Key Elements of a Successful Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising takes time, effort, and attention. The startup founder faces many demands from the business, including hiring employees, building products, and signing customers. Here are the key elements of the fundraising process to focus on: An extensive network of potential investors. This includes family and friends, angel investors, venture capitalists, and family offices. Identify key contacts for your investor network An ongoing sales-like process of reaching out to prospective investors. This requires a database, an email program, and a tracking system. Set up a system for tracking prospective investors. Proper documentation, including a pitch deck, terms sheet, and a data room. Build these documents before launching the campaign. A compelling story. Your pitch needs to resonate with investors, showcasing the problem, the solution, and why your startup will succeed. Craft a compelling narrative that captivates the investor audience. Finally, contact experienced founders and advisors for their input on what to expect. Before launching your fundraise, line up these key elements to ensure a successful campaign.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Key Duties of the CFO Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The CFO plays a key role in the early stages of the startup. Here are the key duties of the CFO: The CFO develops and maintains the financial model for the business. This often comes out in the form of a financial pro forma for the pitch deck and data room. Investors want to know the startup's proposed forecast. They will review the financial pro forma to see if it’s a bottom-up model or a top-down. The model also tells the investor how much the startup knows about their revenues and costs. The financial pro forma should be complete enough to help make strategic decisions. Also, the CFO manages risk in the business by tracking the cash runway, obtaining access to credit lines, and holding the right amount of insurance. The CFO oversees the tax reports and compliance requirements. Finally, the CFO can help management by providing key metrics on the business.  The CFO doesn’t necessarily have to be a full-time employee but could be a fractional one. Consider how a CFO fits into your 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. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Feedback From VCs Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors hear many pitches and often give feedback to the startup. Some investors avoid giving feedback for the following reasons: Argumentative-- the founder argues their way out of the feedback. Instead of accepting the feedback, the founder shows how it is not valid. Reputation risk -- some founders retaliate when they hear feedback they don’t like. Instead of working on the feedback, the founder spends time getting even. Getting personal -- some feedback has to do with the team. It can be awkward to share personal feedback on the founder, so many investors avoid it. Founders can gain more feedback from investors by doing the following: Indicate respect for the VC's opinion and show a willingness to learn. Ask for specific feedback rather than general. Ask about areas of weakness and show you are open to the response. Skip the rebuttal and accept what is given. Avoid getting angry about feedback you feel is not right or unfair. Consider these points in encouraging more feedback from the investor.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Negotiating Valuation With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The valuation is a negotiation, not a formula. Startup founders negotiating valuation should consider the following points: Know the current market rate for valuations for your stage and type of business. Investors will see many deals like yours and will know the current rate. Consider how to position your startup so it achieves the highest valuation. Run the valuation through several different formulas to see which one provides the best result.  This is where you want to start your valuation discussion. It helps to show how the assets of the business meet or exceed the proposed valuation. This shows the investor that there’s no speculation it. Find comps that show the valuation of other businesses at a fundraise or exit. This helps prove the case that your business is worth what you say it is. Articulate all the values in the business. This is the most important part of the negotiation process. Highlight the team, the intellectual property, the revenue, and the product at the very least. Show the value of each for today and not tomorrow. Today’s valuation is for today’s fundraise.   Tomorrow’s valuation is for tomorrow’s fundraise. Investors are not interested in forecasts, but rather in what you have today.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Founder Experience and Traction Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, there are two key drivers to how much a startup can ask for funding. The first is traction. The greater the traction, the more the startup can ask in a fundraise. Traction includes current revenue run rate, quarter-over-quarter growth, and recurring revenue. The second is founder experience. Successful serial entrepreneurs with exits can use their reputation to raise more funding than the traction indicates. At the preseed level, successful founders can raise several million dollars more. This works particularly well if the founder is running a proven business model with a team that has done well previously. Experienced founders can also raise additional funds based on their reputation. This may be more in the order of $500K to one million dollars of funding. Consider using your team’s startup experience and track record to make the case for a greater fundraise. This can be most helpful in the very early stages of the fundraising process, where there’s little to no traction to reference.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

In this episode of Investor Connect, Paul Martin sits down with Stephen Diggle, founder of Vulpes Investment Management. From his country house in Umbria, Italy, Stephen recounts his journey from running one of Asia's largest hedge funds during the 2008 financial crisis to managing a family office-backed investment firm. He explains why they decided to pivot to a family office model following the immense success of their long volatility and short credit strategy, generating $3 billion for their investors in just 14 months.  Stephen also dives into volatility trends, the significance of tail risk strategies, and why he's reopening volatility funds in response to potential market volatility under the Trump administration and growing market complacency. Stephen elaborates on the mechanics and importance of tail risk strategies, sharing insights from his 2008 experience, including their lucrative hedge against Lehman Brothers' collapse. He discusses how such strategies find opportunities where sellers underestimate catastrophic risks, providing a non-correlated hedge against market downturns. Steve also highlights the lessons learned from the 2008 financial crisis, emphasizing the need for diversifying investments into tangible assets like land and gold. Finally, the conversation touches on the current trends in volatility and the impact of passive investing on market stability. Stephen warns of the potential risks posed by an over-reliance on passive strategies and dynamic hedging, suggesting a reevaluation of traditional diversification assumptions. As markets reach all-time highs, he stresses the importance of preparing for unexpected market shifts.  Visit Vulpes Investment Management at ,   Reach out to at   _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:    Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Customize the Pitch for the Investor Type Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. There are many types of investors. Founders should customize the pitch for the investor type. Here are some key investor types to consider: The analytical investor -- this type of investor looks at the financial and sales numbers to make an investment decision. For this type of showcase, the metrics in the business and highlight the growth performance and potential. The impact investor -- this type of investor looks at the community benefit that comes from the startup. For this type,  highlight the environmental, social, and other benefits the company brings. The leisure investor -- this type of investor looks to have a little fun with startup investing. For this type, point out the cutting-edge technology and the unique business model. In most cases, your pitch deck will remain the same, but what you highlight and how you contextualize the pitch will make it more relevant to the investor. The more you know about the investor ahead of time, the better you can customize it. In addition, during the pitch, listen for the questions asked to determine which type of investor you may have.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Build a Relationship With the Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In raising funding, it’s important to build a relationship with the investor. Upfront, the investor wants to learn about the business and how it works. Ultimately, the investor wants to know who they are investing in. In pitching to the investor, introduce yourself and tell them something about you. Talk with the investor to learn more about them as well. In following up after the pitch, go beyond email to a phone call. In the call, exchange more information about yourself and learn more about the investor. When you are able to call them and they pick up the phone to answer it, then you have built the basis for a relationship. If you can’t pick up the phone and call them, then you have not yet built that relationship. Fundraising at its heart is relationship building. Spend the time to build that 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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Make Sure the Convertible Note Has a Conversion Point Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Convertible notes are useful tools for fundraising. They are easy to set up and often don’t require much legal work. The best part is they don’t require a valuation to be set. Instead, a valuation cap is used to give assurance to the investor that the valuation will not be set at an unreasonable level. Most convertible notes convert on a subsequent round funded by equity. In the event there’s no follow-on equity round, then the note should convert at the maturity date. This is most often at year 3 or 5 from the start date. One of the drawbacks of some convertible notes is that they don’t set a maturity date. In reviewing a convertible note, make sure the note sets the maturity date and converts at that point. This ensures the investor receives the equity stake. For startups, this is also an important issue, in that the note left in debt form means the investor could demand their investment back with interest. Review your convertible notes for the conversion point.   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:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .

Talk to Investors As if They Were Already Partners Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. First-time founders often spend their pitch time selling their product. This fails as it doesn’t focus on the other elements of the business the investor needs to know, such as the team, the market, the competition, and more. It treats the investor as a customer.  They are not buying the product; they’re buying a part of the company Instead of selling, try treating the investor as a partner. This approach positions the investor as a collaborator. Start by telling the investor your story. Engage the investor by showing where you are with the business. Show why this business matters and is making a difference. Highlight your progress with customers. Talk about the challenges with the competition. Invite them to join the effort. It’s important to build a connection with the investor. Selling is transactional. Partnering is collaborative.  Treat the investor as if they were already a partner in the business.   Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let’s go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at:   Check out our other podcasts here:   For Investors check out:   For Startups check out:   For eGuides check out:   For upcoming Events, check out    For Feedback please contact [email protected]    Please , share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of .