Forum Ventures’ Post

The application stats for OnePitch VC have been published. Articulating the team/problem fit, and traction achieved have been the weakest elements of the pitches so far (on average). Is this a surprise to investors? What makes good team and traction slides???

Angel Networks provide benefits to both founders and investors. For Founders: 🚀 An alternative to or an addition to traditional VC funding. 💡 A source of experience and advice (Manchester Angels has 45 exited founders!). 🎯 More targeted in who they fund (if you’re a founder from Manchester, we’re for you!). For Investors: 🤝 An opportunity to connect with like-minded people. 🧠 Tap the knowledge of other angel investors. 🔍 Access to a team of experts appointed for the due diligence process. Read my latest article where Angel Networks are demystified: https://buff.ly/3TDqMz9

The last time I ran one of these for the public was years ago. I'll be running a public class on winning pitches next week. (limited slots) The good folks at Tin Men Capital (ahem, John T.) invited me to share how we build winning pitches to their community of founders. Though our local ecosystem has matured over the years, We still see the same struggles as day one. Amazing founders are so focused on their business that their stories are still often lost by the time they get in the room with investors. For our founders to do well, sharper pitches are a must. Over two hours (with a little Q&A segment), I'll be sharing: - How an AI-Solar company raised a $16.8M Series A round from global investors - How a foodtech company raised $22M from sovereign funds - How a procurement software co raised eight-figures across rounds - Teardowns of pitches submitted for live feedback - The formula we've been using to help our clients successfully win funding Nothing to sell you. Just happy to share and teach what I know. I've only been doing paid, arranged runs for awhile, great to do one for the good of our ecosystem:) If you've been following my work here and you'd like to meet in person, do RSVP and come! Link to sign-up: https://lnkd.in/eyFmm4N2 See you there! P.S. It's not my event, so I can't guarantee slots, I hear we're almost oversubscribed at this point. If you have a real burning need and would like to come, drop me a DM and I'll see what I can do.

We wired our 300th SPV this week via Riverside Ventures 💰💸📈 This does not include deals I have co-syndicated, as most know this is a model I am bullish on and expands the exposure for LPs. I’m not going to do a “10 key learnings from 300 SPV’s” post, ya know… all that stuff you’re supposed to do or whatever here. I cover it weekly via Last Money In Media 🙂 The best curated syndicated deals for accredited investors can now be found via Deal Sheet (our new, paid product). Feeling very motivated from the 300 deals we’ve done! Excited for the next 300 SPV’s and awesome founders/companies to back ahead! We don’t lead rounds or set terms but we are definitely open for business. Onwards & upwards for Riverside Ventures, Last Money In Media, and Deal Sheet...

LESSON 1 PITCHING to #VCs or #Angelinvestors: @LatestSale and Rare Founders complaint to David Levine of Glenluna Ventures after START UP DECK ROAST webinar on 05/09/2024, "Can we have some more please? 90 minutes? Not enough!" https://lnkd.in/eUK3jari

Founders who raised between 2018 and 2022 shared with me advice like if after 10 investor meetings 0 or only 2 show interest, you're probably not going to go get funded. I'm speaking to founders who raised in the last 6 - 8 months and found that one got their first term sheet after 600 cold emails with a 4% response rate and another only after following a rigorous warm-intro only fundraise process with over 120 investor meetings. The "new" market seems to make a lot more sense. Bringing crazy ideas to life should require you to be a bit of a lunatic in terms of relentlessness. Staring into the abyss and eating glass isn't for everyone. A high barrier to entry even for $1M - $3M might actually lead to better products and services for us all 🤷♂️. Building some thick skin while getting in reps with casual and professional investors seems like a good way to find out the gaps in your pitch and get used to taking a "No" on the chin like a champ.

The fundraising landscape in 2024 is BARREN. (no matter what they tell you) Global Media Assets still raised capital from 7 different angel investors... & here is how we did it: 1. Rely on your network! I didn't think I knew a single angel investor until I started digging through my ´rolodex.´ Even then, most of my investors are friends of a friend of a friend... Which is still much better than a cold intro. Clay is a phenomenal modern tool for managing your network. 2. Make the connection early. Even if you aren't ready to take a check today, you will be in 2 months and investors want to see progress more than anything. 3. Don't forget to talk about yourself and your team. The product is of course what you are pitching, but it WILL pivot before launch. The only thing an investor can bet on is the founders. 4. ACTION BIAS -- This is something not a lot of people talk about, but I live by it. As soon as you have a good thought, take some small action to ensure it comes to fruition. For example if I THINK that I should be pitching to family offices in New York with x type company in their portfolio: then I immediately text a friend in NYC and ask if s/he knows anyone. Maybe this isn't the right direction or doesn't end up working out, but by taking ACTION instead of just putting it in my notes -- then I give us a chance at actually making it happen. Hope that helps some people :) Happy hump day !

Bonfire sessions are Camp Hustle’s favorite sessions. We previously teased a few that we’ll be having: 🚀 Differentiating your fund with Courtney Russell McCrea and I 🚀 Investing in consumer verticals with Todd Johnson 🚀 Running a syndicate with Brian Nichols Today, I’m sharing 3 more sessions that we’ll have. [SESSION: What to look for in a pitch deck] As an investor, you’re sifting through hundreds of pitch decks on a monthly basis. And being able to find the needle in the haystack is absolutely essential to picking your winners. Lisa Muccio and Peter Liu from The Pitch will discuss how to spot red flags, what successful founders have in common, questions you should be asking when reviewing a pitch deck, and more. [SESSION: Fundraising as an emerging manager] If the following questions are constantly running through your mind, you’re not alone: 🚀 What do LPs want to see in an emerging manager? 🚀 How do you craft an LP outreach strategy? 🚀 What should your investment strategy include? Join Charles Hudson, Virginie Raphael and Elizabeth Yin to dive into all of that. [SESSION: All about the secondaries market] As valuations for private companies came crashing back down in 2022, investors saw big opportunities to transact in the secondary markets. But if you have questions like… 🚀 How do you know who the key players are? 🚀 How do you value the asset class? 🚀 How do you successfully execute a secondary transaction? Join Jamie Melzer and Ryan Logue as they take you through all of it. *** TLDR: if you want a front row seat to these conversations alongside other brilliant GPs, LPs, and family offices, you should probably grab your ticket soon: camphustle.co Like, really soon. General Admission tickets are only good for 2+ more weeks!

5 Fundraising Hacks That Nobody Tells Founders By Vojta Rocek, Karol Lasota, Andreas Munk Holm and Moi How To Web 2024 👊 Fundraising is a sales process – Build your funnel and get into execution mode. 💥 The story matters - VCs have cognitive overload and you have to cut through the noise and be memorable. 🔊 Signaling matters – VCs have FOMO and they talk (for better or worse). Use it to build momentum, but remember: trust is key. 💜 It's a people business – VCs are backing you. 🥳 Best tip for a fundraising meeting: Be Yourself and Have fun! Let’s keep the tips/truths about fundraising coming! Cocoa 🍫, Underline Ventures, Inovo.vc and Presto Ventures 📸 to Saul Levin

Did you know that the average founder who successfully raises capital speaks to around 150 investors? Would it surprise you if I told you most founders never get there? Because I want to see more founders win... I build a step-by-step guide to building the ultimate investor target list. It took my team and I awhile to put it together but it was important that we give founders something of actual value, instead of pushing you to buy a random list of investors to cold email. This guide ACTUALLY tells you how to build a strong target list of investors for your fundraise. And if you actually follow every step... you'll be in a better place than majority of founders when you go out to launch your raise. what's included: ✔️ Step-by-step instructions for building an investor list ✔️ Templates to get you started quickly ✔️ Walkthrough videos of how to use search tools to gain access, head to the comments below 👇 👇