraged her business skills and entrepreneurial spirit to launch her real estate career. Over the past 18 years Heidi has affiliated with national, local and boutique firms. She’s consistently been awarded ‘Multi-Millionaire in Sales’ from NVAR and recognized as a Top Real Estate agent by the Washingtonian and Northern Virginia Magazine. Heidi is passionate about helping fellow women business owners thrive, which she does as both an angel investor and mentor. She’s a part of Pipeline Angels and as a graduate of Georgetown University, Heidi gives back to her alma mater by mentoring students as part of the Georgetown Scholarship Program, which helps those first in their families to go to college. A big believer in the importance of giving back, Heidi also donates her time to a number of nonprofit organizations and the local schools including COMPASS, Doorways for Women and Families and Bridges to Independence. She also serves on the Host Committee of Women Making History – DC. 

Heidi speaks about the unique offering of her company and some of the challenges it has faced. She shares her thoughts on how COVID-19 has affected the industry and then tells Hall a very personal story that changed her entire family.

You can visit ModernJones at www.modernjones.com/

Heidi can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/modernjones/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/modernjones, and via email at heidi.jones@modernjonesexperience.com.

Direct download: Heidi_Ellenberger_Jones_of_Modern_Jones_LLC.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:32am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Drew Tulchin, founder of UpSpring.

Located in Santa Fe, New Mexico, UpSpring, previously Social Enterprise Associates, is a boutique management-consulting firm supporting the design, growth, and measurement of values based, market leveraging, and sustainable ventures across New Mexico, throughout the U.S. and around the world. UpSpring was formed by a collaboration of consultants who recognized a need for market leveraging and values driven expertise to generate ‘triple bottom line’ returns enhancing people, profit, and place. This certified HubZone small business is New Mexico’s first ‘B Corporation’.

Today, UpSpring – a networked, virtual learning organization – brings a circle of colleagues, seasoned experts covering many sectors to work with young professionals constituting the next generation of leaders – to affordably solve your problems.

Drew is an experienced C-Suite Manager with a demonstrated history of working with others. Skilled with start-ups, especially in New Mexico! Expertise includes Capital Raising, Business Development, Building Relationships, Sales, Setting up Systems, and Government Funding. Eyes on Social Enterprise, Corporate Social Responsibility, B Corps, Sustainable Business. MBA focused in Marketing and Finance from University of Washington, Michael G. Foster School of Business. 

Drew speaks about taking collective action in this COVID-19 era, the state of investing in startups, how the industry is evolving, what excites him, and the investment thesis of the company.

You can visit UpSpring at www.upspringassociates.com/

Drew can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/drewtulchin/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/drewtulchin, and via email at drew@socialenterprise.net.

Direct download: Drew_Tulchin_of_UpSpring.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 10:17am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Hershel Mehta, Head of US Investments at Mehta Ventures.

With offices in Mumbai, India, and La Habra, California, Mehta Ventures is an independent, privately-owned boutique family office that invests in early-stage startups. Mehta Ventures has a first-cheque investing capacity for founders with relevant industry backgrounds. They also provide comprehensive startup, estate, and crypto co-investment opportunities to their trusted network of HNI families globally.

The family has a significant exposure to Indian investments, having invested in over 100 Indian startups. They aim to add value to their startups by providing unparalleled access to the Indian market through their deep network, which has been built over the past 30 years, of technology entrepreneurship and investments. Likewise, they provide warm, corporate, and family office introductions for later-stage funding. All in all, the family has invested in 140+ startups by investing in a combination of direct and indirect investment vehicles.

Hershel started his career in accounting but knew all along that he wanted to be an entrepreneur. Whilst in college, he built two businesses, but readily admits that he was not mature enough to scale or to make them succeed, and classified himself as a “want-trepreneur”. His cousin tried to offer assistance, but Hershel declined. Some years later, that same cousin invited him to join the family business, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Hershel speaks passionately about what excites him, advises both investors and entrepreneurs, and gives his views on what new applications and sectors will be important in the post-COVID-19 world.

You can visit Mehta Ventures at www.mehtaventures.co/.  

Hershel can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/hershelmehta/, and via email at hershel@mehtaventures.co.

Direct download: Hershel_Mehta_of_Mehta_Ventures.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 1:37pm CDT

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

Many startups use equity to fund their business. 

Equity is an ownership stake in a company. 

Equity aligns everyone’s interest in the startup. It preserves cash since it’s only paid upon the exit of the business, which is usually an acquisition by another company.

Startup valuations are noted in pre and post-money figures and helps determine the investors’ equity ownership.

Pre-money -- what the company is worth before the investment

Investment -- how much the investors are putting in

Post-money -- pre-money plus investment

Investors own an equity percentage equal to the investment, divided by the post-money.

You can also calculate ownership by using share prices.  

The share register of the startup should log how many shares have been issued to investors and other stakeholders. 

To determine your percentage ownership for your startup, divide the number of shares you own by the total shares issued.

You can ignore authorized shares for now.

There are preferred shares and there are common shares

“Preferred” means that the holder receives certain rights or preferences with their shares. These rights provide the preferred shareholder protections, such as getting paid back first before common stock shareholders.

Common shares come with no special rights.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/
For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/
For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/
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For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_Apr_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Selling_Equity_to_Family_Friends.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 2:50pm CDT

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

Another source of funding is supplier funding.

Supplier funding comes from those who provide services to your company such as contract manufacturing, software development, legal, accounting services, and more.

Suppliers provide their services in exchange not only for cash but also for equity. This reduces the amount of equity funding you need to raise from investors.

Contract manufacturers will invest in your business and in exchange they look for the startup to use their manufacturing services. 

Software development firms invest in startups by taking a portion of their software development fee in the form of equity. 

There are other examples, including lawyers and accountants who provide services in return for equity.

This aligns their interest with your interest as the business must succeed for the equity to be worth something. 


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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: Supplier_Funding.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 2:37pm CDT

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

Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others such as a line of credit.

A line of credit is a short-term loan from the bank to help smooth out cash-flow cycles.

Unlike a bank loan in which you receive an injection of funds, a line of credit lets you draw upon it when you need and pay it back when you can.  

The interest rate on a line of credit is substantially lower than credit cards and offer a higher borrowing limit than most credit cards.

However, the interest rates are often variable and not fixed.

A secured line of credit is backed by an asset, while an unsecured line of credit is not. An unsecured line of credit will come with a higher interest rate.

There are both personal and business lines of credit. Personal lines of credit are often secured by personal property.

For a business line of credit, the bank determines your credit limit based on the business assets and cash flow.

The bank determines the interest rate by adding the interest to a margin which is affected by your credit history, profitability, and business risk.

The line of credit is a useful tool for early-stage businesses to help with cash-flow issues. 


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


Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_Apr_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso_--_Line_of_Credit.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 2:31pm CDT

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

Equity funding is just one source of funding for your startup. There are many others such as bootstrapping and barter.

Bootstrapping is using your own funds and that of initial customers to launch your business. 

Investors find this a great test to see how much skin in the game you are bringing to it in addition to sweat equity.

If you can find prospective customers who will prepay at least some part of the price, then it demonstrates market validation.

When you spend your own money you’ll find you spend less of it. 

Also, barter is a useful tool to reduce cash expenditures.  

Consider providing your services to businesses that can provide you with something you need in return for services such as bookkeeping, accounting, legal, and financial work.

For investors, this demonstrates resourcefulness and ability to negotiate.

When you barter you’ll find yourself negotiating the price you pay for non-barter goods and services. 

Bootstrapping and bartering build skills that will help you throughout the life of your business as you’ll start with a lower cost basis, spend more carefully, and negotiate better throughout.


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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: EG_Apr_2020_Startup_Funding_Espresso--Bootstrapping_and_Barter.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 2:21pm CDT

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

In today’s startup world it seems everyone is a startup investor in some form or fashion.

Startup investors call me to discuss deal structures, valuations, or serial entrepreneurs.

I can tell the difference between a serious investor and a pretend startup investor. A pretend startup investor likes the title of investor, but won't commit the time or money to make it successful.

Here are some telltale signs of a pretend startup investor:

-- the investor is not interested enough to visit the team’s HQ or meet with the team.

-- the investor asks about the price first, and then figures out the values in the business later, if at all.

-- the investor wants reports but doesn’t read them.

-- the investor talks about helping the business but never finds a way to contribute.

-- the investor glances at the due diligence documents but doesn’t dive deep enough to understand the business.

-- there’s no investment thesis or guiding criteria for their investment choices.

-- they have no network in the target industry or startup world and can do little to help the startup post-funding.

 

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

Let’s go startup something today.
-----
For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org

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

For Feedback please contact info@tencapital.group

Direct download: How_to_Tell_if_youre_Talking_to_a_Pretend_Startup_Investor.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 2:14pm CDT

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

In today’s show, you’ll hear about healthcare and its impact on startups.

COVID-19 has changed the landscape for startups giving us a new normal. During the pandemic, it became clear the need for changes in our healthcare system.

We have joining us, Thomas Hawes of Blue Venture Fund - an investor in the healthcare space. 

Tom is a member of the BlueCross BlueShield Fund Management team at Sandbox Industries and serves on the Sandbox Management Committee. He is the Board Chairman for Patientco, serves on the Board of Directors of Verata Health, Upward Health (fka BehaveCare), Octave Bioscience, Oncology Analytics, and AbleTo and is a board observer of HeartFlow, Thrive Earlier Detection, Phreesia, and Healthify. Tom holds a BA from Brigham Young University, an M.D. from New York Medical College, medical residency training at Yale, and an MBA from Harvard Business School. He is also a Kauffman Fellow. 

You can visit Blue Venture Fund at www.blueventurefund.com/.

Thomas can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/thomas-c-hawes-m-d-mba-b729522/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/ThomasHawes, and via email at tom@sandboxindustries.com.

I hope you enjoy this episode.

Direct download: June_2020_IP_-_Thomas_Courtney_Hawes_of_Blue_Venture_Fund.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 12:30pm CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Angela Lee, founder of 37 Angels. 

Founded in 2012, 37 Angels activates the untapped capital and experience women can bring by investing in female and male-led startups. The fund’s mission is to close the gender gap in startup investing. Although they are sector-agnostic, they invest a lot in health-tech, logistics-tech, future of work, and some CPG.

Angela is an educator, entrepreneur, and angel investor. She is passionate about education, and has started several companies in that space. Currently she is the Executive Director of Academic Integration at Columbia Business School and an Adjunct Assistant Professor teaching Strategy and Leadership courses. She also has 15 years of experience in marketing strategy, both as a product manager and as a consultant at McKinsey. Angela has a BA from UC Berkeley and an MBA from Columbia Business School.

Angela speaks about 37 Angel’s bootcamp, advises both investors and entrepreneurs, speaks with Hall about what excites her, and shares some of the challenges the fund faces.

You can visit 37 Angels at www.37angels.com/

Angela can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/hiangela/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/37angelsny?lang=en, and via email at angela@37angels.com.

Direct download: Angela_Lee_of_37_Angels.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 1:16pm CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Mary Long-Irwin, Executive Director of Northern Ontario Angels (NOA).

Located in Ontario, Canada, Northern Ontario Angels is an organization that matches entrepreneurs with investors across Northern Ontario. The creative concept and foundation of this network was developed to take Northern Ontario businesses to the next level. NOA is continually growing, developing and updating it’s angel investment groups throughout the north and around the world. Presently, NOA supports angel investment groups in Sudbury, North Bay, Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Timmins/Kapuskasing and Kenora.

Under Mary’s guidance, Northern Ontario Angels has been one of the top-performing angel groups across the country with over 120 deals and approximately $45M in private investments. Prior to this, Mary was the President/CEO of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce for ten years. She worked closely with three levels of government to ensure the growth of business and economic development opportunities throughout Northwestern Ontario. She was also the CEO of Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce.  

Mary has been an angel investor for ten years and speaks with Hall about the state of angel investing in Ontario, the challenges Northern Ontario Angels face, their investment thesis, and what are some good opportunities for investors to pursue now.

You can visit the Northern Ontario Angels at www.northernontarioangels.ca

Mary can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/mary-long-irwin-776a0137/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/noa_noeg?lang=en, and via email at noa@tbaytel.net.

Direct download: Mary_Long-Irwin_of_Northern_Ontario_Angels.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:18am CDT

In this episode, Hall welcomes Chenoa Farnsworth, Co-founder and Managing Director of Hawaii Angels.

Located in Honolulu, Hawaii, and established in 2002, ​​Hawaii Angels provides a forum for members to review investment presentations and share opinions about those opportunities. The forum also allows for networking with professionals of various backgrounds, and exploring new opportunities in Hawaii.  

The Hawaii Angels process is proven and well-suited to Hawaii's start-up scene. Since 2002, the member angels have invested more than $50 million in over 100 companies. 

​​​Chenoa has more than 20 years experience in business strategy and venture investing and she is the Managing Partner at Blue Startups, Hawaii’s technology venture accelerator. In 2006, she co-founded Kolohala Ventures, a Hawaii-based venture capital firm that has invested $50 million into Hawaii-based technology start-ups.

Chenoa earned a BA in political science from the University of California at Santa Cruz in 1992 and an Executive MBA from the University of Hawaii in 2000.  

Chenoa speaks with Hall about the state of angel investing in Hawaii, the challenges the group faces, their investment thesis, and what excites her. She also gives advice to investors and entrepreneurs.

You can visit Hawaii Angels at www.hawaiiangels.org/.

Chenoa can be contacted via LinkedIn at www.linkedin.com/in/chenoafarnsworth/, via Twitter at www.twitter.com/cfarnswo17?lang=en, and via email at chenoa@hawaiiangels.org.   

Direct download: Chenoa_Farnsworth_of_Hawaii_Angels.mp3
Category: -- posted at: 11:16am CDT

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