Nikita Krivelevich’s Post

View profile for Nikita Krivelevich, graphic

Investment Director at Zubr Capital (VC/PE). Board Member. Growth Equity (Round A, B, C)

[𝟮𝟬/𝟱𝟬] 𝗗𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗪𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗔𝘁𝘁𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗙𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗮𝗻𝘆 In a month, I will be a speaker in Warsaw at BelTech: Going Global 2.0, where I will discuss “Venture Winter” with my colleagues from the VC world (the conference link in the first comment). Attracting VC money in 2024 is more challenging than it was in 2021. However, there are still several ways to attract non-traditional VC funding. In this post, I want to share 5 methods to secure funding for your company, particularly if you’re struggling to attract VC money or prefer not to: 𝟭. 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 This is the most obvious and cost-effective method for securing funding, yet many companies hesitate to ask their clients for prepayments or long-term contracts. Large corporations, however, may find it advantageous to receive a 10-15% discount in exchange for prepaying for one or two years. While B2C companies sometimes prefer selling monthly subscriptions to maintain higher MRR, annual subscriptions can offer more upfront cash for development. Clients can significantly improve your cash flow, so don’t shy away from exploring this option. 𝟮. 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝗯𝘁 Venture debt is often used alongside VC funding when you’ve raised only part of the necessary capital or wish to avoid diluting your ownership in the current round. Lenders typically charge higher interest rates compared to traditional debt. In some cases, venture debt providers may ask for additional rights, such as veto rights or even a board seat to protect their interests. 𝟯. 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝘂𝗲-𝗯𝗮𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝗙𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗶𝗻𝗴 This type of financing is ideal for companies with a subscription model. The concept is simple: you receive funding in exchange for a percentage of your monthly revenue. Each month you’ll transfer some percentage of your revenue to the lender. 𝟰. 𝗚𝗿𝗮𝗻𝘁𝘀 Many countries and organizations offer grants, especially if your project focuses on sectors like climate tech or energy. These grants can be a great source of non-dilutive funding. 𝟱. 𝗕𝗮𝗻𝗸𝘀 Banks are increasingly competing with fintech and VC players, leading to the creation of new products for startups and scale-ups. I recommend speaking with your bank about these offerings. For instance, some banks offer loans backed by Apple Store or Google Play accounts receivable as collateral. In addition to these options, you might also consider more exotic or risky ones like reaching out to wealthy friends, exploring crowdfunding, ICOs, or leveraging free products or services as alternatives to VC funding. In the current market, cash is king, so be open to different sources of capital, but always be mindful of how each option will impact your future growth and subsequent VC rounds.

  • No alternative text description for this image
Nikita Krivelevich

Investment Director at Zubr Capital (VC/PE). Board Member. Growth Equity (Round A, B, C)

2mo
Like
Reply

To view or add a comment, sign in

Explore topics