Chris Crump

A blistering funding run has me revisiting a question I posed after Q3's VC funding data came out. Was Austin's modest $1.6B in H1 2024 signaling a slowdown or was Q3's $1B surge the real indicator? November's explosive activity gives us our answer: 💥Tricentis: $1.33B raise ($4.5B valuation) New 🦄 💥FireFly Aerospace: $175M ($2B valuation) 💥Ladder: $105M 💥Halcyon AI: $100M ($1B valuation) New 🦄 With these mega-rounds, Q4 is already approaching $2B with several weeks remaining. I am hearing about more significant rounds in the pipeline, though I don’t know whether they will announce in Dec or early '25. What a difference a quarter makes! Austin sits at ~$4B YTD, knocking at the door of 2023's $4.2B. The first half numbers now look more like timing quirks than a true slowdown. Our sector diversity (seen here in AI, Space, Bio & Health and Cybersecurity) reinforces what Peter Walker's analysis shows below; Austin's strength comes from our broad foundation & tech convergence. As Peter notes in his original post, "Austin is good in many areas, great in few." I see this as a strength, not a weakness (not implying that he was making this implication either). With ATX consistently ranking somewhere between 5th-7th in funding, and having strong momentum metrics, we have a bright future ahead. What's Next?

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Today's Boring Business (Our First on BizBuySell): - 50+ Year Auto Repair & Service Shop - $300K Cashflow - North Florida - Day 26 of "50 States In 50 Days" Disclaimer: SMB PE LLC will receive fees in a successful sale as we represent the underlying deal. This is our first deal on BizBuySell. What Do They Do? 1. Family owned business with 60+ years of operating history 2. General service, electrical diagnostics, inspections, transmissions 3. Revenue 30-40% routine services and 60-70% high-margin jobs 4. Excellent staff in place and loyal, repeat customer base 5. Strategically positioned in high-visibility area Northeast Florida Highlights: 1. Long time history of profitability, Owner retiring 2. High-end auto with Average Repair Order (ARO) 30%+ vs market 3. Little to no professional marketing completed to-date, word of mouth Risks/ Concerns: 1. Owner-Dependency: How will Owner leaving impact business 2. Team has great people in place to help with transition, any at risk? 3. Owner owns underlying Real Estate, have to negotiate terms #SMB #ETA #finance #Cashflow #investing #search #searchfund #privateequity #microprivateequity #smallbusiness #venturecapital #vc #entrepreneur #business #businessowner Disclaimer: Hypothetical and illustrative only. Please do your own research (DYOR) or work with tax and legal professionals before making a decision. This video are intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice, nor should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by SMB PE LLC or any third party.

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🚀 AlleyCorp Closes $250M Fund to Fuel Tech Innovation in NYC and Beyond🗽 🌟 Founded by NYC internet entrepreneur Kevin Ryan, AlleyCorp incubates and invests in transformative companies across diverse verticals including Diversified Technology, Healthcare, Robotics, and Impact. 💡💰 🤝 The fund, backed by a select group of LPs, supports AlleyCorp's mission to originate ideas, hire teams, provide initial funding, and maintain integral leadership throughout the company’s lifecycle. 🌱🔍 💼 With about 20–30 new investments and 5–8 incubations per year, AlleyCorp has a track record of nurturing early-stage tech pioneers. 📈🌐 🦄 Notable investments include MongoDB (NASDAQ: MDB), Business Insider, Gilt Groupe, Zola, and Nomad Health, shaping the landscape of tech innovation in NYC. 🌆🌟 🔬 AlleyCorp also announces the incubation of Radical AI, pioneering AI-driven materials design, and Conduce Health, revolutionizing access to personalized healthcare specialists. 💻🏥 ✅ Looking to raise capital for your #fund and increase the international pool of your LP #investors?   🤝 Need warm #LP introductions?   📝 Selling #secondaries to increase liquidity?   🧐 Looking for co-investments?   ▶ G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks: https://lnkd.in/gjC_EuTE #VentureCapital #TechInnovation #NYCTech #StartupInvestment #Incubation #AlleyCorp #ImpactInvesting #HealthTech #AI #Robotics #DiversifiedTechnology #InvestmentStrategy

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New data showing the state of Austin's startup funding & tech talent market. The TLDR: Both are on the upswing and poised to close the year strong. 💰 VC Funding from Peter Walker in Carta's Q3 State of Private Markets: ● Austin's Q3 showed a small QoQ growth ● FYI, Carta captures ~50%, so this aligns with Pitchbook's $1B quarter ● Below bubble peak, but trending above pre-2021 Good place to be and with the momentum of Q4 announced deals & the funding pipeline, it looks like we will close the year strong. 🔍 Where's the money going? Last 12 months: ● Hardware: 50% of capital (defense tech, advanced manufacturing, space) ● SaaS: 20% (our traditional strength) ● Bio & Health: 15% (combined healthtech & biotech) This fits what I am seeing on the ground with our continued strength from Austin's enterprise software roots and the region's growing base of hardtech & deeptech. 👩‍💻Tech Talent Market (CompTIA): ● 4,446 tech job postings (13th in US) ● Austin is the 26th largest metro, so punching above our weight ● +484 MoM increase (3rd highest behind only San Jose & Baltimore) ● One of only 7 growing markets among top 15 metros What's Next?

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Is Bolt’s new $450M raise bold or reckless? I just saw this news (https://lnkd.in/eq9PxW8U)- Ryan Breslow is back at the helm, driving Bolt.com to a $14 billion valuation, not long after a $300 million stock buyback valuation that crushed the spirits of their employees who exercised their options at their last valuation. I'm all for founder-led companies with a little dash of crazy, but I don't like the smell of this new raise at all This dramatic turnaround, fueled by international investors, raises more questions than confidence. Breslow’s move feels more like an Adam Neumann-inspired hype play than a true growth strategy. The focus is on challenging Stripe and fueling FOMO, not on sustainable fundamentals. For founders and investors, this is a reminder: don’t let flashy narratives blind you to the reality of valuations. I’m all for supporting founder-led companies—it takes a little crazy to be a founder at this scale—but this one might be a step too far IMO. What’s your take on this announcement? All hype or the next Stripe killer?

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The wealthy aren’t sticking to traditional investments. 5 Unconventional Ways the Ultra-Wealthy Grow Their Fortunes: 𝟭/ 𝗦𝗽𝗼𝗿𝘁𝘀 𝗧𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 Mark Cuban bought the Dallas Mavericks for $285M, now worth $3.3B. Sports ownership brings returns through media rights, sponsorships, and merchandising—plus, it’s fun (and a bunch of talking points for podcasts). 𝟮/ 𝗠𝗲𝗱𝗶𝗮 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝘀 Past a certain point, it's not just about wealth—but more about influence. Elon Musk’s $44B Twitter purchase gives him influence over global conversations. Jeff Bezos did the same with The Washington Post back in the day. Controlling the narrative = influence. 𝟯/ 𝗙𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗵𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗻𝗴 Shaq owns franchises like Five Guys (reportedly 155 locations at one point). Franchising offers reliable income and lower risks, making it a smart diversification move. 𝟰/ 𝗜𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗜𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 With wealth comes (and it must) a sense of responsibility. So HNWIs tend to invest in ventures that offer financial returns with social or environmental benefits. Traditional investors may shy away from impact investment in certain ventures, geographies, or industries due to their high-risk and long-term nature. However, HNWIs view them as aligning wealth with purpose and future societal trends. 𝟱/ 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘃𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗝𝗲𝘁𝘀 Private jets don't directly earn you money. But it's not just a luxury show-off either. Makes movement a lot easier. Helps close deals faster and expand business networks. What are some other unconventional ways of investing? ___ Subscribe to my exclusive weekly emails where I share insights about entrepreneurship, success, productivity and a lot more: https://t2m.io/OUvcJ5gL . . . Serial Entrepreneur & Investor Acquiring $1-15m EBITDA companies – David Hauser #entrepreneurship #venturecapital #startup #mergers #acquisitions

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I just met with the one of the top VCs in Phoenix. Here's how they believe AZ can be one of the top startup states in the next 10 years: 1. Company Formation ⏩ Starting more startups ⏩ Growing big companies ⏩ Selling for big exits 2. Capital Velocity ⏩ More investments into AZ startups ⏩ Reinvesting back into AZ once you've exited 3. Community Vibrancy ⏩ Small/Medium/Big creators hyping up AZ ⏩ Attractive events that bring true value And the community is thriving: Shawn Allard w/ private meetups for SMB owners Sean Huntington 🍯 w/ Founders N Funders events Josue Romero w/ AZ Tech Founder meetups Josue Romero and Daniela Santangelo with Freeway (amazing dashboard to see AZ venture stats + event calendar) No better time to be an AZ Founder 🌵🚀 *** Side Note: can we find a better name to unite the startup valley? YesPHX is okay Silicon Desert is okay but way too cliche at this point

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Private Markets (PE, VC, Growth Equity) are asset classes largely inaccessible to public investors, yet there's a lot of demand. This locks individual investors out of the market for innovative companies, and also reduces liquidity opportunities for employees, founders and angels (opaque secondary markets with high tx fees and approval hurdles don't count). Is there a way to solve this using technology, potentially GAI, in a regulated way to give retail investors access to private markets in the UK? It would for sure encourage more entrepreneurship and innovation as well. This was one of the topics we discussed yesterday at the panel at Fund Finance Association , where I was invited to give the Founder's & Entrepreneur's view. Thanks for having me Joel Buckett and very insightful to hear the different perspectives of Muhammad Billal Malik, CAIA, Ibrahim Khan and Mohamed Azzam Khan, CFA

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🚀 The latest cheat sheet for hacking your Techstars Miami application for fall 2024 just dropped! In the comments, I put the link to Google Docs that you can duplicate and share with your co-founders and mentors before you submit it on May 22! #techstars #givefirst #miamitechmonth #miamitech

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📊 Attention startup founders! The FDIC is considering new regulations for popular fintech companies. Having advised hundreds of startups on efficient growth, I know how crucial it is to stay ahead of regulatory changes. Remember, diversification in banking relationships is always a smart move. Want to learn more? Check out our balanced analysis - link in Healy Jones' original post. 🏦🔍 #Fintech

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Finally found the direction For The List 1. Working on making it a talent scouting mechanism For VC’s and their portfolio companies, hacker houses, and funds 2. Trying to make it ROI driven If you run a fund that invest in over 20 year olds, college students or drop outs- DM me or reply here Would love to see how we can get a win win collab going

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🚀 Startups, don't let loan covenants catch you off guard! Having advised numerous startups, I understand the pressure of managing finances while scaling. Knowing the ins and outs of financial covenants can prevent your startup from falling into default. Stay ahead of the game by checking out our comprehensive guide. Link to the article in the original Kruze Consulting post. #StartupFinance

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Compensation indexing continues to be an asymmetric game. Companies continue to have access to voluminous amounts of data across multiple benchmark sets (Pave, Carta) as well as private VC benchmarks. Candidates, meanwhile, have access to some of the benchmark sets -- but are often in the dark about how to use it correctly. The biggest challenge? The benchmarks sometimes aren't reflective of what Tier 1 compensation looks like for companies, even when filtered for Tier 1 markets. Case in point: for product marketing, in SF, for companies valued between $25-$100M (most Series A cos) -- Pave doesn't even have enough data to confirm what a typical variable compensation looks like. And the quoted median base at the P3 level (Sr. PMM, Product Marketing Lead)? $126,437 (🧐!) with a "very high confidence" grade next to it. Jumbled leveling charts, unclear titling, and numbers like this create confusion in the market, whether it's for IC or leadership roles. This is where search firms come in. In any given Sr. PMM search we're probably talking to more than 50+ candidates, getting real time compensation data and compensation expectations. Our own private benchmarks show that Sr. PMMs in SF command much, much more. No wonder candidates are confused --- even companies have trouble getting it right when the underlying data requires an interpretation lens! So the best approach is often the simplest approach: just go out into the field and get the data, real time.

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First-Time Founders | Understanding Your Fundraising Journey we discuss why first-time founders should avoid comparing their fundraising experiences to those of veteran founders. We highlight the importance of credibility and track record in attracting investors.

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📊 After working with hundreds of startups on their finances, I know how challenging it is to balance competitive compensation with runway. That's why we dug into our actual client payroll data to create real compensation benchmarks. 💡 The most interesting finding? Technical roles often command higher compensation than CEOs at seed stage. See the full analysis in Kruze Consulting's original post and TechCrunch article! 🎯 #StartupCompensation

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Move over, Silicon Valley! Austin claimed the top spot on Inc.'s list of best places to start a business. We're growing 4x faster & stealing your talent. (They said it, not me. Sorry?!) 😏 🏆 Inc’s Top Ten: 1. Austin 2. Salt Lake City 3. Raleigh 4. Nashville 5. San Francisco 6. San Jose 7. San Diego 8. Denver 9. Orlando 10. Portland The ranking rewards cities punching above their weight in terms of population, evaluating all businesses not just venture-backed startups. In fact, the authors specifically mention that New York City didn’t make the top of the cut because, while it boasts a massive number of new businesses, that’s expected from the U.S.’s largest city. 📊 How did Austin make it to the top, here are the key metrics: 1st in Population Growth 3rd in High-Growth Company Density (per 100K people) 4th in Early-Stage Funding Deals (per 100K adults) 6th in Job Creation 💡Inc’s final takeaway: "Austin still has lots of live music, but today the city's creative class is creating business as much as art." Austin is where creativity, tech, entrepreneurship, & building converge. Now, do I actually believe we're the top place for starting a business? No…Not yet. NARRATIVES MATTER as they attract talent, capital, and companies. The story of an ecosystem story should be 2-3 years ahead of reality, so we can grow into it. Let’s Go!!

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Today's Boring Biz (# 122): Youth Dance Academy - $1.2M Cashflow - Florida Seller Listed Structure: - $3.0M Revenue - $1.2M Cashflow - $4.4M Ask Price - 3.6x Cashflow Multiple What does the company do? 1. Youth dance academy 2. Core offering weekly dance classes 3. Ticket sales, merchandise, summer camp Investment highlights 1. Decades-old, established brand 2. State-of-the-art studios 3. Seasoned, well-tenured instructors Investment risks/concerns 1. Instructor turnover post-close 2. Owner dependency risk 3. Customer acquisition cost Why: How to buy a small business? How to buy a business with a SBA Loan? Note: Not our listing, highlighting this business for informational purposes only. For those who are looking to buy a first small business or better understand high-level math/ framework of how to analyze a small business for sale. #SMB #ETA #finance #Cashflow #investing #search #searchfund #privateequity #microprivateequity #smallbusiness #venturecapital #vc #entrepreneur #business #businessowner #youth #dance #classes #florida Disclaimer: Hypothetical and illustrative only. Please do your own research (DYOR) or work with tax and legal professionals before making a decision. This video are intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or tax advice, nor should be construed as an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a recommendation for any security by SMB PE LLC or any third party.

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Want to stand out in a VC screening call? Ask thoughtful questions. Why it matters: 1. Shows you've done your research 2. Demonstrates genuine interest 3. Helps you understand if they're a good fit Go beyond "What's your check size?" Get specific to that fund and even the person you’re talking to. Remember, it's not just about us evaluating you - you're evaluating us too. What's the best question you've asked (or been asked) in a VC meeting?

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