EP 40: How Brady Nolan's Cold LinkedIn Message Leads to Best Egg's Acquisition of Till

In this episode, Brady Nolan, co-founder of Till, takes us through his journey from real estate to fintech transforming rent payments, leading to Till's impressive acquisition by Best Egg after raising $16 million. We talked about the early challenges of aligning Till—a startup that innovated how rent is managed with flexible payments—to meet market needs effectively, and the tactics they used to secure early-stage funding. Brady shares how Till, which started as a simple idea to help renters manage cash flow, grew into a significant player in the FinTech space. He also shares the acquisition process, highlighting the crucial role of strong investor relationships and the integration hurdles they faced post-acquisition, providing invaluable insights for startups navigating the financial landscape. Here's what you're in for: 00:00 Intro 00:32 Brady's property development background and Till's founding 03:19 Till's progression from idea to tackling real issues through rent payment solutions 07:33 Till's early fundraising efforts and deployment of capital 13:14 The explosive demand for Till’s services during the pandemic 15:04 The acquisition of Till by Best Egg 27:00 Cutting partnerships and focusing on new growth avenues 32:47 Integration and impact on the team/product post-acquisition 33:13 Mistakes and Lessons Learned 38:51 Advice for founders 44:42 Outro This episode is sponsored by ThunderVC, an investment bank for founders by founders. Raising capital? Get a list of vetted VCs for FREE here: https://web.thunder.vc/list-of-investors-vcs-for-founders  Raising debt? Find the perfect lender in minutes here: https://debt.thunder.vc Get the latest fundraising insights, news, and tips - https://join.thunder.vc ABOUT BRADY NOLAN Brady Nolan, a seasoned real estate investor and innovative entrepreneur, co-founded Till to transform the rent payment experience for middle-class Americans. With a focus on aligning rent payments with renters' cash flows, Brady has led Till to significant growth, culminating in a strategic acquisition by Best Egg. His career spans over 15 years in real estate, where he developed and invested in large multi-unit apartment communities across the U.S. Prior to founding Till, Brady worked on the institutional side of the market, managing big real estate projects and working with major property management companies. Connect with Brady Nolan on: Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brady-nolan/ Website: https://www.bestegg.com/ ABOUT FUNDRAISING DEMYSTIFIED Our goal is simple: to equip you with the knowledge, inspiration, and guidance to navigate the labyrinthine world of fundraising. Whether you're a budding entrepreneur seeking seed funding or an established founder looking to scale your business, this podcast will provide you with the tools you need to conquer the fundraising landscape. Thank you for being a loyal subscriber to Fundraising Demystified. We appreciate your support and are excited to continue bringing you more inspiring stories from successful founders. ABOUT JASON Jason Kirby is the co-founder of Thunder VC. He is a serial entrepreneur with 4 multi-million exits and decades of experience in fundraising and business building. He has coached hundreds of entrepreneurs in his career on fundraising, investing, capital strategy, and business development. You can reach out to Jason through: Email: [email protected] LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonrkirby/