The Fundraising Debrief

Joe Orji, founder and CEO of Trustcrow joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their latest $550K Pre-Seed Round, his lessons from real estate, and why international focus can be a competitive advantage.

00:00 Introduction to Joe Orji and Trustcrow

00:16 Welcome to the Fundraising Debrief Podcast

01:21 Joe Orji's Early Career in Real Estate

03:42 Transition to Nigeria and Landmark Africa

06:07 Founding Trustcrow: The Vision and Challenges

12:27 The Fundraising Journey: Strategy and Execution

19:06 Reflections on Fundraising and Relationships

26:42 Rapid Fire Questions and Closing Remarks

You can find Joe Orji on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/joseph-orji-a092017/ and learn more about Trustcrow at https://gotrustcrow.com/.

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 70+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Yoav Oren, co-founder and CEO of Zoog joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their latest $2.2M Pre-Seed Round, leadership during difficult times, and the role of the CEO for an early-stage business.

00:01 Introduction and Background of the Hosts

00:16 About the Podcast and Its Sponsor

01:10 Interview Begins: Current Situation in Israel

01:30 Challenges and Coping Strategies During War

03:50 Role of a CEO During Crisis

06:04 Adapting Business Operations Amidst Crisis

08:56 Introduction to Zoog and Its Origin

11:54 How Zoog Works and Its Impact

13:42 Yoav's Career Journey Before Zoog

20:27 Transition from Textile Industry to Tech

21:47 Experience at SimilarWeb and Decision to Start Zoog

25:26 Thoughts on Being a First-Time Founder

26:48 Being Honest and True to Yourself as a Founder

27:17 The Importance of Resilience and a Strong Support System

27:57 Facing Rejection and Maintaining Optimism

29:11 The Role of Vision and Optimism in Entrepreneurship

30:00 The Journey of Raising Capital for Zoog

30:40 The Challenges and Successes of Pre-Seed Funding

38:35 The Importance of Relationship Building in Fundraising

40:22 Learning from Mistakes in Fundraising

42:20 The Impact of ADHD on Entrepreneurship

44:05 The Role of Mentors and Gratitude in Career Success

47:00 Closing Remarks and Future Plans

You can find Yoav Oren on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/yoav-oren-78aba714/ and learn more about ZoogI at https://www.getzoog.com/.

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 70+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Kaia Parv, co-founder and Chief Investment Officer of CrediLinq, joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their recent $8.1M Seed and Seed Extension raise and the unique challenges of raising capital for both a technology startup as well as a private credit fund.

00:00 Introduction and Welcome

00:16 About the Host and the Podcast

01:03 Introduction to the Guest: Kaia Parv

01:26 Kaia's Career Journey and Transition to CrediLinq

03:59 The Decision to Join a Fintech Startup

05:59 Understanding CrediLinq's Business Model

07:46 The Dual Structure of CrediLinq's Fundraising

09:39 The Startup Fundraising Journey

10:09 The Seed Extension Round

11:27 The Impact of Macro Environment on Fundraising

33:36 The Importance of Lead Investors

37:09 Rapid Fire Questions and Conclusion

You can find Kaia Parv on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/kaiarparv/ and learn more about CrediLinq at https://www.credilinq.ai/.

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 65+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Iliyas Issatayev, founder and CEO of Hero's Journey, joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their recent $1.5M Seed raise and the unique challenges of raising capital for a Kazakhstan-based fitness technology startup.

You can find Iliyas Issatayev on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/iliyas-issatayev-49ba2b10/ and learn more about Hero's Journey at https://herosjourney.kz/

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 65+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Keren Fanan, co-founder and Chief Revenue Officer of Giraffe, joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their recent $10.5M Seed raise with a global base of investors.

You can find Keren Fanan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/keren-fanan-47268344/ and learn more about Giraffe at https://giraffe.us/

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 65+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Brad Larschan, Founder and CEO of Avadain, joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their success in raising over $10M with $6M of that through equity crowdfunding.

You can find Brad Larschan on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/bradley-larschan-a7736175/ and learn more about Avadain AI at https://avadaingraphene.com/

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 65+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Michael True, co-founder and CEO of Prescient AI, joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their latest $4.5M Seed Round, explore the strategy changes from their previous Pre-Seed Round, and jam on best tactics to build relationships with VCs before the round.

You can find Michael True on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaeljtrue/ and learn more about Prescient AI at https://www.prescient-ai.io/

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 60+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Maddy Alcala, President of Gooten, joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss their latest $11M Series A Round and her journey to lead the company.

You can find Maddy Alcala on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/in/maddyalcala/ and learn more about Gooten at https://www.gooten.com/

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 60+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Dive into Episode 3 of 'The Fundraising Debrief' as we sit down with Lamine Zarrad, the mastermind behind Stellar Fi - a game-changer in the financial empowerment space. Fresh off a whopping $15M Series A round, Lamine sheds light on the secrets of fundraising, his journey with one of Austin's first unicorn startups, and his impressive exits. This episode is packed with invaluable insights for every entrepreneur.
 

StellarFi launched just a year ago and recently announced a $15M in Series A funding, and $2M in ARR only 7 months after its launch! Lamine is an immigrant and ex-Marine who previously founded Joust (acquired by ZenBusiness). He also worked as a National Bank Examiner for the US Treasury and founded StellarFi after his own experience with bad credit as a young adult.
 

In total, StellarFi has raised $22.2 million in funding. Repeat backer Acrew Capital led its Series A, which included participation from Trust Ventures, ATX Venture Partners, Dream Ventures, Interplay, Accomplice Ventures, Vera Equity, FJ Labs, Fiat Ventures, Gaingels, Kelmhurst, Oyster Funds, Hilltop Ventures, Permit Ventures, Kindergarten Ventures, J2 Capital, Socially Financed and Kapital Ventures. 

You can find Lamine Zarrad on Twitter at https://twitter.com/zarradlb and learn more about StellarFi at https://stellarfi.com/

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 60+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.

Philip Odelfelt, co-founder and CEO of Datavations, joins Vlad Cazacu, co-founder and CEO of Flowlie, to discuss his latest $4.2M Seed Round and all the tactic used to assemble their cap table.

Listen in as Philip spills the secrets on assembling a value-add roster of investors, the tactics that helped him secure capital, and why personal relationships are just as important as business acumen. Plus, he shares networking tips, book recommendations, and insights into the scalability strategies that are propelling Datavations to new heights.

Whether you're a first-time founder or a seasoned entrepreneur, this episode is packed with actionable advice and behind-the-scenes stories that you won't want to miss!

1. [00:00:00] - Introduction of Philip Odelfelt, Co-founder and CEO of Datavations
2. [00:01:00] - Mention of Flowlie, the episode’s sponsor
3. [00:02:00] - Datavations' proprietary data set and use of AI
4. [00:09:00] - Datavations' edge over pure AI development companies
5. [00:10:00] - Importance of growth rate for Datavations
6. [00:11:00] - Impact of new talent on the company
7. [00:12:00] - Philip’s six-month fundraising journey
8. [00:15:00] - The vision-driven approach to getting investors
9. [00:17:00] - Building personal relationships with investors
10. [00:19:00] - Choosing investors based on value-add, not just brand
11. [00:20:00] - The importance of business culture and relationships
12. [00:24:00] - Investors who became customers before investing
13. [00:27:00] - The power of investor introductions and endorsements
14. [00:29:00] - The tactics that helped Datavations secure capital
15. [00:31:00] - Treating fundraising as a business partnership
16. [00:32:00] - Philip's background and bilingual education
17. [00:33:00] - Networking insights and tips
18. [00:34:00] - Book recommendations from Philip
19. [00:36:00] - Scalability considerations for Datavations
20. [00:37:00] - Advanced access and engagement tracking strategies

Books mentioned:

Pure business books 

• Traction By Gino Wickman
• Lean Startup
• Zero to One

Biographies/business stories 

• How Google Works
• The Everything Store
• Lead From The Core

Self-help & leadership books 

• 7 Habits of highly effective people
• Just Listen
• Leaders Eat Last

Funding Specific

• Fundraising by Ryan Breslow
• Angel by Jason Calcanis
• Backable by Suneel Gupta

You can find Philip Odelfelt on Twitter at https://twitter.com/DatavationsCEO and learn more about Datavations at https://www.datavations.com/

Learn more about Flowlie and how the platform helped thousands of founders from 60+ countries around the world raise hundreds of millions of dollars. Build your dream cap table with Flowlie's all-in-one Fundraising Hub at https://www.flowlie.com/

Stay up-to-date with all our episodes by checking our website at https://www.thefundraisingdebrief.com/, following us on Twitter at https://twitter.com/thefundraisingd, and on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/thefundraisingdebrief/.