Great episode for early stage VC's and capital allocators to check out. https://lnkd.in/ekz7JHJd #vc #fundraising #venturecapital

When negotiating with VCs, esp. at early stages, founders rarely get anywhere close to the best deal they could. The reason is obvious - founder is doing it probably for the first time, while its the 100th time for the investor. There is a clear difference in learning curve. Most investors have perfected this interaction - create power imbalance, magnify gap areas, create artificial time scarcity etc. Nothing evil (or personal) - they are just optimising for themself like you - but they are better at the art, hence do better. I have experienced it myself multiple times as a raising founder and hear it regularly from ones I work with. There are only two ways to optimise it. 1. Create alternative options - no other ‘logic’ works better in explaining why you are worth more. 2. Create awareness - pre-empt tricks that will be played on you and have a counter. Experience matters. This is where repeat founders and one with access to those who have done this before, do better. #Founders #Fundraising #AnshulG

Founders who have raised VC funding I need your advice on a potentially tricky situation with an investor. I was engaging with what I thought was a VC firm based in Berlin to learn more about their thesis and investment categories. When I asked if they had their own fund or were an intermediary, They responded: "No, we do not have our own fund but we know investors that invest and as a result for the investment round of £1M we will ask for 10% ownership." This response raised some red flags for me. I'd greatly appreciate your thoughts on: 1. Is it common for intermediaries to request equity in exchange for connecting founders to investors? 2. Does a 10% ownership stake for a £1M round seem reasonable or excessive? 3. What potential risks or pitfalls should I be aware of when dealing with intermediaries rather than direct VCs? Your insights and experiences would be incredibly helpful as I navigate this situation. Thank you in advance for your guidance! #startup #venturecapital #fundraising #founderadvice

🚨 Fundraising Alert 🚨 Top tier companies raising Pre-Seed to Series A in the next 6 months should apply to Focal where they can pitch almost all their prospective investors at once. Demo day is on May 16th. ✅ Applying takes 7 mins ✅ Previous applicants raised from funds like Sequoia, Balderton, Episode 1, Lightspeed and GV. ✅ Even if you find fundraising easy, this is a way to build added momentum. You can apply here: https://lnkd.in/eTdTtSw7

More and more insight is coming out about VCs...... That they asked to have their posts predominantly featured on social media... Who they will vote for on Election Day ..... What type of human beings they actually are.... I don't know about you, but the more I learn, the more I don't like what I hear and see. And it reinforces what a lot of us that have worked with many VC firms over the years already knew......these aren't the best human beings. The VC model HAS to change. And it can't change when those VCs looking to make the change ALSO get into bed with the same damn VCs that they are trying to change. (Make it make sense!) Just sayin - it's common sense. We need to flip the whole VC and funding landscape on its head. #vcs #venturecapital #fundraising

"The first rule of venture fundraising is that the purpose of all VC meetings is to get another meeting. It’s not to immediately push a decision." Great 'cheat sheet' from NextView Partner David Beisel outlining the typical VC post-first meeting process. A great resource for founders to better understand where they are in the process and how to best approach each step 🤝 More here: https://lnkd.in/ehwqQC85

Founders: Can I interest you in lunch on us? Yes, we’re back with another ecosystem initiative from Tin Men Capital Namely: TINFLUN (There is no free lunch until now) It’ll be held in a unique format: 🔸5-6 VC funds across investment stages will be in attendance. 🔸Fundraising founders get to seat with a GP/VC investing in their stage/sector. 🔸Only 6-8 founders per table. 🔸Conversations will be had, deals could be made. The best of all? Lunch is free for founders! All thanks to our amazing sponsors. For those fundraising from Seed to Growth (Series A/B) stage, It’s a nice opportunity to meet VCs in a casual setting. Especially in the current fundraising climate where interest is tougher to find. As with any of our events typically (and even more so for this), This event on the 30th of August will likely be oversubscribed very quickly. 🥲 Bring an empty stomach and your fundraising-hat. Murli Ravi , myself and our other participating VCs Hsu Ken Ooi , Arshad Chowdhury , Tanuja Rajah , Karan Mohla look very much forward to see you there. P.S. Will leave the link in the comments - more info there. Credits to John T. for the funky name.

Angels are not miniature VCs. Besides the size of the checks, Angels don't have the same time pressure. Read my new post about Angel Misconceptions: https://lnkd.in/g4HvsNCa A VC fund has a fixed duration to realize a return. This means a VC fund is on a timer as soon as they raise (and you are on a timer as soon as you raise). VCs start raising their next fund within 3-4 years so there is additional pressure to show early progress like rising valuations or other good news. With Angels you are competing with their next vacation. Angels do not have limited partners to satisfy and they do not get paid a salary. You could say Angels have external pressure NOT to invest: family obligations and other priorities in their lives. Angels do feel FOMO, which founders can use to their advantage, but there is a limit. Angels are perfectly ok if they pass on your deal. From my new post: Angel Misconceptions https://lnkd.in/g4HvsNCa

Are you serious about raising funds in 2024? At FundingHero, we understand the frustrations and roadblocks you face in the fundraising process. That's why our accelerator is designed to provide you with the skills and support needed to secure your investment and scale your business. Sign up here: (Link) Why Join FundingHero’s Accelerator? 💸 Create a Clear Raise Plan: Set a roadmap for your fundraising journey. 💸 Craft a Winning Pitch Deck: Learn to present your vision effectively. 💸 Set a Realistic Valuation: Understand and negotiate your worth. 💸 Pitch Like a Pro: Gain confidence and skills for investor meetings. 💸 Get Data Room Ready: Prepare key investor documents for due diligence. Limited spots are filling up fast. Apply today and be part of our transformative programme. https://lnkd.in/eivFMCN5