Carolina Huaranca Mendoza’s Post

How to Write Your Monthly Investor Update ? Here are 7 things you should include in the email 👇 If you are struggling to raise fund for your startup, I strongly suggest to write a monthly / bi-weekly update with all the progress you are making on the business. (As shared in my previous post - https://lnkd.in/e55MQide) This works for two reasons: → Investors invest in the trajectory of companies & people. It's impossible to get a trajectory without watching a narrative unfold with time → If you do what you say you are going to do, and document it, this puts you in the top 5% of founders. Things to include in an email - 1️⃣ TLDRs - Start the update with this. One paragraph max. You want your investor to in 30 seconds get a [green, yellow, red] pulse on the co and determine whether they should invest 30 more minutes, a few hours, or 1+ days to dig in to help. 2️⃣ Asks - Next have 2 or 3 bullet point asks, the more specific the better. The easiest asks are intros. Investors are well-networked. Firing intros takes me ~5 minutes and are high value. Jumping on a call takes ~30 mins. 3️⃣ KPIs - bar chart - Immediately get to this. Two high-level numbers. Usually monthly revenue, plus another key KPI. Show a monthly growth graph of each. If you're hiding this, something is wrong. 4️⃣ 2nd order KPIs - table - 8 to 10 metrics you keep an eye on. Usually in a table, by month. If your investor is an expert in your area, this can help them debug and catch things you don't see (ie. give you benchmarks across their portfolio on default rates, etc) 5️⃣ Hi's / Low's - Typically 3 bullets on wins, 3 bullets on what can be better. Most will scan the wins. Helpful investors will give some help or feedback on the challenges. 6️⃣ Optional things - Then it's all optional stuff. I've seen updates on key initiatives, bullet points on key PR to help with sharing, maybe some feel-good team photos, etc. Rotate interesting things in/out to keep it interesting. 7️⃣ What's next - End with targets for next month or quarter as well as key initiatives. Shows you know what game you're playing and how to keep score. Helps build investor trust. I have shared an email template example in a recent Venture Curator newsletter. Check out here: https://lnkd.in/eggvJJRE . #startups #fundraising #founders #investors #vc #fund #angelinvestors #venturecapital #founders #startuptips

Here are some tips for managing your life as an investor 📂1. Stay Organized and Plan Ahead: Create a detailed plan for each investment, including financial projections and management strategies. Use tools like spreadsheets or investment management software to keep track of your assets, deadlines, and goals. ⚖2. Diversify and Balance Risk: Spread your investments across different types of properties or asset classes to mitigate risk. Balance high-risk ventures with more stable investments to protect your portfolio from market fluctuations. 📚3. Continuously Educate Yourself: Stay informed about market trends, legal changes, and new investment strategies. Regularly read industry news, attend workshops, and consider networking with other investors to enhance your knowledge and adapt to evolving conditions. And don't forget to continuously build your network!!📱⬇ https://lnkd.in/gkweH6E8

Every day spent fundraising is a day not spent investing. Think about that for a second. What could it mean for your fund business if you could shorten the fundraising cycle? What if you could free up time to focus on your portfolio instead of chasing LPs? As an emerging manager, your most valuable asset isn’t capital. It’s time. Yet, you would need to spend long months, or even years in fundraising mode. Don’t forget about nurturing deals, building a track record and scaling your firm. BUT you can’t outsource building personal relationships with potential LPs. They invest in your new fund because of you.  You can’t outsource ‘You’. You can however outsource the process of getting there. What am I talking about? - Targeting the right LPs (the right way) - Establishing a strong digital presence - Using the power of your story - Refining your messaging That’s where my team & I come in. Think of it like having a hidden helper, quietly doing the heavy lifting, so you can focus on what matters most: your investments and personal relationships with LPs. A targeted marketing/sales strategy can accelerate your fundraising. It can shorten the time you need to invest in building relationships and raising your fund. If you could save months on fundraising, what would that mean for your fund's growth? Time is your most valuable resource. Let’s make sure you’re using it wisely. P.S What aspect of fundraising takes up most of your time? I’m Diana Tenkova - Capital-raising strategies for Next-Gen managers. Capital-Raising Made Simpler, Smoother & More Effective - The Institutional Quality Way. #EmergingManagers #Fundraising #LPs #CapitalRaising

The harsh reality of fundraising: Investors have a million reasons to turn you down. Maybe your product isn’t there yet. Maybe your market isn’t big enough. Maybe your pitch didn’t hit the mark. It could be that you don’t have enough collateral, your projections seem too optimistic, or your business plan isn’t bulletproof. Or maybe—let’s be real—they were just in a rush to catch a game. Here’s the thing: Investors are inundated with pitches every single day. They’ve got a long list of reasons to say no, and most of the time, you’re going to hear one of them. But here’s what most founders don’t realize: It’s not just about your product. It’s about how you position yourself and your business. If your pitch comes in “cold” without an introduction, it’s already on the back foot. If you’re missing a piece of the story, your projections aren’t supported, or your ask doesn’t align with their strategy, your chances go way down. So, what can you do? You need to think beyond the pitch deck and get strategic. 👉🏼 Use your network to find warm introductions to key investors. 👉🏼 Get brutally honest feedback on your story and your fundraising strategy 👉🏼 Learn the art of de-risking your opportunity from the investor’s perspective. In reality, investors want to say yes—they need a reason to do so. And it’s up to you to give them one. Are you thinking strategically about how you’re positioning yourself for investors? ♻️ Repost if you’ve ever been turned down and want to rethink your approach.

Growing, profitable businesses are struggling to fundraise. But that's a huge opportunity for you. Here's why : Those businesses are struggling because : • They don’t have an investor network • They don’t know how to fundraise • They find the process dreadful And Institutional Investors have to deal with : • Messy, unclear, dreamy pitch decks • 100s of meetings, no real opportunities • Paying the ticket, the operation fees, and the risk What's worse ? Advisors, are in a tight spot. • They have to promise results • But can’t recommend every business to their network So what happens is : • Angry founders • Frustrated investors • Unmotivated advisors But I’m building a new way of doing it. It’s based on 3 pilars : 1. Structure : • No messy pitch decks, just structured emails • No complicated processes, just one simple system 2. Anonymity : • You don’t have to reply, You don’t have to commit • You don’t even use you name, until you want to 3. Trust : A network of experienced investment professionals • Analyse opportunities • Select good fit businesses • Advise you, and organize the operation. All you have to do, is a free sign up. No rush, No pressure, No commitment. Just 1 to 5 opportunities delivered to your inbox, every month. Sounds good ? Start with the link in comments P.S. I'll share the exact process we use to : • Find & Select great businesses • Make them investor friendly • Help you invest in them If you're interested, like, share & follow Amine Rahmani to be updated. ---- ⌛ Hi - I'm Amine. 🏛️ Ex. Investment Banking & Venture Capital Associate. 🪙 I'll help you invest $5k to $50k in a private business.

🚨 Success fees in fundraising are a SCAM! 🚨 Yes, you heard that right. You could be: ❌ Putting your business at legal risk ❌ Sacrificing long-term value for short-term wins ❌ Losing control of your entire fundraising process Here’s why success fees don’t work (and could actually kill your raise): 👉 It’s ILLEGAL in the U.S. Unless you are a licensed broker. I’ve seen investors ask for their money back because companies used illegal success-fee advisors. Don’t risk it. 👉 Success-fee advisors are incentivized to close deals fast, even if it means bad terms or wrong-fit investors. It’s about THEIR paycheck, not what's best for your company. 👉 Fundraising isn’t a transaction. It’s a long-term process of: 1. Building relationships 2. Refining your narrative, and 3. Managing investor psychology Success fees oversimplify everything. Leaving you unprepared for future rounds. And not focusing on what investors care about: 𝗬𝗼𝘂. You will never raise with the best investors doing this. 👉 You’ll lose credibility with investors. 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗶𝗴 𝗼𝗻𝗲. Relying on external parties to fundraise shows a lack of confidence in your ability to run the process. This kills trust. And trust is the biggest value you have in a funding round. The truth? Success fees are a shortcut that leave you dependent and exposed. 💡 Instead, learn how to fundraise properly: I’ve been on both sides of the table as a founder and a VC. And trust me – There’s no replacement for having full ownership of your fundraising. 👉 You'll raise more. 👉 On better terms 👉 Spend less. 𝗪𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗯𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗶𝗻𝘃𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀. 𝗙𝗢𝗥. 𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥𝗬. 𝗦𝗜𝗡𝗚𝗟𝗘. 𝗙𝗨𝗡𝗗𝗥𝗔𝗜𝗦𝗘. 𝗡𝗼𝘁 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗼𝗻𝗲. Check out the video in the comments for my more detailed thoughts on it. I'm ready for you disagreers 😎

12 traps that you can easily avoid when raising for a purpose-driven business: Pitfall #1: Not actually describing the product you’re raising for. You’ve told us about yourself, your background, your hopes and dreams and you’ve even outlined the sticky problem you’re solving. But you, er, haven’t described how you’re going to do it. Or you’ve named the product, but you haven’t explained what the features are that make it so special. Make sure the investor is 100% clear on what they’re putting their money into, not just why. Extra tip: include a demo or video that makes it super clear what you are doing Pitfall #2: A lack of research into the problem. It’s no secret that many founders create products that solve a problem that they’re experiencing. That’s a great starting point but isn’t enough to prove there is a real problem. Investors want to know that potential customers have also struggled to find a solution to your issue. Dig around for some really compelling research which backs up your hypothesis. And if it doesn’t exist? Interview people, send out surveys and create your own bank of data. Extra tip: include a demo or video that makes it super clear what you are doing Pitfall #3: Not involving your target market in the design Stakeholder engagement is important to many investors putting their cash into social business. Why? Because if you want market fit, the most efficient and effective way to achieve that is through co-design, or consultation with the people you hope will be your customers. Social investors, particularly trust and foundations, are very keen on co-design and it will really boost your credibility. To discover 9 more traps to avoid, sign up to my newsletter and receive the full list https://lnkd.in/eW9xMy4N

There are 3 reasons why I think people don't see long term success in capital raising. Someone actually asked me this in question form in a call recently. It's a great question and I had to take a moment to really think about it. Here are my thoughts: 1. They don't have a deep and clear understanding of their target audience. Not understanding who your audience is can cause you to waste time and resources targeting the wrong people. When capital raisers don’t know their audience’s pain points, goals, or motivations, they can’t tailor their messaging effectively. This leads to low engagement and missed opportunities because potential investors don’t feel connected or see the value. Over time, this results in fewer investors, reduced trust, and limited capital. 2. They have a weak marketing foundation. A weak marketing foundation means inconsistent lead flow, lack of brand awareness, and difficulty scaling. Without clear systems like a robust CRM and marketing strategies in place, there’s no framework for sustaining growth. This causes a reactive rather than proactive approach to capital raising. Over time, this instability lowers credibility with investors, making it harder to maintain or grow relationships, and ultimately limits the ability to raise significant capital. 3. They try to be perfect. Perfectionism leads to analysis paralysis and slows down decision-making. When capital raisers are overly focused on making everything perfect, they tend to delay outreach, launching campaigns, or networking efforts. This delay allows competitors to seize opportunities and grow their investor base, while the perfectionist remains stuck. Long-term, this results in missed growth opportunities, stagnant lead generation, and reduced momentum in capital raising efforts. What're your thoughts?

Here’s the truth about raising capital for real estate: There are only two things you need to raise almost unlimited capital from individual investors: 1. An Investor Acquisition System 2. Marketing At GowerCrowd, we provide both for our clients. But the investment heavy part of raising capital comes in the second part—active marketing. Here’s a case study of a recent campaign run just as interest rates were starting to rise: • Total campaign ad spend: $450,000 • Campaign duration: 90 days • Accredited investor leads generated: 10,000 • Meetings booked: 400 (4% of leads) • Investments committed: 130 (32% of meetings booked; 1.3% of leads generated) • Average investment: $100,000 ($50,000 minimum) • Total raised: $13,000,000 • Average cost of capital: 3.5% • Cost per new active investor: $3,461 Every lead was contacted by phone as soon as possible after it came in. Speed in outreach is critical for turning prospects into being active investors. In this case study, while 130 investors committed during the campaign, the sponsor gained 9,870 accredited leads to nurture for future opportunities. Note: Sponsors often offset marketing costs by incorporating them into the capitalization of a deal—alongside line line items like plumbing or electrical, for example. ________________________________________ As more investors experience the effects of the current downturn, these numbers are trending upward (i.e., raising capital is getting more expensive). However, for the right deal with the right sponsors—especially with a compelling distress story—we expect investors to return stronger than ever in 2025. We’re looking to partner with seasoned, multi-cycle sponsors with strong deal flow who want to dramatically increase their equity pipelines in 2025 to seize on opportunistic deals. If you or someone you know fits this description, comment ‘deal flow’ below and I’ll be in touch.