Judah Musick

Having a Cars and Capital event tomorrow in Southern California with Oren Klaff. If you want to join message me. https://lnkd.in/gDQ4D39u Oren Klaff Bridger Pennington #InvestorEvent #FamilyOffice #InvestmentOpportunity #CarlsbadEvent #PrivateEquity #WealthManagement #InvestmentConference #CapitalRaising #NetworkingEvent #IndustryLeaders #FinancialGrowth #InvestorsMeetup #WealthBuilding #BusinessGrowth #InvestmentForum

24

1 Comment

Congrats to Christopher Robson, Kurtis Broda and Kristen Cote at Wyvern on bringing on fantastic new investors Guy Filippelli, Dan Madden and Isaac Carp, CFA at Squadra Ventures. I'm a broken record at this point, but we're in the early innings of the Earth Observation market, and as we're seeing with Wyvern there is more demand for hyperspectral data than supply. As we will see in the coming years, there will be all kinds of problems that can be addressed by understanding our world beyond what our eyes can see. https://lnkd.in/gEzTjYks

22

1 Comment

Well-written and sourced article describing what's going in seed-stage venture market. At 9point8 Collective we tend to orbit the seed-stage (both ideating and developing companies to reach seed and helping post-seed companies refactor and scale in anticipation of A) and for many companies it's a critical inflection point which determines their long term success or failure. The main takeaways I was able to gather: 1️⃣ Many startups that raised seed rounds in 2021-2022 are struggling to secure Series A funding due to tighter market conditions and increased investor expectations. 2️⃣ Seed investors are becoming more cautious, leading to longer diligence processes and a preference for startups with strong traction or experienced founders. As a result, valuations have stayed relatively high even as deal flow reduces. 3️⃣ Startups are adopting various strategies to navigate this challenging environment, including cutting costs, raising bridge rounds or convertible notes, and M&A/acqui-hires. 4️⃣ Despite the challenges, there are opportunities for both startups and investors in this new landscape, particularly for those who can adapt to the changing market conditions. Investors are accumulating dry powder -- and with rates on the decline -- will be looking to deploy into companies with stronger fundamentals than their 2021-2022 counterparts.

4

September is a crazy month for #climatetech #FOAK themed events. Some I'd like to shout out from the first half: ✅ A FOAK-themed dinner Tim Franklin-Hensler, Charlie Nelson, Dev Motiram, and I hosted, sponsored by Jordan Kellerman (Peachtree Group) and Robert Sarfatis (Polsinelli) during the inaugural #HoustonClimateWeek ✅ A FOAK panel at the Rice Alliance for Technology and Entrepreneurship's Energy Tech Venture Forum, also during HCW, moderated by Tim Franklin-Hensler with panelists Charlie Nelson, Laureen Meroueh, PhD, Mac Hatch, and Janice Tran. Topics included adapting rapidly to delays in timing, managing cost runovers, balancing the myriad of KPIs for FOAK, learning to be smarter about how to talk to customers, and how market uncertainty can dramatically affect FOAK projects ✅ A 4-hour "pilotathon" hosted by the Energy Tech Nexus, where different startups got to pitch their pilots. SUCH a good idea, Jason Ethier, Nada Ahmed, Juliana Garaizar, and the rest of the ETN team! ✅ A FOAK panel during Decarb Connect's TechInvest that I got to moderate with panelists Claude Vachet, Jeff Johnson, Francis O'Sullivan, and David Yeh. Topics included using corporate and DOE dollars in FOAK deals, encouraging communication between different investor classes, the 10,000 hours of experience needed to be a good developer, educating companies on project development, and the need for everyone across the climate universe to stretch their roles & take a bit more risk ✅ A generally FOAK-themed set of talks at Decarb TechInvest, expertly curated by Alex Cameron and her team, which included (among others): - a fascinating fireside chat with Rob Day and Matt Lucas moderated by Wim Reyntiens that touched on how critical it is to have accurate cost forecasting, how ROFRs can block additional access to capital, evaluating offtake risk beyond just the ideal, the folly of up rounds for the sake of up rounds, and why one shouldn't obsess over scale up factors and number of operating hours - a talk by Chris Creed that outlined the LPO's strategy around FOAK deployment loans - a FOAK success panel moderated by Kerri Fox that included Leah Ellis, Martin Keighley, and Shreya Dave, which talked about using a carbon price to incentivize corporate action, choosing the right cooperative FOAK partner, creating new offtake agreements in markets that haven't had traditional offtake (like cement<>concrete or CDR), and using job growth to incentivize growth vs. decarbonization. AND ⭐TOMORROW⭐ is the second annual Cleantech Day at Denver Startup Week hosted by Colorado Cleantech. I'm moderating a panel on FOAK successes in Colorado with Eric Davis, Johanna O., Carling Spelhaug, and Kimberly Purdy. Shoutout to Ken Carlson, Laura Hickernell, Joseph P., and Jack Fritzinger for their help & hard work. REGISTER BELOW!!

73

4 Comments

The best things Founders can receive from investors (apart from term sheets) is feedback! At Funden, about 50% of pass notes come with some sort of feedback thats actionable and helpful to the Founder. Here’s an example of a pass note from earlier this month: “We focus on having live, paying enterprise customers with a repeatable, scalable sales process and line-of-sight to series-A financial metrics" Boom! That kind of transparency is unprecedented in the venture world. This type of feedback says, "Hey we're excited about the industry and product, but we need to just see a little more proof of concept on the business before we can dive deeper". Now, this founder has someone they can reach back out to, who is going to be familiar with them, and the Founder will now be right in their investable sweet spot! Another one we got recently was a few investors are telling the same founder, independently of one another, that their round size was far too big for their level of traction. Hearing the same type of feedback as to why they're passing in such a short period of time has a real and meaningful impact on how founders are structuring their raise. And we're happy to help them. https://lnkd.in/gZ_tVkTB ---------------------- Funden is the #1 fundraising platform connecting founders to capital. Founders use our tools and strategic guidance for quicker, more effective fundraises. Investors use us to receive curated, quality deal flow and broadcast co-investment opportunities to our audience of 1000+ global VCs, family funds, angel networks, syndicates, and more.

20

2 Comments

What does it take to create the next-generation builder platform? 💡 I recently had the pleasure of interviewing Jesse Pollak who shared the compelling origin story of Base and the vision behind launching Base Camp in Idyllwild, CA. Base Camp is more than a summit —it’s a crucial step toward creating an open, decentralized platform that’s globally accessible. Jesse emphasized Base’s mission to build an onchain platform that’s as transformative as the internet itself. 🚀 Curious about how Base is leading this charge? Stay tuned for more insights from our conversation and what’s next on this journey! ♻️ if you found this insightful, don’t forget to like, share, and spread the word! P.S. How do you see the future of open-source platforms shaping the tech landscape? #BaseCamp #Onchain #Innovation #OpenSource #CommunityBuilding #FWBFest #Idyllwild

11

The entrepreneurial journey is one of grit, passion, and unwavering belief. I'm truly excited about what Raj Shekhar Singh, Jyotika Gupta , and Sudarshan Ravi Jha are building with z21 Ventures. Their vision resonates deeply with me. As a founder, I know firsthand the rollercoaster of highs and lows that come with building something from the ground up. It's a path that tests you in ways you never imagined, but it's also incredibly rewarding. We've been fortunate to have exceptional investors like Sumir Chadha and WestBridge Capital in our corner. Their support went beyond just capital - they've stood by us through our triumphs and, more importantly, our setbacks. That kind of belief in your vision is invaluable. I'm hopeful and confident that Raj, Jyotika, and Sudarshan will create similar transformative experiences for a new generation of purposeful founders. They understand that true innovation often comes from those daring to challenge the status quo, those driven by a desire to make a real impact. To all the founders out there: Your journey may be hard, but it's worth it. Stay true to your purpose, embrace the challenges, and remember that your ideas have the power to make meaningful change in the world. With supporters like z21 Ventures backing you, there's no limit to what you can achieve. Let's build a future where innovation thrives and where purposeful entrepreneurship creates lasting positive change. The road ahead may be tough, but with determination and the right support, anything is possible.

59

5 Comments

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.

8

🌿 Attention Cannabis Cultivators! Proud to share how Upwise Capital empowers cannabis farms nationwide with tailored financing solutions. Our track record speaks for itself: 💪 Real Impact: • $2.5M equipment financing for a California farm's automation upgrade • $1M+ working capital injection for a Colorado operation's expansion • Multiple greenhouse construction projects funded ($500K-$3M) 🔑 What We Offer: • Equipment Financing (Grow lights, HVAC, irrigation) • Real Estate & Construction Loans • Working Capital Solutions • Lines of Credit • Bridge Loans Why cannabis farms choose Upwise: ✓ Deep industry expertise ✓ Quick approvals ✓ Harvest-aligned payment terms ✓ Compliance-savvy team ✓ Competitive rates From seed to scale, we're your growth partners. Already helped dozens of farms expand their operations, and we're just getting started! Ready to discuss your farm's needs? Drop a comment or DM me. Let's grow together! 🌱 #CannabisAgriculture #CannabisFarming #CannabisFinancing #AgFinance #GrowthCapital #CannabisBusiness

10

Building a startup or nonprofit? This is for you. One of the challenges I faced over the years was access to funding and experienced, exited-founders. It's one of the reasons I'm helping to lead Collective Continuum, which exists to address this exact problem. We've invested over $500k to make the Spark Award program possible - it's something I wished existed years ago: https://gmw.network/spark

138

10 Comments

Labor Day kicks off the most active fundraising time each year. Founders - if you're planning on fundraising this fall, it's SUPER important to have your pitch deck & story ready ahead of time. How? We review over 3,000 pitch decks each year and know it can be challenging to figure out what's best to include and highlight about the problem you're solving, vision, and what you're building. We put together this pitch deck primer that walks through the keys to include in your pitch deck! Use the next few weeks to dive in to work on your pitch deck, craft your story, and build your data room. That will put you ahead of the curve and ready to pitch investors once things kick off in September. Bookmark and share!

126

12 Comments

🚨 1 𝐖𝐞𝐞𝐤 𝐋𝐞𝐟𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐠𝐁𝐄𝐓𝐀 𝐅𝐚𝐫𝐠𝐨 𝐖𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐫 2025 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐦! 🚨 Are you ready to take your startup to the next level? gBETA Fargo's no-cost, no-equity accelerator program is your launchpad to success! 𝐖𝐡𝐲 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧? This program provides tailored mentorship from seasoned industry experts who truly understand the unique challenges startups encounter. You’ll build meaningful connections with investors eager to discover and support innovative ideas. Additionally, you'll unlock access to essential tools, resources, and networks designed to accelerate your growth and set your startup on a path to success. 📅 𝐃𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞: December 2nd, 2024, at 11:59 PM 📍 𝐈𝐧𝐝𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐅𝐨𝐜𝐮𝐬: Industry agnostic 📍 𝐋𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧: Startups based in North Dakota or planning to establish a presence here 🔗 𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐲 𝐍𝐨𝐰: https://lnkd.in/gvEjtNTW 🔗𝐋𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐞: https://lnkd.in/d2heqsqd Join the thriving North Dakota entrepreneurial ecosystem with gener8tor and take your startup to the next level! ✨ #NorthDakotaStartups #gBETA #Entrepreneurship #Startup #Innovation #Fargo #BusinessGrowth #Mentorship #InvestorConnections #StartupAccelerator #TechStartups #VentureCapital #ScalingStartups #BusinessResources #StartupSupport #GrowthOpportunities #Gener8tor #InnovationHub #BusinessNetwork

11

🎙️Welcome Mike Maples, Jr on the Experience-focused Leaders podcast! Mike is the co-founding Partner at Floodgate, and let me tell you, he's no stranger to success—making the Forbes Midas List a jaw-dropping eight times in the past decade. Before he was a full-time investor who invented 'seed vc' category, Mike was a founder and operating executive at back-to-back startup IPOs. His investments include companies like X, Twitch, Okta, Chegg Inc., and Demandforce. Mike also co-authored bestselling book "Pattern Breakers: Why Some Start-Ups Change the Future". One of the most valuable distillations of startup knowledge to have come out of Silicon Valley. Ever. Dive into the interactive show notes for all the juicy details and for special promotion in getting this genre-defining book. https://lnkd.in/eyDaY6pb Key takeaways from the episode: 🗂️ 𝗣𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗟𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗣𝗿𝗼. Ditch those bloated "Franken-decks". Get to the point—fast. Tell us what your product does and why it's a game-changer in a few killer slides. 🤝 𝗥𝗮𝗹𝗹𝘆 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼-𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. Great startups attract believers who are all in on your vision. These early adopters aren't just fans—they're co-creators of the future you're building. 🔧 𝗦𝗼𝗹𝘃𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘀𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗺𝘀. Target those burning issues that keep potential customers up at night. If they've tried and failed to fix these problems, you're their new hero. ✨ 𝗥𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝗳𝗹𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀. Your insights should tap into major market shifts and be ahead of the consensus. Stand out by offering something truly transformative.  🔮 𝗟𝗶𝘃𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗙𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲. The best founders are visionaries who bring the future to life today. Look at Todd McKinnon and Frederic Kerrest of Okta, who zeroed in on early cloud adopters and nailed it. 📚 𝗕𝗲 𝗜𝗻𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗱. Follow thought leaders like Christopher Lochhead 🇺🇸 🇮🇱🎗️🏴‍☠️ Lochhead. His mantra of creating new categories and setting the rules is a blueprint for startup success... and how that can be applied even (or especially) in the early stages of your business RELAYTO/ Content Experience Platform #relayto #podcast #thoughtleadership #entrepreneur #innovation #SeedInvesting #VentureCapital #StartupGrowth #PitchPerfect #CategoryDesign #FounderFit #OrganicGrowth #StartupCapitalism #TechVision #Twitter #Twitch #Okta #Chegg #Demandforce #ChristopherLochhead #MikeMaples #PatternBreakers

30

8 Comments

Congrats to these amazing #Colorado Startups! Some fun facts: - In 2023, Colorado’s venture capital scene demonstrated resilience and growth, with $4.3 billion invested across 496 deals despite a national slowdown.  - Colorado's strong network of incubators and accelerators, including Techstars and Boomtown Innovation, provide invaluable mentorship and support, further fueling the region's growth. 1. Opopop - can't wait to try out some of your tasty popcorn flavors! 2. Flatfile - I think every business could benefit from some #data clean-up help. 3. True Anomaly - The Jackal Autonomous Orbital Vehicle (AOV) and the Mosaic intelligent operating system sound like fascinating innovations 4. Strive Health - Kidney conditions? Check them out. 5. revnt - an all-in-one video platform for coaches, webinars + courses. 6. FlightLink - Air pooling platform 7. Leafwire Media - Centralied hub for challenges facing the cannabis business and more 8. Long Play Inc - Wellness brands distributor 9. Bluestaq - data management solutions 10. Quantinuum - Quantum, computing! https://lnkd.in/g4dmXkUM

11

Calling all VC / PE / Angel Groups... 👀 I'm working on some game-changing win-win-win offerings for the VC, PE, and Angel groups around Utah and beyond From bootstrap basics to pre-seed and Series A acceleration, companies at different stages have unique branding and online presence needs Whether it's building brand assets, refining pitch decks, or rolling out custom solutions, the goal is to elevate startups (and their investors) to better positioning and longer-term success Collaboration and innovation are at the core of these initiatives, and I can't wait to see the impact! Who do you know that should hear about this? #VentureCapital #PrivateEquity #AngelInvestors #StartupGrowth #Innovation #BusinessStrategy #Entrepreneurship #Branding #Webdesign

12

2 Comments

Buckley Ventures Set to Raise $250M for Fund IV Buckley Ventures, a bi-coastal investment firm based in San Francisco and New York City, is gearing up to raise $250 million for its fourth fund, according to a recent regulatory filing with the SEC. While fundraising is yet to commence, this new effort underscores the firm’s continued commitment to investing in transformative early-stage companies in the internet, software, and frontier technology sectors. + Firm Overview and Focus: Buckley Ventures is known for its concentrated investment strategy, with over $1 billion in AUM across multiple funds. The firm leverages a vast network of entrepreneurs, executives, engineers, academics, and industry experts to support its portfolio companies with problem-solving and growth initiatives. The firm has a storied history of backing innovative companies. Its portfolio includes notable successes like Rippling, Figma, Applied Intuition, Vercel, Solugen, Boom, and more, spanning a diverse array of industries and technologies. + Leadership: Led by Josh Buckley, an entrepreneur and early-stage investor who brings significant operational and investment expertise to the firm. His entrepreneurial background includes roles as: - Co-founder and CEO of Mino Games (2011-2019). - CEO of Product Hunt (2020-2021). - Chairman of Clearbit (2014-2020). Buckley also holds board positions at several leading companies, including Placer, NexHealth, Fuse, and ClassDojo. LinkedIn lists Jonathan Choi as another team member contributing to the firm's ongoing success. + Portfolio Strategy: Buckley Ventures aims to build long-term partnerships with founders by offering not just financial capital, but also strategic support through its extensive network. This approach has helped the firm identify and scale promising companies across frontier technology and software, including notable emerging fields such as #robotics, space technology, and next-gen #SaaS platforms. + Looking Ahead: Buckley Ventures' Fund IV reflects the firm’s ambition to maintain its leadership in early-stage technology investing. With its track record of successful investments and strong founder relationships, the upcoming $250M fund is poised to expand the firm’s influence and support a new generation of transformative companies. If you are experiencing difficulties in raising fresh capital and would require warm introductions to new LPs, contact G+QUANT     ▶ Please use G+QUANT's link for inquiries and fund decks, or send your inquiry directly to [email protected] #VentureCapital #TechInvesting #EarlyStageStartups #BuckleyVentures #FrontierTech #Innovation #Entrepreneurship #StartupFunding

3

If we know that startups have a high failure rate such as 70% in the first 3-5 years, your ecosystem needs to grow , find and attract new entrepreneurs with every event you host The best way to attract new entrepreneurs is through the success stories from your local startups That is what we are doing in #WilmingtonNC But you have to put those stories where other entrepreneurs will read them . That is why we share our stories with Charleston, Atlanta , New Orleans , Raleigh and Nashville media and newsletters about startups in the South But this also means you are going to have to invest political and relationship capital into new people that you BARELY know at all. And this is VERY difficult in the conservative South who rarely put their name on the line for people outside of their own bloodlines. #startup #entrepreneurs #investors

13

4 Comments

One of our main goals at Novel is to help tech founders access the capital they need to scale their businesses sustainably.    That’s why we’re excited to be teaming up with Husch Blackwell to co-host Venture Connect, an exclusive part of Startland News’s Startup Crawl that brings together VC investors and founders for a night of networking, connections, and drinks on the house!    It’ll all be going down right here in Kansas City on June 14, so RVSP today.    Just click the link in the comments below. Can’t wait!   #VentureConnect #StartupCrawl #Startland #StartlandStartupCrawl #TechFounders #VC #VentureCapital #networking #startups #entrepreneurship #tech #KCTech #KansasCity 

49

2 Comments

All #entrepreneurs hit a fundraising plateau. It's the founders who push through that plateau that see fundraising spikes at the end of their #RegCF campaigns. Here are 3 tips to help you break through and keep the momentum going: 1. Engage Your Community: Keep your current and potential investors excited and informed. Regular updates, behind-the-scenes content, and interactive Q&A sessions can reignite interest and drive further investment. Authentic engagement builds trust and encourages your supporters to spread the word. 2. Leverage Strategic Partnerships: Collaborate with influencers, industry experts, or complementary businesses to expand your reach. A strategic partner can introduce your campaign to a new, engaged audience, providing the boost you need to overcome a plateau. 3. Optimize Your Marketing Efforts: Reevaluate and refine your marketing strategy. Analyze what’s working and what’s not. Use targeted ads, compelling storytelling, and strong calls-to-action to attract new investors. Sometimes, a fresh approach can make all the difference. Breaking through a plateau requires persistence, so don't give up! Stay proactive and keep pushing forward!

6