The Green Techpreneur’s Post

🤔 Investor-founder relationships can be very tricky. Giancarlo Savini at Future Energy Ventures developed a strategy that can help to smooth over the investor-founder relationship: 👉 Create a pre-agreement partnership contract that clearly maps out all terms of the relationship – including sales and/or product development support. 👉 “The most successful VCs are now deciding they want to further develop customer partnership and help their portfolio companies establishing stronger relationships with their clients – that’s kind of telling as to how important it is.” 👉 Our approach is to pre-agree as much as possible partnerships contracts to really help the entrepreneur. This includes licensing agreements we set up for years to come. 👉 Through a pre-agreed partnership framework, the CEO has a clear idea of exactly what to expect in the partnership we are offering. 👉 We co-create a partnership where we clearly frame, exactly how our partnerships can support their specific company’s growth – what support we will offer them beyond sole investment. 👉 We're not here to learn and take information – we can work with a startup to complement their strategies and improve their speed to market. Do you want support on your funding journey? Connect with us at The Green Techpreneur: https://lnkd.in/emz6q2XM Read more and subscribe: https://lnkd.in/gD4C9VnN #climateaction #climateinnovation #climateinvestment #SparkTheTransition

How the market is looking at you (really)? "Just a CVC” - ouch.  What makes a quality CVC? - Andy Lubershane of Energy Impact Partners wants to deal with people who have strong links into the corporate business units. If that’s someone on the CVC team with strong internal networks, great. If it’s a CVC investor who is an island apart from the parent corporation, not so much - Robert Garber of healthcare VC 7wireVentures also talked about the differences in empowerment he observed in the CVCs he dealt with.  “Some of them have the gravitas and the relationships and the political capital, and those are the most effective, whereas, sometimes people think of them as the gnat and the business people shoo them away.”   It’s always a bit humbling but worth it to look at yourself and your industry briefly through someone else’s eyes. You may think yourself a savvy startup scout, a term sheet ninja and board member of infinite sagacity – but, if you’re not bringing your corporation with you into deals, for many you’ll just be a gnat.   Interesting analysis as usual by Maija Palmer on Global Corporate Venturing #CVC #openinnovation #startups Mind the Bridge Gianluca Dettori PS: the picture is totally unrelated, except for the face expression of my friends Vittorio Viarengo and Fabrizio Capobianco

In a market brimming with potential yet fraught with competition, the InterTradeIreland Venture Capital Conference offered a wealth of insights. A standout moment was hearing from industry leaders Andrew O'Neill from ACT Venture Capital, Faye Walsh Drouillard from WakeUp Capital, Barry Brennan 💡 from Elkstone and David McCurley from Whiterock Capital. Their perspectives on the current investment marketplace were not only enlightening but also highlighted the nuances that differentiate their approaches to funding. Each spoke with authority on the importance of due diligence for entrepreneurs seeking funding. A critical takeaway for startups is to align their unique selling propositions with the interests of potential investors. It’s a delicate dance between standing out and fitting in with a VC’s portfolio strategy. What’s clear is that while a warm introduction remains a powerful tool in an entrepreneur’s arsenal, the art of the ‘cold email’ is not dead—it simply requires finesse and a well-crafted message. As advisors, we encourage entrepreneurs to weave their uniqueness with clarity and vision, and to embolden this with ambition. It’s the amalgamation of these factors that captures an investor’s interest. While the conference was a hub of valuable knowledge, I found myself longing for added insights from venture capital entities based in Northern Ireland. Engaging with firms like Crescent Capital, Clarendon Fund Managers and Techstart would have added an extra layer of depth on this panel, considering their pivotal role in nurturing local enterprises. Nonetheless, the conference reinforced a vital message for emerging enterprises: in the ever-evolving landscape of venture capital, it is those who are prepared, unique, and clear in vision who will thrive. Well done to all involved. Happy to connect - feel free to DM me. #investorready #uniquejourney #venturecapital #VCC24

An incredibly concise and #insightful guide on #VentureCapital, perfect for startup founders and even aspiring #investors. 🌟 Understanding the intricacies of VC—like the J Curve, key metrics, and the LP-GP relationship—not only helps in raising funds but also in forging meaningful partnerships. The #VC #ecosystem is as much about #strategy as it is about relationships. Thanks for breaking it down so well, Rubén D.! To all founders out there: Dive into this and level up your #fundraising #game! 🚀

This is a great guide to help anyone understand how venture capital works! Thanks for sharing this Rubén D.

🚀 Navigating and Avoiding Down Rounds 🚀 In the third session of the Africa Venture Discussion series, Eloho Omame delivered an insightful presentation on navigating and preempting down rounds. Here are some of the key takeaways from the session: 🏆 Down rounds involve complex dynamics where incentives from different stakeholders can diverge. Understanding these incentives is crucial for securing the best outcome. 💬 Early, difficult conversations with founders are key to avoiding down rounds. Proactive planning from the outset mitigates the need for last-minute crisis management. ↔ Down rounds are multi-faceted in nature and incentives often conflict. Alternatives such as non-dilutive funding, cost-cutting measures, or structured flat rounds can offer viable solutions to counter this. However, discipline and long-term thinking should be fostered from the outset to avoid reaching the brink of a down round. ⚖ Early conversations are important in mitigating dilution concerns. Founders must balance the fear of dilution with the broader company's value, ensuring they don't reject beneficial rounds due to short-term worries. 🤝 Investors’ reluctance towards down rounds was also discussed and the need to emphasise trust and transparency to ensure alignment between investors and founders. 🔎 Comprehensive due diligence at the beginning of the investment is key to avoiding down rounds. 📈 VCs were cautioned against overvaluation and encouraged to act as advisers to avoid down rounds. 🧠 The psychological aspects of down rounds must be recognised and acknowledged to understand the motivations of different stakeholders to facilitate smooth resolution. In conclusion, navigating down rounds requires foresight, transparency, and a collaborative approach. By fostering trust, aligning incentives, and maintaining a long-term perspective, companies and investors can navigate these challenges with resilience and integrity. #StartupStrategy #VentureCapital #Entrepreneurship #InvestmentInsights

Great breakdown! 📊 Understanding VC is crucial for founders—it's not just about raising funds but building strategic partnerships for long-term success.

techUK recently asked me to share views on #scaleup #investment challenges, which are condensed into a 3 minute blog post below. Hopefully an interesting read for UK tech entrepreneurs, VCs and policy makers... The opportunity to improve the landscape is clear. 🇬🇧

(っ◔◡◔)っ ♥ With odds like these, will you be playing by the existing rules of the technology investment game? ♥ 💣 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲, 𝗮 𝘁𝘆𝗽𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗹 𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆-𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗶𝗹𝗹 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗿 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝟔𝟎𝟎 𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘂𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗶𝗲𝘀 💣 𝗙𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝗻 𝟭𝟬% 𝗼𝗳 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗱𝗲𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗺𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝗯𝘆 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗲𝗶𝘃𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗱 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗻 𝗲-𝗺𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗮 𝗳𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿 These statistics should give any founder trying to raise investment for their science and technology company cause to stop and consider their approach. 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗼𝗳 “𝘀𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗽𝗿𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴” 𝗽𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗰𝗸𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻𝘆 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿. Unless you have 12 to 18 months without generating income to play the numbers game and hope that your pitch deck is good enough to be the one in 6,000 that secures funding, the traditional approach to securing investment risks consuming all of your time, energy, and resources, with a very low chance of success. Is this you? ✅ You want to find the best option for your company to use to secure investment ✅ You want to engage investors and need to understand what they look for and how to get their attention ✅ You're open to a proven faster, smarter and more successful approach to getting investors interested in your company 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 “𝗗𝗥𝗜𝗩𝗘𝗡” 𝗯𝗲𝗹𝗼𝘄 𝗶𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂'𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮 𝗳𝗮𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿, 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 #founders #startups #technology #venturecapital #entrepreneurship #innovation #buildaunicorn

𝗕𝗲𝘆𝗼𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗮𝗹: The Critical Role of Founder-Investor Relationships in Startup Success Founders spend months in pitching, meetings, and fundraising. However, the importance of spending even just an hour each month on investor updates gets overlooked. 𝙄 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 building a startup 𝗶𝘀 demanding. Relationships can easily take a back seat amid the chaos. But like any partnership, founder-investor relations require continuous effort and commitment. Here are valuable insights to navigate this relationship: 🔸𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝘆: Seek investors who align with your goals and values. 🔸𝗨𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰𝘀:  Acknowledge the 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘴𝘺𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘵𝘳𝘺. Manage it by mitigating the imbalance effectively. Gigi Levy-Weiss from NFX offers a great reference on how this dynamic plays out 👇 https://lnkd.in/e4WssN3r 🔸𝗢𝘃𝗲𝗿-𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝘂𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗮𝘁𝗲:  Increase touch points to manage blind spots. According to Daniel Polonka, 45% of investors prioritize investing within their network  A good relationship is an investment in itself.  Keep them updated to stay at the top of their mind. 🔸𝗗𝗲𝗺𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗩𝗮𝗹𝘂𝗲:  Investors invest in 𝙮𝙤𝙪. Show them they can trust you.  Be authentic, show resilience, and consistently deliver. 🔸𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗳𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗰𝗲𝘀: They can advocate and open doors to opportunities. They can be mentors and offer insights on venture building.  In moments of adversity, an investor becomes a steadfast partner. Remember, you share a common goal with your investors.  You're playing for the same team – 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙪𝙥'𝙨 𝙨𝙪𝙘𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨. #Startups #Investment #VC