Investor Connect Podcast

The Best Startups Pick the Investors Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Successful startup investing requires a consistent flow of quality deals. The best startups pick the investors. It's the law of supply and demand. Where there are more investors than capital available to invest, the founder chooses. Here are some key steps investors should take to build that pipeline of deals: Build a reputation for being helpful to founders. Startups look for investors who can bring more than just funding. Provide additional services to the community, such as meetups and incubator support. Startups look for those who are fully invested in their local network. Help funded companies find follow-on funding from later-stage investors. Founders look for investors who are well connected. Attract additional capital into the startup space. Founders look for those who are growing the community. Educate the community on startup funding and investing. Founders appreciate those who provide mentorship and advice. Consider these steps to position yourself as a quality investor. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Rene Wiertz, founder and managing partner of Fundracer BV, who shares how his experience building and leading premium bicycle brand 3T led him to launch a micro-mobility-focused fund that he believes has been overlooked by traditional venture capital. Rene discusses the post-COVID stabilization and renewed double-digit growth in cycling and micro-mobility, driven by urbanization, space constraints for cars, and rapid infrastructure changes in cities like Paris, London, and New York. Rene explains how new tech talent from firms like Microsoft, Google, Apple, BMW, and Tesla is bringing advanced technologies into a historically hardware-driven industry to make micromobility safer and more convenient. He outlines what helps startups raise capital—perseverance, strong go-to-market planning alongside product development, and speed to market—while warning founders against inconsistent valuation shifts and being vague about use of proceeds. The conversation highlights Funracer's key investment themes in safety tech adapted for two-wheelers, including lightweight ABS, low-power AI vision detection for collision avoidance, and reusable airbags, as well as emerging autonomous capabilities such as steer-by-wire. Rene also describes how Funracer co-invests with larger funds by providing micromobility expertise to unlock capital for the sector, and he closes with relationship-building advice for founders. Visit Fundracer BV at fundracer.capital/ Reach out to at [email protected], and on www.linkedin.com/in/ren%C3%A9-wiertz-76637/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Founders Should Have a Nationwide View of Their Fundraise Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders raising funding should start with family and friends. It's not the amount of funding raised that counts, but rather the fact that one's family and friends support the founder. From there, the founder draws the circle wider to the investors in the local community. This includes the local angel network and any funds in the area. Again, it's not the dollar amount that counts; it's the proof that those in your community will support you. Founders should then draw the circle wider to include other cities nearby. Finally, the founder should reach out across the country to find investors. While local funding most likely won't take you all the way, it's important to raise from them as it generates proof of fundability. Founders should have a nationwide view on their fundraise from the get-go. It's important to start locally to prove support to investors outside your region. As you draw the circle wider, investors will increasingly look to proof points that other investors are in the deal. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Investor Focus at Each Stage of the Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup investors invest across all stages of startups. For each stage, the investor should focus on a key point. Here's a list of the investor focus at each stage of the startup: Pre-seed -- focus on the team. At this stage, there's little else to review. It's about the team's insight into solving the problem. Seed -- focus on the product. At this stage, the product has been built. It's about how well the product solves the problem. Series A -- focus on the traction. At this stage, customer adoption should be picking up. It's about organic growth proving the product fits the market. Series B -- focus on the revenue. At this stage, the revenue should be growing well. It's about revenue growth quarter over quarter. Series C - focus on unit economics. At this stage, the business should be profitable at the unit economics level. It's about low cost of customer acquisition and high lifetime value. Consider the stage of the startup for your investor diligence. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Making Money as an Angel Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel investors are high-net-worth individuals who invest in startups for a profit. They make money when the startup exits by selling the business to another company or going public. The vast majority of exits are through sales to another company. The challenge for the angel investor is that most startups will fail or turn into lifestyle businesses. A lifestyle business means the founders make a nice salary, but there's no exit for the investors. Angels come in early on the business and so must wait the longest to receive a return. Angel investors look for startups that are just entering the market, as the valuation is still fairly low. They come in when the startup initially gains traction. They look for product and market validation. The product works, and customers will pay for it. With this information, they fund startups with the hopes that the company will see an exit in five to seven years. They suffer dilution when additional capital comes in. Consider these points as an angel investor on how to make money from it. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Advantage of Sending the Pitch Deck in Advance Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors often ask for a pitch deck in advance of the meeting. Here are the advantages of sending the pitch deck ahead of time. The investor has time to review the deck and prepare for the meeting. If the deal is completely out of scope for the investor, then canceling the meeting saves everyone time. It creates another touchpoint for the founder with the investor. It's an opportunity to engage with the investor even if it's only on email. Increases the productivity of the meeting as the investor comes prepared, knowing the basics. The investor has time to research the market or the technology space to understand how the startup fits within it. The meeting brings additional elements to the pitch as follows: It shows the enthusiasm of the founder. It highlights the skill of the team through answers to the investors' questions. Consider sending the pitch deck in advance for your next investor meeting. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The First Call With an Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The first call with an investor is an important one, as it sets the stage for follow-up calls. Here are some key steps to take in the first call: Keep the conversation two-way rather than letting one side or the other monologue. The founder doesn't learn anything about the investor if the founder talks the entire time. Use questions to guide the conversation so it's productive. The purpose of the call is to inform the investor about the fundraise and learn more about the investor's interest and experience. After each portion of the pitch, ask for feedback from the investor about their impressions. This could be about the problem to be solved, the solution offered, or other. Ask for advice at key points to engage the investor and potentially learn something new. Explore the investor's diligence process so one can prepare for it. Finally, check interest on the part of the investor. See what level of interest the investor has. This will help rank-order investors by interest level. Consider these steps in engaging the investor for the first time. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall Martin welcomes Brian Kerns, a mentor, angel investor, and product executive working with VentureWell, to discuss why climate tech can be a tougher fit for traditional angel investing. Brian explains that many climate tech startups involve deep technology that requires more capital, longer timelines, and multiple rounds, and some segments—like ocean and built environment—lack the big "proof point" exits many investors look for. The conversation covers how founders often inflate their capital asks, why the funding gap is widening as VCs move later-stage, and how specialized angel groups with domain expertise can better assess risk and navigate non-dilutive funding. Brian also shares his work as a co-founder of Unventure Capital, which targets strong, profitable companies that don't match the unicorn/VC model, using alternative approaches such as debt-based financing, embedded operator support, and different ownership structures to help companies reach profitability and optionality. Hall and Brian also dig into how the grants landscape has become less reliable, why corporate venture typically waits until Series A, which climate areas still fit angels (software, IoT/light tech, and key supply-chain components), and why today's market is pushing founders to prioritize building real, durable businesses over impact messaging alone. Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/brianlkerns/, and on venturewell.org/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Standard Practices for M&A Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Achieving an exit is the final hurdle in launching a startup using investor funding. Here are some key practices in going through the M&A process. The factor driving the entire process is the company's business model and how it will sustain over time. Recurring revenue businesses command higher valuations because of the business model. The stickier the product, the more valuable the business is. Another practice is that the more buyers are interested in the business, the higher the valuation. Consider how your business can fit with many potential acquirers rather than just a few. Most companies acquiring a business are seeking to fill a gap. The startup that provides the missing piece is the most valuable. Consider how your startup helps augment existing businesses. The more the buyer understands the startup, the more likely they will be interested in buying it. Consider how to raise awareness of your startup so acquiring companies see the value in it. Consider these practices for driving a successful buyout of your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Validating a Startup Idea Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Before launching a startup, a founder should first validate the startup idea. Here's a list of key steps to validate your startup idea: Is the idea big enough to justify a startup? Many ideas are simple side gigs with little return to the founder. Are you solving a real problem? Without it the startup will not succeed due to a lack of customer demand. Does the problem cause enough pain that someone will pay to fix it? There are many problems that people just learn to live with. How much does it cost to launch the business? Some problems require huge investment up front, which one will be unlikely to raise. Is there a beachhead market to enter the space? Finding an entry point into a market is one key element of success. Can it scale? It's easy to start a boutique business such as consulting, but it must be designed to scale. Who is the competition? Avoid believing there is no competition and look hard for those who are solving the problem currently. What unique insight do you bring to the business? You need to have some advantage over others. Is now the right time? A recent change in the market may be giving an opportunity. Finally, is the founder the right fit for this solution? Consider these steps in validating your startup idea. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

When the Investor Fails To Respond to a Fwup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The key to a successful fundraise is to follow up with the investor to close. It's important to maintain communication with an investor to carry the funding process through diligence. In some cases, the investor fails to respond to a fwup after a pitch. Here are some key steps to take when the investor fails to respond. After the pitch, ask the investor if you can keep them informed of your progress. Most will say yes either to be polite or because they are curious as to how it will turn out. This gives the founder permission to fwup. Send an email update on an every-other-week basis and invite for a fwup call to give more detail. If the investor fails to respond, then call them on the phone and indicate you need just two minutes of their time for a fwup. Given the shortness of the call, the investor will take it. Show progress around sales, team, product, and fundraising. Pick at least one news item to tell the investor to show the traction is growing. Avoid sounding desperate, as this is not a good look for a founder. Another technique is to ask for advice. This engages the investor in the startup and provides an opportunity for the investor to show their experience and knowledge. Consider these steps for following up with an investor who fails to respond. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Highlight the Benefits of the Solution Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching for funding, the founder identifies the problem to be solved. And then describes the solution to be offered. It's important to show not only the solution with its features but also the benefits. Show how well the solution solves the problem as follows: This could be a customer productivity enhancement number. This could be a cost reduction number. This could be a time-saving number. Talk not only about how the product works but what benefits the customer will find. Most founders assume the investor knows the value of the solution, but this is not a good assumption. Identify the benefits of your solution and list them out for the investor to see. The rule of pitching is if you don't articulate it, then it doesn't exist. If you don't know the benefits of your solution, then it's best to research it with current and past customers to identify them. Consider the benefits of your solution and capture it into your pitch deck. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Build a Better Product Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Having a better product than the competition is no guarantee of success, but it does help with your fundraise. Here's how to build a better product: First, understand the customer and the work they must do. Know the overall process flow and how the customer's job fits within it. Analyze the customer job to identify how to make it faster, easier, and cheaper to do. This includes time and dollars spent. Identify a key insight about the customer problem. These insights come from working in the industry or holding the job yourself. Know not only the customer job itself but also the workflow around it. Design a product that fits the customer flow and provides a faster, better, and cheaper solution. If you're not in the industry, then take on a consulting job in the industry for a period of time. This will build not only your knowledge of the job but also the business around it. It will give you connections in the industry that will be helpful later. It will also help you understand how to engage the support of others. Consider these steps in building a better product for your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

On this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Sophie Winwood, venture capital investor, ecosystem builder, and co-founder of UnlockVC. Based in the UK, UnlockVC is a global community supporting women in venture capital and connecting investors across Europe and the U.S. Sophie has spent the past seven years in venture capital, including investing at Anthemus with a focus on early-stage companies and fintech. She co-founded UnlockVC to help expand access, networks, and opportunities for women across the venture ecosystem. Sophie discusses the changing venture capital landscape, diversity in investing, the rise of solo GPs, AI's role in venture workflows, and why strong relationships and warm introductions still matter for founders and investors. Visit Unlock VC at unlock-vc.com/ Reach out to atwww.linkedin.com/in/sophie-winwood-92526241/, and on [email protected] ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Startups Fail for Many Reasons Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups fail for many reasons. Here's a list of the more common ones: Ran out of cash. This is the most common reason of all. Could not raise additional funding. Lost too much business to the competition. Did not generate enough revenue to make the business model work. Had a too-high cost basis for running the business. Didn't hire the right people. Missed the market opportunity. The founders could not get along with each other. Lost interest in the business. Review this list for your startup. Consider how to mitigate these risks in your business plan. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Challenge of Angel Investing Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel investing can be a rewarding experience, providing not only investment returns but also making the world a better place. It also comes with challenges. Here is the challenge of angel investing: There's a small number of investable startups. There's a large number of startups to comb through to find the fundable ones. There's a substantial number of other investors chasing startups to invest in. This creates a competitive environment for the best deals. Most startups genuinely want to succeed, although there are a few that are outright scams. The process of sorting through the available startups takes time and energy. One can't always tell a good one from a bad one from a general review. It takes a deep dive to figure out which startups have the potential to succeed and which ones are destined to fail. Failure comes from pursuing a market that is too small or building a business that is not scalable, among other reasons. Consider how to mitigate this challenge in your angel investing. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

What Are the Odds? Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Early-stage investments require follow-on funding to reach a substantial size, providing a return to the investors that justifies the risk. Here are the odds that a startup will raise its next round of funding. After the first round, about half go on to raise a second round. This is not unusual, as many investors divide their investment allocation in half for the first investment. Of the original funded companies, about 30% will go on to raise a third round. This is equivalent to a Series A round. Of the original funded companies, about 15% will go on to raise a fourth round. This is equivalent to a Series B round. Of the original funded companies, about 9% will go on to raise a fifth round. This is equivalent to a Series C round. Of the original funded companies, about 3% will go on to raise a sixth round. This is equivalent to a Series D round. After the first round, there is a halving effect in which approximately half the companies are able to raise another round to move to the next level. Overall, about 70% of the companies will not make a return to their investors due to a lack of an exit. Startup investment is driven by the power law, which provides the majority of the returns through a handful of the investments. Consider these odds when making your investment. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Evaluating the Team Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In startup investing, the team is the most important factor pointing to success or failure. Here are some key steps in evaluating the team for your startup investment. Look for examples of execution on the current startup. Execution trumps the idea. If there's no execution, then it doesn't matter how great the idea is. Startups are difficult and often challenging. The team must have the skills to overcome any and all obstacles. Check the team's education to see if they have foundational knowledge in their domain. Next, check their past work experiences. Have they worked at key companies and on relevant projects related to their startup's mission? See how successful their previous projects have been. If their work was in the startup space, how many of their companies achieved an exit, and at what level? Check their passion for the project. Is this startup the one that will go to the moon, or is it just there to pay the bills till something better comes along? Finally, check to see that all the skills needed are accounted for in the team. Consider these steps in evaluating a team for your startup investment. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Close a Soft Commitment Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders raising funding often ask for general interest first with no commitment. A soft commitment is an interest from an investor just short of a commitment. Investors use this to maintain the dialog with the founder as they learn more about the deal. Some use this as a bargaining chip to gain more favorable terms. As a founder, here's how to close a soft commitment. Create a deadline and start driving investors towards it. The amount of funds raised should be increasing on a weekly basis. Show other investors are in the deal and they are moving forward. List names and show their interest. Show other investors are circling the deal and they represent a substantial amount of funding, albeit potentially. Finally, gather enough soft commitments to close the round and then set a priced round for it that is attractive to those investors. Make clear this valuation is only available for the next 30 days, and then it goes away. This creates FOMO Fear of Missing Out. Consider these steps in closing soft commitments for your fundraising round. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Hemanth Sheelvant, who currently works in manufacturing consulting with Bosch Manufacturing Co-Intelligence. He discusses how digital twins and AI are reshaping industrial operations—and why even well-funded projects still fail. Hemanth explains the "iceberg problem" in enterprise and AI deployments, where teams focus on the visible technology while underestimating the governance, cybersecurity, regulatory compliance, integration, and ongoing operations that drive the total cost. He shares how to avoid surprises by starting with customer discovery, aligning early with IT and key decision-makers, defining KPIs and budget for pilot-to-scale upfront, and assessing plant digital maturity through pre-discovery studies. The conversation also covers using AI first as a human-assist system, choosing simpler models when they meet the business outcome, building balanced teams with domain experts, and scaling via modular, deployable "Lego block" solutions and SaaS-friendly business models. Visit Bosch Manufacturing Co-Intelligence at https://www.manufacturing-co-intelligence.com/ Reach out to Hemanth at https://www.linkedin.com/in/hemanth-sheelvant/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Expand Product Sales Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups raising funding must show a growth story. The best growth story is a revenue curve going up and to the right at a 45-degree angle. For venture, the growth curve must be at least 50% year over year. Here are some key steps to take to expand sales: Increase sales with current customers by selling to more contacts within the account. This means using referrals from the existing users to find new ones. Increase the number of products sold to current customers. This means finding upgrades and additional products to sell to current users. Find new customers similar to the ones already buying the product. This means looking for new customers in the same industry or sector as current customers. Find new customers who are larger than the current customers. Larger customers can pay a higher price and potentially have a greater capacity for buying more. Finally, sell additional services that enhance the current product or service, such as payment facilities to help purchase the product, data analytics on customer usage, and artificial intelligence-enhanced features. Consider these steps in expanding product sales. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Calculate Burn Rate Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Burn rate is a key metric investors use to check the health of a startup. Based on the burn rate and cash in the bank, one can calculate how much time the startup has. Here's how to calculate burn rate. Use incoming cash as the first data point. It's a mistake to use revenue as the timing of the cash received is more important than when the orders are booked. Use outgoing cash as the second data point. Again, it's not the expenses on the accounting system that matters; it's what happened with cash flows. Burn rate is cash income minus cash outflow and is expressed in dollars. Track burn rate each month and over a long period of time. This will show the seasons and cycles that come with every business. Holidays often stretch out incoming cash flows, yet payroll still rolls no matter what. This will provide a range of burn rates throughout the year, making it easier to predict. Consider the burn rate for your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How to Diligence a Crowdfunding Deal Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Angel investors are familiar with startups raising funding who come through their normal channels. Deals are often submitted on their software platform or referred by a trusted source. In the world of crowdfunding, startups come through a new compliance channel called Reg CF. The startup posts their deal on a software platform that allows anyone to invest using the Reg CF compliance rather than Reg D compliance. Investors see an overview of the investment, a video describing how it works, and some documents for diligence. The crowdfunding platform provides some diligence information. Here's how an angel investor should diligence that startup: First, the crowdfunding platform checked for compliance with the Reg CF requirements but has not necessarily performed the usual checks for investor diligence. For example, the financials are not audited, so the investor must verify the financials provided. Check the team to see how much experience they have and what role they currently play in the startup. The product may look like it's ready to go, but the investor should verify the current status. The deal has a valuation but is rarely stated in clear terms. The investor should check to see what the proposed valuation is and if it is market rate. Finally, the investor should check the terms of the offering to see what rights the investors have, if any. Consider these steps in diligencing a crowdfunding deal. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Be a Good Startup Investor Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startup investors not only provide capital but also ongoing support to the startup. Here are some key steps to be a good startup investor: Research the market and provide actionable recommendations to the team about customers to pursue. Provide ongoing support through the tough times as well as the bad times. Build a relationship with the team and then grow it. Give credit to the team for their hard work and avoid taking it for themselves. Define their contribution to the team and set expectations with them. Provide training to the team in their area of expertise. Make connections to help break through the barriers that hold back sales. Rally other investors around the fundraise on follow-on rounds. Coach the CEO on how to connect with investors. Connect the CEO with potential partners who can help drive sales. Reserve funds for a follow-on investment when needed. Consider these steps as a good startup investor. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Make Your Pitch More Engaging Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders raising funding must capture the attention of the investor. Here are some key steps on how to make the pitch more engaging: Include market research to validate the problem to be solved. This touches on the target market, the competition, and customer needs. Make clear the problem to be solved and the solution offered. It helps to show how the product works at a high level. Show the support for the business so far. This includes traction in the current business with leads generated, revenue growth, and support from others, including partners. Highlight the challenges in the space and the hurdles the startup must overcome. Pitch Decks with nothing but rosy projections are suspect. Investors appreciate knowing exactly what must be done to beat the competition. List the skills the team needs to succeed. It's often the case that the founder shows a list of people and claims they are a rock star team. But most investors don't know the people and can only go by where the team has worked before. List a key business skill, technical skill, and domain skill that the team has to show this is the right team. Consider these points in making your pitch deck more engaging. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, we welcome Dave Blivin, founder and managing director of Cottonwood Technology Fund, who shares how he invests at the intersection of science, capital, and commercialization to turn hard technologies into real companies. Dave explains Cottonwood's focus on early-stage deep tech across areas such as photonics, advanced materials, sensors, med tech, energy, robotics, and advanced manufacturing, with a regional emphasis on the US Southwest and an expansion into Northwest Europe through partners in the Netherlands. He outlines Cottonwood's approach of leading rounds, taking board seats, and writing larger early checks (often around $2M within $2–$4M pre-seed syndicates) to fund prototypes and recruit business leadership, while leveraging a strong corporate venture network for diligence and follow-on rounds. Dave also discusses how he evaluates patent-based innovation with little prior art, why people and fundraising matter as much as working technology, challenges with national lab commercialization, common deep tech pitching mistakes, insights on building ecosystems outside Silicon Valley, and why renewed demand for hard tech is rising alongside AI-driven infrastructure needs. Visit Cottonwood at www.cottonwood.vc/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/company/cottonwood-technology-fund/ and on x.com/cottonwoodvc ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

It Takes a Process Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors looking to invest in a startup often look at the revenue as a sign of traction. In the very early stages, the presence or absence of revenue indicates the fundability of a company. As the company grows, one can look at the growth rate as a sign of traction. In addition to the presence of revenue and the growth rate, the investor can also look at the process behind the sales. This process includes generating leads, qualifying and then closing them. Check to see how sophisticated the process is. More importantly, check to see how predictive the process is. The better the sales process, the better the sales outcome for the company. The process often shows how much the founder knows about selling the product. A fully featured sales process that consistently takes prospects through to close is a key indicator of success. As an investor, review not only their revenue traction but also the process behind it. It takes a process to make a successful startup. As a founder, don't wait to build the process; start on it immediately after launch. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Get Your Fundraise Started Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Starting a fundraise can be a daunting task for the first-time founder. Here are some key steps on how to get your fundraise started. Research the market by talking with other founders who are raising funding. Check the current climate for fundraising. Look at their fundraise documents, including the pitch deck and terms sheet. After reviewing four to five fundraises, the content and format of the documents will be clear. Break the fundraise campaign into manageable tasks. Start with investor document preparation, then build a list of potential investors, and finally, set up a timeline for meeting the investors. Look for advisors who know the fundraising process and can give guidance. Spend time with other founders raising funding to learn from their experience. Practice your pitch and watch other founders pitching to hone your presentation skills. Start pitching to family and friends and then draw the circle wider to friends of friends and finally seek out investors who you don't know. Consider these steps in launching your fundraise. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Return on Mission Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups generate a return on investment for their investors by measuring how much their business generated funds returned compared to investment. For the impact space, one can calculate the return on mission. Here is how to measure the return on mission for your impact startup. Calculate the overhead-to-program expense ratio. See how much of the program cost goes to overhead. Overhead is anything that does not directly drive the cost to produce the product or service. This should be less than 10% in most cases. One can calculate return on mission by dividing a financial investment by the amount of producing the product or service. For example, if an expense is $10K, and the cost of producing a product or service is $1K, then the cost of the expense is 10X. The objective is to determine how much a business expense compares to the cost of providing a service or product. This casts expenses in terms of producing the product or service, which frames the expense in mission terms. Consider calculating the return on mission for your impact startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Connect With Investors in Your Pitch Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching investors, founders should strive to connect with them. Here are some key steps to connect with investors: Fit the startup fundraising standards. Too many out-of-standard details such as fundraise amount, terms, and valuation will put off the investor. For example, traditional first rounds are $500K to $1M. Asking for $4M in the first round will have the investor wondering why this is different. Provide the standard information investors look for, including problem, solution, and how it works. A good practice is to say what you do in five words or less so the investor knows what the startup does. Without context, the investor will have a hard time connecting to your deal. Many founders talk about how the product works without first identifying what problem they are solving. Avoid long-winded stories and get to the point. Include the fundraising ask with a clear use of funds. Investors want to know where the business stands today. Show current traction and avoid rosy projections as the investor knows those rarely come true. Finally, demonstrate the team's capabilities. Since there's little revenue at this stage, the investor will make the investment decision on the team. Consider these steps in connecting with investors in your pitch. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Core Skills for Biotech Drug Development Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors looking to invest in a biotech drug startup should diligence the team for key skills. Here are the key skills needed for biotech drug development: Knowledge of how to drug a target. This means identifying a molecule, often a protein, that is associated with the disease to be treated and could be treated by a drug. Ability to elucidate the mechanism of action. This is the process by which a drug functions to produce a pharmacological effect. Demonstrate safety and efficacy. This shows the therapeutic works and is non-toxic. Ability to design clinical trials to show safety and efficacy. This requires the ability to pick the right therapeutic indication and the appropriate patient population. Finally, understand the regulatory requirements for approval. This means identifying the right FDA path and the steps required to reach approval. Consider these skills in a founder before investing in a biotech drug startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes Dr. Lyle Berkowitz, Founder and Chairman of KeyCare, a virtual care medical group that helps health systems deliver telemedicine tightly integrated with the Epic electronic health record. With coverage across all 50 U.S. states, KeyCare focuses on expanding access, coordinating virtual and in-person care, and reducing physician burnout by building on Epic rather than creating a separate technology stack. Lyle shares how virtual care shifted from a pre-pandemic "nice-to-have" into a durable part of healthcare infrastructure after reimbursement parity and broader cultural adoption, and he outlines how AI supports pre-visit intake, ambient documentation during visits, and post-visit follow-up. He also discusses the "three Cs" of digital health adoption—coordination, cultural change, and compensation redesign—along with lessons on aligning incentives in partnerships and investing, advice for founders to start with a focused niche and show traction before raising capital. Visit KeyCare at www.keycare.org/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/drlyle/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

What Investors Look for in a Market Slide Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Part of the startup's pitch deck should be a market slide. Here's what investors need to know about your startup's target market. Who is the target customer? A good market slide segments the customers into categories and highlights the ideal segments for the startup's product. Next, the market slide shows how many potential customers are in the target market. Finally, the slide shows how the startup will compete in the market. The market slide does not show the total size of the industry but rather the total amount of revenue the market can generate for your startup. The market slide shows three views of the market. Total Available Market shows the total amount of revenue from your product that could be generated annually. Service Addressable Market shows the amount of revenue generated minus the applications the product cannot address. Service Obtainable Market shows the Service Addressable Market minus the revenue that goes to competitors. Consider these points in building the market slide for your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Pitch the Business Case for Your Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most first-time founders talk about the product and how it works. In pitching, it's important to make the business case for your startup. Here are some key steps to use to make the business case: Start with the problem and show how it costs the customers a substantial amount in time or dollars. Show the number of potential customers who have this problem. This is often shown in a Total Available Market slide. Highlight the current competition and their effectiveness. In most cases, the competition solves the problem but leaves plenty of room for improvement. Show your solution and highlight the competitive advantage. The competitive advantage should give your business a 30% increase in revenue over the competition or a 30% decrease in cost. Next, show the monetization model. This includes all sources of revenue. Finally, include a financial forecast to show the growth over time. It's important to validate the business case with happy customers who paid for the product. Consider these steps in making the business case for your startup. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Growth Startups Are Not Profitable in Year One Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups require up-front costs to set up and build the company. Any financial projection that shows profitability in the first year is suspect. Upfront costs include building the website, filing the company legal entity documents, patent filings, and more. Hiring the team takes time and takes time away from building the product or closing the sale. Initial funding takes time as well. Core business processes need to be put into place. Initial leads need to be generated. These costs always outweigh the revenue coming in. Once the basic processes are in place, then the task of building products and selling to customers can increase. After the sales process has started, there will be some time before revenue comes in. It takes time to build sales momentum. Once you have a growth curve going, the opportunity for break-even becomes a possibility. Beware financial forecasts that leave no time for business or sales startup to take hold. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Delusions in the Early-Stage Startup Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. The early-stage startup has its own set of delusions founders must overcome. Here's a list of delusions to watch for: Everyone else is a professional but not the founder. The reality is that the founder has the opportunity to build a great business just like anyone else. Financial projections are always wrong. The mistake is believing they are right. The purpose of a financial plan is to start the process of modeling out the business. This will take some time before the financial forecast matches the actual business. The highs and the lows of the business are not forever. The excitement you have now will diminish, and the lows also will come to an end. Success stories heard from other companies typically come from unusual circumstances. The fantastic revenue growth often comes from a phenomenal spend from a highly dilutive fundraise. There's a fear others won't take you seriously. It all comes down to how seriously the founder takes himself and his role. There are rarely situations that are make-or-break for the startup. Few things in the startup experience are existential. In almost all cases, the startup can bounce back. Consider these delusions one may encounter in the startup world and how to overcome them. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Best Practices for Explaining a Technical Concept Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. In pitching investors, founders must explain how their product works. For those with highly technical products, here are some best practices for explaining it to others. Start with what the audience knows. Bridge the gap between their current knowledge and the topic under discussion. Avoid acronyms and jargon that require expertise in the space. Use a concept the audience already knows. Create an analogy that describes the technical concept of what is known. For example, the medical device acts like a blender that mixes the fluids. Focus on the core technology and avoid ancillary information as it complicates things. Break the technical concept down into a three-step process. This can help describe a technical concept as it shows how it works in a simplified manner. Throughout the process, check for understanding. Fill in the audience gaps of understanding. Adjust your presentation for the technical level of the audience. Consider these points for explaining technical concepts. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall talks with Dan Wasserman, founder of Mammoth Health Innovation, about what it takes to turn biomedical and medical technologies into commercially viable healthcare solutions. Dan shares Mammoth's origins from a Canadian innovation center, his "Health Ecosphere" framework for pulling together the elements needed to commercialize health innovation, and how a Hollywood-based plan to tap Canadian entertainment expats for funding collapsed when COVID hit. He explains Mammoth's work bridging Canadian and U.S. innovation approaches, including ACIP (Advancing Canadian Innovation Through Procurement), language from which made it into Canada's 2023 federal budget, and introduces CHIEFS, his KPI-based evaluation tool for both innovators and investors. The discussion covers aging populations, shrinking budgets, regulatory and reimbursement realities, customer discovery, partnerships, exit planning, AI's practical roles, scaling globally, fundraising readiness. Visit Mammoth Health Innovation at mammothhealth.org/ Reach out to at [email protected] , and on Twww.linkedin.com/in/dan-wasserman-2074192/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Negative Checklist for Startup Investing Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Most investors have a checklist for what they look for in a startup investment. The counter to this is the negative list for startup investing. This list shows what the investor does not invest in. Here are some examples: Investments that will close shortly, leaving the investor no time for research or diligence. An investment that has all positives and no negatives. An investment that is risk-free or 'can't fail.' An investment that looks good only because everyone you know is in it. Any investment that has a great story but no traction, momentum or validation of the product or market. An investment with a sky-high valuation and few results so far. Any investment that relies solely on other people's money with no skin in the game from the founder. An investment that the founder can't tell you what it is because it is confidential. The negative checklist helps the investor screen out deals that won't be fundable. Consider your negative checklist for startup investing. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Look for Founders With Balance Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors funding startups know that the team is the most important element. In reviewing the team, look for founders with balance. There are some founders who can work on multiple aspects of the business, such as sales, product development, and team building. There are others who are specialists. They work well in one aspect, such as fundraising. It's important to check the founders' skills to see that they can operate in other parts of the company. There will not be enough funding or revenue in the early days to hire everyone needed to cover all tasks. Look for those founders who have some skill in fundraising, sales, team building, and product development. These are the core elements of a successful startup. Finance, accounting, networking, and other skills can be outsourced or learned. In addition to skills, the founder must spend time on each of these areas. Look for founders with balance. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Key Skills Founders Need at Each Stage Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. At each stage of the startup, the founder needs to have key skills to succeed at that level. Here are the key skills founders need: Seed stage -- grit and jack of all trades. The founder at this stage needs to have grit to grind through obstacles and wear many hats. The founder needs to build a product and sell it. Growth stage -- sales and focus on core business The founder at this stage needs to lead the sales effort as sales growth is all-important. Core business functions need to be established, such as product development and support. Scale stage -- expand into new verticals with the product. The founder at this stage needs to hire specialists who can take the product into vertical segments. Recruiting becomes the name of the game. Beyond scale -- face of the company. The founder at this stage represents the company to the outside world. This includes providing support to close big sales, win new investors, and become the visionary for the company. Investors should look for the CEO to apply the right skills at each stage of the company. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Best Practices for Investor Introductions Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Fundraising requires connections to investors. After a founder exhausts his own network, he must draw the circle wider to reach out to investors he does not know. Here are some best practices for investor introductions: Personalize the request for an introduction. If making it to an investor, show how this request is unique to them. If making it to someone who will make the introduction, provide that personalized message to them for their outreach. Find a way to deliver value. Investors look for new information about an area of interest for them. Provide market research or a contact who knows more about that space. Demonstrate the value of the introduction by showing how it's important to your work. Investors aren't interested in spending time on things that don't matter. Finally, return the favor. If they provide the introduction, then see how one can provide value in return. Consider these best practices for investor introductions. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

Thriving on Chaos Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Startups have to go through the rollercoaster ride of highs and lows. There will be good times and bad times. Founders should identify what good problems are and what bad problems are. Good problems indicate you are doing well. These include the following: Increasing sales that outstrip your current team. Growing headcount such that you outgrow your current office space. Customers demand more products and services than you can supply. Bad problems indicate you are not doing well. These include the following: Another missed forecast, making it three in a row. The loss of key accounts, such as that you now have more employees needed. Customers are slow to sign up for the product, and retention is low. Startup founders thrive on chaos. It brings an energy to the startup that galvanizes the team. Learn the difference between good problems and bad problems. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode, Hal hosts Andy as he introduces Tenacious Founder, a platform built to help founders and investors navigate rapid change in the startup world by replacing "winging it" with a structured, data-driven build process. Andy likens today's investing environment to the oil industry's evolution from 70% dry holes to under 7% by using better information before committing capital, arguing the same shift is happening as investors demand succinct proof and AI increasingly analyzes pitch decks before founders ever pitch. Tenacious Founder maps startup maturity across eight stages, distills common requirements from leading pitch frameworks into 17 core elements, and turns them into sequenced project plans with playbooks, checklists, downloadable templates, and an interactive Notion-based workspace, with an AI-assisted SaaS operating system planned next. Andy shares his background in process-driven execution and startups, outlines his team, and answers questions on using multiple ChatGPT engines with task-specific guardrails, handling hallucinations, data input via templates, gating funding by milestones, and upcoming work on IP security and evolving compliance expectations. ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Close an Anchor Client Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Anchor clients are crucial to early-stage startups. They provide a predictable revenue stream for the company. Here are key steps to close an anchor client. Identify a client that fits the ideal customer profile. Build a relationship with that client. Connect with them on a regular basis. Make sure you are in contact with the decision maker. Identify three potential solutions to offer them. Close at least one of them. Provide superior service to the client. Go above and beyond the normal level of support. Build at least three anchor clients in case one falls out. The other two can hold you over till you find a replacement. Make sure no one client is more than thirty percent of the business. If that client drops out, then it will be difficult to continue.. Having a solid set of anchor clients makes it easy to attract other clients who can fill out the revenue stream. Consider these steps in closing an anchor client for your business. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How Fast Can You Spin Up the Flywheel Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors want several things from a startup. Here's a list for investors to consider when investing: Team -- They want a strong team that can not only build the product but also sell it. Product-market fit -- This is a focused solution for a clearly defined problem. The users are engaged, and traction is underway. Large market potential -- The market is big and growing, and there are inflection points that catalyze it. Vision -- the team can see the vision beyond the current problem solution to the next level up. Competitive advantage -- the company has a unique solution or capability that gives them an edge over the competition. Quality investors -- the company has investors who provide value and can help propel the startup forward. Fast start -- finally, the company can spin up the flywheel quickly. Investors want a startup that knows how to build a business and generate revenue in short order. Look for these elements in a startup for funding. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

The Journey Is the Reward Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Founders launching and running a startup will experience highs and lows throughout the life of the startup. Some will find the experience exhilarating while others will find it debilitating. The difference between the two extremes comes down to the founders' expectations relative to the reality of the startup world. The startup world can be brutal. The best-laid plans can go awry from black swan events. There are many exogenous factors that impact the outcome of the startup. Those who find it exhilarating expected the challenges that would come up. Those who find it debilitating most likely expected few, if any, challenges and only success. In the end, value the startup for the experience it provides and what it reveals about yourself. To navigate the startup experience, expect the worst from the market and bring the best of yourself to it. The relationships you make along the way and the knowledge acquired will stay with you for a lifetime. The journey is the reward. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

MVPs for the Purpose of Fundraising Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Minimum viable products or MVPs help the startup not only engage with the customer but also with the investor. Here's how MVPs can help progress the fundraise. It demonstrates the product concept is viable. This shows the product can be built. An MVP demonstrates the founders' commitment to the business. It's easy to talk about a product, but building one takes more. Reduces the risk. A working prototype reduces the risk that one cannot build the potential product. It generates customer feedback. The MVP engages the customer conversation, giving the founder evidence that customers will buy it. Finally, the MVP demonstrates market interest. It shows there is a market for the product. The investor wants to know the product works and customers will pay for it. The MVP helps paint that picture. Consider building an MVP as part of your fundraising strategy. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

How To Support a Founder Hello, this is Hall T. Martin with the Startup Funding Espresso -- your daily shot of startup funding and investing. Investors looking to find good deals should consider how to support founders. The more the investor can support the key founders in their network, the better chance they have at finding a place on their cap tables. Good founders launch a new startup every five years in most cases. The previous startup may or may not have succeeded. Investors looking for strong teams should consider supporting good founders on a day-to-day basis. This builds a network of potential CEOs who need funding. Here are some key steps on how to support a founder: Find out what is top of mind for them currently. Knowing what they are focused on will tell the investor how to add value. Ask the founder about the current milestone they are trying to achieve. Finally, ask what the biggest challenge they face today is. Through simple questioning, one can figure out how to support the founder at this time. Consider building a network of successful startup founders and supporting them in their work. Thank you for joining us for the Startup Funding Espresso where we help startups and investors connect for funding. Let's go startup something today. _______________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https://tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.

In this episode of Investor Connect, Hall welcomes by Laura Hilty, Principal at HealthX Ventures and Chief Strategy Officer at Ignite Data, to discuss her path from Epic to building and launching seven software products at a clinical research startup, supporting acquisitions, and ultimately seeing the business sold to Blackstone for $5B—before moving into early-stage health tech investing. Laura shares how digital health opportunities are shifting as Epic expands into AI, creating new investment risk and pushing startups toward deep niches and tech-enabled services Epic won't replicate, like devices or clinician staffing. We also cover the FDA's push toward real-time clinical trials and questions around participant-level data, plus innovations addressing clinician shortages through automation and peer support, including Sober Sidekick's relapse prediction. Laura closes with advice on proving product-market fit before VC, defining moats in an AI-driven world, and avoiding overly frothy early valuations. Visit HealthX Ventures at www.healthxventures.com/ Reach out to at www.linkedin.com/in/laura-hilty001/ ________________________________________________________________________ For more episodes from Investor Connect, please visit the site at: http://investorconnect.org Check out our other podcasts here: https://investorconnect.org/ For Investors check out: https://tencapital.group/investor-landing/ For Startups check out: https://tencapital.group/company-landing/ For eGuides check out: https:/_/tencapital.group/education/ For upcoming Events, check out https://tencapital.group/events/ For Feedback please contact [email protected] Please follow, share, and leave a review. Music courtesy of Bensound.